LCTL CourseShare

The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTL) CourseShare Program allows students at BTAA member universities to enroll in LCTL courses offered at other Big Ten schools — without leaving their home campus.

Introduced in 2005 by Liberal Arts and Sciences Deans across the Big Ten, the program was created to expand access to specialized courses that may have low enrollment or are not available on every campus. In 2009, the program narrowed its focus to less commonly taught languages, using technology to connect students and instructors across universities in real time.

Since its launch, more than 1,500 LCTL courses have been shared through the program, serving over 5,500 students across Big Ten universities.

Program Highlights

Expands access to less commonly taught language instruction courses for students at BTAA member universities.
Open only to enrolled, degree-seeking students at BTAA institutions.
Students register through their home university, just like any other course.
Credits and grades apply directly to the student’s degree at their home institution.
No additional tuition or fees are paid to the hosting university.
Due to its focused mission, the program is limited to less commonly taught languages and is not open to other disciplines.

LCTL CourseShare by Campus

Visit your institution's page for campus-specific course information, enrollment steps for students, and course set-up guidelines for faculty, and then contact your university's BTAA LCTL CourseShare Coordinator.

University of Illinois	Indiana University	University of Iowa
University of Maryland	University of Michigan	Michigan State University
University of Minnesota	University of Nebraska–Lincoln Contact your Campus CourseShare Coordinator	Northwestern University Students \| Faculty
The Ohio State University	Pennsylvania State University	Purdue University Contact your Campus CourseShare Coordinator
Rutgers University–New Brunswick	University of Wisconsin–Madison Contact your Campus CourseShare Coordinator	University of Chicago

As of Spring 2026, UCLA, the University of Oregon, USC, and the University of Washington are not yet fully participating in BTAA LCTL CourseShare.

Big Ten Students interested in taking a LCTL CourseShare class should talk with their academic advisor to confirm the course fits their degree plan and then contact their university's BTAA LCTL CourseShare Coordinator to confirm eligibility and course availability.

BTAA Faculty who teach through LCTL CourseShare collaborate with colleagues across the Big Ten and reach students beyond their home campus. Those interested should contact their university's BTAA LCTL CourseShare Coordinator to confirm program guidelines and requirements.

For all other questions not related to requirements and eligibility, contact:

Laurel Rosch
Program Manager
Academic Programs Team
Big Ten Academic Alliance