Deadline: November 14, 2023
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a fully-funded summer study abroad program for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to learn one of thirteen critical languages: Azerbaijani, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, Urdu, or Uzbek. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by American Councils for International Education.
The CLS Program is designed to promote rapid language gains and essential intercultural fluency in regions that are critical to U.S. national security and economic prosperity. CLS scholars participate in intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences in a country where the target language is spoken.
The CLS Program is open to students of all levels, from beginners to advanced. Some languages require one to two years of prior language study, while others accept students with no prior background in the language. CLS scholars are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply their critical language skills in their future careers.
To apply for the CLS Program, students must submit an online application, including essays, letters of recommendation, and transcripts. Application submissions are due on November 14, 2023.