Undergraduate Swahili Studies
Study Swahili language and culture to become a global professional.
"As a Foreign Service Officer, I use my language skills and experiences working in cross-cultural spaces to foster genuine relations between the U.S. and Africa region. I am deeply committed to reversing the historic underrepresentation of this region in American foreign policy."
Claire Sullivan (B.A. in International Studies '20)
Foreign Service Officer, US Department of State
Why Study Swahili?
Swahili—or Kiswahili to its speakers—is the most widely-used African language with over 140 million speakers and is considered a lingua franca of the African continent for its everyday use in media, commerce, education, and culture. As a Bantu language, Swahili emerged on the East African coast from a diverse history of trading and cultural exchange between Arabic nations, coastal Africans, and Europeans. Swahili is the official national language of Kenya and Tanzania, and is spoken in Uganda, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Comoro Islands, Malawi, east Zaire, southern Somalia, northern Mozambique, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Northern Zambia.
The study of Swahili is increasingly popular among informed, globalized citizens, and Swahili competency enriches studies in Africana studies, archeology, anthropology, international business, history, literature, politics, sociology, governmental work, diplomacy, NGOs, and information technology infrastructure. Indeed, a flourishing online tech-culture scene is emerging in Swahili, known as “Swahilihood.” African Americans refer to their annual cultural festival as Kwanzaa, which is derived from the Swahili word kwanza or 'first.'
Our Swahili Program
Department of Modern Languages offers Swahili courses at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels to fulfill a Swahili minor or a general education requirement.
The Swahili minor requires the completion of 15 hours of coursework at the 200 level and above. A maximum of 9 credits for the minor may be taken through an approved study abroad program.
Beyond the Classroom
Study Abroad
Students who receive a national Boren Scholarship are eligible to participate in the African Flagship Languages Initiative (AFLI) in Tanzania. The host institution is the MS-Training Centre for Development Cooperation based in Northern Tanzania, not far from Mt. Kilimanjaro. The AFLI-Swahili program is an intensive language and cultural immersion program with both US and overseas components.
Join Swahili Club & Weekly Swahili Conversation Group!
Swahili Alumni
"Before enrolling at the UM, I came across numerous news articles and political analyses referring to this era as "Africa’s Century." It struck me that while other countries were deepening their engagement with Africa, the United States seemed to be falling behind in its diplomatic efforts. With a natural interest in Africa, I decided to study this region. Initially, I enrolled in French classes because it was the only African regional language offered at the time. However, during my junior year, the university introduced Swahili for the first time. I immediately signed up as I believed it was important for me to learn a language indigenous to the region if I wanted to become an expert in it. Despite being a student who typically struggled with language learning, my amazing professors and fellow students made it easy and enjoyable. After one semester, I fell in love with the Swahili language."
Claire Sullivan
(B.A. in International Studies, Minor in French '20)
Outstanding Student Awards
| Year | Outstanding Swahili Language Students |
| 2024 | 100 Level: Julian Knott 200 Level: Darryl Bonds 200 Level: Jonah Gate |
| 2023 | 102 Level: Violet Jira 302 Level: Lisa Lyons |
| 2022 | 102 Level: Keely Annabel Meredith 302 Level: Grace Savannah Pipkin |
| 2021 | 102 Level: Tyrome Madkins 202 Level: Savannah Pipkin 302 Level: Matthew Travers |
| 2020 | 100 Level: Savannah Grace Pipkin 200 Level: Madison Leiann Carr 300 Level: Scott Wallace Chumley |
| 2019 | 100 Level: Lisa Maria Lyons 200 Level: William Nieman 300 Level: Hallie Paige Gillam |
| 2018 | |
| 2017 | |
| 2016 | Estelle Blair, Crissandra George, Jacklyn Snyder |