While you may have heard that Russian is a strategic language for U.S. security needs and economic advantage, it is also a language that unites millions of people across Europe and Asia, as well as worldwide. Russian is the most widely spoken language in Europe; is the second most used language on the Internet and is the eighth most-spoken language in the world.
Russian has been designated a critical language by the United States government. Critical languages are those that are considered crucial for national security and economic prosperity but are not spoken by enough Americans.
According to the Critical Language Scholarship program, “Russian continues to be one of the most in-demand languages among employers in both the public and private sectors due to its international relevance and unique versatility.”
With over 70 years of Russian language training experience, IU features extraordinary opportunities in the study of Russian language, literature, and culture, including area studies courses taught by over 30 full-time faculty members in over 15 different departments and schools.
Students can take language and content courses in the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures, such as:
Students are also welcome to take area studies courses offered by our partners and colleagues in other departments including the Russian and East European Institute, the Department of International Studies, the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, and the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. In these departments, students can take classes such as:
Students of Russian at IU can take advantage of the world-renowned IU Language Workshop located right on the campus of Indiana University. Teaching over 25 foreign languages, including six levels of Russian, the IU Language Workshop is one of the nation's largest summer intensive language programs and offers students an opportunity to complete a full language level in only eight weeks. As part of the Language Workshop, the Russian program is an NSEP-approved training site for all students participating in Russian Flagship programs across the U.S.
All students attending the IU Language Workshop pay in-state tuition, and Flagship students are eligible for Flagship scholarships to help with the cost of the workshop.
