Students work with Russian Flagship advisors to create individualized study plans for meeting program requirements.

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Program Requirements

Students admitted to the Russian Flagship Program work with an advisor on an individualized study plan for meeting these requirements. Those students who cannot follow the established curriculum in the recommended sequence will commit to summer study, in order to bring their proficiency level up to target levels for each year in the program. All students are required to enroll in a minimum of 3 credits per semester (3 contact hours per week) of Russian language coursework throughout their course of study at UW-Madison as part of the program’s criteria for satisfactory progress.

Domestic (UW-Madison) Requirements

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Prerequisite Coursework

Russian Flagship prerequisite coursework includes first- through fourth-year Russian or the equivalent. These courses can be completed at UW-Madison or elsewhere. (For example, if a student studies Russian in high school and places into second-year Russian, he or she would enroll in Slavic 203 and apply for admission to begin the Russian Flagship Program at that level). Students do not need to complete prerequisite coursework before they apply for admission to the Russian Flagship Program.

The majority of Russian Flagship students begin their study of Russian at UW-Madison and condense the prerequisite coursework into two academic years and two summers: Students complete second-year Russian (Slavic 203-204) during an intensive summer at UW-Madison and fourth-year Russian (Slavic 321-322/465) during an intensive summer study abroad program. Students must complete these prerequisites before enrolling in advanced Russian Flagship coursework.

Please note that Slavic 315-316 can be taken concurrently with either Slavic 275-276 or Slavic 321-465 (during the academic year only).

wdt_ID Course Credits Semester
1 Slavic 101: First-Semester Russian 4 Fall
6 Slavic 102: Second-Semester Russian 4 Spring
7 Slavic 203: Third-Semester Russian 4 Fall (or Slavic 117-118 during Summer)
8 Slavic 204: Fourth-Semester Russian 4 Spring (or Slavic 117-118 during Summer)
9 Slavic 275: Third-Year Russian I 3 Fall
10 Slavic 276: Third-Year Russian II 3 Spring
11 Slavic 315: Russian Language and Culture I 3 Fall
12 Slavic 316: Russian Language and Culture II 3 Spring
13 Slavic 321: Fourth-Year Russian I 3 Fall (or Study Abroad during Summer)
14 Slavic 465: Advanced Readings in Russian Literature & Culture (or Slavic 322 for Study Abroad during Summer) 3 Spring (or Study Abroad during Summer)

Advanced Coursework

wdt_ID Course Credits Semester
1 Slavic 433: History of Russian Culture 3 Fall
2 Slavic 434: Contemporary Russian Culture 3 Spring
3 Slavic 699: Russian Across the Curriculum Tutorial 1 Fall or Spring
4 GNS 471: Advanced Topics in East European and Central Asian Languages and Cultures (Intercultural Introduction to Kazakhstan) 1 Spring

Students choose one of the following courses:

wdt_ID Course Credits Semester
1 Slavic 560: Capstone Seminar in Russian Literature & Culture 3 Fall
2 Slavic 555: Advanced Russian Listening & Speaking 3 Spring

Tutoring

Tutoring is a critical component of the Russian Flagship Program that provides students with 1-4 hours per week of extra practice and focused, small-group or individualized attention as they progress through the program and work to meet proficiency goals.

wdt_ID Level in Russian Type of Tutoring Hours per Week
1 1 Individual, Group 1-2
2 2 Individual 1-2
3 3 Individual 1-2
4 4 Individual 1-2
5 5+ Individual, Russian Across the Curriculum 2-3

Kazakh Language

Kazakhstan is a multilingual and multiethnic country in which both Russian and Kazakh are widely used, in addition to many other languages, including English. Although Russian is widely spoken in Almaty, the city where the Russian Overseas Flagship (ROF) is located, both Russian and Kazakh are official languages of Kazakhstan, and knowing some basic Kazakh can go a long way in showing respect for and interest in Kazakh culture.
As part of their linguistic and cultural preparation for the ROF, Russian Flagship students must complete a series of introductory, non-credit Kazakh language lessons, and pass the end-of-lesson quizzes, in Salem, Kazakhstan, an online Kazakh language course for Russian Flagship students. Students can also fulfill this requirement by taking Kazakh language courses for credit at UW-Madison and passing the end-of-lesson quizzes in Salem, Kazakhstan. Students must complete this requirement by August 1, before they depart for the ROF.
The required Salem, Kazakhstan lessons are:

  • Вводный урок (Introductory lesson)
  • Тема 1: Все обо мне (All about me)
  • Тема 2: Где я живу (Where I live)
  • Тема 3: Едим дома или идем в ресторан? (Do we eat at home or go out to eat?)

A link to the Salem, Kazakhstan course is in the Russian Flagship’s Canvas site. The course is hosted by the Language Flagship Technology Innovation Center at the University of Hawai’i.

Students interested in studying Kazakh for credit at any point before the capstone ROF are encouraged to take advantage of one or both of the following opportunities at UW-Madison:

Students on the ROF take an introductory course in Kazakh in the fall semester. Kazakh language is offered on the ROF in the spring semester as well, as an optional course.

Co- and Extracurricular Activities

wdt_ID Required Optional
1 Social events, lectures, conversations with visiting scholars, films in Russian, or other special activities organized by the Russian Flagship Program Russian House (Russkii dom) in the International Learning Community, part of University Housing
2 ACTR National Post-Secondary Russian Essay Contest (NPSREC) Campus and community events not organized by the Russian Flagship Program
3 Peer language and culture exchange with students from Kazakhstan and related programming

Assessments

Russian Flagship students must participate in regular assessments of their developing proficiency in Russian, used to determine if students are reaching targeted levels of proficiency, and to identify areas of focus for Russian Flagship tutoring.

Criteria for Satisfactory Progress

To make satisfactory progress in the Russian Flagship, students must:

  • Meet proficiency benchmarks and complete course requirements, as specified in their individualized study plan;
  • Maintain a GPA of 3.5 in Russian courses, and cumulative GPA of 3.0;
  • Enroll in at least 3 credits of Russian each semester;
  • Participate in 1-4 hours of tutoring, following program policies and tutoring guidelines;
  • Actively participate in Russian Flagship extracurricular activities and other programming for Russian Flagship students;
  • Participate in Russian Flagship assessments;
  • Create and maintain a profile in the National Security Education Program Student Certification System (SCS).

Students who are not making satisfactory progress will be notified first orally, then, if necessary, in writing. Students who receive a written notice may be placed on probation. Students on probation must meet the terms of the probation to remain a student in the Russian Flagship Program.

 

 

Overseas Requirements

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Pre-Capstone Study Abroad

Russian Flagship students are required to complete a minimum of 6 weeks of study abroad in an approved intensive Russian-language program at the secondary or post-secondary level prior to application to the Russian Overseas Flagship (ROF) capstone program. This pre-capstone study abroad program must include at least 20 hours per week of formal academic instruction in Russian and a homestay with a Russian-speaking family.

Most students fulfill this requirement by participating in one of two UW-Madison-approved summer study abroad programs to a Russian-speaking country. The Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP) includes summer, academic year, and semester programs in Almaty, Kazakhstan and Yerevan, Armenia and is offered by American Councils for International Education in partnership with UW-Madison. The UGA Immersion in Russian Language, Culture, and Communities in the Baltics (IRLCCB) is a summer program in Riga, Latvia and is offered through University of Georgia as an approved UW affiliate program.

Both of these programs are designed to maximize linguistic and cultural immersion in Russian-speaking societies, with an emphasis on the development of practical speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills.

Russian Overseas Flagship Capstone Program

The Russian Overseas Flagship (ROF), located in Almaty, Kazakhstan and administered by American Councils for International Education, is an immersive, academic year study abroad program that provides students the opportunity for intensive, professional language training and development.

The ROF includes formal language coursework, content-based elective courses, individualized tutorials, conversation partners, bi-weekly excursions, including several overnight trips, and home stays with Russian-speaking families. Students on the program also benefit from extensive opportunities for professionally focused language development through regular university courses in their area of specialization and internships with local organizations.

Russian Flagship students at UW-Madison must apply for admission to the Russian Overseas Flagship. Applications are usually due in mid-January for the following academic year. Students must plan far in advance to apply for the program and to meet Russian proficiency and pre-capstone study abroad eligibility requirements. (Participation in an intensive Russian-language study abroad program at the secondary level or beyond for a minimum of 6 weeks is required for students to be eligible to apply to the ROF. This pre-capstone study abroad program must include at least 20 hours per week of formal academic instruction in Russian and a homestay with a Russian-speaking family.)

Example Study Plans

Four-Year Plan

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Year 1

Academic Year

Courses: Slavic 101 (Fall) and Slavic 102 (Spring): First Year Russian, 8 credits

Proficiency Goal (ACTFL): Intermediate Low

Summer Term

Courses: Slavic 117 and Slavic 117: Intensive Second Year Russian, 8 credits

Proficiency Goal (ACTFL): Intermediate Mid

Year 2

Academic Year

Courses: Slavic 275 (Fall) and Slavic 276 (Spring): Third Year Russian, 6 credits; Slavic 315 (Fall) and Slavic 316 (Spring), 6 credits

Proficiency Goal (ACTFL): Intermediate High in Reading/Listening, Intermediate Mid in Speaking/Writing

Summer Term

Study Abroad: Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP), Immersion in the Russian Language, Culture, and Communities in the Baltics (IRLCCB), or another eligible program that provides the equivalent of Slavic 321 and Slavic 465: Fourth Year Russian, 6 credits

Proficiency Goal (ACTFL): Advanced Low in Reading/Listening, Intermediate High in Speaking/Writing

Year 3

Academic Year

Courses: Slavic 433 (Fall) and Slavic 434 (Spring): History of Russian Culture and Contemporary Russian Culture, 6 credits; Slavic 560 (Fall) or Slavic 555 (Spring), 3 credits each; Slavic 699 (Fall or Spring): Russian Across the Curriculum Tutorial, 1 credit; GNS 471: Intercultural Introduction to Kazakhstan (Spring), 1 credit

Proficiency Goals (ACTFL): Advanced Mid in Reading/Listening, Advanced Low in Speaking/Writing

Year 4

Academic Year

Study Abroad: Russian Overseas Flagship (ROF), 18 credits per semester

The ROF is located in Almaty, Kazakhstan and includes intensive coursework, individual tutoring, direct enrollment in a course related to the student’s major at the host university, a professional internship, and a homestay with a Russian-speaking family.

Proficiency Goals (ACTFL): Superior

Five-Year Plan

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Year 1

Academic Year

Courses: Slavic 101 (Fall) and Slavic 102 (Spring): First Year Russian, 8 credits

Proficiency Goal (ACTFL): Intermediate Low

Summer Term

Courses: Slavic 117 and Slavic 117: Intensive Second Year Russian, 8 credits

Proficiency Goal (ACTFL): Intermediate Mid

Year 2

Academic Year

Courses: Slavic 275 (Fall) and Slavic 276 (Spring): Third Year Russian, 6 credits; Slavic 315 (Fall) and Slavic 316 (Spring), 6 credits

Proficiency Goal (ACTFL): Intermediate High in Reading/Listening, Intermediate Mid in Speaking/Writing

Summer Term

Study Abroad: Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP), Immersion in the Russian Language, Culture, and Communities in the Baltics (IRLCCB), or another eligible program that provides the equivalent of Slavic 321 and Slavic 465: Fourth Year Russian, 6 credits

Proficiency Goal (ACTFL): Advanced Low in Reading/Listening, Intermediate High in Speaking/Writing

Year 3

Academic Year

Courses: Slavic 433 (Fall) and Slavic 434 (Spring): History of Russian Culture and Contemporary Russian Culture, 6 credits

Proficiency Goals (ACTFL): Advanced Mid in Reading/Listening, Advanced Low in Speaking/Writing

Year 4

Academic Year

Courses: Slavic 560 (Fall) and Slavic 555 (Spring), 6 credits; Slavic 699 (Fall or Spring): Russian Across the Curriculum Tutorial, 1 credit; GNS 471: Intercultural Introduction to Kazakhstan (Spring), 1 credit

Proficiency Goals (ACTFL): Advanced Mid in Reading/Listening, Advanced Low in Speaking/Writing

Year 5

Academic Year

Study Abroad: Russian Overseas Flagship (ROF), 18 credits per semester

The ROF is located in Almaty, Kazakhstan and includes intensive coursework, individual tutoring, direct enrollment in a course related to the student’s major at the host university, a professional internship, and a homestay with a Russian-speaking family.

Proficiency Goals (ACTFL): Superior