You can earn the Certificate of Advanced Proficiency in Russian by participating in PSU’s innovative Russian Flagship Program, either as an undergraduate or as a postbac student. In the whole of the US, only eight universities host federally-funded Russian Flagship Programs, and PSU is home to one of the two programs available west of the Mississippi.
The Russian Flagship Program encourages students to enhance the major of their choice with professional level proficiency in Russian, and the Advanced Proficiency Certificate can be combined with any major at PSU.
Whether you are starting Russian from scratch at PSU or you know it from previous study or as a home language, PSU’s Flagship Program can help you achieve a professional level of proficiency in Russian and become a global professional.
The program offers students coursework in Russian language and culture, one-on-one tutoring, internships, and extensive study abroad opportunities in the Russian-speaking world. The Flagship Program has generous scholarships to help students participate in the study abroad experiences.
Through these experiences, you'll gain marketable skills and be prepared for exciting careers that use critical language and cultural skills in a globalized world. Graduates of PSU’s Flagship program have gone on to careers in government and business, including U.S.-Russian relations, federal and state government, political science, journalism, law, physics and space exploration, language psychology, and teaching English as a second language.
PSU’s Certificate of Advanced Proficiency in Russian, earned through the Russian Flagship Program, is a unique credential that documents that the student has gained the ability to use Russian in the workplace as well as everyday life, well beyond the proficiency level normally reached in typical undergraduate programs.
Funded by The Language Flagship, PSU's Russian Flagship offers an Introductory Track for students with little or no prior experience in Russian and an Advanced Track for students who already speak, read, and write Russian well enough to participate in discussion.
In our program, you'll enjoy small classes taught by our expert faculty, close mentoring and advising, regular work one-on-one with Russian-speaking conversation partners, and opportunities to study abroad for a summer and a full academic year with support from generous scholarships.
Regardless of which track you choose, you'll prepare for the academic year abroad in the Russian Overseas Flagship by completing “Russian in the Major,” a course sequence where you'll learn the professional discourse of your major and present on research you've conducted in Russian. During your year abroad at the Russian Overseas Flagship Center in Almaty, Kazakhstan, you'll immerse yourself in the local community through interactions with native Russian speakers, homestays, internships, and coursework.
Your internship and coursework abroad count towards PSU’s Senior Capstone requirement.
Students who complete the Certificate of Advanced Proficiency in Russian often claim a second major in Russian.
Our graduates find jobs working in U.S. national security, diplomacy, and homeland security, as well as media, business, non-profit social services, translation and education. They also join the Peace Corps or decide to pursue graduate studies in international relations, history, law, politics, or Russian and Eastern European studies. Check out the alumni profiles on the Flagship website.