The College of Arts and Sciences entrance requirement is two courses at the 100 level in a foreign language. Students admitted to arts and sciences without this background will be required to complete these courses. The requirement may be met by examination or by successful completion of the course taken. (Two years of good high school work in a foreign language should enable a student to place out of the first 8 credit hours and into 200-level courses.) 

The B.A. degree requirement of foreign language may be fulfilled in the following ways:

• By completing satisfactorily 6 credit hours of course work (200 and 250) or the equivalent in a foreign language.
• By completing 3 credit hours of course work or the equivalent at the 200 level and two semesters of designated culture courses taught in English from the same language base.
  • These culture courses may be taken at any point during the student's program of study of a foreign language. 
  • The two semesters of culture courses taken in lieu of 250 will only be counted under Group II and cannot simultaneously be counted in any other Group distribution.
• By attaining, at any time, an achievement or placement test score sufficient for placement in courses at the first- semester third-year level in a foreign language.
• If a student places into the 250 level, she will need to complete that class and an additional 200 level or higher course by permission of department.

SPECIAL CREDIT AS A RESULT OF PLACEMENT TEST

Special credit can be awarded for up to a maximum of 8 credits.  The following is an explanation of how special credits are assigned:

• • If you test into S150 you will receive 4 special credits.
  • If you test into S200 or S250 you will receive 8 special credits. 

Proficiency Examinations

A student may complete the language requirement by taking a proficiency examination administered by the department concerned. Students with a background in a language other than those taught at IU Northwest may take an examination from the relevant department at IU Bloomington. Such examinations will be given after the student has petitioned the IU Bloomington department and received the consent of the department. See the section of this bulletin entitled "Credit by Examination" under "Academic Regulations and Policies" for details

Foreign Students

Students whose native language is not English may substitute demonstrated proficiency in their native language if it is offered for instruction at Indiana University. They may not, however, earn credit for any courses at the first- or second-year level in their native language.