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Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program

The application for the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS), a program of the U.S. Department of State, is now available: http://www.clscholarship.org/  The application is due November 16, 2016. An informational video tells more about this program. The CLS is a fully-funded intensive summer overseas language and cultural immersion program for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students, offered in 14 different languages. While some languages require 1-2 years of prior study, many require no background in the language (although advanced students are eligible for any of the languages offered).

  • No prior experience is required in these 9 languages: Azerbaijani, Bangla, Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Punjabi, Swahili, Turkish, Urdu
  • At least one academic year of prior language study (or the equivalent) is required in these 2 languages: Arabic, Persian
  • At least two academic years of prior language study (or the equivalent) is required in these 3 languages: Chinese, Japanese, Russian

Students apply directly to the CLS; however, if you would like assistance with your application, please contact the UT Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships (ONSF) at onsf@utk.edu to discuss your application. CLS represents a fantastic opportunity; UT has had 8 CLS winners the past 2 years alone.