Russia: Summer Study Abroad

  • St. Basil's Cathedral

***THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE SUMMER 2022 SESSION***

Summer Study Abroad Program

Four or eight-week summer immersion program in Russia that takes you to Moscow and St Petersburg, the two capitals. Some additional travel to historic towns will be arranged as well, depending on availability. 

Studying Russian culture and exploring the thorny issue of national identity in Russia will give you a profound image of the country, its people and its history.

Exploring  Moscow, founded in 1147 and now the biggest city in Europe, will give you an overview of recent and ancient history and provide you with an opportunity for an intensive dose of authentic Russian culture.  Walk through Red Square, which saw the edicts of Ivan the Terrible, the burning of Moscow by Napoleon, the Communist revolution, all the way to Paul McCartney playing a triumphant "Back In the USSR" to Vladimir Putin and thousands of screaming Russian fans. 

Visiting St. Petersburg, known for its canals as Venice of the North, will give you insight into the east-west conflict within the Russian cultural heritage. Visit the Hermitage, one of the largest and oldest museums in the world.  Walk along the streets of Dostoyevsky’s characters.  Explore where and how the Communist Revolution began in 1917.

Today’s Russia is a fascinating blend of a thousand year history with its reinvention as a modern semi-capitalist nation and an almost inexplicable blend of East and West.   To quote Winston Churchill “ Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma” –  Experience this riddle first hand - meet your Russian peers, have a dialogue with local media and business professionals, study with Russian scholars and under the guidance of experienced UNH faculty. Be a participant in solving this riddle!

 

Tentative Program Dates

Summer 2023

Information Session

 

Application Deadline

March 5, 2023

Deposit Deadline

March 15, 2023

How to apply Financial Aid/scholarships

Contacts

Ekaterina Burvikova
Lecturer of Russian and Russia Study Abroad Program Director
Email: evv9@unh.edu

Mike Merrill
Education Abroad Advisor/Program Manager
Global Education Center, Conant Hall 310
Email: michael.merrill@unh.edu

 

The program has no pre-requisites and all majors are encouraged to apply. No previous study of the Russian language is required. 

Students will need a passport valid at least 18 months through the end of the study abroad program at the time of application.

 

At the time of application, all students are expected to meet the following criteria:

  • At least 12 credits earned at UNH
    • Freshmen students not meeting the 12-credit requirement may be allowed to participate in the program. Approval is needed from both the Program Faculty Director. Contact the COLA Center for Study Abroad for guidance.
  • A declared major
  • A minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA
    • Students who do not have a declared major or who have an established GPA between 2.0 and 2.5 may still apply. Admission will be at the discretion of the program faculty director.
  • Good standing with the Student Conduct System
    • A student who is on probation, regardless of the underlying violation, must successfully petition through the Academic Standards and Advising Committee (ASAC) for permission to participate. Students who have had a past violation will also be required to petition. Please contact your Dean’s Office for more guidance and the petition form, if needed.

Four-Week Program

The 4-week program is open to all students regardless of major or knowledge of Russian. Students earn 8 credits through RUSS 425: Introduction to Russia: Contemporary Russian Society and Culture (Discovery World Cultures) and RUSS 525: Russia: Mythology and Propoganda (Discovery Historical Perspectives), designed to give students an immersion experience in Russian culture and national identity. Instruction will be provided by UNH faculty, including online prior to departure, and in Russia. Guest lectures by local scholars in Moscow and Survival Russian taught by RUDN University, our Moscow partner organization, will complete the program. Students who have completed Intermediate Russian by the start of the program may earn credit for RUSS 725: Topics in Russian Society and Culture in place of RUSS 425.

Eight-Week Program

Students participating in the 8-week program will take part in all program-related courses, travel, and activities during the first four weeks of the program, and then will extend their stay in Moscow with an additional 4 weeks of intensive language study at RUDN University. Instruction also includes 4 hours of conversational work a week in addition to classroom-based content. Students earn 8 credits through RUSS 685 (transfer credit, which can count towards a Russian major or minor, as needed by the student and approved by the Russian Program). Students interested in this option should have completed at least one year of Russian language study. Exceptions to this requirement may be made a case-by-case basis in consultation with the Program Faculty Director.

Required pre-travel meetings for all students at UNH will prepare students for the Russian experience. In line with UNH’s goals to educate students to become global citizens, this immersion experience will give students insight into what it means to experience a different culture and language.

If you have questions on which program option is best for you academically, please consult with the Program Faculty Director, Ekaterina Burvikova. 

Faculty

Classes will be conducted as excursions, field trips and discussions by the on-site UNH staff. Outside lectures will be provided by Russian area specialists and survival Russian language instruction by the staff of RUDN University, a well-known and established Russian institution.

The below is a sample itinerary, but it should give students an idea of the program structure. Finalized dates and schedules will be provided to accepted students as part of the program pre-departure process. The activities and site visits are field-based activities that form part of the program coursework. All travel within Russia and program-related entry fees are included in the program fee.

Sample Itinerary:

Program 1 (first 4 weeks for all students, 8 credits): 

May 19 - departure from Boston Logan

May 20 - arrival to Moscow, rest

May 21 -  campus and downtown orientation

May 22 - Kremlin and Red Square tour.  Round table with Russian students.

May 23 - classes. Folk art museum: workshop

May 24 - classes. Traditional Russian wedding at Kolomenskoe

May 25 -  classes.  Tretyakov Gallery

May 26 - classes. Russian parliament tour.  Lenin’s mausoleum

May 27 - classes. Free time

May 28 - Departure to Kazan. Kremlin and Mosque tour

May 29 -  Tatar Hat workshop at the National museum. Departure to Moscow

May 30 - classes. Free time 

May 31 - classes. Round table with Russian students. Boat tour 

June 1  - classes. Vasnetsov museum

June 2 - classes. Space museum

June 3 - classes. Departure to St Petersburg

June 4 - Downtown tour: Peter and Paul fortress

June 5 - Hermitage

June 6  - free time

June 7 -  classes. Jewish museum

June 8 - classes. Victory park

June 9 - classes. Kuskovo park

June 10 - classes. Business visit

June 11 - free time

June 12-  free time

June 13 - classes. Round table with Russian students. Cooking workshop

June 14 - classes. Business visit.

June 15 - classes.

June 16 - free time

June 17 - departure 

Program 2 (optional 4-week extension, 8 additional credits (see "Courses"))

June 17- July 15: Moscow

July 15 - Depart Moscow

Russia study abroad students

 

Summer school tuition and a course fee will cover instruction, course materials, excursions, and housing. In addition to the fee, you will need funds for meals, for all personal and incidental expenses, and for travel to and from Russia.

  NH Resident, 4-week/8-credits Non-NH Resident, 4-week/8-credits NH Resident, 8-week/16-credits Non-NH Resident, 8-week/16-credits
UNH Summer Tuition $3,672 $4,048 $7,344 $8,096
Program Fee (estimated) $2,920 $2,920 $3,920 $3,920
Study Away Administration Fee $100 $100 $100 $100
International Health Insurance Fee $70 $70 $70 $70
Technology Fee $51.25 $51.25 $102.50 $102.50
Registration Fee $20 $20 $20 $20
Total Cost $6,833.25 $7,209.25 $11,556.50 $12,308.50

Payment Info and Refund Policy

Accepted students will be required to make a $500 non-refundable deposit payment no later than March 15, 2022 to confirm participation in the program. The deposit payment will be credited to the student's summer tuition bill.

You can make this payment in two ways: 
1. Log into Webcat, click on Billing, click on Make a Deposit, and then select the Russia Program
2. Bring or send a check made payable to the University of New Hampshire to student billing in Stoke Hall. For a paper check, please put your name and "Russia Deposit" in the memo line.

Students not admitted into the program will be returned their deposit payment checks

View ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON study abroad payment deadlines, cancellation and refund policy