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Central Asia Internships

Dates:
Winter: 11 January–9 April 2025 (approx.)
Spring–Summer: 10 May–6 August 2025 (approx.)
Fall: 13 September–10 December 2025 (approx.)

Application Deadlines:
Winter: 15 October 2024
Spring–Summer: 1 February 2025
Fall: 1 August 2025
Apply Now

Central Asia stretches from the Caspian Sea in the southwest and Eastern Europe in the northwest to Western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Of these countries, BYU currently offers internships in Kazakhstan. Owing largely to its history as a republic of the former Soviet Union, the government of Kazakhstan recognizes Russian and Kazakh as official languages. Students wanting to have a professionalizing experience in a Russian language environment will find a superb alternative to Russia itself in Kazakhstan. In addition, this internship caters to non-Russian speakers, particularly those wanting to teach English as a foreign language. Students attend Russian-language classes twice a week and live with host families. English language students can earn credit that counts towards their respective major.

Click here to apply today!

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Contact Us

Tony Brown
3113 JFSB
(801) 422-7012
tony_brown@byu.edu

PDF

Program Flyer

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions
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More Information

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Courses

Students are required to enroll in a minimum of twelve credits during a semester and may choose from the following courses according to language skills:

RUSS 321 & 322 Third-year Grammar and Composition, Parts 1&2 (3 credit hours/each)

RUSS 421 & 422 Fourth-year, Parts 1 & 2 (3 credit hours/each)

In addition, students are required to register for the following courses: RUSS 399R International Internship (3 credit hours) IAS 380R Proofs of Cultural Immersion (3 credit hours)

Students may not take any other courses on this program, including BYU Online courses, without approval by the program director and ISP.
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Cost

Interns: $5,900–6,200

Includes BYU Latter-day Saint undergraduate tuition, Baltic Center tuition, housing, internship placement, and international health insurance coverage.

Does not include airfare, personal expenses, or meals.

Accompanying spouses: $2,300–2,800

Includes Latter-day Saint undergraduate tuition for 3 credits, Baltic Center tuition, housing, internship placement, and international health insurance coverage.

Does not include airfare, personal expenses, or meals.
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Funding Sources

Regular BYU tuition scholarships, Pell Grants, and Federal Insured Student Loans may be applied to study abroad programs.

Students who submit the financial aid section of the ISP application and who have a current FAFSA form on file at the Financial Aid Office (A-41 ASB) will be considered for a Study Abroad scholarship.

Academic departments and colleges may assist with scholarships and grants.

Students majoring in the Humanities who complete the preparation course and register for 3 hours of RUSS 399R qualify for a College of Humanities program discount that ranges from $1500–3000, depending on one’s FAFSA score. Students minoring in the Humanities who fulfill the aforementioned requirements receive half support. Contact Dr. Brown for details.

Private grants and scholarships outside of BYU may also assist (see kennedy.byu.edu/scholarships).
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Preparation

Students do not need prior experience in Russian to do an internship in Kazakhstan.

Students are required to participate in the prep course, IAS 369R, during the second block of fall semester for the winter program, and during the second block of winter semester for the summer and fall programs.

Part-time BYU students and non-BYU students pay an additional $300 (approximately) tuition fee for enrolling in the required pre-departure class. Passports must be valid for at least six months beyond the end of the program and have at least two blank pages. All US citizens must obtain a quick online document known as ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/etias/ before entering any of the EU/Schengen member countries.

Accompanying spouses need to be credit-bearing participants on the program. Spouses also will need to apply online and take the preparation course.

Students must meet all country- and program-specific COVID and health requirements for travel.

International study programs are physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing and you must be in good health to participate. These programs often take place in international locations that do not have the same level of safety and services in terms of transportation, living conditions, residential accommodations, food, public behavior, and policing that you may be used to on campus. If you have further questions or concerns on this, please see our travel policy.
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Housing

Students will live with host families, who will provide two meals a day (breakfast and dinner) and a bedroom furnished with a workspace and a bed.
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Travel

Students are responsible for purchasing their own airfare to and from the program sites. Airline reservations must be made through BYU Travel. Students should contact a BYU Travel agent.

BYU Travel
280 HRCB
(801) 422-6293
travel@byu.edu
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Application Process

Students must be 18 years of age or older to participate.

Complete the online application here. A nonrefundable $35 application fee is required; applicants will be interviewed once the application is complete.

Students will be notified via e-mail of their acceptance into the program. The first payment is due upon acceptance; please refer to the Payment Information page.

Priority Deadline:
Fall: 1 February 2025

Application Deadlines:
Winter: 15 October 2024
Spring–Summer: 1 February 2025
Fall: 1 August 2025
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Program Adjustments

International Study Programs (ISP) reserves the right to cancel this program, revise its offerings, or make any adjustments to the preliminary cost.

If it becomes necessary for ISP to cancel a program, all program payments made to BYU ISP will be refunded to the student’s BYU Financial account.

ISP is the only office authorized to cancel any of its programs.
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Faculty

Tony Brown, Professor of Russian
3113 JFSB
(801) 422-7012
tony_brown@byu.edu
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Contact Us

International Study Programs
101 HRCB
(801) 422-3686
isp@byu.edu
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ISP Student Handbook

To see the student handbook, click here.
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Payment Schedule

To see the payment schedule, click here.