Applications are due Tuesday, November 14, 2023 by 8:00pm EST.
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Students spend eight to ten weeks over the summer studying one of 13 critical languages (Arabic, Azerbaijani, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu). The program provides intensive language instruction and structured cultural activities designed to promote rapid language gains.
CLS Spark, an initiative of CLS, provides beginner-level virtual instruction for Arabic, Chinese, and Russian for competitively selected U.S. undergraduate students whose home campuses do not offer these languages.
We encourage applicants to watch our application tips videos for the CLS Program at institutes abroad and CLS Spark, a virtual program. The CLS Program will host frequent webinars, Q&A sessions, and alumni panels for students and advisors over the next few weeks. A full calendar of events and corresponding registration links is available on our web site: https://clscholarship.org/events
CLS is a program of the U.S. Department of State, and part of a wider government initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to national security, economic prosperity, and engagement with the world. CLS plays an important role in preparing students for the 21st century's globalized workforce and increasing national competitiveness. If you have any questions, please contact us at: cls@americancouncils.org.