Students in the College of Arts and Sciences who are enrolled in the BA program must fulfill a language requirement by taking a two semester sequence in a single language. Students who have graduated from a foreign-language high school are exempted from the requirement. (Please note that this waiver is not automatic; you must present documentation to the chair of the World Languages and Cultural Studies department.) Placement for all other students can be determined in the following ways:

Foreign Language Placement

The best way to determine placement for continued study of a foreign language is to take the Department of World Languages and Cultural Studies placement test during orientation. The scores achieved on these tests will ensure that students enroll in the appropriate course level. In general, students who have recently completed two or three years of high school foreign language with grades of "B" or better continue their foreign language studies on the intermediate level.

Scores from examinations administered by the College Entrance Examination Board can also be used to assess students’ level of proficiency. To determine course placement on AP scores, consult with the humanities and modern languages department chair.

Note: Students are urged to fulfill the language requirement in their freshman year and to complete the required sequence without interruption. Since foreign language courses numbered 101, 102, 201, 202  and 203 require progressive skill levels; they may not be taken out of sequential order. For this reason, it is also highly recommended that students complete them within one academic year. 

Passing a CLEP examination in modern languages will not earn credit for language courses offered at Suffolk University. Furthermore, no CLEP credit for foreign languages may be transferred from other institutions.