Russian Flagship student ambassadors meet with prospective students to answer questions about the program.

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Admissions

If you’re a current UW-Madison student and you’ve never studied Russian, you should plan to enroll in Slavic 101 as soon as possible (Slavic 101 is offered during the fall and spring semesters or summer term). If you are currently enrolled in Slavic 101 or another Russian language course at UW-Madison, you are already eligible to apply for admission to the Russian Flagship Program!

Current UW-Madison students are also encouraged to attend an Open House (usually offered once per semester) or to meet with an advisor to learn more about the program. Please contact us with any questions!

The Russian Flagship Program welcomes applications from transfer students, but interested students should note that the Russian Flagship Program has a separate admissions process, and that admission to the Russian Flagship Program is contingent upon admission to UW-Madison.

Transfer students with prior experience studying Russian who wish to begin the Russian Flagship Program during their first semester at UW-Madison should plan to apply to the program during the semester before they begin at UW-Madison (e.g. apply in the fall to begin the program in the spring). Most transfer students will need to make a language enrollment guidance appointment to determine which level of Russian at UW-Madison is best for them. Contact us to learn more or to schedule an appointment.

Transfer students without prior experience studying Russian are encouraged to meet with an advisor to discuss whether or not the Russian Flagship Program is a feasible option for them, given their student standing (e.g. freshman, sophomore) and other possible time constraints. Students beginning the program without prior experience studying Russian typically need 4-5 years to complete the program.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison hosts ROTC programs in conjunction with the Air ForceArmy, and Navy. These programs offer students the opportunity to earn a commission as an officer in any of the three armed services while pursuing their bachelor’s degree. The Russian Flagship Program is a great match for ROTC cadets interested in studying Russian and provides special scholarships for contracted ROTC cadets.

In addition to the requirements of the Russian Flagship Program and of the student’s academic major(s), ROTC cadets must also plan for summer ROTC training requirements and plans to defer their commissioning as an officer until after completing the Russian Overseas Flagship capstone year abroad. Students interested in combining the Russian Flagship Program with ROTC should meet with their commanding officer(s), as well as with an advisor from the Russian Flagship, to discuss an individualized plan of study for meeting these requirements. The Russian Flagship Program works closely with each of the three ROTC units on the UW-Madison campus.

The Russian Flagship Program welcomes applications from high school seniors, but interested students should note that the Russian Flagship Program has a separate admissions process, and that admission to the Russian Flagship Program is contingent upon admission to UW-Madison.

High school seniors with prior experience studying Russian are eligible to apply for the Russian Flagship Program at the same time that they apply for admission to UW-Madison. Generally speaking, the program recommends that interested students apply to the Russian Flagship in the spring semester of their senior year (before the program’s March 15 application deadline), when they are more likely to know the status of their application for admission to UW-Madison.

High school seniors without prior experience studying Russian can still apply for admission to the Russian Flagship Program, but this option is recommended only for those who consider admission to the Russian Flagship to be a major factor in their decision to attend UW-Madison. For all other students, the program recommends enrolling in Slavic 101 during the fall semester or considering a First-Year Interest Group (FIG) with a Russian language component. Students in this group can apply to the program during the fall semester (before the program’s November 15 application deadline) after gaining more experience with the language.