A major benefit of studying German or Russian, or other foreign languages, is the opportunity of studying for a year or a semester in another country and culture. Many of our German students study abroad in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, and our Russian students study in Russia.

Study Abroad Opportunities in German

University of Augsburg in Germany

UVM participates in a study-abroad program at the University of Augsburg, Germany. Students may also participate in numerous other programs abroad; UVM's Office of International Education helps match students' interests and academic goals with appropriate programs.

Study Abroad Opportunities in Russian

On the streets of Moscow

Russian majors and minors have gained a tremendous amount of linguistic, cultural and personal growth by studying in Russia for a year or a semester.

Anya Gorodentsev

Anya Gorodentsev ’19: Finding Community at Home and Abroad

“Community” is a word Anya Gorodentsev uses a lot when looking back on her career at UVM. As she prepares to graduate with dual degrees in political science and Russian, she values many different relationships she formed around sports, academics and international travel.

With a deep interest in international relations, she picked political science as her major and Russian as a minor—her father is from Moscow and her mother studied the language in college. “I hadn’t learned to read or write in Russian, but I had some background in the language through my parents and I thought it would be a great compliment to my major,” she said.

Gorodentsev decided to study abroad for the fall semester of her junior year, taking Russian language studies in St. Petersburg. The program encouraged fluency in the language—she stayed with a host family and all of her classes were conducted in Russian. She made the most of her visit, looking for other ways to connect with people in her new community. A jumper and sprinter on the UVM track team, she even found a team she could compete with in St. Petersburg. 

She volunteered as an English tutor for a seven-year-old, an experience that brought her closer to another local family and helped improve her conversational Russian. 

Read more of Anya's story