Program Objective

Our program’s objective is to provide students who are interested in Russian, Polish, and Czech languages, literatures, histories and cultures with an in-depth understanding of cultural, economic, and political processes in Eastern and Central Europe. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the East European Socialist bloc, these countries have undergone rapid economic and political changes and actively engaged in global politics.

Our program allows students to engage deeply with some of the richest literary traditions in the world, and to examine them in their historical, political contexts – from Russian classics like the works of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov and Nabokov, to brilliant Central and East European writers like Schulz, Gombrowicz, Hrabal and Kundera. 

Professional Paths

The professional paths of our former concentrators demonstrate that studying Russian and/or Polish and Czech is a major asset to students considering careers in such diverse fields as international relations and diplomacy, law, business, teaching and academic research.