Critical Language Scholarship

The CLS Program provides immersive summer programs for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to learn languages of strategic importance to the United States’ national security and economic prosperity. Participants receive the equivalent of one year of language study in eight weeks, through intensive language instruction and cultural activities that reinforce both language learning and intercultural competence.

The Scholarship covers all transportation, lodging, and program costs (valued at around $5,000). The languages offered by the CLS Program are: Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, and Swahili. Most languages offered by the CLS Program do not require applicants to have any experience studying critical languages. Language pre-requisites can be found on the CLS website.

Applicants must be enrolled at the time of application, but may graduate prior to the start of the CLS program. Undergraduate, master’s and doctoral-level students of diverse disciplines and majors are encouraged to apply. Participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship period, and later apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers.