While students in the Master of Arts Program in the Humanities (MAPH) can take language courses during the academic year, it can be beneficial to instead complete intensive language study over the summer through the University of Chicago’s Summer Language Institute (SLI). Students can participate in an SLI program before they begin MAPH or after they have graduated. SLI coursework cannot be counted towards the MAPH degree, so there is a separate application and tuition structure for these courses.
Languages Offered
MAPH students can study any of the following languages during the summer:
| Akkadian | Haitian Kreyòl | Latin |
| Arabic | Hebrew | Portuguese |
| Chinese | Hittite | Polish |
| French | Italian | Russian |
| German | Japanese | Spanish |
| Ancient Greek | Korean | Turkish |
Application Process
MAPH students who wish to participate in an SLI program must submit a separate application. To apply, students should complete the application form and submit a 500-750 word statement indicating which course the student wishes to take and explaining how summer study will advance the student’s academic and/or career goals.
SLI Financial Aid
Because SLI courses cannot be counted towards the MAPH degree, students cannot receive federal financial aid to participate in summer language courses. However, SLI offers scholarship funding specifically for MAPH students.
Tuition and Fees
There are two tiers of fees for SLI courses.
- "Summer Intensive Introductory or Intermediate" courses are priced at $7,381.
- "Reading for Research Purposes" courses are priced at $3,916.
Scholarships
MAPH students are eligible to apply for scholarships to help defray the cost of tuition for summer language study.
- For introductory or intermediate language courses (e.g., Introductory Arabic, Intermediate Latin), up to $4,200 of tuition aid is available. This could lower the out-of-pocket tuition amount to $3,181.
- For 1-credit advanced and reading and research courses, up to $2,100 of tuition aid is available. This could lower the out-of-pocket cost to $1,816.