Language Requirement
Since its founding, the College has had a strong commitment to the teaching of foreign languages; competence in languages has traditionally been a sign of a well-educated person. Most of the world's population does not speak English. Learning a new language provides access to the cultural and intellectual heritage of another part of the world. Studying a second language enables students to study abroad and immerse themselves in another culture. The study of language also helps students gain a critical understanding of how language functions as a communication system. In this age of growing global interdependency, it is imperative that citizens be able to communicate with and adapt to people from other cultures. The College's language requirement is a preliminary step toward that goal.
The College requires 4th-term proficiency in a language other than English for a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. This requirement can be met in any language, even a language not offered in the LS&A curriculum. In meeting the language requirement, a student must earn a grade of "C-" or better to proceed to the next course in the language sequence.
The language requirement usually is met in one of three ways:
- Certified proficiency on a University of Michigan reading and/or listening test. Tests are administered regularly during the Orientation period for proficiency/placement in French, German, Hebrew, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. Tests in other languages must be arranged through the appropriate department office. On the basis of this test, you may be exempted from the Language Requirement, or you may be placed into a first-, second-, third-, or fourth-term course.
- Credit for a University of Michigan fourth-term language course with a grade of "C-" or better.
- Credit for a University of Michigan language course which presumes a fourth-term proficiency in a language (except for 305 and/or 306 in French, German, Italian, and Spanish, and Spanish 290/American Culture 224).
If you take language courses at the U-M in order to meet the language requirement, please note:
- If you have previous experience in a language you plan to continue, you must take a language placement test. If a test in your choice of language is not offered at Orientation, an advisor will help you choose the most likely placement and course for registration. Course adjustments can be made in the first two or three weeks of the term.
- You will not receive credit if you elect a language course below the U-M test placement level without written departmental permission.
- You may place into a course for which you have already earned AP credit. If you elect a course at the same or a lower level than that for which you have earned credit, you will lose that credit. If you decide to forfeit 4th-term transfer credit for the election of a lower level course, you also forfeit satisfaction of the language requirement by transfer credit.
- You are encouraged to continue a language already begun, but you may choose from thirty-seven languages offered by LS&A departments.
- The final course in a sequence used to satisfy the Language Requirement MAY NOT be elected on a Pass/Fail basis.
Students wishing to begin a language sequence in Winter Term should note that the first term course is offered only in the following languages: Latin, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Ojibwa. All other language sequences offer the first course in a sequence only in the Fall Term.
Your past preparation in a foreign language may make you eligible to earn some additional graduation credits simply by taking an advanced course. See the section on retroactive credit on page 25 for details. The "retroactive credit" system can be very complicated to understand so be sure to clarify this option with your academic advisor.