About Us

Why Choose an American Councils Program?

Superior academic programs serving close to 6,000 U.S. undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty in Russia since 1976.

  • American Councils has over 30 years of experience conducting study abroad programs in Russia. Over the past three decades, American Councils has refined its programming, amassing a great deal of valuable contacts and resources in both Russia and the U.S., and gaining a reputation as one of the leading study abroad programs in Russia.

Classes at leading Russian universities, taught by university faculty specializing in the instruction of Russian to non-native speakers.

  • Students may choose to study at the KORA Center for Russian Language in Vladimir, the Moscow International University, or the Russian State Pedagogical University in St. Petersburg – all outstanding educational institutions. The faculty recruited to teach American Councils participants are experts at teaching Russian language, phonetics, grammar and culture to non-native speakers originating from North America. Our class sizes generally range from 3 to 5 students, allowing for ample individual attention and creating a comfortable atmosphere in which students can excel.

Highly experienced and accessible resident directors overseeing academic, residential, and cultural programs.

  • American Councils resident directors are all advanced speakers of Russian and possess in-depth knowledge of the country’s culture and its infrastructure. Resident directors can be reached 24 hours a day, hold regular office hours, conduct group meetings each week, and join students for a wide range of activities. Our resident directors are enthusiastic, diligent, and caring men and women, devoted to making each student’s experience in Russia exceptional.

Additional support for participants from American Councils staff in Russia and the US-based staff in Washington, D.C.

  • Local staff provide support for academic programs, host-family housing, in-country transportation, peer tutoring, and cultural activities. The Outbound Office in Washington, D.C. stays in close contact via e-mail and regular telephone calls with all staff in Russia. All Outbound staff have extensive study and work experience in Eastern Europe, speak Russian, and are easily accessible to students, parents and faculty.

Extensive Financial Aid Opportunities

  • Because Russian is considered a critical language in the United States, there are significant fellowships, scholarships and grants available to students wishing to study the language. American Councils awards substantial amounts of financial aid to participants through U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education funding. Students also frequently receive funding from The National Security Education Program and The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Please also look at our list of Financial Aid links in the Resources section.