The Russian Program at Tulane offers intellectually rigorous and interdisciplinary pathways for both majors and minors, combining advanced language study with courses in literature, history, politics, and culture. Whether students are interested in classical authors such as Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, Soviet-era film and Jewish experience in Russia, or post-Soviet politics and identity, our curriculum offers a dynamic and globally relevant education rooted in the richness and diversity of the Russian-speaking world.
Find Russian classes by semester, view all Russian courses in the Tulane University Catalog, and review degree requirements for Tulane’s undergraduate programs.
Russian Studies Major
Recent special topics courses include:
- Spring 2025 – Writing the Empire: Russian Literature and Colonial Encounters
- Fall 2024 – Disentangling Eurasia: Identity and Conflict in the Post-Soviet Space
- Spring 2023 – Revisiting the Dead House: Russian Narratives of Political Imprisonment
- Fall 2022 – Narratives from the Post-Soviet Borderlands: Russia and the Caucasus
- Spring 2022 – Russian Film: Soviet and Post-Soviet Cinema and Society
- Fall 2021 – 19th-Century Russian Literature in Translation
- Fall 2020 – Russian Modern Literature, 1930 to Today
- Fall 2019 – Post-Soviet Borderlands: Ukraine, Belarus, the Caucasus, and Central Asia
Students may also petition to count up to two courses outside the department (such as Russian history or political science courses) toward the major. Study abroad credits from accredited institutions in the U.S. or abroad are generally accepted. Students who study abroad may count up to four courses toward the major for a full academic year abroad, and up to three for one semester. Upon returning, students are expected to enroll in at least two advanced Russian-language courses.
Russian Studies Minor
Students may petition to count one relevant course from outside the department toward the minor. The department also accepts transfer credit from accredited summer or semester programs. Students may count up to three courses toward the minor from a full academic year abroad, and up to two courses from one semester abroad.
The Russian Major and Minor prepare students for careers and graduate study in international relations, policy, journalism, public health, law, and global education. Through courses that blend literary analysis, historical depth, and geopolitical insight, students gain cultural fluency and critical skills that are increasingly essential in today's interconnected world.
All questions related to the Russian courses and to the Russian Major/Minor Program please address to Prof. Lidia Zhigunova lzhigunova@tulane.edu and to Prof. William Brumfield brumfiled@tulane.edu
Find Russian Studies Classes by Semester
Use the Tulane Class Schedule Search Page to find Russian Studies classes offered in current and past semesters.