Come abroad with us!
World Languages and Cultures sponsors summer study abroad programs in France, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Spain (Alicante and Santander). Please scroll down to learn more!
Hear From WLC Alumni About Their Study Abroad Experiences
Brazil – Learn Portuguese in Fortaleza
This summer abroad program offers six weeks of Portuguese language instruction and Brazilian culture through a hands-on, cross-cultural educational experience.
For further information contact:
Dr. Dawn Duke
Director of the Brazil Summer Program
E-mail: dduke1@utk.edu
Phone: (865) 974-7006
Costa Rica — Advanced Spanish in San José
San José is the capital of Costa Rica. San José is one of the oldest cities in Costa Rica, founded in the 16th century, has a population of about 2 million people, and is rich in history, folklore, and monuments, both pre-Columbian and colonial. Students live for a month with judiciously selected Costa Rican families in San José and take two upper-division courses that count toward a Spanish major or minor.
The classes are taught by UT faculty. Students will earn six (6) hours credit for the two classes they take.
Applications are due each year around February 1. For more information and application procedures, contact the director.
Costa Rica — Service Learning
Students will engage in Costa Rican culture and society via service-learning. Placements will depend on students’ level of language proficiency, personal interest, and availability and will be assigned prior to departure. In addition to averaging 30 hours per week of volunteer service in the San Jose or Cartago area, students will spend two class hours per week at the ISA office in San Jose. The remaining academic component of the course will occur asynchronously online.
Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive 3 credits in MFLL 300 Global Cultures and Texts, Spanish 491 (via petition) or Latin American/Caribbean Studies 491 (via petition).
Click here for detailed information and samples of service-learning placements by level of language proficiency.
For further information contact:
Dr. Lisa Y. F. Parker
Director of Language and World Business
E-Mail: lparke11@utk.edu
Phone: (865) 974-9827
Office: 603 McClung Tower
France — Learn French in Paris
The UT in France summer study program offers four (4) weeks of coursework, extracurricular experiences, and activities; students earn six (6) hours of college credit while being introduced to French language and culture. Courses are conducted in French.
For further information contact:
Dr. Anne-Hélène Miller
French Language Program Chair
E-mail: ahm@utk.edu
France — Service Learning
Challenge yourself to a 360-immersive service-learning experience, where you will gain an understanding of the landscape of contemporary France and its society. Delve beyond cultural artifacts of the country, where you will understand how culture and history intertwine with current events and global issues— like immigration, the climate crisis, and geopolitics– shaping the dynamics and multi-facted realities of France today.
You will be placed at a local NGO in the heart of Bordeaux, where your experience– complemented by course readings, critical reflection opportunities, and other activities– will reward you with cultural insights on South West, Contemporary France.
For further information contact:
Florence Abad-Turner
Distinguished Lecturer, French Language and World Business Coordinator
E-mail: fabadtur@utk.edu
Germany — Learn German in Berlin or Freiburg
The German program offers two faculty-led programs: Berlin and Freiburg.
For further information please contact:
Maria Stehle
German Program Director
E-mail: mstehle@utk.edu
Phone: (865) 974-7001
France — Service Learning
Challenge yourself to a 360-immersive service-learning experience, where you will gain an understanding of the landscape of contemporary France and its society. Delve beyond cultural artifacts of the country, where you will understand how culture and history intertwine with current events and global issues— like immigration, the climate crisis, and geopolitics– shaping the dynamics and multi-facted realities of France today.
You will be placed at a local NGO in the heart of Bordeaux, where your experience– complemented by course readings, critical reflection opportunities, and other activities– will reward you with cultural insights on South West, Contemporary France.
For further information contact:
Florence Abad-Turner
Distinguished Lecturer, French Language and World Business Coordinator
E-mail: fabadtur@utk.edu
Germany — Learn German in Berlin or Freiburg
The German program offers two faculty-led programs: Berlin and Freiburg.
For further information please contact:
Maria Stehle
German Program Director
E-mail: mstehle@utk.edu
Phone: (865) 974-7001
Italy — Study Abroad in Bologna
The University of Bologna, also known as UNIBO, is thought to be one of the oldest universities in the world, with a founding date in the late 11th century. UNIBO was central in the development of medieval Roman law and has been both witness and participant to many historically significant movements such as the rise of medicine, the spread of modern languages and the Industrial Revolution.
Cost includes:
- Room and board in an air-conditioned residence near the city center.
- Excursions to Ravenna, Rimini, Modena, and Verona (for the opera in famous Arena)
- 4 nights in a 4-star hotel in the center of Rome.
Courses offered:
- Italian Intermediate (211-212)
- Italian Culture (314)
- Italian Musical Styles (451): two sections
- 001: an introductory course (no pre-req; gen ed; taught in English)
- 002: advanced for music majors (pre-req: Theory 3 preferred; taught in English)
- Music Theory 4 (undergraduate extended/post tonal)
For further information please contact:
Dr. Annachiara Mariani
Director of the Bologna Summer Program
E-Mail: amariani@utk.edu
Spain — Learn Spanish in Sevilla
Sevilla is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia. It is situated on the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of Spain. The Alcázar, the Cathedral, and the General Archive of the Indies are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The program is open to undergraduate students who have successfully completed either Span 112 or Spanish 123 or Spanish 150, or to students who have placed into a 200-level class via the Spanish Placement Exam.
This program runs from the last week of May to the end of June (5 weeks). Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive credit for Spanish 223 (6 credit hours). For more information and application procedures, contact the director.
Spain — Learn Spanish in Alicante (for Spanish 300-level and higher)
Famous for its miles of white, sandy beaches (the nearby Playa de San Juan) and its palm-lined seafront walkway (the Esplanada), Alicante is a vibrant university town small enough (population 310,000) to be congenial, safe, and accessible yet big and modern enough to offer everything, including unexpected dimensions from the narrow streets of the old quarter (the Barrio de Santa Cruz) to the main commercial avenues downtown.
Alicante is within easy reach of Madrid, Granada, Seville, Málaga, Valencia, and Barcelona, and June is the month of Alicante’s ancient “Festival de las Hogueras,” in which huge paper sculptures are ceremoniously paraded and then burned in city squares.
Students will live with Spanish host families (one exchange student per family), meet locals and make international friends through organized social and cultural activities, and improve language skills by participating in cultural workshops.
Excursions include a visit to the Costa Blanca, to sites in the interior of the province of Alicante, to Granada, etc.
For more information and application procedures, contact the director.
UT’s Programs Abroad Office
UT’s Programs Abroad site is rich with good information, programs of travel, and scholarship opportunities. Please visit them if WLC does not sponsor a trip that is aligned with your area of study.
College of Arts & Sciences Study Abroad
Explore resources for more information on studying abroad in the College of Arts and Sciences, including information specific to studying abroad in upcoming semesters.
College of Arts & Sciences Study Abroad
Normandy Scholars Program
Normandy Scholars: Global History and Memory of World War II is a selective interdisciplinary program open to undergraduate students from all majors at the University of Tennessee. The goal is to study the legacies of World War II and other conflicts through the lens of memory studies, a discipline that examines how social, cultural, political, and technological shifts affect the ways societies react to and commemorate past conflicts in their national histories. The program includes a 3-hour Spring semester seminar class and a May mini-session study-abroad trip to relevant sites in Europe. All students receive a scholarship to help cover the cost of the mini-session study tour. Applications due September 30, 2024.
For more information, contact Dr. Matthew Brauer, mbrauer@utk.edu.
Scholarships
Below are listed scholarships that are available through this department. Additional resources and scholarship opportunities are available on the UT Programs Abroad site.
Arant Scholarship — Language and World Business Students
The purpose of this scholarship is as follows: “…to assist undergraduate students with tuition or internship travel expenses as he/she obtains marketable skills and experiences from international study.”
Selection Criteria
The student must be at the advanced undergraduate level (at least 60 credit hours); successful academic performance in LWB; award based on academic achievement; financial need may be a consideration; may be used on tuition, travel funds to participate in conferences, workshops and research projects.
Factors that will be taken in consideration for the selection process:
- GPA (2.70 minimum overall and 3.00 in language concentration)
- Overall good citizenship in the university community (as demonstrated in resume and cover letter)
Application Process
The student will submit an application including:
- a cover letter (1 page maximum)
- a current resume
- an internship proposal or a research project statement (1 page maximum)
- a budget (itemizing how funds will be allocated)
It is anticipated that two $500 awards will be made annually. Applicants should send their application package by April 15 (for the fall and summer semesters) and by November 15 (for the spring semester) via email to:
For further information contact:
Dr. Lisa Y. F. Parker
Director of Language and World Business
E-Mail: lparke11@utk.edu
Phone: (865) 974-9827
Office: 1204 McClung Tower
Goldman / Pendleton LWB Internship Scholarship — Language and World Business Students
Goldman/Pendleton Scholarship for Study Abroad, International Internship or Service Learning Award
Chad Goldman, an LWB alumnus, and his partner, Brian Pendleton, have contributed an endowment to the Department of WLC. The purpose of the endowment is as follows:
“…to fund scholarship awards to students who enroll in study abroad programs or perform international internships or service learning abroad. The scholarship funds are intended to cover academic expenses, such as tuition, and/or expenses related to travel, room and board for such students.”
Selection Criteria
Preference will be given to LWB students who plan an internship abroad, especially if that internship involves community service or a community‐based project. Special consideration will also be given to those students whose study abroad programs include an independent research project (designed by the student with faculty guidance and approved prior to departure) and those students who enroll in study abroad courses taught in the native language of their country of study.
Factors that will be taken in consideration for the selection process:
- Language GPA (minimum 3.00 in all languages)
- Overall GPA (minimum 2.70)
- Overall good citizenship in the university community (as demonstrated in resume and cover letter)
- Length of practical experience (full year term, semester term, summer term)
Application Process
The student will submit the following:
- a cover letter (1-page maximum)
- a current resume
- an internship proposal or a research project statement (1-page maximum)
- a budget (itemizing how funds will be allocated)
- copy of acceptance correspondence from Program’s Abroad Office (PAO)
Applicants should send their application package by April 15 (for the fall and summer semesters) and by November 15 (for the spring semester) via email to:
Dr. Lisa Y.F. Parker (lparke11@utk.edu), Director of the Language and World Business Program, Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures, 603 McClung Tower, (865) 974-9827.
Clayton McDonald Undergraduate Travel Abroad Scholarship — Language and World Business Students
Clayton McDonald, a UT alumnus, has established a scholarship to be used by students enrolled in the Language and World Business Program for study abroad. One non-renewable award will be given each year. Semester or year-long study abroad will be given priority over summer study while reviewing applications. The deadline for applications is March 1st, and the awardee will be informed by April 1st. The amount to be awarded will be $1,200.
The scholarship is open to all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, disability, age, or veteran status, subject to the following criteria:
- Applicants must have been admitted to the Language and World Business Program in the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures (any language).
- Applicants must use the funds for a UT-approved (but not necessarily UT-run) study-abroad program that begins less than one year after the scholarship is granted.
- Applicants must demonstrate successful academic performance, and the overall and language GPAs of applicants will be taken into consideration.
- Applications must demonstrate good citizenship in the university community (as demonstrated in the resume).
Application materials:
- a cover letter (one page maximum), in which the applicant describes why they have chosen their particular study-abroad program and what they hope to achieve while abroad.
- a current resume
- a budget (itemizing how funds will be allocated)
- copy of study-abroad program acceptance correspondence from Programs Abroad Office (PAO)
Applicants should send their application package by March 1st as a single PDF file via email to:
Dr. Lisa Y. F. Parker
Director of Language and World Business
E-Mail: lparke11@utk.edu
Phone: (865) 974-9827
Office: 1204 McClung Tower
German Study Abroad Scholarships — Students Studying German
German students seeking support for study abroad are encouraged to consult with the Programs Abroad Office in the Center for International Education concerning possible funding opportunities.
Scholarship Opportunities for international study are available through the CIE Website.
SCHOLARSHIPS
If you wish to be considered for one of the awards, please fill out a self-nomination form, linked below, by February 15. If you do not wish to authorize WLC to independently check your transcript for eligibility or if you are not a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, please supply a paper copy of it or a Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) Report with your application.
KIND AWARDS About five to seven scholarships per year are awarded in the name of John Kind, who was a faculty member in the department, and his wife Elsbeth Kind. To qualify, a student must be an undergraduate and pursue either a major or minor in German. A minor consists of a minimum of 18 semester hours of courses in German language and literature or Germanic linguistics numbered above 200. German majors and minors may be declared at wlc.utk.edu. The principal criterion for the award is academic excellence, first in German and then in other disciplines. The award is for the following academic year, and to qualify, one must be at UT as an undergraduate or participating in a UT direct exchange program.
MARIA HARRIS AWARD The Maria Harris Fund was established in honor of Maria Harris, a long-time instructor in the department. The aid is directed exclusively at students who expect to travel to Germany for the summer or for a longer period of time, and the funds can only be used to defray travel expenses. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. Good academic performance and demonstrated interest in Germany and German culture are the principal criteria for selection.
REINHOLD NORDSIECK AWARD The late Reinhold Nordsieck and his wife, Katherine, established an endowment benefiting students studying German language, literature, civilization and philology. The Nordsieck Scholarship is used for financial assistance to UT students who are enrolled in German courses offered by the Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures (MFLL) department or study abroad in connection with their German studies at UT.
Goldman / Pendleton Undergraduate Travel Abroad Scholarship — All Students
Chad Goldman and Brian Pendleton Undergraduate Travel Abroad Scholarship
This scholarship is to be used for travel for the purpose of study abroad; typically, two awards of $500 are granted each semester. Semester study abroad is given priority over summer study. All majors in MFLL programs are eligible to apply. Deadline is April 30 for Fall semester programs, and November 15 for Spring semester programs.
Factors that will be taken in consideration for the selection process:
- Study program relevant to the student’s major
- Language GPA (minimum 3.00 in all languages)
- Overall GPA (minimum 2.70)
- Overall good citizenship in the university community (as demonstrated in resume and cover letter)
Application Process
The student will submit an application including:
- a cover letter with description of program of study (1 page maximum)
- a budget (itemizing how funds will be allocated)
- a PDF of an unofficial transcript or academic history
Applicants should send their application package by April 30 (for the fall semester) and by November 15 (for the spring semester) via email to: Dr. Drew Paul, wpaul2@utk.edu, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of World Languages and Cultures. Inquiries about possible summer fund availability may be made between May 1 and May 15.
Mossman Scholars Endowment Awards — All Students
Thanks to the generosity of Kenneth and Blaire Mossman and the Mossman Family Trust, the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures (MFLL) is pleased to offer award opportunities up to $8,000 each to students majoring or minoring in any language in MFLL. These awards may be used to support study abroad on a UT‐approved (but not necessarily UT-run) program for a semester or year in partial fulfillment of the Major or Minor, or to support research done abroad in the area of the Major; summer awards of up to $1500 each will also be made if funds remain each year. Awards are decided by a committee of MFLL faculty based on applicants’ overall GPA, GPA in the major or minor, a statement of intent describing how the awards will be used, and a brief letter of recommendation from an MFLL faculty member who knows the student’s work. All declared MFLL majors or minors with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 are eligible for a Mossman Scholars Endowment Award.
Awards may be used for two purposes:
- Semester or year‐long study abroad programs approved by UT, to take place during fall and/or spring semesters; summer study programs may also be supported when funds are not depleted during the academic year. Students may apply for a Mossman scholarship before receiving official acceptance from the Programs Abroad Office, although receipt of the funds is contingent on this acceptance and continued GPA eligibility, as well as actual participation in the study abroad program.
- Research seed money, i.e., travel to archives or to do other types of research or contact‐building related to the student’s MFLL major. This travel may take place during the academic year or during summer.
To apply for a scholarship, submit all the required materials listed on the Mossman Scholarship application form to Drew Paul, Director of Undergraduate Studies, wpaul2@utk.edu, by April 1st (for fall), October 1st (for spring), & February 15th (for summer). Very brief letters of recommendation (via email) should be requested from GTAs or Faculty a few weeks before the respective deadline.
Normandy Scholars Program Scholarship — All Students
The Normandy Scholars Program is an interdisciplinary honors program open to students from all majors at the University of Tennessee. The goal of the program is to study World War II in the wider context of memory studies, a discipline that examines how social, cultural, political, and technological shifts affect how societies react to and
commemorate past conflicts in their national histories. The Normandy Scholars Program includes a 3-credit hour UT honors course in the spring semester and a 1 UT credit hour mini-term program abroad. The mini-term 2025 program abroad portion will take place in Warsaw and Krakow (Poland), Berlin (Germany), and Prague (Czechia).
Each admitted student receives a $3,000 scholarship toward the cost of the program. The estimated program fee is about $3,800.
Applications for Spring 2025 are now open in the VolsAbroad portal. The deadline is September 30, 2024. For more information, contact Executive Director Dr. Matthew Brauer at mbrauer@utk.edu.
Spanish Study Abroad Scholarships — Students Studying Spanish
Small scholarships, especially in support of study abroad, are sometimes available through the Spanish enrichment funds. Students are also encouraged to consult with the Programs Abroad Office in the Center for International Education concerning possible funding opportunities.
Scholarship Opportunities for international study are available through the CIE Website.
Study Abroad Scholarship — Kirkland Family Spanish Award
The selection of the recipient(s) of the Kirkland Family Spanish Award Fund will be made twice a year by the Faculty of the Spanish Program within the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures, provided there are acceptable candidates for the award and sufficient funds. Amount of each award: $500-1000 depending on the availability of funds.
Eligibility Requirements
- Declared Spanish major
- Must be in good academic and disciplinary standing
- Overall GPA of at least 3.00
- Minimum GPA of 3.5 in upper level Spanish Classes
- Must have completed Spanish 323 and Spanish 330 at the time of study abroad program.
- Will be studying in a CIE approved study abroad program for at least one semester
- Will be enrolled full-time in a study abroad program (minimum of 12 hours of Spanish classes per semester)
- Have not previously received a Kirkland Family Spanish Award
Application Materials
- Cover letter stating where, for how long, and with what program you are studying
- Unofficial transcript
- Completed faculty evaluation Form
- Original 500-word essay in Spanish. In this essay you should explain your motivation for study abroad (personal and academic), your choice of program and your experiences in and out of the classroom that have prepared you for study abroad. The essay should be well written, both in terms of style and grammar.
Applicants should send their application package by April 15 (for the fall semester) and by November 15 (for the spring semester) to the address below. Acceptance letters will be mailed to the address the student provides.
Dr. Nuria Cruz Cámara
Chair, Hispanic Studies Program
701 McClung Tower
Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996
