Skip to main content

Language Study

Northwestern University offers nearly 20 different world languages through corresponding academic departments and programs. Students will have the opportunity to learn new languages and/or to continue their  learning journey in a language that they may have been studying or speaking for a while.

Languages Offered At Northwestern

Click the language name to visit their home department's web site. If you cannot find a language of interest here, please see the Languages Not Offered page. 

Updated 4/9/2024 (Next update late May 2024)

  *Please visit the School of Professional Studies' website for information on Summer Session.

** These are summer Northwestern Programs and Affiliated Programs.  Please visit Global Learning Office (GLO) for information on summer abroad opportunities.  You can find summer programs through: Student Experiences > Explore Programs > Global Gateway > Explore Programs > Term: Summer Quarter (Search).  There may also be unaffiliated summer programs available; however students should carefully choose the option before you apply.  Please read about Unaffiliated Summer Programs. Also, please consult the applicable study abroad coordinator (See Language Program Contact.) for more information.

Language 1st & 2nd-year language study 3rd-year+ Offers Major Offers Minor Summer Session* Summer Study Abroad**
Arabic ✓ ✓ (✓)1 (✓)1 ✓
Chinese ✓ ✓ (✓)2 (✓)2 ✓ ✓
Czech ✓ (✓)3 (✓)3
French ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
German ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Ancient Greek ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Hebrew

 ✓ ✓ (✓)1,4 (✓)1,4
Hindi-Urdu ✓ ✓ (✓)2 (✓)2
Italian ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Japanese ✓ ✓ (✓)2 (✓)2 (✓)6
Korean ✓ ✓ (✓)2 (✓)2 (✓)6 ✓
Latin ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Persian (✓)5
Polish ✓ ✓ (✓)3 (✓)3
Portuguese ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Russian ✓ ✓ (✓)3 (✓)3 ✓
Sanskrit (✓)7 (✓)7
Spanish ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Swahili ✓ (✓)8 (✓)9 (✓)9
Turkish ✓ (✓)1 (✓)1 ✓
Notes:
1. Language courses in Arabic, Hebrew, and Turkish may be used to satisfy the requirements for the major and minor in Middle East and North African Studies. Please consult the MENA studies director for advising on the MENA major and minor.
2. Language courses in Chinese, Hindi-Urdu, Japanese, and Korean may be used to satisfy the requirements for the major and minor in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. Please consult the department website.
3. Language courses in Czech, Polish, and Russian may be used to satisfy the requirements for the major and minor in Russian and East European Studies, and the major in Russian Language, Literature and Culture. Please consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies for more information.
4. Language courses in Hebrew may be used to satisfy the requirements for the major and minor in Jewish Studies and for the minor in Hebrew Studies. Please consult the advisor in the Center for Jewish and Israel Studies.
5. Summer offerings in Arabic may vary from year to year. Persian is not offered every year. Please contact the MENA Language Program at mena-languages@northwestern.edu for additional information.
6. Only Korean 111-1 (first quarter) is offered during the summer.
7. Sanskrit courses may be used to satisfy the requirements for the major and minor in Religious Studies.
8. See the Program of African Studies for details on advanced sequence Swahili 216-1,2,3 and ULA-Global Health, Arusha, Tanzania.
9. Language courses in Swahili may be used to satisfy the requirements for the adjunct major and the minor in Program of African Studies.

 

ProgramS and DepartmentS