Summer Eligible Languages & Levels

Summer Eligible Languages

Languages listed below have been pre-approved as eligible for Summer FLAS Fellowships for Summer 2024. Language lists differ significantly among the three types of fellowships; this list applies to Summer FLAS Fellowships only. 

For languages for which two or more world regions are listed, you should generally apply for the world region that matches your overall academic and career interest more closely.

Other less commonly taught languages (LCTLs), which are used in the six world regions for which U-M has a FLAS grant, but not taught regularly at the University of Michigan may be eligible for the Summer FLAS fellowship. The six world regions (and their Area Studies Centers) are:

• • Sub-Saharan Africa (ASC)

  • East Asia (EANRC)

  • Latin America and the Caribbean (LACS)

  • Middle East and North Africa (CMENAS)

  • Russia, East Europe and Eurasia (CREES) 

  • South Asia (CSAS)

  • Southeast Asia (CSEAS)

Pre-approval from US/ED is necessary for Summer FLAS awards in languages not listed below. If you are interested in studying a less commonly taught language not listed below please contact the FLAS Coordinator and discuss your situation prior to beginning an application. Only less commonly taught languages regularly used in the six world regions for which U-M has a FLAS grant are eligible. Note: French, German, and Spanish are considered commonly taught and are NOT eligible for FLAS in any world region.

FLAS awards are generally given only for the study of modern languages (defined as languages that are currently in use today). Awards in classical or literary forms of the language (e.g., literary Chinese, classical Japanese, Sanskrit, classical Tibetan, etc.) may only be given in the context of the study of modern languages and are only made in very rare, specialized situations. If you are interested in studying a classical language, please consult with the FLAS Coordinators and get approval prior to starting your application.

Pre-Approved Languages for Summer FLAS

• Arabic: ASC, CMENAS

• Armenian: CMENAS, CREES

• Bengali: CSAS

• Bosnian: CREES

• Chinese: EANRC; No beginning level exceptions for graduate students

• Croatian: CREES

• Czech: CREES

• Filipino (Tagalog): CSEAS

• Hebrew: CMENAS

• Hindi: CSAS

• Indonesian: CSEAS

• Japanese: EANRC; No beginning level exceptions for graduate students

• Korean: EANRC

• Nahuatl: LACS

• Persian: CMENAS, CSAS

• Polish: CREES

• Portuguese: LACS, ASC; Important Note: Portuguese is approved only for its use in the Latin America & the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa; applicants whose regional specialization is Europe are NOT eligible to apply for Portuguese through LACS or ASC.

• Punjabi: CSAS

• Quechua: LACS

• Russian: CREES

• Serbian: CREES

• Swahili: ASC

• Tamil: CSAS

• Thai: CSEAS

• Turkish: CMENAS

• Ukrainian: CREES

• Urdu: CSAS

• Uyghur: EANRC, CREES

• Uzbek: CMENAS, CREES

• Vietnamese: CSEAS

• Yiddish: CREES

• Yoruba: LACS; Important Note: Yoruba is approved only for its use in the Latin America & the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa

Eligible Language Levels

All students must enroll in a program that is equivalent to the intermediate level (2nd year level as taught at U-M) or above for all languages. Note that some languages have additional level restrictions for undergraduate and/or graduate students. Details are given in the Eligible Languages list in the previous section.

For undergraduate students, NO exceptions to this language level requirement is allowed.  If an undergraduate student accepts a Summer FLAS Fellowship and subsequently fails to pass the placement test for intermediate level at the beginning of the summer program, the fellowship award will be cancelled.

Graduate students may be eligible for a beginning level language award in very limited and specific circumstances, reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis. In order to qualify for a beginning language level award, applicants must be graduate students and must demonstrate that they already possess advanced proficiency in at least one other foreign language of the same world region, either by completion of prior coursework, by living and/or working in-country, by language heritage, or by a language placement or proficiency test.  As long as this foreign language is spoken in the same world region as the award language, it need not be taught at the University of Michigan, or designated as a less commonly taught language (LCTL) or a US/ED high priority language. English is not considered a foreign language. Applicants must also explain in their statement of purpose compelling academic and/or career reasons for study of a new language at the beginning level.

Since AY2016-17, this policy on beginning level language awards is very strictly enforced by US/ED.  Beginning language awards for applicants who do not meet the criteria outlined in the previous paragraph require approval of the US/ED Program Officer.  Such requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and granted only in extremely limited circumstances.  In general, students in PhD and academically oriented master’s programs (MA/MS degrees) will not be granted an exception.  Students interested in applying for a beginning level language award must consult with a FLAS Coordinator prior to application. A Summer FLAS award for a beginning level language is not confirmed until US/ED approval for beginning level is secured.