The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. The fully-funded program held in country includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains equivalent to one year of college language instruction.

U.S. Citizens; Undergraduate or Graduate level--must be enrolled at time of application. All disciplines.

Deadline: November

Please contact IP grants for an advising appointment by mid-October

Duration: 8-10 Weeks (Summer Intensive Program)

Online CLS Application

Printable application form

Upcoming Events

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Want help with your application?

International Programs has dedicated staff to give you tips on how to write a strong application. Make an appointment with Dr. Karen Wachsmuth by completing and returning the Preliminary Application Form to ip-grants@uiowa.edu.

Other resources

Eligible languages and levels

No prior study required: Azerbaijani, Hindi, Indonesian, Persian, Portuguese, Swahili, Turkish, Urdu
One year of prior study: Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian
Two years of prior study:  Japanese

Meet an Iowa CLS Winner

Critical Language Scholarship overview from Alex Bare, University of Iowa graduate. Alex’s success with CLS helped him win a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award to serve as an English Teaching Assistant in Colombia. 

CLS in the News

student smiling

Critical Language Scholarship winner Brenda Gao to study Japanese in Okayama this summer

Thursday, May 1, 2025
Brenda Gao, a University of Iowa student studying psychology, from Iowa City, Iowa, has been awarded a 2025 U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Japanese this summer in Okayama, Japan.
student in black suit against white background

Critical Language Scholarship winner Emma Anderson to study Persian in Tajikistan this summer

Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Emma Anderson, a University of Iowa student studying international relations and political science, from Boone, Iowa, has been awarded a 2025 U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Persian this summer in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. 
student smiling

Critical Language Scholarship winner Malvika Khadiya to study Russian in Latvia this summer

Monday, April 14, 2025
Malvika Khadiya, a UI political science student from Cedar Falls, Iowa, has been awarded a 2025 U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study in Latvia this summer at Dauzgavpils University for an intensive Russian language program.