Study abroad

The Slavic Department strongly encourages all students to spend a semester, summer, or year abroad if at all possible. A summer or a semester studying in an academic institution in your target country can be extraordinarily rewarding, not only for your language proficiency but for learning firsthand about the country's culture and intellectual life. If Russian is your focus, you can now choose from a vast array of programs in cities ranging from the highly Westernized Moscow and St. Peterburg to more "off the beaten track" locations such as Vladimir or Irkutsk. If you are interested in another Slavic language, opportunities abound for studying in Eastern and Central European countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, or the Baltics.

Various possibilities for study abroad exist, and any of our faculty are happy to provide you with information about these programs and to advise you about which one best fits your academic interests. If you think that you might wish to study abroad, you should plan your academic program carefully to make sure that you will be able to fit in all your major requirements. To talk over your plans, and to determine which courses in the study abroad program may be approved for major credit on your Columbia College transcript, you should meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies (Columbia students) or your academic adviser (Barnard students).
 

Academic Year Programs (Fall and/or Spring)

The box in the upper right corner of this page contains links to websites that may be useful to you as you plan your study abroad experience and shop for an appropriate program. The Department tends to favor programs sponsored by The Council on International Education and Exchange and by American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS. Both these organizations have been in the business of organizing study abroad for American students for a long time, both are recipients of government funding, and we have found them to be completely reliable. Also, please the Center for Online Education's link to their study abroad guide. In addition, the following specific programs have been approved by the Department and the University:

Programs in St. Petersburg, Russia

St. Petersburg State University
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: CIEE

Russian State Pedagogical University (Gertsen)
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: ACTR / Bryn Mawr

Smolny College / St. Petersburg State University
St. Petersburg, Russia
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: Bard College

Programs in Moscow, Russia

Moscow State University
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: SUNY Albany

Moscow International University
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: ACTR / Bryn Mawr

C.V. Starr Middlebury College School in Russia (locations also in Irkustsk and Yaroslavl)
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: Middlebury College
 

Programs in Budapest, Hungary

University of Economic Sciences
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: CIEE

Central European University
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: Bard College
 

Programs in Prague, Czech Republic

CHP
Term: Fall or Spring
Sponsoring Institution: Direct Enrollment -see Class Dean

CERGE-EI / Charles University
Term: Fall/Spring/Full Year
Sponsoring Institution: Direct Enrollment - see Dean McDermott

CIEE & FAMU
Term: fall or spring
Sponsoring Institution: CIEE
 

Programs in the Balkans

SIT
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Term: Fall or Spring
Sponsoring Institution: SIT

 

If you are interested in a specific program not mentioned here, talk to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (Columbia) or your academic adviser (Barnard) about it. He or she can advise you about your options.
 

 

Summer Programs


For summer programs within the United States, including at Columbia, select "Summer Study" from the menu at left.

The following is a list of intensive summer programs located in Russia, East/Central Europe, and Central Europe. The American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages also maintains an up-to-date listing of intensive language programs (both summer and academic-year) in the U.S. and abroad, sorted by language. Click here to see their list.

 

Summer Programs in Russia:

 

Summer Programs in Other Slavic, East European, and Central Asian Countries: