The Certificate in Russian, East European, and Central Asian studies provides students with knowledge of the societies and cultures of the peoples of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, drawing on the disciplines of anthropology, communication arts, economics, folklore, geography, history, language and literature, law, political science, and sociology. The certificate can be a valuable addition to a major in business, economics, education, geography, history, international studies, political science, Slavic languages and literature, and others.
At least two years of a Slavic, East European, or Central Asian language are strongly recommended for the certificate, but are not formally required. Read about the languages taught at UW–Madison.
Students may also be interested in the Russian major, the Polish major, and the Certificate in East Central European Languages, Literatures, and Cultures.
How to Get in
Students interested in declaring the undergraduate certificate should contact the advisor.
Requirements
Seven courses are required, at least one from each of the following three groups. 1
Interdisciplinary Courses (group 1)
Complete at least one course:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| Russia: An Interdisciplinary Survey | |
| Eastern Europe: An Interdisciplinary Survey | |
| An Introduction to Central Asia: From the Silk Route to Afghanistan | |
History and the Social Sciences (group 2):
Complete at least one course from any of these areas:
Agricultural and Applied Economics
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| The Environment and the Global Economy | |
| Globalization, Poverty and Development | |
| The Growth and Development of Nations in the Global Economy | |
| Economic Problems of Developing Areas | |
Economics
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| International Trade | |
Geography
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| Introduction to Geopolitics | |
| World Regions in Global Context (Check with instructor to verify 25% or more regional content ) | |
History
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| Europe and the Modern World 1815 to the Present | |
| Eastern Europe since 1900 | |
| The First World War and the Shaping of Twentieth-Century Europe | |
| The Second World War | |
| History of Europe Since 1945 | |
| The Cold War - From World War II to End of Soviet Empire | |
| History of Russia | |
| History of Russia | |
| History of Soviet Russia | |
| Russian Social and Intellectual History | |
| The Soviet Union and the World, 1917-1991 | |
| American Foreign Relations, 1901 to the Present | |
| Holocaust: History, Memory and Education | |
Political Science
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | |
| Introduction to Comparative Politics (Honors) | |
| Islam and World Politics | |
| Russian Politics | |
| The European Union: Politics and Political Economy | |
| The Russian War on Ukraine: Causes and Consequences | |
| Nuclear Weapons and World Politics | |
| The Politics of Human Rights | |
| The Comparative Study of Genocide | |
| Politics and Policies in the European Union | |
| Politics and Society: Contemporary Eastern Europe | |
Literature and the Arts (group 3)
Complete at least one course from any of these areas:
Asian Language & Culture
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| Asia Enchanted: Ghosts, Gods, and Monsters | |
| Islam: Religion and Culture | |
Communication Arts
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| Avant-Garde Film | |
| Rhetoric of the Cold War | |
Comparative Literature
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| Introduction to Modern and Contemporary Literature | |
| Problems in Comparative Literatures and Cultures | |
English
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| Vladimir Nabokov: Russian and American Writings | |
Folklore
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| In Translation: Kalevala and Finnish Folk-Lore | |
| Shamanism | |
| Sami Culture, Yesterday and Today | |
| Slavic and East European Folklore | |
| Folk Epics | |
German, Nordic and Slavic
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| Folklore of Central, Eastern and Northern Europe | |
| Cultures of Sustainability: Central, Eastern, and Northern Europe | |
| Introductory Topics in GNS | |
| Literatures of Central Asia | |
| Readings in Turkish: Contemporary Turkey through Literature and Media | |
| Advanced Topics in East European and Central Asian Languages and Cultures | |
Jewish Studies
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| Elementary Topics in Jewish Literature | |
| Yiddish Literature and Culture in Europe | |
Literature in Translation
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation I | |
| Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation II | |
| Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation I | |
| Survey of 19th and 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation II | |
| Women in Russian Literature in Translation | |
| Slavic Science Fiction through Literature and Film | |
| The Writings of Vaclav Havel: Crtitique of Modern Society | |
| Love and Death: Introduction to Polish Literature & Culture | |
| Polish Literature in Translation: Late 19th and 20th Centuries | |
| Chekhov: The Drama of Modern Life | |
| Russia's Greatest Enigma: Nikolai Gogol | |
| Dostoevsky in Translation | |
| Tolstoy in Translation | |
| Representation of the Jew in Eastern European Cultures | |
| Russian Life and Culture Through Literature and Art (to 1917) | |
| Soviet Life and Culture Through Literature and Art (from 1917) | |
| Literatures and Cultures of Eastern Europe | |
| Topics in Slavic Literatures in Translation | |
| Elementary Special Topics in Russian Literature & Culture | |
| Yiddish Literature and Culture in Europe | |
| Vampires | |
| In Translation: Kalevala and Finnish Folk-Lore | |
| Living at the End of Times: Contemporary Polish Literature and Culture | |
| Intermediate Special Topics in Russian Literature & Culture | |
| History of Serbian and Croatian Literature | |
| Polish Literature (in Translation), Middle Ages to 1863 | |
| Polish Literature (in Translation) since 1863 | |
Scandinavian Studies
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| Sami Culture, Yesterday and Today | |
| Kalevala and Finnish Folk-Lore | |
Slavic Languages and Literature
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| History and Ethics on Film: Polish Cinema | |
| Literature and Revolution | |
| Performance and Power | |
| Literatures and Cultures of Eastern Europe | |
| Contemporary Russia: History, Politics, and Culture | |
| Topics in Slavic Literatures | |
| Escaping Utopia: Cultures after Communism | |
| Adventure in Literature and Film | |
| Slavic Culture in Context: An Honors Course | |
| Study Abroad in Poland | |
| Polish Culture and Area Studies on Study Abroad | |
| Russian Area Studies on Study Abroad | |
| Topics in Russian: Study Abroad | |
| Introduction to Serbian and Croatian Literature | |
| Intermediate Special Topics in Slavic Languages and Literatures | |
| Women in Russian Literature | |
| Chekhov | |
| Gogol | |
| Dostoevsky | |
| Tolstoy | |
| History of Russian Culture | |
| Contemporary Russian Culture | |
| History of Serbo-Croatian Literature | |
| Advanced Readings in Russian Literature & Culture | |
| Advanced Special Topics in Slavic Languages and Literatures | |
| History of Polish Literature until 1863 | |
| History of Polish Literature after 1863 | |
| Capstone Seminar in Russian Literature and Culture | |
| Directed Study | |
Theatre & Drama
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| In Translation: Slavic Drama in Context | |
Residence and Quality of Work
- Minimum 2.500 GPA on all certificate courses
- At least 11 certificate credits must be completed in residence
Footnotes
Certificate Completion Requirement
This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.
Advising and Careers
Advising for the certificate is administered by the Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS). The IRIS Assistant Director for Students and Curriculum can assist you in developing your plan of study for the certificate, track progress toward your certificate, explore study abroad and international internship options, and begin the career-exploration process. We offer walk-in advising, advising workshops, and scheduled appointments. We strongly encourage students to begin career exploration early on and to make use of the many resources available on campus. creeca.wisc.edu/academics/undergraduates
SuccessWorks
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps you turn the academic skills learned in your classes into a fulfilling life, guiding you every step of the way to securing jobs, internships, or admission to graduate school.
Through one-on-one career advising, events, and resources, you can explore career options, build valuable internship and research experience, and connect with supportive alumni and employers who open doors of opportunity.
Wisconsin Experience
As a regional center within the Institute for Regional and International Studies, we support and enhance international and global awareness in our student communities and inspire informed thinking about the complexities of our world. We encourage our students to connect to international networks and our regional communities through our program’s lecture series, film screenings, and varied outreach events and activities. We encourage our students to study abroad, do international internships, learn foreign languages, and expect them to gain an interdisciplinary grounding in global and regional affairs. We provide resources and expertise on our world area to students, and prospective students, and more broadly to K–12 teachers and students, postsecondary educators and graduate students, businesses, the media, the military, the community at large, and anyone else who is interested.
Resources and Scholarships
Information about resources, scholarships, and other funding through the Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia website. We also encourage our students to explore funding options available through the Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) Awards Office.
