Study Abroad

The Baltic Experience (OIA Website)

Program 

Students in this faculty-led course explore the historically rich and diverse cultures of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, a region in which colonial German, Russian and Swedish and Ashkenazic Jewish cultures fused with the indigenous Baltic and Finnic heritage. Today the Baltic countries represent thriving democracies known for their innovative technological enterprises, thriving cultural life, strong commitment to ecology and sustainability and lush natural landscapes. 

The course covers the cultural history of the area beginning with Viking settlement and the Teutonic Knights, and later the Hanseatic League, Swedish Livonia, Russian Imperialism and the Pale of Settlement, Soviet Rule, the fight for independence in the late 1980s and integration into the European Union and NATO. Because of their Soviet history, the Baltic countries are today home to a large Russian-speaking minority, which in recent years has grown and formed a vibrant political and social dissident culture. With its focus on the colonial past, contemporary cultural diversity, regional and transnational exchange and collaboration, this course explores important questions of citizenship and cultural and political participation in the 21st century. 

We begin the “Baltic Experience” in Stockholm, Sweden and venture by ferry across the Baltic Sea for a week in medieval Tallinn followed by a week each in Riga and Vilnius. The trip concludes along the Baltic Sea coast just north of Kaliningrad, where we board a ferry trip back to Stockholm.

Locations

Stockholm, Sweden
Tallin, Estonia
Riga, Latvia
Vilnius, Lithuania
Liepaja, Latvia
Ventspils, Latvia

Accommodations

Hotels and hostels

Resident Directors

Anna Grotans
Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures
grotans.1@osu.edu

Philip Gleissner
Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures
gleissner.4@osu.edu

Ohio State Program Contact

Michael Volk
Would you like to schedule an appointment? Click here to request one.
volk.89@osu.edu

Global May Hungary (OIA Website)

Program 

This program introduces students to the rich culture and history of Hungary and Central Europe by taking them beyond more common portrayals of the region and providing first-hand, authentic experiences with the local people and culture of Hungary. Through dynamic academic experiences and rich cultural immersion, students will develop an understanding of the region's history, geography and politics along with a keen knowledge of contemporary movements in modern media and politics.

While in Hungary, students will participate in multiple walking tours of Budapest, meet with local people working in politics and media, travel to many culturally important sites such as Orszaghaz (the Parliament Building), picturesque Szentendre, the historic Visegrad Castle, Turkish baths, and the Habsburg crypts.

Education abroad programs led by Ohio State faculty are experiential in nature. Instruction often takes place outside of the traditional classroom through excursions, tours, and observations and utilizes various forms of transportation. Participants are encouraged to prepare themselves to expect the unexpected while studying abroad; part of the valuable experience of traveling is learning how to adapt and be flexible in a variety of situations.

Locations

Students will spend most of the four weeks in Budapest, Hungary, however several days will be spent in Warsaw, Poland. Budapest lies in the center of the Carpathian Basin and is spread across both sides of the river Danube. The city is home to a lively cafe culture along with many world-renowned sites, theaters, monuments, and spas. In recent years several parts of Budapest have been placed on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

Accommodations

Students will stay in a centrally-located hotel. 

Resident Directors

Angela Brintlinger
Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures
brintlinger.3@osu.edu

Ohio State Program Contact

Kathryn Burden
Would you like to schedule an appointment? Click here to request one.
burden.130@osu.edu

Participant Testimonials

"The highlight of the trip was not only getting to see Budapest, but to be able to live there for a month and really 
soak up the city and the culture. Also, meeting and bonding with the other students on the trip was an awesome 
experience." - 2019 Participant

"The highlight of the trip was creating meaningful relationships with the members of my group as well as gaining a complex understanding of Central European culture, especially as it relates to Hungary." -  2019 Participant

The American Councils Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Programs (RLASP) is designed to maximize linguistic and cultural immersion in Russian society. The academic program is designed to improve participants' oral, listening, reading and writing proficiency in Russian language and to develop their knowledge of Russian history, politics, culture and society. The academic year, semester and summer programs provide approximately 20 hours per week of in-class instruction in Russian grammar, phonetics, conversation and cultural studies at either Moscow International University, the Russian State Pedagogical University (Gertsen) in St. Petersburg or the KORA Center for Russian Language in Vladimir. One day per week of the academic program is set aside for local cultural excursions.

CIEE's summer program in Russia is the longest running study abroad program within the country and is designed for students wishing to advance their Russian through intensive language training. The eight-week program is geared towards intermediate through advanced students and offers courses in Russian language and culture. All coursework, including content classes, will be taught in Russian. Students also participate in a rich cultural immersion program that offers homestays, extracurricular activities and excursions to places of historical and cultural significance in and around St. Petersburg.

Russian as a Second Language (RSL) program packages are designed for flexibility to suit almost any need or lifestyle. Choose the sprawling nation's capital of Moscow or the cultural hub of St. Petersburg. Home Stays and TORFL Testing are optionally available. With SRAS, it's all up to you.