At the Department of Latvian and Baltic Studies at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Latvia, research is conducted in various areas of linguistics – contemporary and historical Latvian linguistics, general linguistics, Baltic linguistics, Latvian dialectology, language culture, and literary studies – including the history of Latvian literature, comparative literary studies, literary theory, as well as Latvian folklore studies and Baltic mythology. Special attention is devoted to grammar research, the study of Latvian post-exile literature, the national epic in an international context, Latgalian studies, among other topics.

The department offers a bachelor's degree program in "Latvian Studies" and a master's program in "Latvian Language, Literature and Cultural Studies." These programs pay particular attention to courses in digital humanities, while theoretical knowledge can be tested in practice – students especially enjoy fieldwork in folklore studies, as well as internships in various publishing houses. The master's program includes a double degree in Baltic linguistics in cooperation with Vilnius University in Lithuania. Faculty members of the department also participate in implementing the doctoral program “Language and Culture Studies.”

The mission of the department is to educate outstanding and modern-thinking students and to promote understanding in Latvia and internationally about issues and processes related to the Latvian language, literature, and national identity. The department regularly hosts a wide variety of international and local conferences and seminars. Two annual publications are issued – the periodical "Language: Meaning and Form" (indexed in SCOPUS and ERIH PLUS) and the journal "Baltic Philo-logy".

The department also houses a Lithuanian Studies Centre, which fosters student interest in Lithuanian language, literature, and culture, and collaborates with various universities in Lithuania. Additionally, the department maintains a Dialectology Archive.