The Russian Department stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and everyone across the world who is impacted by the war.
Russian is classified by the U.S. State Department as a "critical language," meaning language proficiency remains a politically relevant skill and an in-demand field of expertise among employers. Understanding Russia’s changing role on the world stage also demands in-depth knowledge of its rich literary and cultural heritage.
Dickinson’s Russian program is designed to prepare students to meet contemporary challenges in any profession. Our curriculum combines intensive language and cultural training with a wide variety of interdisciplinary courses taught in both Russian and English. This includes a wide variety of opportunities to study Russian-speaking cultures and peoples, from indigenous communities to countries of the former Soviet Union.
A Russian major or minor is often paired with business, international studies, environmental science, security studies and other foreign languages. The highly interdisciplinary nature of the program offers pathways to integrate the study of Russian with any other major. Our alumni have successful careers in banking, education, government, law, science and the art world, to name a few.
What Makes Dickinson's Program Stand Out?
- Intensive Russian for all levels, from beginners to heritage speakers
- Career-focused courses such as Professional Translation and Russian for Intelligence Careers
- National leader in Fulbright fellowships and other competitive scholarships
- Dickinson Center in Tbilisi, Georgia, including internship opportunities
- The Russian House: an on-campus residence option for students of all levels
- Continued collaboration with the Dickinson Center in Moscow connects students with specialists based in the region
Support the program! Make a designated donation to the Russian Department.
Contact Info
Chair
- Alyssa DeBlasioAssociate Professor of Russiandeblasia@dickinson.edu
Department Coordinator
- Shana KitnerAcademic Department Coordinatorkitners@dickinson.edu
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Phone
- 717-245-1277
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Fax
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Location
- Rm. 105, 1st floor, Bosler Hall Mailing Address
Department Features
Student Outcomes
Where Our Students Go From Here
Jobs
- United States Foreign Service
- J.P. Morgan Chase
- National Security Agency
- Sotheby’s Auction House
- U.S. Department of State
- Center for International Private Enterprise
- American Councils for International Education
- U.S. Government Accountability Office
- National Committee on American Foreign Policy
- Mercuria Energy America
- The Washington Post
- Disney Company Russia
Graduate Schools
- Harvard University
- Georgetown University
- Fulbright Program
- Tufts University
- AmeriCorps
- Higher School of Economics
- Columbia University
- University of California Berkeley
Where Our Students Have Interned
- Bolshoi Ballet Company
- Greenpeace Russia
- Summer Language Institute – University of Pittsburgh
- Russian State Historical Museum
- Library of Congress
- US Army War College – Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute
- American Embassy in Moscow
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Student Perspective
“The curriculum is intense and challenging, but the department is very supportive of their students and constantly provides the help and support necessary to master the language. If you complete four years of Russian at Dickinson, you will have cultivated a very marketable skill that will serve you well in both the job market and graduate school, as Russia becomes an increasingly important, yet deeply and perpetually misunderstood, force in the contemporary world.”
—Phil Kiffer ’11 (Russian, history), Ph.D. candidate in Russian/Soviet history at Georgetown University
Alumni in Action
Department News