Slavic and Eurasian Program

The Slavic and Eurasian Program at Notre Dame offers students an interdisciplinary exploration of the languages, cultures, histories, and societies of Eastern Europe and Eurasia.

Through small classes and close relationships with faculty, students develop linguistic proficiency, cultural knowledge, and the critical skills necessary to understand this diverse and dynamic region.

Students can study Russian and Ukrainian language and culture, explore literature, film, art, history, and politics, conduct undergraduate research, participate in cultural programming, and pursue study-abroad opportunities across the region.

Whether students are interested in languages, literature and the arts, politics and international relations, history, anthropology, or contemporary culture, the Slavic and Eurasian Program provides multiple pathways for exploring one of the world's most culturally rich and geopolitically significant regions.

Why Slavic & Eurasian Studies?

Our classes are discussion-based and interdisciplinary, bringing together language, literature, film, visual culture, history, politics, anthropology, and cultural studies.

Students explore the diverse societies of Ukraine, Russia, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the broader Eurasian region while developing the analytical and intercultural skills necessary to understand a region shaped by multiple languages, cultures, national traditions, empires, migrations, and historical experiences.

Our faculty are active scholars in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies. Courses taught in English address subjects ranging from Ukrainian culture, literature, memory, and contemporary society to Russia's war against Ukraine, Armenian literature and culture, Russian literature, and the broader histories and cultures of Eastern Europe and Eurasia.

Students acquire the critical-thinking and intercultural skills needed for study abroad, research, graduate education, international careers, public service, and work in an increasingly interconnected world.

Why Study Slavic Languages?

Language study offers students direct access to the cultures and societies of Eastern Europe and Eurasia.

Notre Dame offers a robust Russian-language curriculum, with opportunities for students to develop proficiency from the beginning through advanced levels. Students interested in Ukraine can also pursue opportunities to study Ukrainian language and culture.

Language learning is integrated with cultural study, allowing students to engage with literature, film, media, history, and contemporary society while developing practical communication skills.

Ukrainian Language and Ukrainian Studies

Students interested in Ukraine can explore its language and culture through interdisciplinary coursework in Ukrainian language, literature, film, visual culture, history, memory, politics, and contemporary society.

Ukrainian Studies at Notre Dame introduces students to Ukraine's rich and diverse cultural traditions while examining the historical experiences that have shaped modern Ukraine and its relationships with neighboring countries and the wider world.

Students may encounter Ukrainian culture through language study as well as courses examining topics such as cultural memory, identity, literature and the arts, folk culture, regional diversity, political transformation, and the cultural dimensions of Russia's war against Ukraine.

Courses and cultural programming allow students to approach Ukraine not only through contemporary geopolitical events but also through its distinctive languages, histories, artistic traditions, and cultural life. The Ukrainian Studies Hub at the Nanovic Institute for European Studies is a great resource for our students.

Russian Language and Russian Studies

Russian language and culture have a long tradition of study at Notre Dame. Students can pursue Russian from the beginning through advanced levels while exploring the literature, film, history, culture, and societies associated with the Russian-speaking world.

Students interested in intensive Russian-language study can choose among several undergraduate programs:

• the Russian major
• the major in international economics with a concentration in Russian
• the Russian supplementary major
• the Russian language minor

Russian language study prepares students for careers in international affairs, government, business, education, research, and many other fields while developing advanced linguistic, analytical, and intercultural skills.

Minor in Slavic and Eurasian Studies

Students interested in the region beyond language study can pursue a minor in Slavic and Eurasian studies, which offers interdisciplinary coursework taught in English.

The minor allows students to explore the cultures and societies of Ukraine, Russia, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Eurasia through literature, film, history, politics, anthropology, cultural studies, and related fields.

The minor complements majors such as Political Science, Global Affairs, History, Anthropology, Economics, Sociology, and other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.