Policies & Procedures
Course Enrollment and Credit Policies
Foreign Language Special Credit
Degree-seeking students can earn a maximum of two semesters of special credit for foreign language and this special credit is limited to two semesters of second-year study (the third and fourth semesters). The number of credits varies according to the language. To earn special credit, students must take the placement test offered by the appropriate department at IUB, complete a validating course on the IUB campus with a grade of C or higher, and apply for the special credit to be posted retroactively. If a student earns a grade of C- or below in the validating course, s/he will not earn special credit.
- To be eligible to earn foreign language special credit, students must take a validating language course which must be their first IUB course in that language. A transfer course may not be used as a validating course.
- If a student drops the validating language course, s/he can re-enroll and be eligible for special credit provided that s/he earns a grade of C or higher in the course. Grades are not given for special credit. Students are only awarded S/F grades.
- Students may not earn special credit in their native language.
- Students can earn special credit in more than one language as long as they meet the other requirements listed above and below to earn special credit.
- Students who have taken the AP, SAT II, or the IB exam must check with the respective language department to find out departmental policy regarding which exam has precedence in terms of placement in language classes. Policies regarding AP, SAT II, and IB credit are unrelated to those for IU special credit; so AP, SAT II, and IB credit remain unaffected by the College's special credit policy.
Special credit can be awarded for all third- and fourth-semester foreign language courses. The validating foreign language course:
- must be taught at IUB;
- can only be a fourth-semester language course or higher;
- must be the student's first course in that language at IUB;
- may only be completed once in an effort to earn special credit;
- and must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
Students interested in special credit in foreign language should complete their validating course as soon as they begin their studies at IUB.
