Main navigation
- Programs
- Subjects
- Universities
- Destinations
- Advice
The Russian and East European Studies major (12 credit units) offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to foster a wide-ranging, interdisciplinary appreciation of the languages, literature, cultures, histories, and societies across Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the Balkan and Baltic areas. To fulfill the language component, students may select any regional language available at Penn (such as Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, or Ukrainian) or prove equivalent proficiency in another language. Those wishing to meet the requirement in a language not taught at Penn can do so by completing relevant courses abroad or by passing a proficiency exam demonstrating comparable speaking and reading skills.
International applicant should have completed a program of secondary education that would enable you to enter a university in your own country (e.g., A-levels, Abitur).
A strong command of the English language is necessary for successful study at Penn. Applicants whose families do not speak English at home, or applicants who have not attended a high school or secondary school where the primary language of instruction is English, are asked to take the TOEFL, the Test of English as a Foreign Language, administered by the Educational Testing Service. In the event the TOEFL is not readily accessible, Penn will accept results from the IELTS, the International English Language Testing System.