Cultural Facts Language Preview Hear from our students Program Info
The Critical Languages Institute is a national training institute for less commonly taught languages, offering summer intensive courses and study-abroad programs around the world.
Every summer, CLI brings students from across the U.S. together to develop their linguistic and cultural competency rapidly and effectively through intensive immersion programs. Explore the tabs above to learn more about the Romanian course offerings at CLI.
CLI's program in Bucharest is developed jointly with the ASU Melikian Center for Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies and the Central European Cultural Collaborative. Our international partner in Bucharest, Romania is the Christian University Dimitrie Cantemir.
Dive into the Language
Population:
Spoken by over 25,000,000 people
Vibrant Celebrations:
Great Union Day (Ziua Marii Uniri): National holiday on December 1, marking the unification of Transylvania with Romania in 1918.
Easter (Paștele): The most important Orthodox Christian holiday, celebrated with red eggs, church services, and family gatherings.
Mărțișor (March 1): A spring festival where people exchange red-and-white trinkets as symbols of renewal and good luck.
The Romanian alphabet has:
31 letters
20 consonants
11 vowels
Savor the Flavors
Romanian cuisine reflects its history at the crossroads of different cultures, featuring hearty dishes like sarmale (cabbage rolls with meat), mămăligă (polenta, often served with sour cream and cheese), and cozonac (a sweet bread filled with nuts and poppy seeds).
Folk Music and Dance
Romanian folk music, known as "muzică populară," features distinctive instruments like the pan flute (nai), violin, and cymbalum (țambal). The călușari dance, performed by men wearing bells and colorful costumes, was traditionally believed to have healing powers and remains an important part of the Rusalii holiday.
Folklore
Romanian folklore is rich with tales of mythical creatures, such as strigoi (spirits of the dead) and zâne (fairies), which are woven into the fabric of rural life. Superstitions, like the belief that placing a piece of bread on the window sill can ward off evil spirits, continue to influence customs in many Romanian villages.
Language Preview
"Thank you very much"
Mulţumesc frumos
"Nice to meet you!"
Încântat de cunoștință.
"What's your name?"
Cum te numeşti?
Hear from our students
Location of Language
Romania is located in Southeastern Europe. It shares borders with Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary, and has a coastline along the Black Sea.
Program Information
Course Options
Students will solidify their command of Romanian and raise their listening, speaking, and communicative skills to the Intermediate Low level or better. Graduates will be able to interact in day-to-day life in Romania comfortably and to read texts on familiar topics with ease.
Dates: Bucharest: June 15 - August 7, 2026
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Bucharest, the capital of Romania, blends vibrant modern life with centuries-old history, offering students a dynamic cultural experience in the heart of Eastern Europe. Known as the “Little Paris of the East,” the city features stunning architecture, lively cafés, and a thriving arts scene.
Excursion and activity schedules vary year to year, but have included:
In Bucharest visits:
- the Romanian People's Palace built by Ceausescu and housing the Romanian Parliament
- the Presidential Palace/the Cotroceni Palace used as office and residence of the President of Romania
- the former Royal Palace that houses Romania's Art Museum
- the village museum with houses from all of Romania's regions Transylvania, Moldova, Banat, Oltenia, Dobrogea, etc.
In country visits:
- the Bran Castle --a medieval fortress castle
- the Peles Castle-- used by Romania's royal Hohenzollern family
- the medieval town of Brasov with its Black Church Gothic Cathedral in Transylvania
- the port city of Constanta at the Black Sea
- Museum of Archeology in Constanta with its Roman mosaic
Program Fee
The CLI Summer in Bucharest program fee of $8,000* covers:
160 hours of performance-based classroom instruction, 8 academic credits, 8 weeks housing in a hotel with breakfast, excursions and activities, pre-departure orientation, arrival orientation, local phone and SIM card, transportation to and from Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport
travel insurance,
It does not include:
cost of travel to Bucharest, lunch and dinner, personal expenses
*All prices and descriptions on this page are based on 2024 estimates and subject to change. Participants are responsible for checking current prices and details before signing billing, housing, or meal contracts.
Funding Options
Supported by the Melikian Center's endowment and by private donations, the Melikian Center Awards Program provides scholarships of up to $2,000 for superior applicants to study critical languages at CLI's domestic programs and up to $6,000 towards CLI's study abroad offerings.
This funding opportunity is open to all CLI applicants. High school, community college, and non-students are especially encouraged to apply.
An application for this funding is included in every CLI Language Program application.
The Melikian Center offers up to a $1,000 reduction of the published CLI program fee for qualified Pell Grant eligible students and non-students with an annual family income of $50,000 or less. This $1,000 reduction applies to online, online plus study-abroad, or study-abroad programs. Please note that a limited number of fee reductions are available; not all students who apply will receive a need-based fee reduction.
To qualify for this funding opportunity, please indicate your Pell Grant eligibility on your general CLI program application.
The State Department's Gilman Scholarship provides awards of up to $5,000 for students in financial need to study abroad, including in CLI overseas programs. Gilman applications require certification of the program by your institution's study-abroad office. If you apply for Gilman support, please contact [email protected] for assistance in getting the required information to your institution.
Gilman summer study applications are accepted from August to October and January to March. Students interested in this opportunity should apply for the early competition, if possible, since applicants to the later competition will not learn their award status until after the deadline to commit to CLI study. Please contact [email protected] for details on timing your Gilman application.
An external application is required to apply for this funding opportunity.
The Department of State's Title VIII program funds graduate students with U.S. citizenship to study less commonly taught languages.
Students who apply for an online-only program may receive up to $5,500. Students who apply for an online program with a 4-week abroad extension may receive up to $10,500. Students who apply for an 8-week study abroad program through CLI may receive up to $10,500.
Past CLI Title VIII fellows can be awarded the fellowship up to two more times, for a maximum of up to 3 fellowship awards, as long as they maintain their graduate student eligibility.
