The Language Institute at Penn State offers summer language programs designed for persons seeking to develop proficiency in a foreign language. These programs consist of sequences of formal language courses offered for full academic credit.

The emphasis of Institute offerings is on the development of communicative competence by fostering speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Our courses also emphasize exposure to, and the understanding of, the cultures associated with the languages studied.

Course formats vary across languages and levels. A typical course sequence lasts eight weeks, with classes meeting two to four hours a day, Monday through Friday. Institute participants are not required to enroll for complete course sequences, but can select single courses based on their needs. Single courses last two-and-a-half to six weeks, depending on the language.

All Institute programs are conducted on Penn State’s University Park campus.

Course Schedules
Classes are held Monday through Friday (MTWRF) and are 4 credits, unless otherwise noted.
2023 Course Offerings:
Arabic
Chinese
ESL
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Latin
Russian
Spanish
Ukrainian

Please adhere to the following guidelines when enrolling in these courses:

- Penn State undergraduate students should enroll 001/002/003 course numbers (sections 601, 602, etc.)
- Penn State graduate students who don’t receive summer tuition assistance (STAP) should enroll in 051/052/053 courses, sections 611 or 612 ONLY.
- Penn State graduate students who receive summer tuition assistance (STAP) from their home departments must be manually enrolled in a special 701/702 section of the 051/052/053 courses.

Accommodations
NOTE: The Language Institute is not a residential program. All lodging is the responsibility of the individual participant. Information provided below is solely for convenience purposes.

University Residence Halls
University residence hall accommodations are available. View this housing rates page for the cost per person for the various residence hall options. Please note that all accommodations are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and room types will be assigned based on availability. Students who submit contracts are obligated to the housing contract for the length of time specified unless they withdraw from the program.
Accommodations in University Residence Halls are available for Penn State students as well as visiting students. However, students must be at least 18 years old or have graduated from high school in spring 2021 to apply for housing. The Language Institute cannot provide housing for students still enrolled in high school.

The Tuition and College Cost Estimator is based on the 2022-2023 academic year. Tuition rates for future academic years are determined at the July Penn State Board of Trustees meeting.

Please Note: The estimated calculation for the summer semester room and meal figures is based on one six-week session:

4 credits
Tuition $3,216.00
Student Fee $69.00
Books $460.00
Total * $3,745.00

3 credits
Tuition $2,412.00
Student Fee $69.00
Books $460.00
Total * $2,941.00

* Semester total does not include additional miscellaneous costs, such as transportation, laundry, clothing, dining out, utilities, medical, dental, personal, and recreational expenses.

 

Financial Aid

Scholarships of variable amounts are available to support students enrolled in summer Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Hindi, Russian, and Ukrainian at the Summer Language Institute at Penn State University Park.

Who Is Eligible
Students (high school, undergraduate, and graduate students) planning to enroll in the Penn State Summer Language Institute for ARABIC, CHINESE, KOREAN, HINDI, RUSSIAN, or UKRAINIAN will have priority.
Preference may be given to students who don’t have access to instruction in these languages during the regular academic year (i.e., high school students, students from Penn State’s branch campuses). However, all carefully prepared applications will be considered for all levels of support.

*Please note that if your enrollment in a Language Institute course is contingent upon receiving a scholarship, you should not enroll in the course until the scholarship decisions are made. Scholarship decisions are not made immediately and a 1.5% late fee is applied to any bill that is not paid by the deadline.

The application form should be submitted to the email address on the form.