- Is a foreign language course required for a degree in Engineering?
No. Engineering students are not required to study a foreign language, but knowledge of a second language is encouraged. Foreign language credits can apply towards your Intellectual Breadth or General Elective requirements. - Can I receive foreign language credit from AP/IB or the placement test?
Yes, you can receive foreign language credit for language study completed in high school! For AP/IB credit, please review the University’s AP/IB guidelines to see what credits your score corresponds to.As an Engineering student, you can also receive up to 8 Intellectual Breadth or General Elective credits for a foreign language based on your placement exam scores. All you will need to do is take the placement test for your language (each department administers its own test) and have the scores sent to CoE. Please note that you will only receive credit if you have credit for the language on your high school transcript!
- Do I need to take a language placement test in order to study a language?
If you have AP/IB credit, you will not need to take a placement exam unless you would like to. Refer to the AP/IB guidelines and meet with your advisor to figure out which course would be best for you to start in!If you do not have credit from AP/IB but would like to continue a language that you have studied in the past, a placement exam is the best option to figure out the best fit for you!
If you are starting a new language, you will not need to take a placement test! Meet with your academic advisor or contact the department of your intended language in order to determine which entry-level course would be best for you.
- I have heard of the online placement test and the in-person validation test for Spanish. Which one do I need to take?
If you are planning to study Spanish and would potentially like to start courses in your first semester, then please take the online placement test so that you can have your placement before orientation!If you are just hoping to receive credit for prior language study, you should not take the online placement test. Instead, wait to take the Spanish validation test in-person once you arrive on campus. If you take both tests and score higher on the validation test, you will only be awarded credit for your score on the online placement test.
