At the Crossroads of Europe and Asia

Situated between Europe and Asia, the Caucasus is one of the world’s most complex and contested regions. Here, mountains, languages, and empires converge: dozens of ethnic groups and linguistic traditions coexist within a landscape shaped by Persian, Ottoman, Russian, and Soviet rule. Questions of identity, sovereignty, and historical memory are not abstract—they are lived realities that continue to shape politics and everyday life.

Based in Tbilisi, Georgia, this program approaches the Caucasus as a dynamic field site for studying how societies form, fracture, and adapt. You will examine identity, conflict, and culture through interdisciplinary coursework while traveling across Georgia and into Armenia and Azerbaijan. Along the way, you will engage with local scholars, journalists, and community members, encountering multiple perspectives on the region’s past and present.

Language study is integrated into the semester, with options including Georgian and Russian, supported by conversation partners and real-world use in daily interactions across the city. Through this combination of coursework and field-based learning, you will develop a grounded understanding of how local dynamics in the Caucasus connect to broader regional and global patterns.

What You Study

Identity and Conflict

You will examine how national, ethnic, and religious identities form—and how they shape both conflict and cooperation. Using case studies from across the Caucasus, you will analyze nationalism, collective memory, and competing narratives.

Culture and Society

You will explore how identity is expressed through everyday life, including food, film, and cultural traditions. Courses highlight how cultural practices reflect broader social and political dynamics.

Geography and Environment

You will study how landscapes, resources, and spatial relationships influence settlement, development, and political life. Georgia serves as a case study for understanding how geography shapes both local communities and regional dynamics.

Language and Communication

You will build practical communication skills in Georgian or Russian while exploring language as a key component of identity and social interaction. Instruction is reinforced through conversation partners and guided practice.

Regional Field Study

You will engage directly with the region through travel to Armenia and Azerbaijan and excursions within Georgia. Field experiences connect coursework to real-world contexts and diverse perspectives.

Who This Program Is For

Are you interested in taking a multidisciplinary approach to understanding how identity, culture, and geopolitics shape societies? Do you want to explore how history, language, and everyday life intersect with political dynamics?

It is well suited for students in international relations, political science, anthropology, sociology, geography, linguistics, history, and related fields, as well as those considering careers in international affairs, policy, or development. No prior background in Russian or regional studies is required—only curiosity and a willingness to engage.

Program Details

Build a 16-credit semester through interdisciplinary courses, language study, and field-based learning.

Students complete up to 16 credits by selecting from the courses below. All participants are required to take at least one language course (Georgian or Russian) as part of the semester.

Courses combine classroom learning with field experiences, guest lectures, and regional travel, allowing you to engage directly with the cultural, political, and social dynamics of the Caucasus.

Contact us for course syllabi

You will examine how identities form—and how they can drive both conflict and cooperation. Drawing on theories of nationalism, collective memory, and media influence, you will analyze how ethnic, linguistic, and religious identities shape political dynamics across the Caucasus.

Guest lectures and regional travel provide multiple perspectives on contested histories and ongoing conflicts, allowing you to connect theoretical frameworks to real-world contexts.  4 credits

Russian Language Study

You will develop practical speaking and listening skills while strengthening grammar and expanding vocabulary. Instruction emphasizes real-world communication, supported by structured conversation sessions and guided practice.

Russian remains widely used across the Caucasus and broader Eurasian space, providing a valuable tool for engaging across diverse communities and professional contexts. 8 credits

Elementary Georgian

You are introduced to Georgian, a unique language with its own alphabet and linguistic structure distinct from Indo-European languages. The course builds foundational skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing while integrating cultural context.

Ideal for linguistically curious students and those seeking deeper engagement with Georgian society, instruction can be adapted for students with prior experience. 4 credits

Georgia Through Cinema

You will explore Georgian identity, history, and social change through film. Screenings, discussions, and meetings with local filmmakers introduce you to national cinema as a form of cultural expression and critique.

Creative and analytical assignments allow you to develop skills in film analysis, storytelling, or visual production while engaging with Georgia’s cinematic landscape. 4 credits

“Food Fight!” The Intersection of Food and Politics

You will examine how food shapes and reflects political, social, and economic dynamics. Through lectures, discussions, tastings, and field-based activities, you will analyze how food systems, traditions, and consumption practices intersect with identity and power.

Ethnographic methods and experiential learning help you connect local observations in Georgia to broader global debates about food and politics. 4 credits

Human Geography: Terrain, Traditions, and Transformation in Georgia

You will explore how landscapes, resources, and spatial relationships shape human societies. Using Georgia as a case study, you will examine how geography influences settlement patterns, cultural development, economic activity, and regional geopolitics.

Field-based assignments and spatial analysis will help you connect environmental context with social and political change. 4 credits

Applied International Studies Practicum (Georgia)

Analysis, Program Design, and Professional Communication

You will develop transferable professional skills for careers in international affairs, development, policy, and cross-sector organizations. Through seminars, workshops, organizational visits, and practitioner engagement, you will learn to analyze institutions and stakeholders, design programs and projects, and communicate findings through professional briefs and presentations.

Using Georgia’s civil society and institutional landscape as an applied learning environment, you will connect field observations with professional analysis while preparing for internships, graduate study, and early-career roles. 4 credits

Internship in Area Studies

You will gain professional experience through placements with local organizations, media outlets, NGOs, or cultural institutions. Internships may be conducted in English or Russian depending on the placement.

This option allows you to apply academic knowledge in a practical setting while developing cross-cultural and professional skills. 2-4 credits

Independent Research

You may pursue an independent research project aligned with your academic interests, including capstone work for your home institution. Projects are supported by faculty mentorship and access to local resources and expertise. Credit option – depending on scope.

Additional Russian Language Electives

Elementary – Intermediate / A1-A2 Levels

Russian Language in Context   

You will strengthen conversational fluency through guided practice focused on everyday communication scenarios. The course emphasizes active speaking and listening skills, reinforcing language use in real-world contexts. For students at the A1/A2 level. 4 credits

Grammar Booster (Advanced Russian Grammar)

You will strengthen your command of Russian grammar through a systematic review of key structures. The course is designed to identify and address gaps in prior learning while building confidence in both spoken and written communication.

You will work with core grammatical topics—including noun and adjective forms, verb conjugation, tense and aspect, reflexive verbs, and verbs of motion—while practicing how to apply these structures accurately in context. Emphasis is placed on clarity, precision, and fluency in expressing ideas. 4 credits

Intermediate – Advanced / B1-B2 Levels

Advanced Conversation and Stylistics

You will refine advanced speaking skills while developing greater control over register, tone, and stylistic nuance. The course emphasizes precision and adaptability in professional and social communication. 4 credits

Russian Language through Media

You will develop advanced reading and listening skills through engagement with authentic Russian-language media, including news articles, podcasts, interviews, and video content.

Working with materials focused on contemporary cultural, political, and social topics, you expand vocabulary, improve comprehension, and learn to analyze and summarize complex information. The course emphasizes interpreting real-world content and articulating informed perspectives in Russian. 4 credits

Partner School

Novamova is a private language school founded in 2001. Novamova is a modern school using innovative and immersive teaching methods. The school actively combines intensive classroom training with hands-on, practical usage through conversation partners, various masterclasses, discussion groups, and more. NovaMova leads educational programming throughout Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Moldova.

Transcripts

This program is hosted by NovaMova Language School in cooperation with SRAS. The School of Record is Stetson University (Florida, USA). A US School of Record means that your program is supported by and documented by an accredited US university, making credit transfer relatively routine.

Contact us for course syllabi

Understanding the Caucasus requires engaging with multiple perspectives across borders. Travel is integrated into the academic structure of the program and forms a central component of your field-based learning.

Throughout the semester, you will explore how history, identity, and geopolitics shape societies across Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Site visits, workshops, and meetings with local experts connect classroom themes to lived realities on the ground.

Based in Tbilisi, you will explore the country’s regional diversity through excursions that highlight cultural traditions, landscapes, and social dynamics.

Georgia

Travel may include:

  • Batumi (Black Sea coast) — urban development, tourism, and regional identity
  • Kakheti — wine traditions and rural economic life
  • Kazbegi (Caucasus Mountains) — geography, borders, and cultural landscapes
  • Pankisi Valley — minority communities and contemporary social dynamics

In Tbilisi, programming includes:

  • city orientation and historical walking tour
  • Georgian polyphonic singing workshop
  • traditional dance workshop
  • cooking masterclass
Armenia (approximately 1 week)

In Armenia, you will examine history, religion, and national identity in one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

Travel may include:

  • Yerevan — political and cultural center
  • Khor Virap and Noravank Monasteries — religion and historical memory
  • Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery — pre-Christian and early Christian heritage
  • Echmiadzin — center of the Armenian Apostolic Church
  • Genocide Memorial — memory, identity, and state narrative
  • meetings with local experts and community members, including discussions on displacement and regional conflict
Azerbaijan (approximately 5 days)

In Azerbaijan, you will explore energy politics, modernization, and cultural identity in the Caspian region.

Travel may include:

  • Baku Old City — historical layers and urban identity
  • Heydar Aliyev Center — architecture, state narrative, and modernity
  • Gobustan National Park — petroglyphs and early human settlement
  • mud volcanoes and Boyukdash Mountain — natural landscapes and environmental context
  • Sheki — regional culture and Silk Road history
  • local cultural experiences, including traditional food preparation

These experiences allow you to compare perspectives across borders and better understand the complexity of the Caucasus as a region.

Language study is a core component of the program. All participants take at least one language course (4–8 credits) as part of the 16-credit semester.

You may choose to study Georgian or Russian, depending on your background and academic interests.

Georgian offers a unique linguistic experience. As a member of the Kartvelian language family, it is unrelated to Indo-European languages and written in its own distinctive alphabet. Studying Georgian allows for deeper engagement with local culture and daily life in Tbilisi.

Russian remains widely used across the Caucasus and broader Eurasian region, particularly in professional, academic, and cross-cultural settings. Studying Russian in Tbilisi allows you to develop practical communication skills while engaging with a diverse, multilingual environment.

Language instruction is supported by conversation partners and guided practice, helping you apply what you learn in real-world contexts throughout the city.

In Tbilisi, you will stay with a local host, typically in a homestay setting that includes two meals per day. Hosts may be families, couples, or individuals, but all are experienced in welcoming international students and incorporating them into daily life and conversation.

Homestays provide an opportunity to engage with Georgian culture in an everyday context while practicing language skills and gaining insight into local customs, routines, and perspectives.

During program travel, accommodations are arranged in hotels, guesthouses, or hostels, depending on location and availability.

The Caucasus has long stood at the intersection of major civilizations. Influenced by early developments in Mesopotamia, the region connected trade routes linking the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Over time, its mountain societies engaged with Greek, Roman, Persian, Ottoman, and Russian worlds, absorbing and reshaping external influences while maintaining distinct cultural traditions.

Georgia and Armenia were among the earliest adopters of Christianity, yet the region also spent centuries within Muslim empires, creating a layered religious and cultural landscape. Across this history, the Caucasus has been shaped by competing imperial ambitions while sustaining strong local identities.

Today, the independent states of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan remain central to regional geopolitics. Their location—between Europe, Russia, Turkey, and Iran—makes the Caucasus an important space for understanding questions of identity, diplomacy, energy, and conflict in a broader global context.

Find out more about:

Georgia:

Armenia:

Azerbaijan:

Budget

Scholarships and Grants

  • Federal aid can help pay for your program if your university pre-approves credit transfer and agrees to manage payment. Check with SRAS and your university for details.
  • All Scholarships and Grants that we know of that can be applied to our programs are listed on our site. Contact SRAS for assistance in building your strongest application!
  • SRAS Program Grants are stackable! 
  • SRAS Ambassadors can write while abroad or educate students at home after their return – and earn stipends!
  • SRAS Online Research Internships award partial scholarships for study abroad.

  1. Complete our application (press the “Apply Now” button to create your SRAS account — you will be able to return to the application later).
  2. Alert your home university (if you are currently a student).
    Some universities have deadlines for study abroad that are much earlier than SRAS deadlines -— so involve your home university’s study abroad office in the process as early as possible! They can help ensure that all goes smoothly with credit transfer and financial aid, and perhaps point you to additional funding sources.
  3. See our Planning Guide for more important information about academics, health and safety, and more.

If you are still unsure this is the right program for you, please join an SRAS Info Session or schedule an SRAS advising session to discuss how we can help fulfill your goals and needs!