Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures
Polish Track (Bachelor of Arts in Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures)
Students on Summer 2025, Fall 2025, or Spring 2026 requirements SLVPOLTRK
Requirements
The track requires at least 35 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
- Elementary Polish I. One (1) course:
- SLAV-P 101 Elementary Polish I
SLAV-P 101 Elementary Polish I
- Credits
- 4
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Introduction to modern standard Polish--reading, writing, and speaking. Focus on learning grammatical patterns and building an active vocabulary.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of SLAV-P 101, SLAV-P 111, or SLAV-P 311.
- Elementary Polish II. One (1) course:
- SLAV-P 102 Elementary Polish II
SLAV-P 102 Elementary Polish II
- Credits
- 4
- Prerequisites
- SLAV-P 101 with a grade of C or higher; or consent of department
- Description
- Introduction to modern standard Polish--reading, writing, and speaking. Focus on learning grammatical patterns and building an active vocabulary.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of SLAV-P 102, SLAV-P 122, or SLAV-P 312.
- Intermediate Polish I. One (1) course:
- SLAV-P 201 Intermediate Polish I
SLAV-P 201 Intermediate Polish I
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- SLAV-P 102 with a grade of C or higher; or consent of department
- Description
- Continuation of work in structure and vocabulary acquisition through written exercises, study of word formation, drills, reading, and discussion of short stories.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of SLAV-P 201, SLAV-P 211, or SLAV-P 313.
- Intermediate Polish II. One (1) course:
- SLAV-P 202 Intermediate Polish II
SLAV-P 202 Intermediate Polish II
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- SLAV-P 201 with a grade of C or higher; or consent of department
- Description
- Continuation of SLAV-P 201.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of SLAV-P 202, SLAV-P 222, or SLAV-P 314.
- Culture. One (1) course:
- SLAV-P 223 Introduction to Polish Culture
SLAV-P 223 Introduction to Polish Culture
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Survey of Polish culture from the origins of the Polish state to modern times. Important historical, political, and social developments and trends as seen through literature, art, science, music, architecture, and political documents. Knowledge of Polish not required.
- Spring 2026CASE AHcourseFall 2025CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2026CASE GCCcourseFall 2025CASE GCCcourse
- Literature I. One (1) course:
- SLAV-P 363 Faces of War and Freedom
SLAV-P 363 Faces of War and Freedom
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Polish literature and culture from the nineteenth century to World War II in its turbulent historical and sociopolitical context. Special attention will be given to cultural representations of historical upheavals and the analysis of literary and artistic strategies of responding to the conditions of foreign occupation, colonization, and genocide. Knowledge of Polish language and culture not required.
- Spring 2026CASE AHcourseFall 2025CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2026CASE GCCcourseFall 2025CASE GCCcourse
- Literature II. One (1) course:
- SLAV-P 364 From Anxiety To Revolution
SLAV-P 364 From Anxiety To Revolution
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Polish literature and culture from the end of World War II to the present day in the context of Poland's and Europe's historical and sociopolitical transformations. The main focus will be on literary and artistic representations of the shifting landscape of Polish culture. Students will analyze literature, film, and the arts, and interpret wide-ranging expressions of existential, aesthetic, and social anxieties and contestations. Knowledge of Polish language and culture not required.
- Spring 2026CASE AHcourseFall 2025CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2026CASE GCCcourseFall 2025CASE GCCcourse
- Film. One (1) course:
- SLAV-P 366 The Bold and the Restless: Polish Film from the 1950s to the Present
SLAV-P 366 The Bold and the Restless: Polish Film from the 1950s to the Present
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- An exploration of the post-World War II history of Polish cinema, made famous worldwide by directors such as Wajda, Kieslowski, and Polanski. Topics of interest include the cinema of moral anxiety (1970s); absurd comedies depicting life under communism; adaptations of literary classics; and new topics and genres in contemporary Polish film.
- Spring 2026CASE AHcourseFall 2025CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2026CASE GCCcourseFall 2025CASE GCCcourse
- Additional courses. Three (3) courses:
- SLAV-P 301
- SLAV-P 302
- SLAV-P 365 Topics in Polish Literature, Culture, and Language
- SLAV-P 404 The Structure of Polish
- SLAV-P 473 Fourth-Year Polish I
- SLAV-P 474 Fourth-Year Polish II
- SLAV-T 365 Topics in Slavic and East European Literatures, Cultures, and Languages (requires special approval; see academic advisor)
- SLAV-T 404 (requires special approval; see academic advisor)
- SLAV-T 499 Senior Honors Thesis (Approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies required)
SLAV-P 365 Topics in Polish Literature, Culture, and Language
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Focus on Polish literature, culture, language, linguistics, cinema, etc.; intensive study of an author or authors, a period, a literary or cultural development, linguistic phenomena, etc. Readings and lectures in English.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated up to 3 times with a different topic for a maximum of 9 credit hours.
- Spring 2026CASE AHcourseFall 2025CASE AHcourse
- Spring 2026CASE GCCcourseFall 2025CASE GCCcourse
SLAV-P 404 The Structure of Polish
- Credits
- –3 credit hours
- Prerequisites
- GER-G448, GER-G451, HISP-S326, HISP-S425, LING-L307, LING-L310, or LING-L431; or completion of the second semester of Polish; or completion of the fourth semester of another Slavic language (Czech; Russian; Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian; Ukrainian); or instructor approval
- Description
- Reviews the core topics in the synchronic linguistics of Polish: word structure (morphology), Polish speech sounds, phonological processes, and issues in syntax. Explores how the linguistic phenomena are different or similar to those found in other, especially Slavic, languages
- Spring 2026CASE NMcourseFall 2025CASE NMcourse
SLAV-P 473 Fourth-Year Polish I
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Refinement of active and passive language skills, with emphasis on vocabulary building and word usage. Extensive readings, discussion, composition writing. Individualized remedial drill in grammar and pronunciation.
SLAV-P 474 Fourth-Year Polish II
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Refinement of active and passive language skills, with emphasis on vocabulary building and word usage. Extensive readings, discussion, composition writing. Individualized remedial drill in grammar and pronunciation.
SLAV-T 365 Topics in Slavic and East European Literatures, Cultures, and Languages
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Focus on Slavic and East European literatures, cultures, languages, linguistics, cinemas, etc.; intensive study of an author or authors, a period, a literary or cultural development, linguistic phenomena, etc. Readings and lectures in English.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated up to 3 times with a different topic for a maximum of 9 credit hours.
SLAV-T 499 Senior Honors Thesis
- Credits
- 1–6 credit hours
- Prerequisites
- Approval of Director of Undergraduate Studies or the department chair
- Description
- Students write a departmental honors thesis (or similarly advanced, ambitious work to fulfill departmental honors, such as a substantial translation into English from a departmental language) under the guidance of a departmental faculty member.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated up to 2 times for a maximum of 6 credit hours
- Track GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
- Major GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the major—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
- Major Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
- Major Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
- Major Residency. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
- College Breadth. At least 58 credit hours must be completed in courses from College of Arts and Sciences disciplines outside of the major area.
Track Area Courses
-
Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:
- Any course at the 100–499 level with the
SLAVsubject area prefix—as well as any other subject areas that are deemed functionally equivalent - Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
- Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception
- Any course at the 100–499 level with the
This program of study cannot be combined with the following:
- Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Track (Bachelor of Arts in Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures) (SLVBCSTRK)
- Czech Track (Bachelor of Arts in Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures) (SLVCZCHTRK)
- Minor in Polish (POLISHMIN)
- Russian Track (Bachelor of Arts in Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures) (SLVRUSNTRK)
Exceptions to and substitutions for track requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.