Flagship and Your Degree

When you successfully complete the Flagship program, you can add PSU's Certificate of Advanced Proficiency in Russian to your BA or BS degree.  If you are pursuing a BA degree in your major, you can also get a second major in Russian as well as the Certificate. If you're majoring in an area that only offers a BS degree, you should consult the Flagship director to see if you can also qualify for a dual degree with a BA in Russian.

If you've completed all aspects of both the domestic the Russian Overseas Flagship and the Russian Overseas Flagship, you can receive national certification from The Language Flagship as a Flagship Certified Professional, or a Flagship Certified Professional with Distinction.  

The Certificate of Advanced Proficiency in Russian

PSU's Certificate of Advanced Proficiency in Russian certifies your superior achievements in learning Russian. You can receive the Certificate by completing the requirements below, either on the PSU campus, or in combination with study abroad. You can attach this Certificate to an undergraduate degree in any major, either a BA or a BS. If you are a post-baccalaureate student, you can pursue the Certificate independent of a major.

Course substitutions are possible and you should consult with the Flagship director to plan your course of study. Students who complete all requirements for a Certificate of Advanced Proficiency in Russian will also meet requirements for a Russian major.  

The fine print...

1. If you participate in the Russian Overseas Flagship, you will complete UNST 421 while abroad.
2. If you enter the Flagship program with demonstrated advanced proficiency in written and spoken Russian, you may be able to waive 12 credits of Advanced Russian.
3. If you are a post-baccalaureate student and pursuing a Boren Scholarship to fund your participation in the Russian Overseas Flagship, you will need to declare your intention to pursue a Russian major in addition to the Certificate.

back to top

The Russian Major at PSU

At Portland State University you may minor or major in Russian. To complete a minor, you will complete 24 credits of upper division courses (where 20 credits of those credits are courses taught in Russian). To complete a major, you will complete 52 credits of upper-division classes (where at least 40 of those credits are classes taught in Russian). Both minors and majors are required to take one course in linguistics. 

Following a typical Russian major after Rus 203, you might take:

RUS 301, 302, 303 “Third-Year Russian” (4, 4, 4). In this class you review problem areas of grammar while using high-frequency vocabulary to practice Advanced language tasks such as narration and description.

RUS 325 “Phonetics and Phonology” (4). In this class you study the sound system of Russian and learn to anticipate and understand predictable variations in speech. Fulfills the linguistics requirement for the major and minor.

RUS 341, 342 “Introduction to Russian Literature” (4, 4). In these courses, conducted in Russian, you will read short stories as a way to become familiar with Russian culture and for practicing  Advanced language tasks such as narration and description.

Students who complete the 300-level of the Russian program with strong Intermediate-Mid/High language skills are eligible for admission to the RFP Advanced Track.

RUS 411, 412, 413 “Advanced Russian” (4, 4, 4). In this class you will expand your vocabulary and abilities to talk about non-literary topics of public interest, such as education, politics, and ecology.

2 advanced content courses from Rus 420, 421, 427 or 433 (4, 4). Conducted in Russian, these courses cover a variety of content related to Russian culture, including history, film, and literature.

2 Russian-related courses conducted in English (4, 4). You can pick elective courses from the Departments of Geography, History, International Studies or World Languages and Literatures.

The fine print...

1. Courses taken on approved Education Abroad programs can count toward your major.
2. You can take Rus 325, 341, and 342 simultaneously with Rus 301-303. This allows you to complete a Russian minor in the course of one academic year. 
3. Consult with your Russian major advisor or the Flagship Director about possible course substitutions.

back to top

Flagship Certified Professional, or a Flagship Certified Professional with Distinction  

You can also earn national recognition from The Language Flagship for completing all aspects of the domestic and overseas programs, and reaching the target proficiency scores.

You will be a Flagship Certified Professional, if you

• complete courses at a domestic Flagship program and qualify for the Overseas Flagship
• complete course of study on the Overseas Flagship
• complete a professional internship while participating in the Overseas Flagship
• reach ILR Level 3 in Speaking
• reach ILR Level 2+ in Reading and Listening

You can earn the national recognition of Flagship Certified Professional with Distinction, if you complete all the above requirements, and

• reach ILR Level 3 (or better) in Reading and Listening

ILR refers to the US government's Interagency Language Roundtable which developed a scale to rate a person's functional proficiency in a language. ILR Level 3 is called General Professional Proficiency, and it represents a remarkable level of proficiency in the target language.

If you speak at ILR Level 3, you can "participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations in practical, social and professional topics." Your "errors virtually never interfere with understanding and rarely disturb the native speaker." You "can use the language as part of normal professional duties such as ... stating and defending policy, conducting meetings, delivering briefings, or other extended and elaborate informative monologues." (Read the full description of ILR 3 in Speaking)

back to top

How to fit Flagship in with a major in ... ?

PSU students combine their study of Russian in Flagship with all kinds of majors.  Between 2012 and 2019,  59 students completed the Russian Overseas Flagship and/or the domestic Flagship Program. These students have graduated with 19 different majors. The most frequent combinations are Flagship and ....

• Applied Linguistics
• Architecture
• Criminology and Criminal Justice
• English
• Finance
• Geography
• International Studies
• Math
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Public Health Studies

Current Flagship students are pursuing majors in Russian, Computer Science, Global and International Studies, Political Science, Criminology, Communication Studies, Finance, Health Studies, Music, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, Speech and Hearing Sciences.

The Flagship Program also fits in well with PSU students completing a major through the Honors College.

Coming soon sample course plans.

back to top