Language Placement Guidelines and Credit Transfer

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Language Placement Guidelines and Credit Transfer

Transferring Credits

Are you transferring to Clark from a college or university in or outside the United States? Are you wondering how you might transfer your language credits?

Learn More About Transferring Credits

At Which Level Should You Start?

Use the charts below to determine which course level is a good starting point for you, depending on how many previous years of the language you’ve had.

Students with native or near-native fluency in a language cannot get credit for a lower-level course in that language. Native speakers should consult with the coordinator for the language to decide which upper-level course in their native language to take.

Our rule is that regular beginning courses (101-102) are closed to anyone who has had two years of that language. The University reviews high school transcripts to make sure you’re not over-qualified for a course. However, in Spanish, we do offer an intensive, one-semester beginning course that builds on the experience you’ve had in high school. Students in these intensive courses have studied the material in the past but may have forgotten much of it. Because their purpose is to refresh knowledge, these one-semester courses move at a faster pace than the two-semester beginning courses.

Check Your Language Level

Previous Years of Language Study	SPANISH
0-1	011
2	103 Intensive
3	105
4	106
5 + more	127** or above
Native and Heritage Speakers	Spanish 131 or above; consult program director.

Previous Years of Language Study	FRENCH	GERMAN
0-1	103	101-102*
2-3	105	103
4-5	106	See instructor
5 +	120/124** or above	See instructor
Native speakers	French 131 or above; consult program director.	Consult program director.

Previous Years of Language Study	JAPANESE	CHINESE	LATIN/GREEK
0-1	101-102*	101-102*	101-102*
1-2	Contact instructor	Contact instructor
2-3	103	103	103
3-4	104

Footnotes

*Students must complete two semesters to fulfill the LP.

** FREN 120/124 and SPAN 127 are designed for students with a strong high-school background or who have had an Advanced Placement (AP) class.

Students who wish to discuss or change their initial placement by moving up or down a level should go directly to the instructor of the course in which they wish to be placed, to get permission to enroll in that course. First-year students should not take literature courses unless they are completely confident about their mastery of the language. They should go directly to the instructor of the literature course to determine if they are qualified to take the course.

Students considering a minor or major in a language who are blocked from their chosen class should make an appointment with the coordinator of the language before classes begin.