College of Arts and Sciences

Undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences are required to complete intermediate-level proficiency in a foreign language, i.e., through the 204 level. Proficiency may be demonstrated by a obtaining a sufficient score on the Language Placement Test or by completing coursework through course number 204 in French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish. Non-native speakers of English are exempted from the College foreign language requirement. Please contact the College of Arts and Sciences for more information.

Bryan School of Business and Economics

Undergraduate students in the Bryan School must complete foreign language courses through the first level of intermediate proficiency (through the 203 level). The typical sequence of UNCG courses for foreign language is 101, 102, and 203. Students who achieve a sufficient score on the Language Placement Test may be exempted from the beginning or intermediate levels of language study. Students studying abroad may fulfill the foreign language requirement by taking any foreign language course in the host-country language, at any level. International Business Studies majors are required to take additional foreign language courses and should work closely with their advisor in selecting the appropriate sequence. Please contact the Bryan School for more information.

School of Health and Human Performance

Students in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders pursuing the Speech Pathology and Audiology major must complete 6 credit hours of foreign language study through the 102 level. Please contact the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders for more information.

School of Music

Students pursuing the Music Major (MUSI) must complete 6 credit hours of foreign language study, or the equivalent of 101 and 102. The Music Performance Major (PRFM) requires voice students to complete FRE 101, GER 101, and ITA 101. Students majoring in Music Education (MEDU) with a Choral/General Music Education concentration must complete either FRE 101 or GER 101. Please contact the School of Music for more information.

Language Placement Test

Students with one or more years of high school French or Spanish who wish to continue the study of that same language must take the Language Placement Test. Incoming transfer students returning to the study of French or Spanish begun in high school but not previously pursued at the college level must also take the test. The test is given in groups just before the beginning of each semester and is also available on an individual basis during the year in the Romance Languages Department. Students should call the department at (336) 334-5655 to schedule an appointment. Placement test scores will be valid for one year after the test is taken. Students with one or more years of high school Italian or Portuguese, or previous knowledge of the language, must contact the course instructor or departmental advisor before registering for courses in these languages.

Course level placements are determined as follows:

*A student who scores above the 204 placement level has two options: 

1. If the student is planning to continue in the language at the 300 level, he or she must consult the French or Spanish undergraduate advisor before registering for any other courses in the language. The advisor will interview the student in order to determine his or her placement at the 300 level or recommend courses at the intermediate level to reinforce the student's background in the language.
2. If the student does not plan to continue study in the language, the Department of Romance Languages will confirm the student's placement test scores with Student Academic Services, and the student will be considered as having met the foreign language requirement.

Basic Spanish Language Program

For information about the Basic Spanish Language Program, please download the following documents in PDF form:

Basic Spanish Language Program Overview
Oral Proficiency Guidelines
Writing Assignments Guidelines
Composition Grading Key

Modified Foreign Language Program in Spanish

At-risk students may qualify for the Modified Foreign Language Program in Spanish. Registration in the program requires written permission from the Department of Romance Languages. For further information, please visit our page on the Modified Foreign Language Program.

Foreign Language Appeal (College of Arts and Sciences)

The following reasons do not merit an appeal:

• Change of major from a professional school to the College of Arts and Sciences, or change within the College of Arts and Sciences from a BFA to a BA degree
• Concerns about grade point average (GPA)
• Dislike of the requirement
• Failure to plan adequately for graduation timeline, including interruptions of the foreign language sequence that make future foreign language success more difficult
• Failure to succeed in a single course
• Misunderstanding of degree requirements
• Differences in General Education requirements between the College of Arts and Sciences and previously-attended institutions
• Waivers or substitutions offered by previously-attended institutions

Please contact College of Arts and Sciences Advising at (336) 334-4361 for further information.