Graduate Courses

Ukrainian in the Media & Internet

Course studies the language of traditional media (popular journals and newspapers) and the Internet, focusing on discourse analysis.

Ukrainian on TV and in Film

The course explores the manner in which poetry, prose and drama, composed by prominent 18th - 21st century authors, have been interpreted by filmmakers. In particular, it investigates cultural politics in the USSR and post-independence Ukraine and their impact on the cinema and discourses concerning the relationship among elite, popular and mass culture. Key texts in modern Ukrainian literature (including I Kotliarevs'kyi's Aeneid, M Hohol's St. John's Eve, V Stefanyk's The Stone Cross, O Kobylianska's Valse Melancholique, M Kotsiubyns'kyi's Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, V Vynnychenko's The Law, I Drach's Toward You) are subjected to a close reading and a comparison with their filmic incarnations.

Children's Literature in Ukrainian

This course offers a comparative perspective on the history of children’s literature and highlights changing attitudes toward the child in Ukrainian culture. Topics include: major archetypes and motifs; the adaptation of popular genres (poetry, folk tales, legends and riddles); folklore and fakelore; the construction of stereotypes; the city vs. the village; as well as publishing and illustration trends after independence. Discussions address representations of, and social attitudes toward, childhood, and analyze the cultural premises embedded in a variety of material, verbal and visual, including cartoons and films. The development of book design and the post-colonial phenomenon of the child as author are also considered. Students engage in comparative exercises, and apply current theoretical models to address topics that are relevant to their field of research—be it translation theory, literary history, educational practices, or folklore.

Language Issues in Contemporary Ukraine

An introduction to the language situation and the state of linguistics in Ukraine after independence. A number of sociolinguistic topics are considered: language contact, language maintenance, and language shift. The course also explores the language of mass media and the Internet.

The Style & Structure of Contemporary Ukrainian

Beginning with an overview of the synchronic structure of Ukrainian (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax), the course introduces various styles of contemporary Ukrainian. Emphasis is on practical usage of the features of various styles. The course also considers a number of sociolinguistic questions: dialects, jargons, slang, as well as the language situation in contemporary Ukraine.

Early-Modern Ukrainian Poetry and Drama (1550s-1780s)

A survey of literary practices between the 1580's and the 1780's against the background of the transformations which Rus' society underwent within the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and, subsequently, the Russian empire. The seminar begins with an overview of the events leading to the adoption of a Western model of education, outlining the impact of humanistic theory on the linguistic and formal features of occasional verse, religious lyric, school drama, and political dialogue. Authors include H Smotrytsky, K Sakovych, L Baranovych, I Velychkovsky, S Iavorsky, T Prokopovych, M Dovhalevsky, and H Skovoroda. Seminar also explores the alternative poetics of the love lyric, the puppet theatre, and the oral epic, paying special attention to the role of the epigram, the conceit, and paroemic material as the building blocks of poetic discourse. Students investigate the treatment accorded to Ukrainian letters of this period by scholars in the nineteenth century and later.
Reading knowledge of Ruthenian (i.e., Middle Ukrainian and Belarusan) and Polish or Latin desirable.

Early-Modern Ukrainian Prose (1550s-1780s)

This seminar first investigates the religious and polemical literature of the Ruthenians within the context of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation discourses of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Selections are drawn from the oeuvre of M Smotryts'kyi, Z Kopystens'kyi, L Krevza, and I Vyshens'kyi. Then the focus shifts to the autobiographical narrative by the ascetic and spiritual leader P Velychkovs'kyi and the theological colloquies of the mystic H Skovoroda, against the background of the cultural situation in the Russian empire. Students also read passages drawn from diaries and historical discourse (S Velychko's monumental chronicle is contrasted with I Gisel's Synopsis and/or the anonymous Litopys samovydtsia), as well as travel narratives (e.g., Hryhorovych-Bars'kyi). They are also are encouraged to make comparisons with other European cultures and to consider the rhetorical theories informing the prose of the period. Among the questions addressed are the language and genre choice/s made by various authors.
Reading knowledge of Ruthenian (i.e., Middle Ukrainian and Belarusan) and Polish or Latin desirable.

Cultural History of the Ukrainian Language

Women in Culture: Fictional Characters / Feminist Writers

The course delves into the role and representation of women in 19th- and 21st-century Ukraine. It traces the evolution of female characters from Romanticism to Postmodernism and explores contributions by women to the Ukrainian literary and cultural canon. Social issues and sexual politics are examined in the light of women's biographies as well as their fictional worlds.
Cross-referenced with Women's Studies.
Note: Readings are available in English for students not specializing in Ukrainian.
Students specializing in Ukrainian will read all texts in the original.

Civilization and Culture in Ukraine: 988-1794

A survey of pre-secular Ukrainian culture, this course gives a general overview of the historical context in which literary and artistic activity developed before the adoption of the vernacular language. Topics to be explored include: the changing identity of Rus'-Ukraine throughout the Middle Ages and Early Modernity; the impact of Christianity on attitudes toward history and chronicle writing; Renaissance ideas concerning sacral and classical languages; social ferment and religious turmoil; the fashions, music, reading habits and general tastes of the nobility and urban dwellers; scholars, painters and their benefactors; warriors, pilgrims and mystics. The course engages critically with colonial and post-colonial conceptualizations of the legacy of Kyivan and Galician-Volhynian Rus', and of Ukrainian culture in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and, subsequently, the Russian Empire.
Cross-referenced with Religious Studies.
Note: Readings are available in English for students not specializing in Ukrainian.

Ukrainian Romanticism

Introduces the major themes and genres of Ukrainian Romanticism against the background of early 19th century interest in folklore and history. Readings range from I Kotliarevsky, L Borovykovsky, A Metlynsky, and M Kostomarov to P Kulish, with special emphasis on T Shevchenko's poetry and paintings.

Ukrainian Realism

A general overview of realist trends in Ukrainian literature from the 1850s to the 1920s. Short stories, novels and dramas are analyzed. Populism, psychological realism, class conflicts are just some of the issues addressed. Realism is also examined as a theoretical problem in literature and the arts.

Ukrainian Modernism & Avant-Garde

Course examines the dramatic revolt against 19th-century aesthetics from the 1890s to 1930. Selected poetry, short prose, drama, and manifestoes highlight the philosophical and formal innovations introduced by such movements as symbolism, futurism, and constructivism. Analogies are drawn to the visual arts through the use of slides and PowerPoint presentations and the viewing of avant-garde films (Dzyga Vertov, O. Dovzhenko). The course investigates the manner in which Ukrainian culture was transformed by the currents of modernity and the political environment of the early 20th-century.

Ukrainian Literature: Diaspora & Dissent

Ukrainian literature written in the diaspora (1940's - 80's) is compared and contrasted with Soviet Ukraine's official and dissident writings. The course focuses on the post-Stalinist renascence, which is examined through the prism of the "Writers of the Sixties." Its generational counterpart in the Diaspora is studied on the basis of the "New York Group." Common links between the two, especially their innovations in poetic language and thematic concerns, are explored. A segment of the course is devoted to the Poetic Cinema tradition in Ukraine. Students are encouraged to explore the legacy of painters, sculptors and musicians in Europe and North America. The courses's primary objective is to acquaint students with the manner in which displacement has affected Ukrainian culture in general and the literary cannon in particular.
Note: Readings are available in English for students not specializing in Ukrainian.
Students majoring or minoring in Ukrainian will read texts in the original.

Ukrainian Literature Today

The course deals with literary developments on the eve of and since Ukrainian independence (1991). Emphasis is on the most radical generation of writers and critics, their style, themes and ideologies. Readings include works by I Andrukhovych, N Bilotserkivets’, M Fishbein, O Irvanets’, O Lysheha, M Miroshnychenko, V Neborak, M Riabchuk, M Soroka, V Stakh, I Vynnychuk, and O Zabuzhko.
The course begins with a brief overview of the political events leading to the collapse of the USSR and of socialist realism. Then the growth of new literary associations, such as Bu-Ba-Bu and Luhosad, and the journals Post-postup and Krytyka, as well as their ideologies are examined in light of post-colonial and post-modernist theory. Analysis of magazines residing on the Internet, such as the Central European Potjah 76, the magazine Ji, or the agency Art-Vertep considers the manner in which new cultural practices are redefining identity in various parts of Ukraine. Videos, recordings, and poster art complement lectures and provide a glimpse into the youth culture that emerged after independence.
Note: Readings are available in English for students not specializing in Ukrainian. Students doing a major or minor in Ukrainian read texts in the original.

Directed Reading

Studies in Ukrainian Poetry

Studies in Ukrainian Drama

Studies in the Ukrainian Novel and Short Prose

Studies in Ukrainian Literary Criticism

Ukrainian literary criticism from the nineteenth century onward (chronological focus can vary). An introduction to the major movements, figures, and texts of literary criticism, which developed after the demise of Neo-Latin schooling and were nurtured by the growing secularization of Ukrainian culture, as well as social upheaval in both the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires. In addition to a close analysis of assigned readings, seminar meetings address the linguistic, cultural, historical and philosophical contexts that gave rise to literature as an institution before the onset of Modernism.

Topics in Ukrainian Linguistics

Topics in Ukrainian Literature

The Slavic Language Family

Comparative and Typological Slavic Linguistics

Old Church Slavic

An introduction to the grammar of the oldest Slavic texts, with selected readings.

History and Structure of East Slavic Languages

Specific problems in Ukrainian, Belarusan, and Russian.

History and Structure of the West Slavic Languages

Specific problems in Polish, Czech, Slovak, and Sorbian.

History and Structure of the South Slavic Languages

Specific problems in Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, and the successor languages to Serbo-Croatian.

Slavic Romanticism

The course explores Romantic movements in Poland, Russia and Ukraine, focusing, among others, on such writers as Mickiewicz, Pushkin and Shevchenko. Romanticism is examined as a theoretical concept, and linked to social and historical developments in these three countries.
Note: English translations of texts are available for those not specializing in Polish, Russian or Ukrainian.
Students specializing in Polish, Ukrainian, or Russian read relevant texts in the original.

Nikolai Gogol / Mykola Hohol'

A close examination of this major literary figure as a writer and cultural icon in the history of Russian and Ukrainian literatures. Gogol's life and works are studied against the background of Russian Imperial cultural developments and the processes of nation-building in the first half of the 19th century. Reading knowledge of Russian is desirable but not essential.
English translations of texts are available for those not specializing in Russian or Ukrainian.

Futurism: East & West

A comparative examination of the Futurist movement in Poland, Russia and Ukraine against the background of Italian Futurism. Poetry, prose and manifestos. Works by Czyzewski, Jasienski, Mayakovsky, Khlebnikov, Marinetti, Semenko, Shkurupii and others. Reading knowledge of one relevant Slavic language is desirable but not essential.
Note: Readings are available in English for non-specialists.
Students specializing in Polish, Ukrainian, or Russian read relevant texts in the original.

Women's Writing after the Fall of Communism

The course focuses on womenВґs writing and the development of gender theory in post-totalitarian Central and Eastern Europe, with an emphasis on Poland, Ukraine, and Russia. Some of the representative authors include M. Gretkowska, N. Goerke, N. Bilotserkivets, O. Zabuzhko, L. Petrushevskaya, and T. Tolstaya. Students explore representations of female space, femininity, and sexuality in the context of the narratives of national identity, history, urban culture, and environmentalism.
Note: Readings are available in translation for students not specializing in the relevant cultures.
Students specializing in Polish, Ukrainian, or Russian read relevant texts in the original.

Directed Reading

Language, Culture and Nation

This course explores the competing discourses used by Russians and Ukrainians for constructing their respective cultures in an imperial setting. Emphasis is on the role of language and literature. Literary criticism, historiography and polemics are examined. Works by Pushkin, Belinsky, Shevchenko, Kulish, Drahomanov, Struve, Trubetzkoy, Khvyl'ovyi, Solzhenitsyn.

Topics in Slavic Linguistics

Topics in Slavic Literatures

Literary and Cultural Theory

Conducted as a seminar, this core course in MLCS is intended as a survey of critical methodologies appropriate for students pursuing graduate work in literary and cultural studies in Germanic, Romance, or Slavic languages and literatures. The language of instruction is English and all readings are done in English. Active participation is required from all students. The seminar considers the following themes: structuralism, feminism, Marxist literary theories, psychoanalytical criticism, deconstruction, post-structuralism, post-modernism, new historicism, post-colonial theory, gay studies/queer theory, and cultural studies.

Teaching Strategies for Post-Secondary Instructors.

This core course is designed to introduce new MLCS Teaching Assistants and Teaching Apprentices to a variety of issues in post-secondary foreign languages teaching and learning. The goal is to develop practical expertise in language instruction at the college and university levels by discussing theoretical aspects of pedagogical approaches, as well as adopting a hands-on approach to lesson design, teaching strategies and methods. By discussing both theoretical and practical topics, students will be able to develop foundational knowledge and critical awareness of the issues involved in teaching a second/foreign language. They will also acquire some tools to address these in their teaching. Teaching involves ongoing, personal learning. By asking eaching assistants and apprentices to reflect continually on their experiences—as both students and teachers of languages—the course aims to help them become more reflective teachers.

The Cultures of the Avant-Garde

This course examines the history, practice and theory of several major avant-gardes in Europe from 1909 to the 1930's. Their social, cultural and political positions are analyzed along with their artistic works. The focus is on France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. Futurism, Dada, Constructivism and Expressionism are among the movements examined. Major literary figures include Apollinaire, Khlebnikov, Kaiser, Marinetti, Mayakovsky, Semenko and others.
Note: Readings are available in English for the non-specialist.
Students are encouraged to read texts in the language of their specialization.

Issues in Applied Linguistics

This core course provides a general introduction to three areas of applied linguistics, namely sociolinguistics, conversation / discourse analysis, and second language acquisition. The purpose is to allow graduate students in applied linguistics to gain a thorough understanding of the field and select an area of specialization for their advanced studies. Special attention is given to general questions of methodology.

Translation Theories

This is a core course for students pursuing a degree in Translation and Ukrainian. It considers the multiple ways in which linguistics, literary criticism, philosophy, cultural theories and feminist theories have have informed the practice of translation and contributed to the production of different translation theories. In their presentations and papers students are encouraged to use examples taken from languages with which they are familiar.

Special Topics in Translation

[forthcoming]