Minors in German, PCS, REES, and Slavic

We offer a variety of minors in Slavic, German, and Eurasian studies to match students interests, languages of choice, and language abilities. We offer one minor in German, one in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, and six in Slavic Languages and Literatures at the undergraduate level. For a complete listing of requirements, please visit the KU course catalog.

Please contact our undergraduate major advisor with any questions you may have.

Minor in German Studies

Required Courses

After completion of GERM 202: Intermediate German II, students must complete the following two courses:

Elective Courses

12 additional hours at the 300, 400, and 500 levels. GERM 315 is strongly encouraged because it is a prerequisite for courses above GERM 402 (except GERM 462).

With permission of the Undergraduate Coordinator, one approved 3-credit course offered in English by German Studies or by another department with significant content related to German-speaking Europe (300-500 level) may be counted toward the German minor. A 600-level course may be counted only with approval of the Undergraduate Coordinator.

For more information about the minor in German Studies, please consult the KU Catalog. 

Minor in Peace and Conflict Studies

This multidisciplinary program enables students to examine conflict within and between societies as well as ways that humans address conflict through war, mediation, law, diplomacy, institutions, and peaceful resistance.

Please contact Dr. Razi Ahmad with any questions.

Core Courses

  • PCS 120 - Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies
  • PCS 650 - Senior Seminar in Peace and Conflict Studies

PCS Core Knowledge and Skills

Satisfied by 2 courses (6 hours) from the following:

PCS Required Electives

Satisfied by 2 courses (6 hours) from the following or from the core courses listed above or select courses from other departments:

  • PCS 329 - History of War and Peace
  • PCS 350 - Study Abroad in Topics in Peace and Conflict Studies
  • PCS 375 - The Refugee Experience: Stories of Statelessness and Citizenship
  • PCS 555 - Topics in Peace and Conflict Studies
  • PCS 556 - Education for Peace and NonViolence
  • PCS 560 - Directed Study in Peace and Conflict Studies
  • PCS 565 - Literature of Human Rights
  • PCS 801 - Peace and Conflict Studies: Texts and Methods
  • PCS 850 - Peace and Conflict Studies Research Seminar

For more information about the minor in Peace and Conflict Studies, please consult the KU Catalog. 

Minor in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies

The University of Kansas Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (REES) program covers a broad geographical region, which is home to rich and diverse cultures that have had an enormous impact on today's political, economic, cultural, and environmental issues. The interdisciplinary study of Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia creates culturally informed citizens who can act on national and international issues.

The REES minor is highly flexible. It complements traditional disciplinary study in another field with REES coursework and general area knowledge.

Students selecting this minor must complete the following:

Introductory Course

Satisfied by one of the following:

  • REES 110 - Understanding Russia and Eastern Europe

    • or REES 111 - Understanding Russia and Eastern Europe, Honors
    • or REES 310 - Understanding Russia and Eastern Europe
    • or REES 311 - Understanding Russia and Eastern Europe, Honors
  • REES 220 - Societies and Cultures of Eurasia
    • or REES 221 - Societies and Cultures of Eurasia, Honors
  • SLAV 140 - Understanding Russia
    • or SLAV 141 - Understanding Russia, Honors
  • HIST 117 - Russia, An Introduction

REES Area Studies Electives

15 hours of interdisciplinary area studies courses focusing on Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia. Most courses offered by the Department of Slavic, German, and Eurasian Studies count as electives. Other potential courses are listed below. Please note that is only a partial list. CREES posts a list of eligible courses on its website prior to enrollment each semester, and other courses may be approved in consultation with CREES.

  • ARCH 600 - Special Topics in Architecture: _____ (Socialist Cities)
  • ECON 505 - History of Economic Analysis
  • GEOG 399 - Topics in Regional Studies: _____ (Geography of the Former Soviet Union)
  • GEOG 781 - Environmental Geopolitics
  • GIST 335 - Iran Through Literature and Film
  • HIST 139 - The Global Cold War
  • HIST 333 - Eurometro: Visions of the European Metropolis, 1849-1939
  • HIST 334 - The Great War: The History of World War I
  • HIST 340 - The History of the Second World War
  • HIST 343 - The Holocaust in History
  • HIST 377 - Everyday Communism in Eastern Europe
  • HIST 378 - Beyond the Iron Curtain: Soviet Perspectives on the Cold War
  • HIST 481 - From Harem to the Streets: Gender in the Middle East, 1900-Present
  • HIST 568 - Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union
  • JWSH 311 - Narratives of Jewish Life
  • JWSH 335 - History of Jewish Women
  • JWSH 338 - Languages of the Jews
  • JWSH 361 - Jewish Film
  • MUSC 488 - History of Opera
  • MUSC 650 - Selected Topics in Music: _____ (Music in Vienna and Prague)
  • POLS 125 - Intelligence: Supporting National Security
  • POLS 301 - Introduction to Political Theory
  • POLS 350 - Contemporary Issues in Comparative Politics
  • POLS 563 - Comparative Political Economy
  • POLS 609 - Topics in Political Theory: _____ (Socialism)
  • POLS 654 - Politics and Government of Russia and the Central Eurasian States
  • POLS 663 - Populism and Nationalism
  • POLS 675 - Russian Foreign Policy
  • REL 107 - Jews, Christians, Muslims
  • REL 502 - Special Topics in Religion: _____ (Eastern Orthodox Christianity)
  • SOC 532 - Sociology of the Middle East
  • THR 302 - Undergraduate Seminar in: _____ (Theatre and Genocide)
  • WGSS 396 - Studies in: _____ (Gendering the Holocaust)

For more information about the minor in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, please consult the KU Catalog. 

Minor in Slavic Languages and Literatures

The Slavic minor can add a unique global aspect to another career choice and field of study. It prepares students for a variety of careers in teaching or in graduate studies, as well as in fields such as translation, international business, art, art history, and travel.

Prerequisites

The following courses provide fundamental skills for the minor, but do not contribute to the minimum required hours for the minor.

Polish Studies Required Courses

Required Electives. Satisfied by 3 courses (9 hours) chosen from the following:

  • PLSH 675 - Readings in Polish Language and Literature
  • SLAV 320 - Graphic Novels as Memory
  • SLAV 340/341 - The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe
  • SLAV 516 - Love, Lust and Liberty: Polish and Czech Film Adaptations
  • ECON 560 - Economic Systems
  • HIST 377 - Everyday Communism in Eastern Europe

For more information about the Polish Studies track of the minor in Slavic Languages and Literatures , please consult the KU Catalog. 

This minor requires at least two years of course work in Russian language and offers a broadly based knowledge of Russian language, linguistics, and literature.

Prerequisites

The following courses provide fundamental skills for the minor, but do not contribute to the minimum required hours for the minor.

Required Courses

  • RUSS 208 - Intermediate Russian II
  • Russian Linguistics. Satisfied by 1 course (3 hours, 200+) chosen from:
    • SLAV 340 - The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe
    • & SLAV 341 The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe, honors 
    • SLAV 522 - The Grammatical Categories of Russian: Linguistic Units, Functions and Meanings
    • SLAV 540 - The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe
    • Russian Literature. Satisfied by 1 course (3 hours, 400+) chosen from:
    • SLAV 510 - The Russian Literary Genius
    • SLAV 530 - Introduction to Russian Poetry
    • SLAV 532 - Dostoevsky
    • SLAV 534 - Tolstoy
    • SLAV 564 - The Woman Question in Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature
    • SLAV 572 - Russian and East European Science Fiction
    • SLAV 664 - Soviet Russian Literature: 1930-1990
    • SLAV 667 - Post-Soviet Literature
    • SLAV 668 - Nabokov
    • SLAV 762 - Russian Theatre and Drama from Stanislavski and Chekhov to the Present
  • Required Electives. Satisfied by 3 courses (9 hours) in Russian literature, linguistics, culture, or advanced language chosen in consultation with the major advisor.
    • Language

    • Linguistics
      • SLAV 340 - The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe

        • & SLAV 341 The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe, honors
      • SLAV 522 - The Grammatical Categories of Russian: Linguistic Units, Functions and Meanings
      • SLAV 526 - The Pragmatics of Slavic Languages
      • SLAV 540 - The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe
    • Culture
    • Literature

For more information about the Russian track of the minor in Slavic Languages and Literatures, please consult the KU Catalog. 

This minor requires at least two years of course work in Russian language and offers a broadly based knowledge of Russian language, linguistics, and literature.

Prerequisites

The following courses provide fundamental skills for the minor, but do not contribute to the minimum required hours for the minor.

Required Courses

  • RUSS 208 - Intermediate Russian II5
  • Advanced Russian, satisfied by one of the following:
  • Russian Business/Professional Culture, satisfied by the following two required courses:
  • Required Research Project, satisfied by:

For more information about the Russian Business and Professional Culture track of the minor in Slavic Languages and Literatures, please consult the KU Catalog. 

This minor requires no knowledge of a Slavic language, but provides a solid knowledge of West, South, and East Slavic cultures through texts read in English translation.

West Slavic Literature and Civilization or South Slavic Literature and Civilization. Satisfied by:

  • SLAV 506 - Masterworks of Polish and Czech Literature

    • or SLAV 508 - South Slavic Literature and Civilization

Slavic Culture. Satisfied by two of the following:

Junior/Senior Slavic Literature and Culture. Satisfied by 3 junior/senior (300+) SLAV courses (9 hours) from the following:

  • SLAV 318 - Jews and Slavs in Eastern Europe
  • SLAV 510 - The Russian Literary Genius
  • SLAV 516 - Love, Lust and Liberty: Polish and Czech Film Adaptations
  • SLAV 532 - Dostoevsky
  • SLAV 534 - Tolstoy
  • SLAV 564 - The Woman Question in Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature
  • SLAV 626 - The Cultural Impact of Ottoman Empire on the South Slavs
  • SLAV 664 - Soviet Russian Literature: 1930-1990
  • SLAV 667 - Post-Soviet Literature
  • SLAV 668 - Nabokov
  • SLAV 762 - Russian Theatre and Drama from Stanislavski and Chekhov to the Present

For more information about the Slavic Cultures in Translation track of the minor in Slavic Languages and Literatures, please consult the KU Catalog. 

This minor requires no knowledge of a Slavic language, but provides a solid knowledge of West, South, and East Slavic cultures through texts read in English translation.

Slavic Courses With a Jewish Studies Component. Satisfied by 3 of the following:

  • SLAV 318 - Jews and Slavs in Eastern Europe
  • SLAV 340 - The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe
    • or SLAV 540 - The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe
  • SLAV 506 - Masterworks of Polish and Czech Literature
  • SLAV 508 - South Slavic Literature and Civilization
  • SLAV 516 - Love, Lust and Liberty: Polish and Czech Film Adaptations
  • SLAV 626 - The Cultural Impact of Ottoman Empire on the South Slavs

Judaism/Jewish Religious Expression. Satisfied by one of the following:3

Required Electives. Satisfied by 2 of the following:

  • Geography

  • History
    • HIST 115 - French Revolution to the Present: Europe 1789-Present
    • HIST 117 - Russia, An Introduction
    • HIST 340 - The History of the Second World War
    • HIST 341 - Hitler and Nazi Germany
    • HIST 377 - Everyday Communism in Eastern Europe
    • HIST 378 - Beyond the Iron Curtain: Soviet Perspectives on the Cold War
    • HIST 564 - Medieval Russia
    • HIST 565 - Imperial Russia
    • HIST 568 - Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union
  • Jewish Studies
  • Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies
    • REES 220 - Societies and Cultures of Eurasia
  • Slavic
    • SLAV 318 - Jews and Slavs in Eastern Europe
    • SLAV 320 - Graphic Novels as Memory
    • SLAV 340 - The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe
    • or SLAV 540 - The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe
    • SLAV 506 - Masterworks of Polish and Czech Literature
    • SLAV 508 - South Slavic Literature and Civilization
    • SLAV 516 - Love, Lust and Liberty: Polish and Czech Film Adaptations
    • SLAV 626 - The Cultural Impact of Ottoman Empire on the South Slavs
  • Yiddish

For more information about the Slavic Jewish Studies track of the minor in Slavic Languages and Literatures, please consult the KU Catalog. 

This minor requires at least two years of course work in Croatian/Serbian language and offers a broadly based knowledge of South Slavic languages, literatures, cultures, and history.

Prerequisites

The following courses provide fundamental skills for the minor, but do not contribute to the minimum required hours for the minor.

  • BCRS 104 - Elementary Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian I
  • BCRS 108 - Elementary Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian II

Required Courses

  • BCRS 204 - Intermediate Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian I
  • BCRS 208 - Intermediate Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian II
  • SLAV 508 - South Slavic Literature and Civilization

9 hours in South Slavic languages, history, cultures, or literatures at the 300 level or above, chosen from courses in the South Slavic studies emphasis

Required Electives. Satisfied by 3 courses (9 hours) chosen from the following:

  • BCRS 380 - Intensive Croatian (summer in Croatia)
  • BCRS 675 - Readings in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian
  • ECON 560 - Economic Systems
  • HIST 377 - Everyday Communism in Eastern Europe
  • SLAV 316 - The Peoples and Cultures of Southeastern Europe Through Film
  • SLAV 340/341 - The Language Landscape of Eastern Europe
  • SLAV 558 - Readings in Slovene
  • SLAV 626 - The Cultural Impact of Ottoman Empire on the South Slavs
  • SLAV 630 - Slavic Folklore
  • SLAV 679 - Topics in: _____ (Slavic Culture)

For more information about the South Slavic Studies track of the minor in Slavic Languages and Literatures, please consult the KU Catalog.