The Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies offers students majoring in Russian language and culture or Slavic and Eurasian studies a senior honors program that, upon successful completion, results in graduation with distinction. An overall GPA of 3.3 and one of 3.5 in the major are required. The process is initiated by the submission of an application form and research proposal to the DUS by the end of the second semester of the junior year.
Completion of the thesis with a grade of A- or better, its evaluation, and its successful defense before the committee warrant graduation with distinction in Russian. The thesis generally consists of three to five chapters with an extensive bibliography. The use of primary materials in Russian is required.
There are three levels of distinction: Distinction, High Distinction, and Highest Distinction. The honors thesis committee will decide whether to grant distinction and at which level based on the quality of the completed work.
The honors program in Russian language and culture normally consists of two courses (RUSSIAN 111S and 112S), though participation in these courses is not mandatory. RUSSIAN 111S, taken in the fall of the senior year, is devoted to the development of the honors thesis and includes close supervision of the writing stage of the project by a faculty supervisor selected by the student. Continued close faculty supervision of the project occurs in RUSSIAN 112S, which is an independent study course specifically designed for the honors thesis program. For designating honors courses in Slavic and Eurasian studies, see the Director of Undergraduate Studies.