The Slavic and Eastern European Studies program offers a multifaceted and critical approach to the cultures, media, literatures, and languages of Eastern Europe.
How can art combat oppression? How does disinformation shape media? What is the relationship between ideology and fiction? How do writers and artists imagine new societies? Is art dangerous? How do differing cultures co-exist? How can discourse thrive under censorship? These are some of the questions that can be addressed through the study of Eastern Europe, a multicultural space shaped by complex exchanges and networks of communication, conflict and coexistence over millennia. The Slavic and Eastern European Studies program builds on a foundation of historical and social contexts to facilitate understanding of broad human experience through art, literature, film, and media.
The CENES Department offers Polish (POLS), Russian (RUSS), and Ukrainian (UKRN) language study, as well as classes in Slavic and Eastern European (SLAV) cultures, media, and literature. Our Slavic and Eastern European Studies Minor pairs well with other degrees and makes your profile stand out to employers. Combining language with focused cultural study, the SEES Minor allows students to gain multifaceted expertise in the region.
SEES students have opportunities for engagement with the Slavic and Eastern European settler communities of the lower mainland and Slavic, Eastern European, and Eurasian student groups at UBC. The CENES Department offers a regular series of Slavic and Eastern European Studies events aimed at bringing community members and students together, including lectures, film screenings, and Slavic Tea.
Join our vibrant Slavic and Eastern European Studies community and deepen your understanding of a complex and influential part of the world.
Slavic and Eastern European Language Programs
Slavic and Eastern European Language Courses
Our Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian language courses give students communicative competence in the five proficiencies of language learning: listening, reading, speaking, writing, and culture. Our language programs also provide a good foundation for study or work abroad. UBC’s Go Global office has exchange agreements with many Eastern European partner universities, offering students a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in Slavic and Eastern European linguistic and cultural environments.
Minor in Slavic and Eastern European Studies
The Minor in Slavic and Eastern European Studies gives you the opportunity to combine your interest in Eastern European languages and cultures with your other programs of study. The Slavic and Eastern European Studies Minor is made up of 30 credits: 12 language and culture foundational credits and 18 literature and culture credits at the 300- and 400-level.
Students must complete 9 lower-level language credits in Polish (POLS), Russian (RUSS), or Ukrainian (UKRN), as well as an introductory SLAV_V course at the 100- or 200- level. If a student places out of POLS, RUSS, or UKRN 201, they are exempted from this foundational Language Component of the Minor. If a student is fully exempted from the 9-credit language component, they must take 6 credits of SLAV_V courses at the 100 or 200-level. Please note that students with previous knowledge of Polish, Russian, or Ukrainian language must take a placement test before the beginning of classes.
The literature and culture component consists of 18 upper-level credits with a SLAV prefix. However, since they are all taught in English, it is not necessary to complete the lower-level language requirement before taking the 300- and 400-level courses.
Students may replace up to two of the SLAV upper-level courses (i.e., up to 6 credits) with courses that have a strong Slavic and Eastern European Studies component, for example, a course in CENS, in History, or Anthropology. This must be done with approval by the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the SEES program.
