Study Abroad

 

The University of Pittsburgh has its own summer study abroad programs through the Slavic, East European and Near Eastern Summer Language Institute (SLI) and the Study Abroad Office, and as an affiliate of major national study abroad organizations can place undergraduates in quality programs throughout the region.

Summer Programs

Architecture Studies in Central Europe
Spend two weeks in the heart of Europe, exploring some of the most famous architecture sights, as well as hidden jewels of Prague, Brno, Vienna, Budapest, Ljubljana and Zagreb. The program will examine the relationship between architecture and identity - how architecture was used to shape national identities at various periods in response to changing social, economic, and political conditions; how architects shaped their identities through travel and education; how the use of technology, new materials, ornament, and manipulations of building typologies are used to shape institutional, corporate, and individual identities. The context for these examinations will be five cities formerly part of the Habsburg / Austro­-Hungarian Empire - the Czech capital, Prague; the former imperial capital, Vienna; the former provincial (now national) capitals Zagreb and Ljubljana; the industrial city Brno (Czech Republic). The time span will encompass the Renaissance, Baroque, modern and contemporary periods. 

Competing Perspectives on Global Energy: From Western PA to Eastern Europe
This course provides undergraduate and graduate students interested in the fields of Business, Law, Engineering, Public Policy and other areas with a first-hand experience of the global impact of contemporary developments in the natural gas and other energy sectors. Study sites for this 2-week course include Washington Co. PA, Washington DC, Brussels, Belgium and Kiev, Ukraine. Participants will make site visits to companies, extraction and transportation facilities, various government and civic organizations and participate in lectures by local stake holders and specialists. 

Comparative Economics of Central Europe: Prague, Budapest, Krakow
This program consists of guest lectures by academic, political and economic leaders in Prague, Krakow and Budapest; field trips to sites of interest; and daily lectures by Dr. Svitlana Maksymenko from Pitt's Department of Economics. These cities will become your classroom during this program. The program itinerary is packed with activities and site visits. Some of the activities that have previously been included on this program include a tour of the Old City and a Jewish tour in Prague, museum visits, a day excursion to Kutna Hora and Cesky Krumlov, walking tours; Jewish tour in Krakow, and day excursions to Auschwitz and Nova Huta, visit to the Hungarian National Museum and Hungarian corporation in Budapest. At the conclusion of this program, you will be able to analyze current political and economic issues in Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, and critically evaluate policy options.Credits count toward certificate programs in Russian and East European Studies (REES) or European Union Studies.

Economic Policy Analysis in Ukraine
This program is designed for students who are interested in the contemporary economic policy issues and would like to learn about econmic policy design and implications in the Eastern European economy. The goal of program is to engage undergraduate students in the work of economic policy making and to broaden the university research in response to a proliferation of complex economic policy challenges in Ukraine.  The program offers students the opportunity to: explore real-world challenges identified by the government of Ukraine and international donor agencies; work under the guidance of faculty members with expertise in a field related to the economic policy project; interact with the state officials several times throughout the semester and discuss the challenges of economic policy making; and contribute directly to the policy-making process with reservoir of students’ intellectual capital.

Summer Language Institute (SLI)
The Summer Language Institute intensive language programs consist of a Pittsburgh portion and an optional portion which takes place in the country of the language you are studying. Study abroad programs offered through the SLI include:

  • Bulgaria
  • Hungary
  • Montenegro
  • Moscow
  • Poland
  • Prague
  • Slovakia

Students may be eligible for study abroad scholarships, including those from the University's Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Program, REES's own summer study abroad scholarships, and the University's Study Abroad Office awards.

Note: The American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL) is another worthwhile resource. AATSEEL advances the study and promotes the teaching of Slavic and East European languages, literatures, and cultures on all educational levels, elementary through graduate school.

Project GO for ROTC
The University of Pittsburgh is one of a select few US universities offering language and cultural training opportunities through Project GO: The ROTC Language and Culture Project. Summer intensive courses from Pitt Project GO provide ROTC students throughout the country with opportunities to fit up to four years of Russian language training into their schedules. Special fellowship opportunities are available to cover the costs of 8 weeks of summer language training in Pittsburgh or Narva, Estonia.