Foreign Language Requirement Overview

Who should take the SAT II foreign language exam?

If you have already completed your SAT II exams and did not take a foreign language exam, we strongly encourage you to do so. The last testing date will be the May/June test. If mitigating circumstances keep you from taking the test in May/June, you must take a foreign language placement test during Summer Orientation (only French, Spanish, Latin, Russian, and German will be offered in the summer). If you don't take an SAT II test and fail to attend Summer Orientation, placement tests will be offered on the Monday of Fall Orientation before classes start. However, you will have to make your best guess as to which language section you think you will place into and adjust your schedule once you receive the results of your placement exam.

NOTE: When a student has to guess as to the correct level and that guess then turns out to be incorrect when they take the exam during fall orientation, it may then be too late to be able to switch to the correct section.

ENTERING STUDENTS PLANNING TO CONTINUE THEIR STUDY OF SPANISH AT U.Va. MUST TAKE THE ONLINE PLACEMENT EXAM BEFORE JUNE 10.

Who should take the Summer Orientation Foreign Language Placement Exam?

ALL students in the College of Arts and Sciences must have a score from an SAT II test, the online placement test (French and Spanish only) or from the Summer Orientation Placement exam to enroll in a foreign language course. ONLY students who meet the following criteria are exempt from taking the foreign language placement test during Summer Orientation.

• Students who have a test score from an SAT II foreign language exam, or the online placement exam in Spanish.
• Students who have earned credit through the 202 level as a result of their AP test score.
• Students who plan to start a new language in college.

NOTE:

Students who receive a 4 in German are NOT exempt; they must enroll in GERM 202 to complete the requirement but they do not need to take the SAT II or the Orientation placement exam.

How do I take a test in a language not taught at U.Va.?

Students who wish to be tested for proficiency in foreign languages not taught at the University of Virginia need to take the NYU 16 point Foreign Language Proficiency Test. The exam fee is $335. Students who complete the exam and demonstrate proficiency at the second semester intermediate level will be exempt from their foreign language requirement in the College. No credit will be awarded for this exam. Scores will be considered for exemption only. For questions and information about registering, please contact Dean Christine Zunz (phone: 434-924-8873; e-mail: )

What are the requirements for transfer students?

In order to meet the foreign language requirement, transfer students must complete a sequence of courses through the Intermediate (202) level, or 212 level for Portuguese, or its equivalent. The language requirement may be satisfied with American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, or Urdu.

Students may also be tested in a language not taught at the University by obtaining a referral from Dean Papovich (their Association Dean).

Since the required sequence of courses here is 101, 102, 201, 202, any student who has completed the equivalent of four semesters of college level language study will have satisfied our requirement. For example, if you began your language at your previous school and studied it for four semesters, or if you were placed by virtue of test scores or high school performance in the intermediate level of a language and completed the final two semesters or final semester of your college's four semester sequence, or if you scored:

• 660 on an SAT II Subject Test in French;
• 650 on an SAT II Subject Test in German, Italian, Latin or Spanish;
• 700 on an SAT II Subject Test in Chinese, Japanese or Korean;
• 560 on an SAT II Subject Test in Hebrew

we shall consider your foreign language requirement complete. (Note: All of the above scores reflect re-centering.) We shall also consider your foreign language requirement complete if you have scored on the Advanced Placement tests a 3 in French, a 4 in Latin, or a 5 in Spanish or German. Qualifying scores on Higher Level IB examinations also will waive this requirement.

If you have not completed your foreign language requirement, you must begin to do so as soon as you arrive and continue with a foreign language every semester until the requirement is finished. Students who have credit for the equivalent of one semester of college work in a language typically enter the 102 level, those who have credit for the equivalent of two semesters of college work enter the 201 level, and those who have credit for the equivalent of three semesters of college work enter the 202 level.

How can I request credit for Advanced Placement Test Scores?

See the Advanced Placement Exam Credit webpage.

How can I request credit for International College-level Exams?

See the International College Level Exam Credit webpage.

What scores do I need on my SAT II Test to receive credit?

See the Foreign Language Placement Index webpage.

Who can I contact for Foreign Language Requirement Information?

See directory of Foreign Language Coordinators webpage.

What do I need to fulfill the Foreign Language Competency requirements?

See the Foreign Language Requirements on the Competency Requirements webpage.