The program runs from late August until mid-December, with a break in October. The program focuses on the study of language and civilization, with students taking Hindi language classes and a course in Indian and Rajasthani culture as well as completing individual research projects. Students are encouraged to participate in such programs so that they can experience first-hand the languages in their surrounding cultures. In 1998 intermediate Japanese and introductory Tamil were offered. The faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures are recognized scholars, researchers, and teachers with national and international reputations in their respective fields, dedicated to their fields and to teaching their students.
Faculty members are easily accessible for consultation outside of the classroom.
In order to provide as much individualized attention as possible to students new to the languages, they maintain a small student-teacher ratio in all of their courses. Last updated October 1999.