Studying Linguistics Languages & Cultures for the Global & Digital Age
We are an interdisciplinary department that focuses on three areas: linguistics, language learning and teaching, and cultural studies. Our programs are national leaders in teaching, research, and outreach.
We offer
Field-Leading Research
Faculty research explores cutting-edge questions in a wide-range of disciplines, employs a diverse set of methods, and is closely linked to educational goals and student experiences in the classroom.
Focus on Education
We emphasize student learning, from first-year undergraduates through advanced doctoral candidates, with a focus on critical thinking, problem solving, and cross-cultural understanding.
Community Engagement
Our teaching and research make languages and issues of language and culture accessible to the greater Mid-Michigan region and reflect a continuing concern for the local, national and global community.
Degree opportunities
Linguistics
minor, ba, ma, phd
Our Linguistics programs focus on areas of core areas of theory, in experimental and field research, and in particular languages.
Second Language Studies
phd
The SLS Ph.D. Degree Program is for researchers and teacher-researchers interested in second language acquisition (SLA) and applied linguistics.
tesol
minor, ma
In our Masters of Arts program students gain an understanding of the principles of the field as they prepare to develop their careers in the field of language learning and teaching.
Arabic
minor, ba
Our program provides a nationally competitive program that equips students with excellent communicative skills necessary to engage within a globally expanding Arabic-speaking community.
chinese
minor, ba
Our program emphasizes language competence and a rich knowledge of Chinese culture and society through proficiency-oriented, communicative, situational, and study-abroad activities.
german
minor, BA, MA, PHD
Our degree programs provide a solid grounding in the core disciplinary areas of literature, culture, and language studies through teaching and research opportunities.
Japanese
minor, ba
The goal of the Japanese program is to equip students with functional proficiency in the language as well as cultural familiarity and knowledge about Japan.
Russian
minor, ba
Our program in Russian at MSU is designed to help you develop proficiency in the Russian language, literature, and culture through study abroad and internships.
Indian & South Asian
minor
The Minor in Indian and South Asian Studies will equip students with linguistic and cultural proficiency focused on India and South Asia.
Korean
minor, BA
This program equips students with linguistic proficiency in the Korean language and cultural literacy about Korea and its place in the world.
Degree opportunities
Linguistics
minor, ba, ma, phd
Our Linguistics programs focus on areas of core areas of theory, in experimental and field research, and in particular languages.
Second Language Studies
phd
The SLS Ph.D. Degree Program is for researchers and teacher-researchers interested in second language acquisition (SLA) and applied linguistics.
tesol
minor, ma
In our Masters of Arts program students gain an understanding of the principles of the field as they prepare to develop their careers in the field of language learning and teaching.
Arabic
minor, ba
Our program provides a nationally competitive program that equips students with excellent communicative skills necessary to engage within a globally expanding Arabic-speaking community.
chinese
minor, ba
Our program emphasizes language competence and a rich knowledge of Chinese culture and society through proficiency-oriented, communicative, situational, and study-abroad activities.
german
minor, BA, MA, PHD
Our degree programs provide a solid grounding in the core disciplinary areas of literature, culture, and language studies through teaching and research opportunities.
Japanese
minor, ba
The goal of the Japanese program is to equip students with functional proficiency in the language as well as cultural familiarity and knowledge about Japan.
Russian
minor, ba
Our program in Russian at MSU is designed to help you develop proficiency in the Russian language, literature, and culture through study abroad and internships.
Indian & South Asian
minor
The Minor in Indian and South Asian Languages and Cultures will equip students with linguistic and cultural proficiency focused on India and South Asia.
Korean
minor
This program equips students with linguistic proficiency in the Korean language and cultural literacy about Korea and its place in the world.
Featured News
Faculty Awarded Grant to Advance Community-Engaged Research and Women’s Empowerment in Tanzania
A Strategic Partnership Grant from MSU’s Center for Gender in Global Context (GenCen) will help strengthen the cross-institutional collaboration between Michigan State University and the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Tanzania, focusing on gender, environment, and community sustainability. The grant supports a collaborative research project that examines the livelihoods of Maasai women in Naitolia, Tanzania, and a community-engaged learning workshop for UDSM faculty interested in women’s empowerment and sustainable community development.
Former College of Arts & Letters Dean Retires, Leaving Lasting Legacy
After nearly 40 years of service to Michigan State University, Professor of German and former Dean of the College of Arts & Letters, Karin A. Wurst, has retired. Her career reflects a legacy of scholarship, leadership, and innovation in the humanities. Wurst first came to MSU in 1988, joining the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures as a tenure-track faculty member in German Studies.
Celebrating 20 Years: Second Language Studies Program Honors Its Past and Looks to the Future
While Michigan State University’s Second Language Studies (SLS) Ph.D. program may have started by being in the right place at the right time, the efforts made by its administrators, faculty, alumni, and students have propelled the program into an international powerhouse. During the 20th anniversary celebration held Oct. 17-19, 2025,
LAE Podcast Hosts Associate Professor of Linguistics Paula Winke
Episode two of the Liberal Arts Endeavor Podcast is out! Our host, Dean Christopher P. Long, spoke with Associate Professor of Linguistics Paula Winke in her Wells Hall office about foreign and second language testing…
M.A. Student Interns at Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, D.C.
Tatsuya Aoyama, a second-year M.A. student in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program, spent this past summer in Washington, D.C., where…
Professor Receives Research Award, Selected to EuroSLA Executive Committee
Aline Godfroid, Associate Professor of Second Language Studies and TESOL, is being recognized for her outstanding research in the area of second language acquisition and…
German Alumna Works with Big Cats in Africa
MSU alumna Kelsey Prediger works with cheetahs in Namibia, Africa, as the Conservation and Tour Manager of the Solitaire Activity Centre for the Solitaire Land Trust.
“I am often praised for my editing ability and clear explanations, not only in the context of language but also in the context of machine learning theory/implementation lectures and demonstrations. I owe these skills to my degrees at MSU.”
Luke Bates
2011 BA Japanese and Linguistics Alumnus