Columbia University's Department of Slavic Languages, one of the oldest
in the U.S., aims to educate new generations of scholars dedicated to
advancing the field of Slavic studies. It strongly emphasizes the
rigorous study of literary texts, discourses and cultural history. It
also encourages its students to pursue original and innovative projects
that further the development of the field.
Recently, the area
of Slavic studies has undergone major changes, challenging scholars in
the field to
reach out and build many interdisciplinary ties. We
encourage our students to link literary study with innovations in other
disciplines—intellectual and social history, film and performance
studies, musicology, art history, sociology, anthropology, religious
studies, and others—which already share some of literature's investment
in narrativity, structure, communication and interpretation. The
Department welcomes theoretical, reflective work that draws on
contemporary theories and approaches, but simultaneously stresses the
historicity of such discourses and of the cultural phenomena they set
out to investigate.
The Columbia University Slavic Department
enjoys close cooperation with many of Columbia's other programs, departments
and institutes in the humanities, social sciences and fine arts,
including the
Linguistics program, the
Institute for Comparative Literature and Society, the
Institute for Research on Women and Gender, the
East Central European Center, and with the
W. Averell Harriman Institute. Students may pursue the Institute's
Harriman Certificate
and are encouraged to do so. Courses in the Harriman program provide
broader historical, political and cultural contexts for literature.
They offer opportunities for practical alternatives to an academic
career. In addition, the Institute provides access to a rich array of
visiting speakers and scholars, assistance for travel, access to film
and directly received television, and contact with students and several
dozen faculty members in related departments. To supplement Columbia’s
vast array of educational opportunities, students regularly take
advantage of the resources New York City has to offer, including
museums, libraries, theatres, businesses and embassies.
The Columbia University library boasts an outstanding collection of Slavic books and manuscripts. The library houses the
Bakhmeteff Archive,
famed for its collection of Russian émigré materials. Students also
have access to the Slavic and Baltic Collections of the New York Public Library. Taken together, the holdings at Columbia and NYPL contain the largest concentration of Russian-language materials in the country. In addition, Columbia's Slavic Librarian is available to assist students in tracking down resources related to Slavic, East European and Eurasian
Studies, both in the Columbia Libraries and online.
The
faculty of the Slavic Department is quite diverse with respect to age,
background, and area of academic focus. Traditionally, the department's
main strength has been Russian literature and culture; however, we
strive to reflect the rich diversity of Slavic cultures, offering
courses and degrees in Czech, Polish, Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian, Ukrainian and
other East European languages, literatures and cultures, as well as
comparative courses that trace common theoretical and cultural concerns
across the national boundaries. Chronologically, the Department's
course offerings span the entire history of Slavic literatures and
cultures, from the medieval period to the postcommunist era. While the
Department currently does not offer a graduate specialization in
linguistics,
the course of study includes rigorous training in that field.
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In addition to their work in their individual fields of specialization,
doctoral students in the Slavic Department are required to develop a
strong minor in a second Slavic literature or a related field in the
humanities, arts, or social sciences. Along with appropriate teaching
experience, this double specialization provides our students with a
solid disciplinary base for their research and prepares them for the
demands of the academic job market. |
The Department seeks, above all, to foster independent thought while providing a thorough grounding in the Slavic literary tradition and a solid training in research, giving each student the opportunity to develop his or her own original
scholarly approach, and thereby to make a unique contribution to Columbia's tradition of excellence in Slavic studies.
