CLAS Foreign Language Requirement

Foreign Language Requirement

In order to graduate from CLAS, students need to demonstrate college-level foreign language proficiency. You may already be proficient in a foreign language or you may need additional study to demonstrate proficiency.

Demonstrating Proficiency if You are Fluent

If you are fluent in a foreign language, you may have your skills evaluated by the appropriate department (e.g. Spanish department if you are fluent in Spanish). If the language is not taught at UF, you may contact Graduation Coordinator Linda O’Donnell to find out if an approved UF faculty member is available who is fluent in that language.

Once you are evaluated for proficiency, you must ask the faculty member to write a letter on letterhead stating your proficiency. Bring the letter to Linda O’Donnell in Room 105 of the Academic Advising Center to have your requirement waived.

Demonstrating Proficiency By Exam

You may demonstrate proficiency by exam if you meet one of the conditions listed below:

  • Earn a 3 or higher on an AP Foreign Language exam.*
  • Earn a 4 or higher on an IB Foreign Language B exam.*
  • Earn a score of 59 or higher on the CLEP French Language exam or a 63 or higher on the CLEP Spanish Language exam.
  • Earn an appropriate SATII score for Spanish, French, German, or Latin. (Please see the Office of the University Registrar for the minimum scores).

NOTE: Students must have taken AP, IB and CLEP exams before the end of their first term of enrollment at UF (Fall semester for those enrolled in summer).

*AP Foreign Language Literature exams and IB Language ab initio exams do not meet the language requirement. Students should take the SATII exam.

Demonstrating Proficiency via College-level Credit from Another Institution

You may demonstrate proficiency if you have successfully completed with a grade of C or better the final course in an 8-10 credit sequence from another institution, or an approved introductory sequence that prepares you for intermediate-level study in that language. If you studied the three-part Spanish sequence at Santa Fe College, we will only require the first two courses for the CLAS foreign language proficiency requirement.

Demonstrating Proficiency by Taking Coursework at UF

There are more than 30 languages offered at UF. If you successfully complete the coursework, you will demonstrate proficiency. Successful completion is defined as a minimum grade of C, or earning an “S” via the S/U option.

If you are interested in pursuing a language that you have previously studied in high school, please see Option A. If you decide to pursue a different language (one that you did not study in high school) please see Option B.

Option A—Previous/high-school background

  • Spanish—If you had any previous study of Spanish, you should visit the Spanish placement website to determine what class you should begin with. Successful completion SPN1131 or higher will fulfill the CLAS foreign language proficiency requirement.
  • Other languages—If you previously studied French, German, or Latin through the second year in grades 9-12, you will need to take an SATII exam to determine your placement. For other languanges, you may go to the department for placement information. The score that you earn, along with the number of years you have studied, will determine how many credits you will need to take to demonstrate proficiency.

Option B—No previous/high-school background

If you do not have any personal background in the language you’d like to pursue for proficiency and did not study the language in high school, you can demonstrate proficiency by successfully completing the beginning level sequence of that language. The sequence must be 8-10 credit hours total. Most languages (Example 1) are offered in a two-semester sequence, while some (Example 2) are taught in a three-semester sequence.

  • Example 1: Fall: FRE1130 – 5 credits; Spring: FRE1131 – 5 credits
  • Example 2: Fall: LAT1120 – 4 credits; Spring: LAT1121 – 3 credits; Fall: LAT1104 – 3 credits

Still have questions about the foreign language proficiency requirement? See our contact page to send an email.