Description

The Russian Area Studies study abroad program in St. Petersburg, Russia is designed for students who have an interest in Russia. The program can accommodate different levels of language proficiency, especially beginning and intermediate Russian language students.

Academic Program
2012 marks the 45th year of the CIEE Study Center in St. Petersburg. CIEE began its close relationship with St. Petersburg State University when the Summer Russian Language Program began there in 1967. The CIEE semester Russian Language program (RLP) was established in 1970, and the Russian Area Studies program (RAS) in 2000.

The Russian Area Studies program is for students who are interested in an academic program in Russia with an English component. The program offers a set of courses, taught in English, on Russian history, culture, politics, and civilization as well as a rigorous language program.

The program is designed for students with zero to four semesters of Russian. Students at a higher level (having taken at least one Russian class beyond intermediate) enroll in the Russian Language Program. Cross-registration between RAS and RLP is not possible.

Academic Culture
Classroom attendance and participation are monitored carefully and may have a significant impact on final grades. Homework assignments serve to reinforce what is discussed in class. Much of the academic material is presented in class, and the 90-minute periods provide plenty of time for a range of learning activities. Students are expected to be prepared for class. Much of the material used in language classes is written by the teachers themselves, and exercises are often taken directly from the teachers' texts.

CIEE teachers have years of experience with American students, but sometimes they may express their feelings more frankly than Americans expect.

The area studies classes may include visiting lecturers, topic specific visits to museums, and other activities.

Highlights

• Improve your Russian language proficiency and learn about Russian culture in an authentic and stimulating environment in the longest-running U.S. study abroad program in Russia
  
• Experience a rich cultural program including local and regional excursions, visits to museums and historical sites, theaters, and interaction with locals
  
• Live in 300-year old St. Petersburg, known as the "Venice of the North," and experience the relationship between traditional and modern elements influencing Russia today

Required program excursions in previous semesters have included: a city bus tour, the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, the Peter and Paul Fortress, Pavlovsk, and Peterhof. Optional excursions organized by CIEE staff include such excursions as: Tsarskoe Selo, the Yusupov Palace, a walking tour of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Pushkin's Apartment Museum, the Nabokov Museum, the Russian National Library and the Baltika Brewery. In previous semesters, CIEE arranged a night at the ballet, a group cooking class in Russian cuisine, visits to the Russian bathhouse (banya), a retreat with Russian students at the St. Petersburg State University camp on the Gulf of Finland, and group tickets to hockey and soccer games. Weekends are mostly free with the exception of overnight field trips and possible Saturday excursions.

The program offers three overnight field trips that take place on the weekend each semester: Moscow, Novgorod, and other regional destinations such as the Pskov region or Tallinn, Estonia. These trips include excursions to places of educational, cultural, and historic significance, while still allowing some time for students to explore the sites on their own.

There is also an independent Russian Travel Week each semester. Students are encouraged to visit areas outside of St. Petersburg on their own. Students travel independently and the cost of this travel is not included in the program fee. In past semesters students have visited the lovely towns of old Russia in the Golden Ring surrounding Moscow, camped on Lake Baikal, explored Vladivostok, taken in the sites of the Tatar Republic, and relaxed on the shores of the Black Sea.

Volunteering
CIEE students may take advantage of a range of volunteer projects in St. Petersburg. CIEE students have the opportunity to conduct English conversation lessons with students from St. Petersburg State University and private language schools. Although volunteer opportunities may change from semester to semester, it is generally possible for CIEE students to volunteer at the Hermitage, the International Red Cross, the Salvation Army, non-governmental organizations, and orphanages.

Immersion
Sobesedniki - Peer Language Tutors
CIEE students who choose to take part in the Sobesedniki program are paired with local students for a variety of language and cultural exchange activities. These students help provide CIEE participants with additional language support and a firsthand look at the lifestyle of their Russian peers.

CIEE St. Petersburg Signature Culture Events
Each semester, CIEE students organize a special event held at the end of the semester. This event is a chance for CIEE students to delve into a specific topic of Russian history and experience that epoch in a fun and entertaining way with other students from the School of Political Science or their Sobesedniki. In past semesters, students have organized a Spring Ball (the period of Catherine the Great) and a Stilyagi (Retro Hipsters style of the 1950s) party.

Film and Music
CIEE students can enjoy Russian cinema individually by checking out films from the Study Center DVD library or collectively in group screenings through the CIEE Film Club. In addition, they can participate in the CIEE Choir once a week. The CIEE Choir has become a tradition in recent years and the group has been invited to perform on national radio in past semesters. Some students choose to audition for the St. Petersburg State University choir or orchestra which perform world class musical concerts for the public while other students prefer to privately study a musical instrument, such as the balalaika or accordion

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Subject Areas

Cost in US$:

Please check the CIEE website for current program pricing.

Program Fees Include:

The CIEE program fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, tuition, housing and most meals, orientation, field trips, local excursions, pre-departure advising, visa fees, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.

Experience Required

yes

• Overall GPA 2.75
• 0-4 semesters of college-level Russian or equivalent. At least one semester strongly recommended, but motivated students with no previous Russian have been successful in this program.

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently

Scholarships are Available

We have several scholarships that students can apply for. Contact CIEE for details.

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Transcript
• Written Application
• Other

CIEE's Mission Statement

Since 1947, the Council on International Educational Exchange, known as CIEE, has been in pursuit of its mission, "to help people gain understanding, acquire knowledge, and develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world. Our services to young people studying, working, teaching, and traveling abroad are more important than ever.

Year Founded

1947