Language Programs

Whether you plan to continue with a language that you've studied previously, or look forward to trying something new, proficiency in more than one language is a marketable skill for most if not all careers.  The resources below should give you some ideas for pursuing language study at CSUEB - both on campus and abroad.

Languages available at CSU East Bay

  • CSUEB currently offers coursework in American Sign Language (minor), French (minor), Japanese Language and Cultural Studies (minor), Chinese Language and Cultural Studies (minor) and Spanish (major/minor) through the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.  
  • CSUEB students can also enroll in language courses through CSU Fully Online.  
    • Fall 2024 courses include: ASL, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi/Urdu, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Mixtec, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese
    • Discuss your interest in CSU Fully Online coursework with your primary academic advisor at CSUEB.

CSU IP programs with beginning-level coursework

  • Language & Culture Programs - focus on language learning with no language prerequisites!
    • France, Germany, and Spain
    • (Hint - after completing programs in France and Spain, you'll be well on your way to a minor or 2nd major in French or Spanish at CSU East Bay!)
    • After a fall semester in the Language & Culture Program in Germany, many students move to a program in their major in Germany for spring semester!
  • Chile - Beginning/Intermediate level students will take Spanish language coursework along with courses in English (in Education, English, Engineering, Law, Linguistics, Literature)
  • Several other programs have no language prerequisites but offer beginning level coursework along with courses in English
    • Canada (French), Denmark (Danish), Ghana (Asante Twi), Israel (Hebrew or Arabic), Italy (Italian), Japan (Japanese), Mexico (Spanish), South Africa (Xhosa or Afrikaans), South Korea (Korean), Sweden (Swedish), Taiwan (Chinese).
    • See CSU IP for details.

French as a Second Language in Canada

CSUEB Exchange Programs

ISEP language programs

  • French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish
  • Use the Search feature to filter by language and level, or connect with ISEP staff to help you identify programs that best fit your language background and level.

Scholarship Programs for studying less commonly taught languages

  • The Critical Language Scholarship Program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages.  Each summer, CLS provides fully funded rigorous academic instruction in fifteen languages that are critical to America's national security and economic prosperity Students of diverse disciplines and majors are encouraged to apply. 
    • In 2022 the CLS Program also initiated a program (called CLS Spark) which offers online language programs for beginners in Arabic, Mandarin and Russian in order to provide more access to language instruction. 
    • Interested in CLS or CLS Spark? Contact CSUEB's CLS advisor kelly.moran@csueastbay.edu to learn more and start your application.
  • Boren Awards fund the intensive study of language and culture abroad by U.S. undergraduate or graduate students outside of Western Europe, Canada, Australia and the U.S.  The Boren program emphasizes the benefit of long term intensive language study (of greater than one semester).  If you are interested in language-focused study abroad, review the Boren Awards website and contact kelly.moran@csueastbay.edu for more information.
    • The Regional Flagship Initiatives are unique immersive language learning experiences offered by Boren which include a combined summer and fall program in a handful of target languages. As of 2024 those languages include: Swahili, Akan/Twi, Wolof, Zulu, Hindi, Urdu, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese,  Turkish and French (in Senegal).