jump to content sacramento state - leadership begins here
sac state home admissions about sac state giving a gift site index contact us
Student Affairs | General Education | Degrees Offered | Class Schedule | Registration | Graduation Requirements | Advising Information | Advising Sources | Referral Guide

Foreign Language Requirement

 

Can the Foreign Language requirement be met with courses from high school?

If you completed 3 years of one language or completed the 3rd year equivalent of one language with a "C-" grade or better, then your foreign language requirement will be met. Send official transcripts to the Office of Outreach, Admissions, and Records.

How does the "second-semester course in college" option work?

You can either take a two semester sequence of a language, of, if you have had a language before coming to Sac State, you can just take the second semester. Often, high school courses you have taken prepare you to complete the requirement with a single second-semester course. Second-semester language courses offered at Sac State are ARBC 1B, CHIN 1B, EDS 152 (Sign Language), FREN 1B, GERM 1B, GREK 1B, ITAL 1B, JAPN 1B, LATN 1B, PUNJ 1B, RUSS 1B, SPAN 1B, and 1C. SPAN 5A and 7, while considered third-semester courses, are also popular choices to complete the foreign language requirement.

I took 2 years of one language and one year of another in high school . . .

Unfortunately, this combination does not fulfill the requirement. Consider taking a second-semester foreign language course.

I took 2 years of Spanish and 2 years of French in high school . . .

We make an exception in your case and accept 2 years of one language and 2 years of another for the requirement, as long as you earned at least "C-" grades in the second year of both languages.

Do I have to take a placement test to get into language courses?

To determine the best course placement for you, consider taking the easily accessible online Language Placement Tests at http://www.csus.edu/fl/ available for Spanish and French courses.  In addition, a placement exam is given in the first class in all language courses above 1A.

Who should take Spanish 1C?

Spanish 1C, Intensive Beginning Spanish, is intended for students who had two years of Spanish in high school or two semesters in college, and need a complete review. Like SPAN 1B, SPAN 1C is considered a second-semester course.

Does American Sign Language (ASL) count?

Yes, you can use ASL courses to meet the foreign language requirement. The ASL courses Sac State offers are listed separately from foreign languages. They are EDS 151 and 152. (Note: these courses do not apply to the 9-unit upper division GE requirement.)

What are the grade requirements for the foreign language requirement?

You must earn at least a "C-" in the last course you use to fulfill the requirement.

Can I take a language test instead of a class?

Yes, the campus offers proficiency tests in Cantonese, French, German, and Spanish. If you want to be tested in a language other than these, go to the Foreign Language Department, Mariposa Hall 2051, (916) 278-6333, or http://www.csus.edu/fl/ to find a referral for testing in that language.

I'm already fluent in another language...

There are a few options related to this. You can pass a proficiency test in your first language (see above) or, if you attended a high school where the language of instruction was not English, provide a transcript from that high school to the Admissions counter in the Lassen Hall lobby.

Can I receive credit for taking the same language courses at Sac State that I took in high school?

Yes, even if you have passed one or more years of a language in high school you can take the beginning course in that language at Sac State and receive college credit.