Business Russian Language and Internship Program

Combining intensive language classes and substantive internships in Moscow, St. Petersburg, or Almaty, Kazakhstan, BRLI gives students invaluable insight into the global workplace and prepares them to use Russian in a professional context. Expert resident directors help participants maximize their immersion through extracurricular activities and excursions.

About The Program

BRLI combines a specially designed curriculum focusing on Russian language for the business world with an internship averaging 10-15 hours per week at a multinational company or business in Russia or Kazakhstan. Program features include homestays, weekly excursions, travel to other regions of the host country, conversation partners, and a wide range of opportunities to pursue hobbies and personal interests in a Russian-language context. The highly individualized BRLI curriculum can be tailored to serve students ranging from intermediate to near native speakers of Russian.

Academics and Courses

The highly flexible BRLI program serves students ranging from intermediate to heritage speakers of Russian. All levels of instruction provide ten to fifteen hours of in-class contact, either in small groups or through individualized instruction. Course offerings vary, but may include topics such as social and economic issues in Russia today, the language of business communication, Russian culture and the workplace, and the fundamentals of business and commercial correspondence in Russian.

Academic year and semester students in Moscow have the option of auditing classes at their host university. In recent years, participants completed courses at their host universities in Art History, Mathematics, Engineering, Sociology, Theater Studies, Russian History, Religion, Psychology, and Literature.

Participants receive academic credit through Bryn Mawr College, an institutional member of American Councils. Upon successful completion of the program, Bryn Mawr College issues:

• 8 undergraduate/10 graduate credit hours for the summer program,

• 16 undergraduate/15 graduate credit hours for the fall or spring semesters, and

• 32 undergraduate/30 graduate credit hours for the academic year program.

Internship Opportunities

American Councils arranges unpaid, non-credit bearing internships based upon each participant’s language ability and field of interest. Internships are available in regional offices of U.S. businesses, U.S.-Russian joint venture companies, press offices, Russian- or Kazakh-owned businesses, international trade organizations, and a wide range of non-profits. Classes are held four days a week, allowing participants to spend one full day per week at their internships.

Recent program participants completed internships at:

• MISiS FabLab

• U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce

• AVC Advisory

• Carnegie Moscow Center

• Center for Humanitarian Aid

• Hermitage

• Jensen Group

Conversation Partners

To aid cultural integration and support academic learning, participants have the opportunity to meet with conversation partners two hours per week. Conversation partners introduce participants to local people, accompany participants on sightseeing tours, organize cultural activities (cinema, museum, etc.), and provide students with academic support. The conversation partners are expected to speak only the target language.

Excursions & Cultural Activities

One day a week of the academic program is set aside for travel to local sites of social, cultural and historical significance. All excursions are conducted in Russian and include sites such as museums, churches, schools, research centers, theatres, and historical estates. BRLI participants attend excursions with participants on the Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP).

At approximately mid-semester, resident directors arrange a week-long regional field studies trip outside of the host city. For summer participants, these regional field studies take place at the end of their program. BRLI and RLASP groups in Russia have visited sites such as Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-na-Donu, Samara, Sochi, Suzdal, Volgograd, and Yaroslavl, while groups in Almaty have traveled to Nur-Sultan and Ust-Kamenogorsk.

Housing and Meals

Program participants have the option to live in a university dormitory or with a host family.

Living with a host family provides valuable cultural experience to complement the academic program. Host families expose participants to authentic, everyday life in the host country while also providing a supportive environment for students to practice their growing language skills. While staying with a host family, participants are provided with a private room, two meals per day, and keys to the apartment or house. All host families are screened, selected, and monitored by American Councils home-stay coordinators and resident directors.

Participants who choose the dormitory option share a room with other American Councils participants or with other international students. Two meals a day are provided.

Support Services

All program participants are required to attend a mandatory pre-departure orientation in Washington, D.C. at the start of the program. Orientation sessions address health and safety, academic and business culture, host-family life, culture shock, and strategies to maximize language gain. Students will also have a chance to meet and get to know their resident directors, fellow participants, and alumni during the orientation. Lodging and meals will be provided. Upon arrival in the host country, participants attend an informative in-country orientation.

While overseas, participants have access to in-country program staff that provide around-the-clock emergency support. A full-time resident director oversees the academic and cultural program; assists participants in academic, administrative and personal matters; and coordinates activities with the host institution faculty. During the program, the AC Study Abroad Team in Washington, D.C. stays in close contact via email and telephone with in-country program staff and provides updates as needed to study abroad offices, university partners, and family members.

Participants are enrolled in comprehensive overseas health, accident, and evacuation insurance through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) for the duration of the program. CISI provides medical coverage of up to $250,000 per accident or illness. Enrollment in the CISI plan also provides full coverage for emergency medical evacuation.

All participants are provided with a single-entry visa to the host-country for the duration of the academic program. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain any other visas required by their individual itineraries. Visa application information and forms are provided upon acceptance to the program.

Program Snapshot

Program Focus

Intensive Russian language study and cultural immersion; professional work and language experience; intercultural communication skills, and practical experience in business, innovation, and STEM fields

Language of Instruction

Russian

Program Eligibility

• At least four semesters of college-level Russian instruction or the equivalent.

• Minimum GPA of 2.7

• Applicants must be at least 18 years old by the application deadline.

Program Locations

Moscow, St. Petersburg (Russia); Almaty (Kazakhstan)

Program Dates

Fall 2021
September 1 – December 19, 2021

Spring 2022
January 31, 2021 – May 19, 2022

Summer 2022
Russia: June 5, 2021 – August 6, 2022
Kazakhstan: June 14 – August 13, 2022

Fall 2022
August 28 – December 17, 2022

Spring 2023
January 22 – May 21, 2023

Dates are approximate and may vary slightly depending on country. Start dates mark the two-day orientation before departure.

Program Cost

Summer 2021: $9,550

Fall 2021: $20,300

Academic Year 2021-22: $36,800

Applications Deadlines

Summer: February 15

Fall & Academic Year: March 15

Spring Semester: October 15