UCLA Russian Flagship director Olga Kagan answers questions about the program.
What is the UCLA Russian Flagship?
The UCLA Russian Flagship is one of several critical language programs funded by the National Security Education Program. It’s designed for UCLA students to achieve professional-level competence in Russian through intensive study. Flagship is open to students with any major, and each student has an individualized study plan that complements their majors. We have a track for heritage speakers, who come in with some proficiency in the language, and a track for beginners. Throughout the program students are given weekly tutoring by native speakers of Russian. Flagship students pursue a capstone year of study at St. Petersburg University. Scholarships are available for Flagship study both in Russia and for UCLA summer school.
Flagship graduates are prepared for work in the global market and are highly competitive for scholarships, graduate school and jobs. They are sought after by government, NGOs, corporations, and professional firms.
How does the Flagship differ from a traditional college-level language program?
Research shows that a traditional Russian program graduates students at the Intermediate/Intermediate-High level of proficiency (ACTFL)/1 ILR. The Flagship program seeks to teach to the highest proficiency possible and therefore students need to be committed to intensive study. They apply to the program and are asked to write a statement of purpose to demonstrate why they are interested. In their senior Flagship classes they study academic content in Russian. Unlike students in a traditional language program, they also receive tutoring that allows them to focus on their needs and interests. Testing includes Oral Proficiency Testing (OPI) done by a certified OPI tester. The goal is for students to reach level 2 (ILR)/Advanced (ACTFL) proficiency by the end of domestic study at UCLA and level 3 (ILR)/Superior (ACTFL) by the end of the capstone year in St. Petersburg. Students with this range of proficiencies are able to meet the demands of professional interactions and carry out professional level tasks in the areas of their specialization. Funding from NSEP makes program enhancements such as tutoring possible.
What are the summer and overseas program requirements?
Flagship students who join the program in their first year of Russian study complete second year during the summer. If they have completed three years of Russian study it is recommended that they pursue summer study in Russia. Before students can apply to the capstone year in St. Petersburg, they are expected to study in Russia at least for one summer. NSEP offers full or partial scholarships for the summer and yearlong programs.
What are the most common academic majors that also pursue the Flagship program?
Our students represent a range of majors, although most of our current students are majoring in the social sciences. For instance, of the students who studied in Russia in summer 2011 or are there now, the majors are Astrophysics, English, Political Science and Russian Studies. Other Flagship majors include Anthropology, Biology, Computer Science/Engineering, Economics, Global Studies, History, Linguistics, Mathematics, and Psychology.
For students who aren’t in Flagship, what other Russian classes are available and how could students augment traditional class time to add value to the program?
All UCLA Russian classes are open to any qualified UCLA student. Flagship students share the classroom with other students, but non-Flagship students are not eligible for tutoring and cannot receive Flagship support for summer and yearlong study abroad. The University of California has a Study Abroad Program in St. Petersburg. Non-Flagship students can go on that program, but it is less rigorous than the Flagship program.
Could you share some feedback from Flagship students?
You can find our students’ blogs from the 2011 summer program and the St. Petersburg year students here. The first blog listed is written by a student in St. Petersburg for 2011-12.