Intensive Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian in Pittsburgh and Montenegro

 

This unique program offers students the opportunity to learn Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian at Pitt’s renowned Summer Language Institute in Pittsburgh and abroad in Montenegro. After 6 weeks of language and culture study at Pitt’s Oakland campus, students depart for a 4-week abroad program at the University of Donja Gorica in Podgorica, the capital city of Montenegro. In Podgorica, students will continue their intensive language classes and engage in an unforgettable excursion program with such enchanting destinations such as Cetinje, Lovcen, Petrovac, the ancient Roman settlement of Duklja, and Dubrovnik. This program is open to students of BCS at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. Upper-level students of BCS who are interested in attending only the 4-week abroad portion of the program should write to Kathleen Manukyan manukyan1@pitt.edu. All applicants to SLI’s BCS programs are eligible to apply for an SLI Scholarship.
 
 
 

What You'll Accomplish: 
  • The equivalent of 1 academic year of BCS language training
  • Rapid gain in proficiency in speaking, reading, listening, and writing in BCS
  • Deep understanding of Balkan culture through hands-on activities centering on film, music, art, movement, and cuisine of the Balkans
  • Understanding of cross-cultural communication gleaned through the challenges and rewards of the international living experience

 

Podgorica, the capital city and largest city in Montenegro, is situated between the Dinaric Alps and Lake Scutari. Podgorica represents a fascinating combination of the old and the new. The site has been continuously inhabited since the Illyrian and Roman eras, with the settlement established by the Ottoman empire. Nowadays, Podgorica is home to numerous cultural institutions such as theaters, museums, and research centers, but offers the relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere typical of the Balkan culture. Other historic Montenegrin towns, beautiful mountains and lakes, and top tourist sites are all easily accessible from Podgorica. The capital city’s modern conveniences and easy access to the best Montenegrin attractions make it the perfect place to learn Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian.
 

Where You'll Live: 

While in Pittsburgh, students may select to live in the dormitories or locate an apartment to sublet. Students are responsible for the cost of housing in Pittsburgh. In Montenegro, students will live in a university dormitory. The cost of housing abroad is included in the program cost.
 

What You'll Study: 

You’ll earn a total of 10 credits during your study of Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian in an intensive and immersive environment. The language learning you achieve will be equivalent to or greater than a full academic year’s worth of foreign language study. You will rapidly improve proficiency in all four language modes: speaking, listening, reading and writing.  
 

Your Pitt Study Abroad Contacts: 

Agnieszka Sornek

Agnieszka Sornek is a Polish native, who made Pittsburgh her home. She holds a MM in Piano Performance from Duquesne University and MM in Eurythmics from F. Chopin University in Warsaw and works as an Interpreter for Global Wordsmiths. Agnieszka has been always interested in learning languages and traveling, and when she’s not busy with SLI and translations, she enjoys hiking and camping with her family.
 

Your In-Country Contacts: 

Biljana Amidovic

Biljana was trained as a secondary school English teacher and teaches at a High School in Niksic, Montenegro—a small country on the Adriatic famous for its natural beauty. A longtime member of the SLI family, Biljana has been coming to Pittsburgh to teach Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian each summer since 2007 and coordinates the Pitt-Montenegro program.
 

E-mail: 

SLI programs charge in-state tuition rates to all participants regardless of residency.

Items Billed by Pitt

  In-State  
Tuition $8,390  
Program Fee $1,000  
Study Abroad Fee $300  
Total Billed by Pitt $9,690  

 

Estimated Additional Out-of-Pocket Costs

Airfare $1,000 - $1,200
Personal Expenses and Meals $1,000
Local Cell phone $100
   
   

 

Remember that your lifestyle and spending choices can greatly affect the amount of money you'll need while abroad.  Visit our Budgeting page for more information.

What's Included: 

As a part of your program fee, the following are included

  • Tuition for ten credits
  • Housing during the abroad portion of the program
  • International travel health insurance
  • Excursion program abroad
  • Weekly ethnic picnics and extracurricular activities in Pittsburgh
  • Bus pass and access to student facilities (gyms, libraries, etc.) in Pittsburgh