Language and Culture at the Lauder Institute
At the Lauder Institute, we believe that language is the gateway to cultural understanding. To become global business leaders, our students must be able to connect and communicate effectively with people in other regions of the world, in a variety of contexts. Our language and culture courses develop the language fluency and intercultural competencies that prepare students for careers of global leadership.
Eleven Languages
Dedicated faculty at the Lauder Institute teach 11 languages:
- Arabic
- Chinese (Mandarin)
- French
- German
- Hindi
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Spanish
Lauder seeks applicants who already speak at least one language other than English at the Advanced level. All applicants, including those who are heritage speakers of a language, participate in a language assessment interview, called an OPI, prior to admission. This interview helps faculty members to determine the number of language courses required for the individual student, as it varies based on proficiency level.
Students who do not enter with Superior-level proficiency in a language other than English develop proficiency through courses, tutorials, and a first year summer immersion that ground instruction in material relevant to MBA and JD candidates
For more information on language and testing, please review the options and requirements listed here.
Language Requirement for Graduation
In order to graduate, all Lauder students must demonstrate Superior-level proficiency, as determined by the OPI, in the language in which they were admitted. Students in each regional Program of Concentration need to achieve Superior-level proficiency in a language spoken in their region. Global Program students are already in compliance with this requirement, as they must demonstrate Superior-level proficiency in a language upon admission. Click through to the Language Requirement page for information on the language requirement for admission.
