Below are listed the range of languages you can study at Princeton. These courses are not offered by PCLS, but rather by various other areal studies departments at the University. Explore! You will see below that we have a few less commonly taught languages on offer too.
Not all languages are offered every year, so click on the links to check for up-to-date information from the offering department. The home departments can also provide information regarding what levels of the language sequence are currently offered.
A star (★) next to the language name indicates that the sequence can be used to satisfy the University’s General Education language requirement for the A.B.
See our recent notice about placement testing.
Don’t see a language listed that you’re really keen on having credit-bearing coursework for? Check back to this page for details coming soon about submitting suggestions to us about future language programs we should add at Princeton.
Akkadian
An ancient Semitic language, whose speakers had inhabited Mesopotamia.
American Sign Language
A signed language, with speakers in the US, Canada, and elsewhere.
Arabic ★
A Semitic language, with speakers in the Middle East, North Africa, Horn of Africa, and elsewhere.
Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian ★
A Slavic language, with speakers in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and elsewhere.
Chinese ★
A Sinitic language, with speakers in China, Taiwan, Singapore, and elsewhere.
Czech ★
A Slavic language, with speakers in the Czech Republic and elsewhere.
French ★
A Romance language, with speakers in Europe, Haiti, sub-Saharan Africa, Canada, Oceania, and elsewhere.
German ★
A Germanic language, with speakers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and elsewhere.
Greek (Classical/Ancient) ★
An ancient Hellenic language, whose speakers had inhabited Ancient Greece.
Hebrew ★
A Semitic language, with speakers in Israel and elsewhere.
Hindi ★
An Indo-Aryan language, with speakers in India and elsewhere.
Italian ★
A Romance language, with speakers in Italy and elsewhere.
Japanese ★
A Japonic language, with speakers in Japan and elsewhere.
Korean ★
A Koreanic language, with speakers in North Korea, South Korea, and elsewhere.
Latin ★
An ancient Italic language, whose speakers had inhabited Ancient Rome.
Modern Greek ★
A Hellenic language, with speakers in Greece, Cyprus, and elsewhere.
Persian ★
An Iranian language, with speakers in Iran and elsewhere.
Polish
A Slavic language, with speakers in Poland and elsewhere.
Portuguese ★
A Romance language, with speakers in Brazil, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Angola, and elsewhere.
Russian ★
A Slavic language, with speakers in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Central Asia, and elsewhere.
Sanskrit ★
An ancient Indo-Aryan language, who speakers inhabited South and Southeast Asia.
Spanish ★
A Romance language, with speakers in Spain, the Americas, Equatorial Guinea, and elsewhere.
Swahili ★
A Bantu language, with speakers in East Africa, Southern Africa, the African Great Lakes Region, and elsewhere.
Syriac
An ancient language, whose speakers inhabited Mesopotamia, Syria, Turkey, and elsewhere.
Turkish ★
A Turkic language, with speakers in Turkey, Cyprus, and elsewhere.
Twi ★
A Niger-Congo language, with speakers in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and elsewhere.
Urdu ★
An Indo-Aryan language, with speakers in Pakistan, India, and elsewhere.
Wolof
A Niger-Congo language, with speakers in Senegal, The Gambia, Mauritania, and elsewhere.
Yoruba ★
A Niger-Congo language, with speakers in Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and elsewhere.
