International Learning Community

To be successful in today’s world, cultural readiness is essential. The International Learning Community (ILC) offers students a variety of opportunities aimed at developing students into global leaders. The ILC living experience is ideal for students studying foreign languages, interested in world affairs, or visiting UW-Madison via an exchange program. In the ILC, residents will enhance their cross-cultural understanding and language proficiency by connecting with neighbors.

How to Join

Sign your University Residence Halls contract and submit your advance payment in My UW Housing
Select the International Learning Community as your top choice when you submit your hall preferences in My UW Housing
Prioritize learning communities over residence halls when you submit your hall preferences in My UW Housing
Receive your room assignment

What is awesome about living in the ILC is that I get to meet so many students interested in other languages and cultures. No matter what our differences are, I can always be certain that we can relate on that aspect.
Devin J., ILC Resident

Seminar

ILC residents celebrating their Spring Festival

General ILC Seminars: International Studies 110 | 1 Credit
Language Community Seminars: International Studies 210 | 1 Credit

ILC residents are able to take one-credit, non-graded seminars that bring faculty fellows and students together for one hour twice per month to explore and discuss a wide variety of international and cultural topics. These small discussion courses are held in classroom spaces in or near Adams Residence Hall. In many cases, faculty and students work together to plan discussions and activities. Previous discussions have been centered on films, religion, current affairs, dialects, art, and contemporary issues.

Community Goals

Meet peers from all over the world
Build knowledge about other cultures
Seek out and explore cultural values of widely divergent belief systems
Develop the knowledge and skills needed to become a global citizen

We have many students who choose to live with us who are planning to study abroad, returning from study abroad, or are wanting an international experience but unable to go abroad during their college careers.

Events & Activities

Each year, the ILC offers events and activities that allow residents to build relationships within their community, explore world cultures, study languages, connect with experts and scholars, travel outside of Madison, and have fun. Some of the ILC’s yearly Signature events include:

Opportunity to receive a $500 research award to work for an entire semester with UW-Madison faculty
Convocation
International Division events: study abroad, intern abroad information sessions
Community-wide celebrations of cultural events hosted by Language Communities
Roundtable Dinners (two times per month)
End of semester and end of year community socials
Winter shopping trips

Language Communities

The ILC supports language study by offering dedicated language programming in Arabic, Chinese, Korean, German, Japanese, Nordic (Danish, Norwegian, Swedish), Russian, and Spanish. These programs offer regular opportunities to speak the target languages in both social and classroom settings, making them ideal for students planning to study abroad, seeking to maintain their fluency after studying abroad, or for anyone simply looking to improve their language skills.

Learn More About Language Communities