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Language Requirements for FAHSS

Language Requirement Options & Language Courses After Fall 2015

For students in FAHSS who have a language requirement (all BAs, except Economics and Education, and all BLAs entering Fall 2015 and after). Language requirement for students entering before Fall 2015, see below.

Declaring a Language Requirement Track

Students who are admitted beginning of fall 2015 must declare a language requirement track as soon as possible by completing an electronic form located at this link:

Students with a documented disability may choose the Language Substitution option to fulfill the language requirement.

For additional information, see American Sign Language Option.

World Languages Option (up to 12 credits may be needed)

  1. A student can satisfy this requirement by either successfully completing a level 4 language course (formerly Intermediate 2) or by demonstrating competency through the University placement exam– reaching an exiting competency of intermediate-mid level according to ACTFL. Courses are typically taken in the Department of World Languages and Cultures or through an accredited study abroad program that is recognized by our university.
    • To reach level 4 competency, a student may need to take course levels 1, 2, and 3 of the same language, necessitating a total of 12 credits (4 courses) in the same language. For example, a student takes Italian 1, 2, 3 and 4, with Italian 4 satisfying the requirement. Course levels 1, 2, and 3 are treated as “free electives” in the ARs and may not be used to satisfy the Breadth of Knowledge AH requirements in the Core Curriculum/GenEd.
    • Admission to a level 4 language course entails either achieving a required score on a Department of World Languages and Cultures placement exam (no course credits are awarded for placement) or successful completion of prerequisites (i.e. Italian 1 is the re-requisite for Italian 2, 2 for 3 and 3 for 4) within the respective language. For more information on the placement exam visit World Languages and Cultures website.
    • A student may transfer in language courses up through level 4 to satisfy this requirement.
    • A student may submit CLEP or AP exam scores in languages for which tests are offered. For information on languages and required scores, see undergraduate admissions policies.
    • A student who satisfies the FAHSS language requirement through coursework or by placing above level 4 on the placement exam in one language may use up to two courses from another World Language toward Breadth of Knowledge AH requirements in the Core Curriculum/GenEd. For example, if a student uses Portuguese 1, 2, 3, and 4 to satisfy the language requirement, the student may then take Cambodian 1 and 2 and count these classes toward the AH Breadth of Knowledge requirement.
  2. Students who have elected to minor in World Languages satisfy the FAHSS language requirement through coursework completed in the minor. They may use the 2 courses taken at the 3000 level as part of the minor to satisfy Breadth of Knowledge AH requirements in the Core Curriculum/GenEd.
  3. Students who have elected to major in World Languages satisfy the FAHSS language requirement through coursework completed in the major. They cannot count any language courses toward the Breadth of Knowledge requirement, because Breadth of Knowledge classes must come from outside the major.

World Ready Option (a total of 15 credits must be earned)

A student must take two sequential courses in a World Language offered at UMass Lowell (for example, French 1 and 2), and then takes 3 approved culture/history/literature/film courses related to that language but taught in English, offered in various departments in the College of FAHSS.

A student who elects the World Ready option and whose placement test score indicates level 2 readiness (placed out of level 1), will complete levels 2 and 3 in the language as well as the three culture/history/literature/film courses.

  • A student may not share courses used for the World Ready option with courses required in her or his major.
  • A student enrolled in a World Ready track may not use any language courses (levels 1-4) within their chosen track to satisfy an Arts and Humanities perspective (AH) requirement for the Core Curriculum Breadth of Knowledge.
  • A student may count one of the three culture/history/literature/film courses used in this option toward an AH or SS Breadth of Knowledge course in the Core Curriculum/GenEd or toward an interdisciplinary minor.
    • For example, a student who takes WLSP.3750 Spanish and Latin American Cinema (taught in English) as part of the World Ready option may elect to count it toward an AH Breadth of Knowledge course or toward the Film Studies minor, but not both.
  • A student who transfers in level 1 or levels 1 and 2 of a language for which the World Ready option is available may count those courses toward the requirement but must complete the remaining courses necessary to fulfill the requirement.

How to find World Ready approved courses on SiS

  1. Go to the class schedule page.
  2. At the bottom, click the tab called “FAHSS World Ready Language Requirement.”
  3. Select the language of your choice (the one you declared for your World Ready track).
  4. SiS displays courses approved for World Ready option in a given language track and offered for a given semester.

Language Requirements Before Fall 2015

Students enrolled in Bachelor of Arts programs in the social sciences and humanities (with the exception of Economics) are required to demonstrate intermediate level proficiency in a foreign language. Students with a documented disability may choose the Language Substitution option to fulfill the language requirement.

For information on test scores that may be applied to the foreign language requirement, please consult Advanced Placement Policies.