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Advanced Russian Language & Area Studies Program (RLASP)

Advanced Russian Language & Area Studies Program (RLASP)

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American Councils Study Abroad
4.89 · 9 reviews
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American Councils Study Abroad

 4.89 · 9 reviews
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Location
Multiple Locations +3
  • Kazakhstan
  • Armenia
  • Estonia
    • Tallinn
Language
Russian

Program Details

Language Level
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
Immersion Level
Intensive
Class Size
Small Class (1-7)
Housing
Host Family

Pricing

$9,500
Price Details
Cost of the program includes tuition and fees; academic credit through Bryn Mawr College; single-entry visa; housing with a local host family (includes two meals per day); pre-departure orientation; in-country orientation; airport transfers; cultural activities and excursions; health insurance; in-country logistical support; 24/7 emergency contact. Scholarships are available. Please visit www.acstudyabroad.org/rlasp for current pricing.
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Airport Transfers Classes Some Meals Visa
What's Not Included
Airfare SIM cards Transportation Wifi
Mar 02, 2026
Nov 15, 2020
Wish List
7 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

One of the longest-running and most respected language and cultural immersion programs in Russian language and cultural studies, RLASP offers two different tracks: a language intensive track and an area studies track.

The RLASP language intensive track (offered in Almaty, Kazakhstan; Tallinn, Estonia; and Yerevan, Armenia) combines intensive classroom instruction with a wide range of extracurricular activities. Participants have approximately 20 hours of class per week in language study and a variety of academic disciplines - all taught in Russian by expert host-institution faculty.

RLASP Area Studies tracks are offered in Tallinn, Estonia (The Baltics, NATO, and Russia) and Yerevan, Armenia (The Caucasus Today) and include coursework primarily taught in English with supplemental Russian language. Students earn academic credit in Anthropology, International Affairs, Political Science, and Russian language.

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Program Highlights

  • Financial Aid
  • Full Immersion
  • Host Families
  • Excursions
  • Volunteering

Video and Photos

RLASP Felting Class
Yerevan Republic Square
Tallinn Steeple
Tallinn at Night
Armenia Waterfall
Kazakhstan Hike
Skiing

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Program Reviews

4.89 Rating
based on 9 reviews
Leave a Review
  • 5 rating 88.89%
  • 4 rating 11.11%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 5
  • Support 4.7
  • Fun 5
  • Housing 4.85
  • Safety 5
  • Instruction 4.7
  • Support 5
  • Fun 4.35
  • Housing 4.7
  • Value 4.7
Good for History Buffs, Students, Building your resume
Showing 9 - 9 of 9 reviews
Jessica
32
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

St. Petersburg with ACTR

Oct 19, 2015

My favorite part of studying abroad with ACTR was our weekly excursions. We went to a KHL hockey game, Moscow, Pskov, the Catherine Palace, and other places around Russia. It was a lot of fun to explore Russia with my classmates.

The classes were great too - while they were rigorous in schedule it was the best way to improve my Russian. The professors have all taught Russian as a foreign language for at least five years. They speak English and can help you understand a concept in English, although I recommend trying to understand it in Russian as it will help you more.

What would you improve about this program?
I think it would be great to go on more trips for our weekly excursions - there are a lot of little towns around St. Petersburg that are perfect for day trips.
125 people found this review helpful.
Helpful

Questions & Answers

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Sarah Krueger

Program
Advanced Russian Language & Area Studies Program (RLASP)
Job Title
Program Officer
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What is your favorite travel memory?

I have quite a few favorite memories. Ones that stick out to me are from my childhood. I was very fortunate to tag along with my Dad on his work trips. Having adventures with my family all over the U.S. sparked my love of traveling. Later, when I was studying abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia, a favorite moment was when my Russian language skills finally got to a point where I spoke freely and wasn’t so caught up in my pronunciation or grammar.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

AC Study Abroad works in many diverse regions – including Russia, Eastern Europe, Eurasia and Southeast Europe and I’ve been fortunate to travel to some of these places, such as Russia, Serbia, and Armenia. Through my travels and my work with AC Study Abroad, I have learned so much about these regions. Working in this field also made me appreciate the opportunities I had to study abroad – they were life changing and I hope to help as many students as possible to study abroad.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

This fall I attended an alumni event for students that have participated in our study abroad programs. It was amazing to meet the students and hear how much they learned, how much their language skills developed and to hear what they have been doing since participating.

Which destination is most underrated? Conversely, which is most overrated?

I don’t know about underrated or overrated, but a few places I love are Montevideo, Uruguay; Yerevan, Armenia; Ouro Preto, Brazil; Novi Sad, Serbia; Lake Baikal region, Russia; and Vilnius, Lithuania. These are a few places I would like to travel to: Moldova, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Finland and Bermuda.

What unique qualities does your company possess?

We have been running study abroad programs for over 40 years in Russia and over 20 years in Eurasia and are very knowledgeable about the regions. Our staff in Washington D.C. and overseas are very enthusiastic about study abroad, cultural exchanges, and developing language skills. We have an extensive support system worldwide and I am proud of that.

Describe a time when you felt especially proud to be part of your current team.

I am honored to be a part of AC Study Abroad every day. We take a lot of pride in our work and want to see everyone have the opportunity to travel overseas. We work very hard to ensure all the logistics are handled and have a great time doing it! We also love learning new phrases in other languages and try to use them on a daily basis.

We are very proud of the programs that AC Study Abroad offers and are ready and willing to assist students in any way we can.

About American Councils Study Abroad

American Councils offers study abroad and research programs to fit numerous academic and professional endeavors in Eurasia, the Balkans, and Asia. From language immersion and area studies, to the business and policy sectors, American Councils has a program to advance your education and career - in more than 20 countries and 25 languages.