Institute Launches New Languages for Professional Purposes Specializations

Building on the strength of the Institute’s signature content-based language programs, these new specializations offer students the opportunity to further develop their language skills in the context of their chosen professional fields. Studies have shown that a global workforce needs and rewards professionals who have engaged in serious and transformative language development.



The new Languages for Professional Purposes Specialization will be granted to Language Studies (LS) students who can demonstrate proficiency at the intermediate high level or above at the onset of the program and develop content knowledge and professional skills, within the LS curriculum. Specializations will be offered in the following languages:

• Arabic for Professional Purposes
• Chinese for Professional Purposes
• English for Professional Purposes
• French for Professional Purposes
• Japanese for Professional Purposes
• Russian for Professional Purposes
• Spanish for Professional Purposes 

“Content-based instruction in foreign languages at MIIS plays a pivotal role in the professional development of our students,” shares Language Studies Chair Pablo Oliva  “Our students’ and graduates’ ability to conduct field research in target languages, conduct professional interviews overseas while researching their papers, teach in foreign languages, and deliver polished professional presentations in their non-native languages is what makes MIIS distinctive in the field of higher education.”

Oliva adds that he hopes that the new specialization will attract more students with advanced foreign language skills to enroll in MIIS. “We look at this new exciting development as an important step toward strengthening MIIS brand and its global mission.”