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Foreign Language Requirement

Department of World Languages and Literature
Building 2S, Room 109
718.982.3700

All students enrolled in an Associate in Arts, Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Art, Communications, Dramatic Arts, or Music must demonstrate intermediate competency in a foreign language. The foreign language requirement can be satisfied by:

  • completing level 112, 114 and 213 of the same foreign language;
  • OR by taking a placement exam.

Fast Track to Language Proficiency

For students with prior knowledge of a language, we suggest the FAST TRACK to language proficiency. With the Fast Track, students may finish the language requirement more quickly, be exempt from foreign language, and/or enter more quickly into language minors and majors. The Fast Track placement exam is administered by the Modern Languages Media Center (Building 2S, Room 114). For more information, contact the Modern Languages Media Center at 718.982.3711 or the Department of World Languages and Literatures at 718.982.3700.

Click here for the schedule of the Fast Track placement exam.

Exemptions

Students can demonstrate proficiency in a language and be exempted from the 1st, 2nd or 3rd level of a foreign language by completing the placement test.  For example, students can be exempted from taking 112 by achieving a passing grade for level 112 on the placement test. Students in this category will only need to take the remaining two courses (114-213) to complete the language requirement.

Those students who achieve a passing grade for level 215 (4th level) and above on the placement test are automatically exempted from the language requirement.

PLEASE NOTE: EXEMPTION WILL NOT GRANT CREDITS TOWARDS THE DEGREE.

Students possessing a foreign high school degree from a non-English speaking country will receive an automatic exemption from the foreign language requirement.