Academics

Although most courses are taught specifically for the School in Russia students, they are taught exclusively in Russian and according to local teaching styles and practices. Students with sufficient skills in Russian may also enroll in regular university classes with Russian students for more thorough immersion in the language and culture.

Instructors are selected from various departments of the host university. Content courses are taught to the group as a whole as opposed to divided by language level. Each class meets for two periods per week and includes written and oral graded exercises.

For language courses, students are divided into language-level groups based on the results of a language placement test given prior to arrival in Russia, and on the results of interviews and testing which takes place on site, in Russia.

Advanced Students from Middlebury College

Middlebury College students who have completed third-year Russian are required to enroll in at least one mainstream course during their first semester in Russia. Full-year students must take two mainstream courses in the spring semester. These courses are selected from the offerings of the regular departments of the host university, in place of one or more of the standard School in Russia classes. Students select mainstream courses in consultation with host university instructors and the School in Russia on-site resident coordinator. Credit for mainstream classes is granted through the Russian Department of Middlebury College. The School in Russia will assist students in obtaining necessary course descriptions and syllabi for mainstream courses, but does not guarantee departmental/major credit from other departments, for any mainstream classes pursued in Russia.

Advanced Students from Other institutions

Students from other institutions who demonstrate advanced ability in Russian and/or specific preparation in the appropriate field(s) are also strongly encouraged to enroll in regular university courses during their first semester at the School in Russia. Full-year students are required to take at least one regular university course during the spring semester and are strongly encouraged to substitute more than one regular university course for language classes, as full-time Middlebury students will do.

Host Universities

Learn more about the host sites and academic details.

For Middlebury College Students Only

This course information database contains information on courses taken abroad (both at Middlebury Schools Abroad and externally sponsored programs) and their applicability to Middlebury majors and academic distributions. The database represents only a sampling of courses that have been approved to apply to each major to date. New courses are added regularly as they are approved.

Begin your search

Don’t see your course listed?

Use this form to apply for major/minor credit or academic distributions and cultures and civilizations requirements.

Note: To apply a pre-approved academic distribution or cultures and civilizations attribute to your student record OR to apply a pre-approved course toward your major, you must contact the Registrar’s Office.

Middlebury College Faculty

You may find it useful to consult the database when meeting with students to determine if a particular course has already been approved for major/minor credit or academic distributions.

Questions?

Contact us.