This eight week program is aimed at students with an interest in this key world actor, whether or not they have previously studied Russian politics or language. It was designed by the University of Iowa in partnership with two esteemed universities in Russia: the Higher School of Economics (HSE) and the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute. Students will have a choice between two separate academic tracks: Russian Language and Culture or Contemporary Russia. This particular website focuses on the Russian Language and Culture track.

The Russian Language and Culture track, hosted by Pushkin, will allow participants to immerse themselves in Russian culture during the entire eight week session.

The Contemporary Russia track, split between Pushkin and HSE, will allow students to study Russian language at Pushkin in June, but also allow participants to take courses on Russian politics at HSE during July.

Academics

There are two separate academic tracks for this program: Russian Language and Culture and Contemporary Russia. Students in the Russian Language and Culture track will spend their entire eight weeks primarily studying language, literature, and culture at Pushkin.

Participants who choose the Contemporary Russia track will spend the month of June studying Russian language and culture at Pushkin, then take political science courses at HSE during July. For information on the Contemporary Russia class, students can visit their website.

Students that elect to participate in the Russian Language and Culture track will receive eight semester hours' worth of Russian language credit. This will likely be broken down into two hours for oral practice, two hours for vocabulary/grammar, one hour for listening, one hour for writing, one hour for reading, and one additional hour taken in a special course on culture or literature.

Students in the Contemporary Russia course will likely receive ten semester hours worth of credit: four hours of Russian language credit, and six hours for the Contemporary Russia course.

UI Political Science Professor William Reisinger is familiar with this program and can help students bring credit back into the Political Science major. UI Lecturer of Russian Language Irina Kostina can help Russian Language majors understand how this credit can apply to their degree. Students should expect to bring back eight or nine hours of credit. For more general information on credit transfer, please contact the relevant study abroad advisor.

You can find more information on the sponsoring institutions, please visit the host universities' websites:

Pushkin
HSE

Dates

early June to late July

For More Info

Please come to the Study Abroad Resource Room for more general information on the steps to studying abroad. If you are ready to apply, please make an appointment with program coordinator Sterling Bacher. Call 319-335-0353 to schedule a meeting.

Higher School of Economics and Pushkin State Russian Language Institute

HSE is one of Russia’s leading universities, earning the designation “National Research University,” and Political Science is one if its strongest fields. Participants will have the chance to study with world renowned Russian professors. Likewise, Pushkin is considered the premier institution in Russia for teaching the Russian language to international students. Participants at all language levels can expect intense and high quality academic instruction.

Moscow

This program will primarily be held in Russia's capital, Moscow, population 11.5 million. World famous as the cultural and political heart of the nation, Moscow embodies the collision of Russia’s Soviet past with its capitalist future. This unique city serves as an excellent destination for studying Russian language and culture while also contemplating the nation’s place in the world during the 21st century.

Students who elect to participate in the Contemporary Russia track will also spend two weeks in St. Petersburg. Located on the Gulf of Finland, St. Petersburg is Russia’s second largest city with a population of just under 5 million. Despite its smaller size, St. Petersburg is as historically important to Russia’s culture, history, and politics as the nation’s capital.

Russia

Russia, officially known as the Russian Federation, is the world’s largest country by land area, stretching from Eastern Europe all the way to East Asia. The majority of Russia’s 142 million citizens live in the eastern section of the country neighboring Europe, though several large cities are sprinkled throughout the rest of the nation. Russia’s growth into a superpower after World War II put it at political odds with the US, but the two nations have grown closer after the opening up of Russia in the 80s and 90s.

Living Arrangements

Participants in both tracks will be housed in double or triple rooms at Pushkin University. Students participating in the Contemporary Russia track will travel with their HSE classmates and dorm with them while in St. Petersburg during the last two weeks of July. Below are photos of a standard Pushkin residence hall room and some of the campus.

Travel Arrangements

Airfare is not included in the program fee but students will work with Study Abroad to determine the best time for arrival. Students will also receive support from the UI as well as the Pushkin Institute when applying for a Russian visa. More information on travel arrangements will be provided after the application cycle has concluded.

Eligibility

2.75 GPA; sophomore status or higher; academic background in Political Science or Russian Language is desirable, but not required.

Costs

The UI has not currently calculated the exact costs for the summer 2013 session of this program. Below were estimates for the 2012 session:

Contemporary Russia Track
Resident: $6,780
Non-resident $8,070

Russian Language and Culture
Resident: $3,784
Non-resident: $4,816

Higher fees apply for students from other institutions. This program fee includes all educational and administrative costs, housing, some program excursions and activities, and health insurance. It does not include airfare, meals, passport, visa or personal expenses. Financial aid and scholarships are available for qualified students.

As a point of comparison, here are the summer 2012 on campus tuition costs (not including housing):

8 semester hours of resident credit: $2,635
8 semester hours of non-resident credit: $8,707

10 semester hours of resident credit: $3,193
10 semester hours of non-resident credit: $10,783

How to Apply

Applications are available here .

Application Deadline

4/1

Study Abroad will provide information regarding confirmation and preparation after the application cycle. Please contact program advisor Sterling Bacher if you have questions.

Acceptance Materials

Continue to check this section for updates.

Pre-departure Materials

Continue to check this section for updates.

Orientation Information

UI Study Abroad will offer a small group orientation specific to this program. Students will be able to meet with the sponsoring UI professors as well as returnees. Participants will also be invited to the large group pre-departure orientation for all outgoing study abroad students. More information regarding orientation will be provided at a later date.