Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program

American Councils for International Education partners with the U.S. Department of State on the CLS Program.  We are reviewing this website to ensure compliance with recent executive orders and other guidance. 

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a program of the  U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by American Councils for International Education. 

The CLS Program provides immersive summer programs for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to learn languages of strategic importance to the United States’ national security and economic prosperity. Participants receive the equivalent of one year of language study in eight weeks, through intensive language instruction and cultural activities that reinforce both language learning and intercultural competence.  

Since 2006, the CLS Program has supported over 10,000 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students. CLS alumni represent all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. 

CLS alumni remain part of a vibrant global network, with opportunities to stay engaged through year-round activities and special initiatives that foster continued learning, professional growth, and connection. A program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the CLS Program is part of a U.S. government effort to increase the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages and applying those skills in their professional careers. 

Participants in the CLS Program will receive: 

• Intensive language instruction and cultural enrichment experiences; 

• Textbooks and language learning materials;  

• Official certification of language gains through ACTFL OPI test; 

• Academic credit issued through Bryn Mawr College 

• International and domestic travel between the student's home city in the U.S. and the CLS Program site abroad; 

• Visa application fees, where applicable; and  

• Room, board, and program-sponsored travel within the host country or location. 

What is a Critical Language?

Critical languages are languages essential to the United States’ national security, economic prosperity, and engagement with the world, and they tend to be less commonly taught in the United States, or have relatively few proficient speakers. 

Critical language skills and intercultural competence are in demand in a globalized workforce and increase a student’s competitiveness across career fields. CLS alumni apply their critical language skills in fields that support American competitiveness, including business, medicine, trade, diplomacy, and government.   
  

* Offered at all levels, including for beginners with no previous experience in the language.

** Applicants must complete one year of prior study  - or the equivalent - to participate in the CLS Program for these languages. 

*** Applicants must complete two years of prior study - or the equivalent - to participate in the CLS Program for Japanese.