Russian and East European StudiesREES students in all major and minor tracks are strongly encouraged to maximize their linguistic and cultural experiences with the target language(s) by enrolling in study abroad programs and/or immersion programs in the United States. Such programs do not only help improve your competency in a foreign language, they provide you with a unique opportunity of real-life immersion in the target culture, allow you to experience the cultures of the people who speak the language first-hand, from every day communications in the host family or the store to formal university classes and lectures. Such programs also allow students to earn academic credit which counts toward their Penn degree.
Summer programs
Summer programs are managed by the department. Students may choose from a wide variety of study abroad and immersion programs in the United States. However, all programs must be officially approved by the Department via External Credit Evaluation Tool (XCat) before the beginning of the program. Browse through the options available and contact Dr. Maria Alley, the Language Program Coordinator, to discuss them.
Recommended US-based programs are:
-
Pitt's Summer Language Institute (Russian, Slavic and EE languages available)
- Indiana University Summer Language Workshop (Russian, Slavic and EE languages available)
- Arizona State University Critical Language Institute (Russian, Slavic and EE languages available)
- Middlebury Russian School
- Bryn Mawr's Russian Language Institute
These programs offer Russian language study abroad:
- School of Russian and Asian Studies (Russian in Armenia, Georgia, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan; Ukrainian in Poland, Polish in Poland)
- American Councils Advanced Language and Area Studies program (Russian in Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan)
REES students have a high degree of flexibility in choosing a study-abroad or immersion program that will best suit their language-learning, professional and personal goals. Summer, semester and academic year programs are available.
Semester and academic year programs
Semester and academic year programs are managed by Penn Abroad. Programming in Russia is currently suspended. Penn's official study abroad programs are:
- American Councils Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies program in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
- Aquincum Institute of Technology program in Budapest, Hungary.
- Budapest Semesters in Mathematics program in Budapest, Hungary.
- Central European University program in Budapest, Hungary.
Students may petition to attend other non-Penn-affiliated programs, but approval is not guaranteed. Students interested in semester and academic year programs are encouraged to contact Dr. Maria Alley, the Language Program Coordinator, and visit Penn Abroad's Geeting Started website and schedule an advising appointment with the appropriate global programs manager.
Our department offers some funds to help with Study Abroad costs. Details can be found here.
