Senior Project

  • Russian
  • Senior Project

Russian Area Studies majors in the Russian Language and Area Studies department at St. Olaf are required to complete a senior project during their junior or senior year. Russian Language and Russian Studies majors are strongly encouraged to do so as well. These students will work on their projects independently and meet with a faculty advisor throughout their junior or senior year.

Topic

Projects may be devoted to any topic in the general area of Russian language, literature, culture, and history. Interdisciplinary topics are strongly encouraged, provided they have a clear connection to Russian language and/or area studies. 

Students should choose a subject that is both challenging and reasonable. This is why we have included three steps in the proposal process. The more carefully the subject and format are defined, the easier it will be to organize research and writing.

Language

The project will be prepared in English, but some research should be done in Russian.

Presentation

Students will prepare a brief presentation of their project for the Russian Language and Area Studies department and broader St. Olaf community. The student and faculty advisor will agree on the format of the presentation. Presentations could take the form of a performance, installation, reading, or even a formal defense involving the participation of other members of the faculty. The total presentation time should be no less than 10 minutes, but not exceed 20 minutes per student.

Learning Objectives and Benefits

In evaluating the senior projects, faculty members will refer to the intended learning objectives laid out in the description of the Russian Studies major. These projects provide a means of verifying the extent to which these objectives have been met in the case of each student. The project should demonstrate:

  • Comprehensive knowledge of the period and/or area of Russian language, literature, culture, and history the student has chosen to examine
  • Ability to develop, organize, and complete a significant and interdisciplinary project
  • The student’s understanding of the primary “text(s)” under investigation (if applicable)
  • Awareness of the most important scholarship on the issue(s) the project addresses (if applicable)
  • The student’s ability to understand sources in the target language and evaluate them critically (if applicable)

Completing a senior project will:

  • Intellectually challenge the student
  • Enhance the student’s research, organizational, and writing skills
  • Cultivate independent work habits
  • Provide the student with the opportunity to work closely with a faculty member
  • Provide students with a capstone experience in their undergraduate education

Timeline

  • Students will meet with their faculty advisor during the Fall semester to discuss senior project ideas (September)
  • At the end of the Fall semester, students will submit a draft proposal that will be reviewed by the entire department faculty (December)
  • Students will receive feedback on these draft proposals during Winter Break
  • At the beginning of the Spring semester, students will finalize their proposals and incorporate them into a prospectus, which will include a bibliography and outline (February)
  • At the end of the year, the students will present their senior projects to the Russian Language and Area Studies department and broader St. Olaf community (May)

Proposal Guidelines

  • Students should submit a draft proposal for their projects to the faculty advisor via email by December 15. The proposal should include a working title and a brief project description
  • The project description should define the topic of the project and describe the format. It should also show what the student hopes to accomplish (i.e. what is the project for?). The student should explain how the topic relates to their intellectual and/or creative interests more generally (i.e. why is this topic an appropriate capstone for their undergraduate experience?) and how the topic figures into the student’s future plans (intellectual, academic, creative, etc.).
  • The proposal should be submitted as a document containing 250- to 300 words, double-spaced, in 12-pt. Times New Roman font (or equivalent)
  • The proposal will then be shared with the faculty of the Russian Language and Area Studies department
  • Students will receive feedback on their proposals over Winter Break

Department Contact