The course of Oriental languages is a military educational institution of the Russian Empire for the training of officers with knowledge of oriental languages.
The course was opened in 1883 at the School of Oriental Languages of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . 5 people took the course annually. The term of study was 3 years. Students were taught Arabic, Turkish, Persian and Tatar languages, international and Muslim law. Subsequently, the course was subordinated to the Academy of the General Staff, and the number of students was increased to 10 people. At the end of 1890, two more scholarships for studying the Chinese language were opened at the school of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Urga , and one Cossack officer from the Omsk Military District was sent once every two years for a two-year study of the Chinese language in Gulja .
At the end of the course, graduates were required to serve in Asia for at least 4.5 years.