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
College Begins 2026-27 Academic Year with New Programs, People, and Possibilities
A new academic year brings new beginnings and Fall 2026 marks an especially significant moment for Michigan State University’s College of Arts and Letters. Students are returning to a college that has grown in scope, with new academic programs, newly housed majors, and expanded opportunities. The year also brings a new slate of performances, exhibitions, and other creative and academic experiences.
College Welcomes 20 New Faculty and Staff Members
With the start of the Fall 2026 Semester, the College of Arts and Letters is welcoming 20 new faculty and staff members whose talents, experiences, and perspectives will contribute to the college’s teaching, research, creative activity, and student support. New faculty and staff members will be recognized during the College of Arts and Letters’ 2026 Faculty and Staff Welcome Reception on Monday, Sept. 28.
College Celebrates 29 Faculty Members Who Earned Promotions
This year, 29 faculty members within the College of Arts and Letters received promotions. Their achievements will be celebrated during the 2026-27 academic year at promotions ceremonies hosted by the Office of the Provost. This year’s group marks another milestone for the college as the first to include faculty from the School of Residential Community-Engaged Arts and Humanities (RCAH), which integrated with the College of Arts and Letters on July 1, 2026.
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