BA Russian at Yale University

Programme overview

The major in Russian offered by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures acquaints students with Russian literature and culture, develops students' appreciation of literary values and skill in literary analysis, and gives them a basic competence in Russian. For an area major in Russian studies, see Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies , an interdisciplinary program administered by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures.

Faculty: Yale College | Duration: Thirty-six term courses in eight terms of enrollment (Yale College bachelor's degree) | Study mode: full-time | Location: New Haven, CT, United States

What you will study

Number of courses: 11 term courses beyond prereq (incl senior essay). Specific courses required: RUSS 1500 , 1510 , 1600 , 1610. Distribution of courses: 1 course in 19th-century or earlier Russian literature in translation, as specified; 1 course in 20th-century or later Russian literature in translation, as specified; 1 content course taught in original language, as specified; 1 course in Russian, East European, or Eurasian history or social sciences, as specified. Senior requirement: Senior essay ( RUSS 4900 or 4910 )

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission is to Yale College, not to this major (applies to all Yale College programmes). Yale College requires letters of recommendation, a school report with transcript, and ACT or SAT scores; applicants who are non-native English speakers without two or more years in an English-medium school must also submit an English proficiency test (TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge English or Duolingo English Test). Major prerequisite: RUSS 1400 , 1420 , 1450 , RUSS S140 , or placement exam.

USD 72,500 a year (2026-27). Yale College 2026-2027 tuition (single rate for all Yale College students). Excludes housing, food, optional health insurance, student activities fee and class dues. Source

First-year and transfer applicants apply to begin in the fall semester.

First-year applicants apply through the Common Application, the Coalition Application on SCOIR or the QuestBridge Application. Single-Choice Early Action deadline: November 1. QuestBridge National College Match deadline: November 1. Regular Decision deadline: January 2. Yale does not advantage students by program.

First-year and transfer applicants must include ACT or SAT scores (testing is required); neither exam is preferred.

Transfer applicants submit the Transfer Common Application by March 1 to enter as sophomores or juniors.

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences deadlines (all 11:59 pm Eastern) for fall 2027: December 1, 2026 (e.g. BBS, Chemistry, Economics, History, Linguistics, Psychology, Public Health, Statistics); December 15, 2026 (e.g. American Studies, Anthropology, Applied Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science PhD, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Law, Management, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Political Science, Sociology); January 2, 2027 (e.g. African Studies, Applied and Computational Mathematics, Architecture, Computer Science MS, Earth and Planetary Sciences, East Asian Studies, Nursing, Philosophy). Combined programs follow the earlier deadline or December 15.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application fee for all degree-seeking applicants is US $105, non-refundable, payable by Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express; fee waivers can be requested until January 2.

GRE General Test requirements vary by GSAS program (required, optional or not accepted) for the 2026-2027 cycle.

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.yale.edu/apply

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