One of
approximately twenty doctoral programs in Slavic Studies in the
U.S., the Slavic Department at the
University of Pittsburgh has six full-time tenured
faculty members. In both the
undergraduate and
graduate areas, the Slavic Department teaches courses in Polish,
B/C/S (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian), Slovak, and Ukrainian, but
remains primarily Russian-oriented, this fact reflecting, on the
undergraduate level, the interests of most potential majors and, on
the graduate level, the current needs of the field. At present the
undergraduate majors offered are in Russian and Slavic Studies, with
the possibility of a self-designed major in Polish. A minor in
Slovak is available. The Russian major stresses language
proficiency, the study of major periods and authors, and the culture
of the former Soviet Union. The M.A. program in literature and
culture, together with a Russian and East European Studies
certificate, is suitable for students planning careers in
government, business, or teaching. The Ph.D. in literature and
culture is often combined with Certificates in Cultural Studies,
Film Studies or Russian and East European Studies.
Owing to an exceptionally strong auxiliary program in
Russian and East European Studies, under the aegis of the
University Center for International Studies, the University of
Pittsburgh has a program of faculty and student contacts and
exchanges with Eastern Europe, including Russia, Poland, Slovakia,
the Czech Republic, the former Yugoslavia and Bulgaria.
The Slavic Department's strong commitment to its undergraduate
program is reflected in a high student retention rate and the
quality of its undergraduate majors and minors. Its equal dedication
to the graduate program has ensured a record of unusual success in
job placement for its Ph.D.s. All tenured faculty teach at the
undergraduate level. Beginning language courses, such as First- and
Second-Year Russian, are typically taught according to a
lecture-recitation format, with senior faculty or other experienced
instructors in charge.
For the past twenty years the Department has offered
intensive summer language programs in Russian, Polish, Slovak,
Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Bosnia/Croatian/Serbian, and Hungarian. More
than half of the participants in the summer programs come from
schools outside the University of Pittsburgh system. Proceeds from
the Summer Institute enable the Department to underwrite the Ivan
Elagin graduate fellowship, which provides one year of support for
an incoming graduate student without teaching responsibilities. 95%
of participants receive partial and full scholarships.
The U.S. Slovak community has contributed financially to the
establishment of a full-time faculty position primarily in the
Slovak area. The creation of that position makes the University of
Pittsburgh unique among higher educational institutions outside
Slovakia, additionally providing expanded coverage in the areas of
Slovak culture, cinema, folklore, and linguistics. Pitt houses the
only Slovak Studies Program in the U.S.
A recent gift from the Polish National Alliance has placed
Pittsburgh in possession of one of the richest collections of Polish
library materials in the United States.
Community support of the Serbian program has enabled the Department
to offer courses not only in Serbian language, but also in Serbian
literature and culture. A Croatian endowment provides scholarships
for study in our Summer Language Institute. Four levels of
Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian are offered.
Another of the
department’s strengths is in Film Studies. In the past several
years the department has helped organize a series of screenings from
Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Russian Federation,
Slovakia, and the nation states of the former Yugoslavia, as well as
films from all of the newly independent nation states of Central
Asia. In addition, the department supports the annual Russian Film
Symposium, a week-long event that is held every year during the
first week of May on the university campus and at Pittsburgh
Filmmakers. |