Critical Language Scholarship

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a fully-funded overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students. With the goal of broadening the base of Americans studying and mastering critical languages and building relationships between the people of the United States and other countries, CLS provides opportunities to a diverse range of students from across the United States at every level of language learning. Most languages offered by the CLS Program do not require applicants to have any experience studying critical languages.

The CLS Program seeks participants with diverse interests, and from a wide range of fields of study and career paths, with the purpose of representing the full diversity of the United States. Participants are selected based on their commitment to language learning and plans to apply their language skills to their future academic or professional pursuits. Please note that CLS is an intensive group-based language and cultural enrichment program. The Critical Language Scholarship is a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and students apply directly to CLS, but UNC students can seek advising and application support from UNC’s Office of Distinguished Scholars.