Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Critical Language Scholarship Program is a unique opportunity for American undergraduate and graduate students to study one of a dozen critical languages over the summer – a skill that can significantly enhance their competitiveness in the global STEM landscape.
The CLS Program is designed to provide intensive language instruction and rich cultural experiences that support rapid language gains. Depending on their language and proficiency level, students can apply for either the overseas CLS Program or the virtual CLS Spark initiative.
- Overseas CLS Program: Offers in-person language study at host institutes abroad to undergraduate and graduate students in a dozen critical languages: Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu.
- CLS Spark: Provides virtual beginner-level virtual instruction to undergraduate students in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Russian, as well as advanced beginner-level Japanese. Preference is given to students whose home campuses do not offer their Spark language. Students who complete CLS Spark can apply for a funded overseas CLS experience the following summer and will be considered automatic semifinalists.
As the program gears up for its Summer 2025 Application Launch, the CLS program is hosting a series of webinars and info sessions to ensure that students at Tufts University are aware of this valuable resource in advance of the application deadline on November 19.
STEM students are HIGHLY encourage to join the CLS program for a special information session on Tuesday, September 24 at 6:00 PM ET.
