Less Commonly Taught Languages 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.

Participating BTAA Universities

(Each institution links to its local LCTL CourseShare program page):

• University of Chicago
• University of Illinois
• Indiana University
• University of Iowa
• University of Maryland
• University of Michigan
• Michigan State University
• University of Minnesota
• University of Nebraska–Lincoln
• Northwestern University — For students | For faculty
• The Ohio State University
• Pennsylvania State University
• Purdue University
• Rutgers University–New Brunswick
• University of Wisconsin–Madison

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

For Students

Students interested in taking an LCTL CourseShare class should:

1. Talk with their academic advisor to confirm the course fits their degree plan.
2. Contact their campus’s BTAA LCTL CourseShare Coordinator to confirm eligibility and course availability.

For Faculty

Faculty who teach through LCTL CourseShare can:

• Collaborate with colleagues across the Big Ten.
• Reach students beyond their home campus.
• Use innovative classroom technologies.
• Help sustain specialized language courses that might otherwise be cancelled.

BTAA faculty interested in offering a course should contact their campus’s BTAA LCTL CourseShare Coordinator to confirm program guidelines and requirements.