B.A. in Languages and Cultures with Elective Certification - Russian Concentration

College of Arts and Humanities
GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Academic Foundations
First Year Experience requirement4
English Composition requirement6-7
Mathematics requirement3-4
Interdisciplinary requirement3
Diverse Communities requirement3
Ethics requirement3
Distributed Disciplinary Foundations
Science requirement6-8
Behavioral & Social Science requirement6
Humanities requirement6
Arts requirement3
ADDITIONAL BACCALAUREATE REQUIREMENTS
University Requirements
Writing Emphasis requirement9
Speaking Emphasis requirement9
Degree Requirements
Capstone requirement1-15
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Major Language Courses 1
Tier 1: Language Skills
RUS 101Elementary Russian I 23
RUS 102Elementary Russian II 23
RUS 201Intermediate Russian I 33
RUS 202Intermediate Russian II 33
Tier 2: Proficiency
Select one 6-credit course sequence:6
RUS 301
& RUS 407
Advanced Grammar and Composition I
and Advanced Oral Russian I
RUS 302
& RUS 408
Advanced Grammar and Composition II
and Advanced Oral Russian II
Tier 3: Competency Content 4
Select one course from each of the following groups:
Literary Analysis3
RUS 303
Advanced Readings in Russian Literature
Cultural Analysis3
RUS 305
Russian Civilization I
Language and Linguistics3
RUS 412
Seminar in Russian
Immersion Experience 5
Immersion study and/or internship work is an essential component of the B.A.L.C. curriculum. Languages and cultures are inextricably entwined. The goal of the immersion experience, which is a requirement for graduation, is to enable students to apply linguistic and cultural knowledge in an authentic social context, and for them to experience the challenges and the gratification of living in another culture.3-12
Capstone Requirement
Select one of the following:3
RUS 401
The Russian Novel 6
RUS 402
The Russian Drama 6
RUS 410
Independent Studies in Russian Language 6
RUS 411
Seminar in Russian 6
Pennsylvania certification in languages K-12 7
Effective August 2013 students must complete professional education sequence of the following:
EDA 103Foundations of Special Education3
EDP 250Educational Psychology3
LAN 355Technology and Language Learning3
ERM 355Ethical and Effective Assessment for Learning 7-123
EDP 349Adolescent Development3
or PSY 382 Infant, Child and Adolescent Development
EDR 347Literacy Development and Secondary Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms3
Following Teacher Candidacy
EDA 304Special Ed Processes/Procedures for Secondary Educators3
EDS 306Teaching Principles and Field Experience in Secondary Schools3
LAN 401Teaching of Modern Languages: K - 123
SED 411
& SED 412		Student Teaching Sec - 1st Half
and Student Teaching Sec - 2nd Half		12
PDE Prerequisites and Requirement for Program
LAN 327Introduction to Linguistics for Language3
or LIN/ENG 230 Introduction to Linguistics
LNC 368Comparative Cultural Studies3
Second Mathematics Course3
Total Minimum Credits Required123
1

Minimum grade of C required in all courses.

2

Students may substitute RUS 103 for RUS 101 and RUS 102.

3

Students may substitute RUS 203 for RUS 201 and RUS 202.

4

Students may substitute 400-level courses in Tier 3.

5

See the department chairperson and student handbook for options.

6

This course fulfills the Capstone requirement.

7
  • PAPA:  Undergraduate foreign language students seeking initial certification must take the PAPA (formerly PPST) series of basic skills tests unless they have met SAT/ACT passing criteria set by the PA Department of Education. For more information about this option or registering for the PAPA* tests, click here. 
    *Basic skills
    8001- PAPA Module 1: Reading
    8002- PAPA Module 2: Mathematics
    8003- PAPA Module 3: Writing
  • Teacher Candidacy: Please refer to the complete Teacher Candidacy Policy
  • Praxis II Exams. There are two Praxis II exams:

    • Praxis II Fundamental Subjects:  Content Knowledge (#0511/5511)

      The Fundamental Subjects (#0511/5511) Praxis II is a PDE requirement for all K-12 certification students in the state and, therefore, must be taken and passed in order to be recommended for certification. This exam is to be taken by world languages certification students prior to enrollment in SED 411/SED 412.

    • Praxis II World Languages tests are no longer a requirement for program completion. Effective Spring 2013, language certification majors will need to take the ACTFL/LTI (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages/Language Testing International) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and the Writing Proficiency Test (WPT).
      Students failing to achieve either IH or AL will be permitted to complete the BA without certification in their language of specialization.
  • For certification-track students in French, German, Russian, and Spanish, the Department of Languages and Cultures will delete the requirement of AL (advanced low) on ACTFL OPI and WPT exams as a prerequisite for entrance into SED 411/SED 412.

For national recognition, the Department of Languages and Cultures, along with ACTFL and CAEP (formerly NCATE), requires OPI and WPT testing with the expected achievement of Advanced Low (AL). The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) requires teacher candidates score Intermediate High (IH) on the ACTFL OPI and WPT; consequently, those student who reach IH or AL on the OPI and WPT are recommended in PDE’s Teacher Information Management System (TIMS) for K-12 certification by the College of Education. Students enhance their career options and competitiveness in the job market by achieving AL. The Department of Languages and Cultures recognizes that school districts are looking for candidates who meet the ACTFL requirement of AL on the WPT and OPI. Therefore, for those teacher candidates who do not reach AL on the OPI or the WPT, we create remedial plans informed by a candidate’s OPI or WPT diagnostic feedback acquired from ACTFL/LTI.

See the Teacher Certification Programs section of this catalog for an explanation of related requirements.