Russian calendar

A year in Russia?

Students of Russian

The current Russian Study Abroad liaison is Dr Emily Lygo, who can be contacted by email at E.F.Lygo@exeter.ac.uk.

Because the processes for going abroad in Russia are so different to going abroad in Europe, Russian Study Abroad is dealt with slightly differently to the rest of the Modern Languages and Cultures department. 

There is a separate Russian Year Abroad talk which is held every October for second year students of Russian. For the latest recording of this talk, please see the MLX2001 Year Abroad Preparation ELE page.

 

Who goes to Russia?

All students who have started learning Russian as a beginner (ab initio) in their first year will be required to spend the Study Abroad year in Russia. Those who have studied Russian post-A-level and another language ab initio will spend the year in the country of the ab initio language. Students who study more than one post-A-level language and no ab initio languages will be able to choose to which country they go to study.

What can you do?

Please note that students going to Russia only have the opportunity of studying at one of our partner institutions, as work placements are not currently approved for Russia.

There are not always the same exchange agreements in effect as with partner universities for other languages; however, there are some long-standing, as well as newer, relationships and agreements with reputable universities and language schools all around Russia (yes, that includes Siberia!). These are listed below:

Such a wide range of possible placements should cater for your taste, no matter what that may be. 

Application process

The application process for studying in Russia is different to students studying in other countries. Students will be given talks by the Russian department and the Global Opportunities Outbound team in October of the second year with advice also given by finalist students who spend their Year Abroad in Russia. Students will need to decide by early December where they would like to spend their Year Abroad and will have to complete a Russian Year Abroad application form. This will be explained at the Russian Year Abroad talk (see the top of this page).

Once your place has been allocated and confirmed by the Outbound Team, you will need to complete some paperwork for your host institutions. The Outbound team will contact you with details of how to do this and we will support you through the process.

Travel

RLUS

If you go abroad with RLUS (see above), they can offer to organise your flight and you will be invoiced by them to pay for this. This will allow you to travel with other students studying at your institution.

Other organisations

If you go abroad to any of the other institutions above, you will be expected to make your own travel arrangements. However, we would urge you to not book any flights until you have received the official invitation from your Russian institution.

Visas

One of the differences in applying to study in Russia is that you will require a Student Visa. You will have to apply for this visa through the Russia Visa Centre. You can find out all of the information about how to apply for a Student Visa on their website, but some general information and guidelines are given here:

  • Firstly, you must go to Russia on a Student Visa. This is unequivocally the only option that the University will support;
  • In order to apply for a visa, you will require a certain amount of documentation. Included in this is an invitation from the academic institution to which you will be applying. Dr Emily Lygo and we will walk you through this process and explain how to obtain such an invitation;
  • Once you know where you are going, we will write a supporting letter, which may be required to obtain a visa. Please email outbound@exeter.ac.uk to organise the writing of this letter;
  • Obtaining an invitation will incur administration fees. These usually aren't very expensive, but should be taken into consideration, as students must cover these fees;
  • It can take a while for Russian institutions to process and dispatch the necessary documents, so leave yourself plenty of time (i.e. a couple of months if possible) to allow for this;
  • You might also need to provide other evidence such as proof of having cleared an HIV check. 
  • The entire cost of a visa amounts to approximately £100, including postage;

Visas are usually fixed term and single-entry. This means that they will be valid from the day that your flight lands and will expire on the day that your flight is scheduled for return to the UK. Overstaying is a severe offence in any country so do not even consider doing so; it could affect your ability to travel in the future - to Russia and elsewhere in the world.

Insurance

Travel insurance with emergency medical cover is compulsory for all Exeter students on Study Abroad. You will need to make sure you are covered for the entirety of the time you are away and we will ask for proof of this in the forms you need to complete for us. You can use any insurance company you wish, but you may want to consider the University of Exeter Undergraduate Travel Insurance, as we know this is comprehensive. If you are going via a European country, we would also recommend getting the GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card), but this will be in addition to an insurance policy.

Please also note that travel insurance with emergency medical cover will not cover routine doctor visits, medicines, vaccinations or tests. We strongly recommend that you also take out a personal health insurance policy for the duration of your placement in addition to the travel insurance policy (and GHIC). This is especially important for students with underlying health conditions.

Fees and funding

Students of Russian going to study abroad in Russia are subject to the same processes for fees and funding as any other undergraduate studying abroad. Please see the Go Abroad Fees and Funding page for more information.

Please note that you should not have to pay any tuition fees at all to your host university or language school, as your language course is paid for by the College of Humanities.

If there are any administrative costs, which there are with RLUS, for example, then you will be expected to cover this expenditure. Similarly, the cost of flights and accommodation, as for all other students, is down to you.

As for any other University of Exeter student, you are able to apply for maintenance loans and grants as usual. Furthermore, Student Finance pay means-tested travel grants, and the information can be found on their pages. For example, Student Finance England have their information here.

Assessment

Students on the Russian Year Abroad are enrolled on SML3010. For more information on this module and the assessment undertaken, please see the Modern Languages Year Abroad ELE page.

Wellbeing

If you have any requirements regarding Physical or Mental Health and Wellbeing or Acessability, it's essential that you prepare in advance. We strongly urge you to reach out for advice and support and we recommend that you inform your host university of any extra support you need. There is no guarantee that your host university will be able to provide the same support that you might be able to get here at Exeter, but it's still very important that you raise these questions as early as you can. 

For more support here, do not hesitate to contact the Outbound team or our dedicated Wellbeing team. Do also remember that when you are on your Year Abroad, you will still be an Exeter student, so you will still have access to all the same services that we have here.

Timeline

  • First Year: Work hard towards your first-year grade average (this could help your Year Abroad application in the second year). Get as informed as possible about your Year Abroad choices
  • Second Year, October: Attend the Year Abroad talks
  • Second Year, October-December: Talk with as many people as possible about your Year Abroad plans. Consider discussing your ideas with your family and friends, your personal tutor, your Russian tutor, fourth year Russian students, and the Outbound team
  • Second Year, early December (penultimate Friday of term): Inform Dr Emily Lygo of your preferred host institution
  • Second Year, January-February: You will be informed of your allocated host university
  • Second Year, March-May: Attend the Pre-Departure meetings
  • Second Year, Summer: Final preparations
  • Third Year, August: Travel to Russia to start Year Abroad
  • Third Year, May: Submission of written assessment for SML3010
  • Third Year, Summer: End of Russian Year Abroad
  • Fourth Year, September: Russian Oral Exam and welcome back to Exeter
  • Fourth Year, November-December: Study Abroad Exam Board and release of Year Abroad marks