Russian Studies

Interested students can then deepen gained knowledge and skills studying one of specializations. Within the specialization “Russian Cultural Studies” listeners will learn terminology and basic methodological approaches of linguistics and literary theory. The student will then get an overview of Russian literature, culture and art with the skill of discussing and writing about these topics based on individual reading and studying. In the fields of linguistics and literary theory there is traditionally put an emphasize on the comparative Russian-Czech approach. Listeners of the programme “Russian for Social Practice” are trained so that they can independently fulfil the number of ordinary tasks in companies, lead business negotiations by telephone, in writing and personally in the foreign language and so that they can deal with negotiations with foreigners and with easier operations of interpreting and translating based on the fine knowledge of Russian traditions, cultural milieu, habits and mentality. Apart from philological disciplines the listeners will gain basic knowledge in the sphere of economics, law, and deepen skills of using computer technologies.

Upon successful completion of the programme, the graduate is able to:

• practically use the Russian language (oral and written) at the B2 level;
• simply interpret into the mother tongue in everyday communicative situations;
• translate ordinary texts from Russian into Czech (passive translation) and at the same time to effectively and knowledgeably use available language aids, tools and information sources;
• understand written and oral Russian texts from different genres, stylistic and thematic spheres, and to argue while interpreting them;
• characterize the key periods of Russian cultural, literary and historical development and to place it in a broader European context;
• knowledgeably interpret Russian cultural production and acting, as well as value the equipment of Russian ethnic members based on social and historical context;
• explain in general terms how the language or the literary text works;
• lead business negotiations and correspondence, to prepare promotional materials in Russian, and to translate basic business, administrative and juridical documents.

The programme gives the graduates complex philological Russian studies education. The graduates of bachelor’s studies can find an employment in such professions and activities where the knowledge of Russian language and Russian cultural environment is necessary, that means in cultural institutions, in the sphere of tourism, in public administration, in media, professional practice in editorial departments, in the sphere of lower and middle company management, in economical departments of business and manufacturing companies, in more demanding administrative functions, in translating of scientific and artistic texts, in interpreting of common communication and in expert activities.

The minimal length of master’s thesis is 70 000 signs including footnotes, title page, table of contents, index, bibliography and abstract in foreign language. Thesis can be written both in Czech and Russian. The topic of the thesis can be broadly defined problematics of linguistics, literary theory, cultural and historical or area. The lecturers of the specialization approve topics of theses with the help of the corresponding application in the IS. The student himself can suggest the thesis topic to the supervisor. In bachelor’s thesis students under the tutelage of supervisors solve scientific problem and should demonstrate the ability to critically work with scientific texts, to process concepts and theories found in these texts and to find their individual relevant solutions of set-up problem, it should be made at the scientific level corresponding to the content and subject structure of the study field. Further information about the state exam and working on bachelor’s thesis is modified on the web page of the Department of Slavonic Studies http://slavistika.phil.muni.cz/studium.

The graduate of the bachelor’s study programme “Russian Studies” can continue (after meeting entry requirements) his studies in any follow-up master’s study programme. In the Faculty of Arts of MU the programme has a direct connection to master’s Russian studies programmes “Russian Studies” and “Upper Secondary School Teacher Training in Russian Language and Literature”.