Critical Language Scholarship, Summer 2026

Would you like to study a critical language during summer 2026 – all expenses paid?

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, offers two opportunities to immerse yourself in critical language study!

(1) The CLS Overseas Institutes offer intensive and cultural immersion for these 12 languages abroad:

ARABIC – CHINESE – HINDI – INDONESIAN – JAPANESE – KOREAN – PERSIAN – PORTUGUESE – RUSSIAN – SWAHILI – TURKISH – URDU  

(2) The CLS Spark Virtual Institutes offer undergraduates the opportunity to study one of these four languages virtually:

ARABIC – CHINESE – JAPANESE – KOREAN – RUSSIAN

Learn more and sign up for a virtual information session. Gain insights into preparing a strong application!

Interested but unable to attend? Please fill out this brief survey. We will enroll you in our CLS resource page on ELMS and follow up with you.

Application Deadline: Mid-November (TBA)

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION: Applicants must be U.S. Citizens; currently enrolled freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, or graduate students (note–grad students are ineligible for CLS Spark). A GPA of 3.2 or higher recommended; all majors are eligible.PLEASE NOTE: The CLS overseas program in Japanese requires two years of previous study by the start of the program. Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Russian require one year of study by the start of the program. The five CLS Spark programs are open to beginners. See here for details.

For more information about the CLS Program, please visit the CLS website.