American Councils in a consortium with Bryn Mawr College
Portland State University Partner Program
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

American Councils in a consortium with Bryn Mawr College

The Russian Flagship is an undergraduate program administered by American Councils designed to address the need for greater numbers of U.S. professionals in business, government, academia, and the third sector that are able to speak, read, understand, and write Russian at the highest levels of functional proficiency.

The domestic portion of the program is available at one of these institutions across the U.S.: Bryn Mawr College, the University of Maryland at College Park, and the University of California at Los Angeles.

Summer study is available at Middlebury College. The overseas component is spent at St. Petersburg State University. The overseas immersion program features formal coursework in discourse development, individualized tutorials, biweekly excursions, internships with local NGOs, government, or businesses, and home-stays with Russian families. Participants benefit from extensive opportunities for professionally-focused language development and language utilization through regular university courses in their area of specialization and internships with local organizations.

Students with Intermediate-High to Advanced-Low proficiency levels are invited to apply to the Stateside Program. Students already at the Advanced-Mid or Advanced-High language level should consider applying directly to the Overseas Program. Support services include mandatory pre-departure orientation in Washington, D.C.; accident and illness insurance; a full-time U.S. resident director; and American Councils offices in Washington, D.C. and Russia.

http://flagship.americancouncils.org/splash.php
Contact: Flagship Programs at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Portland State University

The PSU Russian Language Flagship Partner Program is an undergraduate certificate program designed for upper-intermediate to advanced Russian speakers who seek to achieve superior language proficiency while pursuing degrees in the academic major of their choice. This innovative four-year Russian across the curriculum program is designed to produce graduates with dual strengths in professional-level Russian language proficiency and their chosen career domains.

Undergraduate students admitted to the PSU Russian Language Flagship Program will complete nine Russian across the curriculum courses related to their general education classes and three Russian across the curriculum courses related to their majors. Flagship Scholars are encouraged to live in a Russian environment in the PSU Russian Flagship Unit of student housing and to spend their junior year at the Russian Flagship Center in St. Petersburg, where they will be able to combine coursework at Russian universities with an internship. The program will culminate with a Senior Capstone conducted in Russian. The program is also available to post-baccalaureate students who seek to maintain or achieve a highly professional level of proficiency in Russian.

Undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students who have been admitted to the Flagship program may also choose to complete a Certificate of Advanced Proficiency in Russian. The Certificate Program has four components: advanced Russian classes, content classes conducted in Russian, Russian across the curriculum classes, and a Capstone. Many of the program requirements may be completed at the St. Petersburg Russian Flagship Center.

Qualified students must meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. be admitted to Portland State University
2. speak, read, and write Russian at an Intermediate to High-Advanced level
3. have graduated (or expect to graduate) from a US high school

Qualified high school juniors and seniors may apply to Portland State through LINK (http://challenge-link.clas.pdx.edu/link). All others should visit the Portland State Admissions page: (http://www.pdx.edu/admissions). Incoming freshmen from Western states may be eligible for a Western Undergraduate Exchange scholarship. See www.pdx.edu/admissions for details. Current students are strong academic achievers with varied areas of specialty such as architecture, business administration, chemistry, computer science, education, international relations, and pre-medicine. Many are funded through merit based scholarships, such as the PSU Laurels Scholarship. Top students in the program receive other Flagship scholarships to help cover tuition and partial living expenses.

Contact: Sandra Freels at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
http://www.fll.pdx.edu/Russian%20flag/index.htm

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

The Russian Flagship Program at The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) offers a rigorous content-based study program of Russian language, culture, and society. The UCLA Flagship Center welcomes applications from UCLA undergraduates at all levels of language study who seek professional-level competence in Russian.

Flagship courses are open to all majors. Each Flagship student follows an individualized study plan, which includes tutoring by native speakers, accelerated learning and, in senior classes, the study of academic content in Russian. Study plans may include summer course work in the U.S. or abroad.

Flagship students who complete the senior level Flagship courses will be eligible for a year of study and an internship in St. Petersburg.
Flagship participants include students studying Russian as a foreign language and heritage students, i.e., students who grew up in Russian-speaking families but have been educated primarily in English.

The UCLA Flagship has a rolling admission process.

UCLA students should contact Professor Olga Kagan ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). Interested non-UCLA students should contact Susan Bauckus ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

http://www.international.ucla.edu/languages/flagships/russian/