Can I be exempt from the requirement? How can I get a waiver?

• No one is exempt from the language requirement and there are no waivers. You must meet the requirement (link to Meeting the Requirement) in one of six ways

How do I find out which level I should register for? Do I need to take a Placement Test?

• Contact the Office of Testing Services to determine your level of language placement. Some departments conduct their own testing. If the language you are interested in is not listed by the testing service, contact the department (link to Departments, programs, and units) that offers the language.

Can I receive credit if I place into 104 or out of the language requirement (retroactive credit)?

• A student who has placed into the 104 or higher level of a foreign language taught at UIC as the result of the UIC administered Placement Tests may receive academic profi­ciency credits for prerequisite courses.




• Placement into the 104 level provides four proficiency credit hours for the 103-level course that was not required of the student if the student completes the 104 course with a grade of B or higher. Placement into the final course in a heritage language sequence will provide four hours of credit for the prerequisite course if the student completes the course with a B or higher.




• Placement at the 200-level, i.e., student has satisfied the college foreign language requirement through Placement Testing, provides four proficiency credit hours for the 103-level course and four proficiency credit hours for the 104-level course if the student completes the 200-level course with a grade of B or higher. The same provision applies to heritage language course placement except that proficiency credit is awarded for the two previous prerequisite heritage courses.




• These credits are awarded only for courses taught at UIC and only on the basis of new student place ment tests results for those with no prior college-level foreign language credits. The credits may be applied only to the first language course taken.




• Proficiency credits appear as "P" on the transcript and are not calculated into the grade point average. Proficiency credit does not apply to placements based on AP, SAT, or IB scores for which credits are applied in a prescribed manner or to international students for their native language. CLEP credits are not accepted for foreign language courses.




• Students must initiate the request for the credits after the completion of the required course. See an Academic Advisor in the LAS Academic Advising Center for an application for retroactive credits.

The school I transferred from didn't have a language requirement. Do I still have to meet the UIC language requirement?

• All UIC students, who plan to complete a degree in LAS, must complete the college foreign language requirement.

What if I speak a language at home and that language is offered at UIC?

• UIC offers special courses in both in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese for students who already have a background in these languages

What if I speak a language at home that is not offered at UIC?

• You may be able to take a proficiency test to complete the language requirement. However, you must see an LAS advisor first. There is a fee attached to these tests. (Testing Service and NYU program)

Do I have to take all four semesters in one language? Can I take 101 in four different languages instead?

• It is not possible to complete the language requirement by enrolling in four different languages at the 101 level. The requirement is considered satisfied when a student has achieved language competency at the intermediate two level (equivalent to a language course numbered 104).

I have spoken another language at home all my life but I placed into 104. Do I really have to take it?

• Students must enroll, and successfully complete, the language sequence on the basis of Placement Test results. Competency is achieved once a student successfully completes a language course at the 104 level.

I took the AP test in a foreign language. Do I still have to take a language?

• Students will have satisfied the requirement if, on the basis of an Advanced Placement Test score, the student earns credit which is equivalent to that language at the intermediate II (104) level or higher. For more information consult Academic Standing: Credit by Examination.

I went to high school in another country where English is not the language of instruction. Do I have to take a language?

• To determine if the requirement has been fulfilled, meet with an LAS Academic Advisor and provide documentation (e.g., passport and high school transcript).

What if I have a disability that would affect my language study?

• Make an appointment with the Office of Disability Resources to discuss the appropriate ADA accommodations.