NYU offers unique opportunities for anyone interested in studying Russian. Join the Russian Club and practice Russian with many native speakers on campus; explore local Russian bookstores; concerts and theaters; eat real borsch and pel’meni at the numerous Russian and Ukrainian cafes and restaurants in the area, or pick up famous delicatessens in one of the Russian food stores in Brooklyn. Beware: in some of these places, only Russian is spoken! Many students of Russian travel to Russia for such opportunities, whereas our students take a 45-minute subway trip and find themselves immersed into authentic, diverse Russian-speaking culture.
Knowledge of Russian language, literature and culture opens the door to many exciting opportunities.
Russian is spoken by over 250 Million people: it’s the fifth most spoken language in the world. Russia occupies a sixth of the earth’s landmass, and it has played a critical role in the modern history of the world. By learning Russian, you will see your own history and culture from a new perspective!
Today, Russian is one of the six official languages at the United Nations. Moreover, Russian is one of the critical languages cited by the US Government along with Arabic and Chinese in launching its "National Strategic Language Initiative." As Russia continues to play a central role in global politics, there will be a wide variety of career opportunities in both governmental and non-governmental organizations for people with Russian language skills.
Holding some of the world’s largest mineral resources and one of the best education systems, Russia will remain a major player in world politics and economy.
Are you interested in science and technology? Did you know that a Russian devised the periodic table? That a Russian was the first human in space? That Russian is the second most popular language for scientific journals? That the only way to get into space is with Russia?
Maybe you want to read Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Bulgakov, Tsvetaeva or the Nobel winner Svetlana Alexievich in the original? Studying Russian gives you the key to to understanding one of the major European literatures. Even today, it is home to many of the world’s most renowned and daring artists, directors, musicians, and writers.
Russian is also very useful for TRAVELLING. Whether you travel to Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, or Central Asia, Russian makes it easy for you to get around and get in touch with local people and their unique cultures.
Knowledge of Russian can be helpful in landing a career in the arts, literature, science & technology, education, business, political science, law, journalism, and many more. That’s because a Russian major or minor makes any job candidate stand out from the crowd.
Today, Russian Majors and Minors have the opportunity to use their language and culture skills to make a real difference in the world while pursuing successful careers in a variety of fields, including
Business (as financial and policy analysts for American and Russian companies)
Mass media (the print and broadcast media as well as digital media)
Translation and localization management
Non-governmental organizations
Cyber security
Marketing and advertising consulting
Aerospace and computer engineering.
Foreign policy or national security
Education