Study Abroad in Riga, Latvia
The University of Georgia Immersion in the Russian Language, Culture, and Communities in the Baltics (IRLCCB) Program offers an intensive study abroad experience that capitalizes on intellectually rich cultural hubs of Russian emigre residing in Riga, Latvia.
The program is designed for students working towards advanced proficiency in Russian with an interest in gaining geopolitical understanding of the Russian sphere of influence in the Baltics and in growing their global and intercultural awareness competency by engaging with Russian-speaking communities in the heart of Eastern Europe.
IRLCCB’s rigorous immersive environment includes intensive academic programming and a wide selection of planned interactions with the local Russian-speaking community. Thus, the curriculum features:
- An average of 20 hours of formal instruction per week
- Additional individualized tutoring (2 hours/week)
- Semi-structured social activities with conversational partners (4+ hours/week)
- Russian area studies lecture series
The Baltic Center for Academic and Educational Development (BCAED) serves as the study abroad partner. While BCAED program staff provide 24/7 emergency and logistical support, UGA’s full-time resident director oversees and coordinates all aspects of the study abroad programming and serves as the first point of contact for advisement.
Experience the Culture
The program offers homestays with carefully vetted Russian-speaking families, including breakfast and dinners with host families.
Students additionally enjoy weekly excursions around Riga and Latvia, as well as guided multi-day trips to Prague, Czech Republic; Tallinn, Estonia; and Stockholm/Uppsala, Sweden, allowing for an exploration of the intertwined histories, politics, and cultures of Scandinavian and East Slavic territories. All courses are taught by experience faculty in small groups.
Eligibility
The program welcomes applications from students from other institutions, with a preference to students pursuing the Russian Flagship Certification. This program is approved to receive Russian Flagship* funding for summer 2023 (non-UGA students must request support from their home Language Flagship Institutions ).
A mandatory pre-departure orientation is offered virtually in May, and an additional conference-style in-country, post-arrival orientation is held in the beautiful coastal town of Jurmala, Latvia prior to the start of classes.
*The Language Flagship is a national initiative to change the way Americans learn languages through a groundbreaking approach to language education for students from kindergarten through college.
Apply to this Program
Deadline to apply: January 17
- Tuition: ~$2,934
- Program fees: ~$5,800
- Airfare: ~$1,200
- Personal Living Expenses ~ $800
- Total estimated cost: ~$11,397
Visit the program’s StudyAway page for additional details.
Students will be required to take placement tests during the process of admission to the program. Depending on the placement, they will register for and earn 6 academic credits hours through the following courses:
- RUSS 4001: Advanced Russian Conversation and Composition, I and II (6 credit hours)
- LLED 5040: Language and Culture in the Classroom (3 credit hours)
The program will offer tracks leading to intermediate-mid, intemediate-high, and advanced low-mid proficiency levels.