Why Study Slavic Languages and Literatures?

The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures offers undergraduate and graduate students year-round opportunities to explore the languages, cultures, and history of Eastern Europe.

It is estimated that around 400 million people speak a Slavic language. Learning a Slavic language therefore opens up numerous opportunities for those interested in pursuing a career in international development, business, or diplomacy. Learning a Slavic language also allows for new opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, allowing students to deepen their primary academic focus, whether that be political science, history, film studies, or countless others! It also helps to keep these languages and cultures alive, helping students to become more globally minded citizens.

Pitt also houses many unique opportunities to further develop your language learning and stand out in today's competitive job market. The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures offers an annual Slavic, East European, and Near Eastern Summer Language Institute (SLI), which is one of the country's finest programs in intensive language acquisition. Current language offerings include Arabic, Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian/Montenegrin, Bulgarian, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Turkish, and Ukrainian. Pitt also offers the ONLY Slovak Studies program in the United States, which gives students a chance to specialize in a unique language program, connect with Pittsburgh's unique cultural history, and study abroad in Bratislava.