Undergraduate Language Requirements

This requirement is for all undergraduate OSU students pursing their first bachelor's degree, and who graduate high school after 1997. Students who graduated from high school prior to 1997 do not have to complete the requirement.

All students receiving their first bachelor’s degree must meet the world language requirement, which may include American Sign Language (ASL) and Indigenous languages. The requirement may be met with an equivalent to two years of high school coursework or two courses (8 quarter credits) of college-level coursework with a C- or higher as certified by the Office of Admissions, School of Language, Culture, and Society, or Office of the Registrar. Completion of this requirement with college-level coursework requires that the courses be of the same language. There are additional ways to complete this requirement, including: biliteracy seals, approved proficiency examinations, approved study abroad experiences, and other individually approved options. These details are kept current on the Office of the Registrar website and in collaboration with the School of Language, Culture, and Society.

In recognition of equity issues and challenges in how students may meet this language requirement, we feel that a student’s immersion and experiences in cultures and communities whose primary language is not English has value and meets the mission and values of building globalized graduates. In order to integrate these valuable experiences, we find it necessary to expand the ways in which a student may meet this language requirement.

To satisfy the World Language Requirement students may:

1. Complete 2 college level language courses of the same language (ex.SPAN 111 & 112 or equivalent)
2. Complete a language placement assessment to test out of taking language courses.
3. Submit a World Language Requirement petition:
   • To submit your high school transcripts to show you have completed 2 years of language learning in higher school;
   • If you have met the requirement through any of the "Options for Completing World Language Requirement" below
   • If you are looking to waive this requirement through any other means

1. Two academic years of high school-level second language with combined course average grade of C- or better (can be one year of one language and one year of another)
   1. If the first course transcripted in high school is second-year foreign language or higher then proficiency in the first year of foreign language is presumed)
2. An average of C- or higher in the third year of high school-level second language
3. Completion of English as a Second Language (ESL) courses in high school
4. Completion of a State Seal of Biliteracy on the student’s high school diploma
5. Successful completion of TOEFL or IELTS examinations, representing that English is the student’s second language
6. Successful completion of any of the following tests with a satisfactory score as listed below:
   1. Score of 500 or higher on a SAT Foreign Language Subject Test
   2. Score of 2 or higher on an Advanced Placement Foreign Language Test
   3. Score of 4 or higher on an International Baccalaureate Standard Level Foreign Language Exam
   4. Score of 40 or higher on a CLEP Foreign Language Exam
   5. Military training at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) with a score of 0+ (memorized proficiency).
7. Two college quarters or semesters of the same college-level language with a combined course average grade of C- or better
   1. 2 courses equaling at least 8 credits (or equivalent transfer credit), of the same language, or the successful completion of the second course or higher in a course sequence (ex. Completion of SPAN 112 or higher)
   2. Students may complete their college level language courses at any regionally accredited institution.
8. Admissions into OSU from completion of any OSU Pathway program (ex. INTO OSU)
9. Completion of Academic Learning Services (ALS) courses 150, 151, 162, or 181
10. Successful completion of recognized proficiency test at the level of novice-high, per ACTFL proficiency standards, including but not limited to (Proficiency tests must align with ACTFL standards, CEFR standards, or other established world language proficiency standards as approved by the WLC program):
    1. Language testing services provided by the OSU World Languages and Cultures program.
    2. Proficiency tests administered by world language departments and/or testing centers at regionally accredited post-secondary institutions, e.g., Brigham Young Foreign Language Assessment (BYU Flats); 
    3. Proficiency tests administered by post-secondary institutions associated with OSU approved study abroad programs; 
    4. Proficiency tests administered through recognized world language institutes and/or regulatory bodies, e.g., Alliance Française, Goethe Institut, National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics, Real Academia de la Lengua, etc.
    5. Standards-based Measurement of Proficiency (STAMP) test
    6. American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI)
    7. ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI)
    8. ACE transcript of language training
11. Students with proficiency in languages for which no proficiency test is readily available, including Indigenous languages, should consult the WLC program to help them identify a speaker with advanced proficiency who can administer a test using a standardized form provided by the WLC program. Demonstrated proficiency in an Indigenous or Native American language can meet the world language requirement.
12. Military deployment where:
    1. The primary language of the country in which the student (or family member) was deployed was/is not English, and
    2. The student spent significant time with local community engagement, and
    3. The student (or family member) was deployed for a period of 6 or more months
13. Pre-approved study abroad experiences in a country where English is not the main language. This requires joint approval by OSU GO and WLC department.
14. Ability to demonstrate significant time abroad (minimum of 10 weeks, or one term) in countries whose primary language is other than English.
15. If you believe you meet the World Languages requirement through other means, submit a petition to the World Languages and Culture faculty.

All students working towards their first Bachelor of Arts degree shall have proficiency in a language other than English, which may include American Sign Language (ASL)and Indigenous Languages. Proficiency must be equivalent to that attained at the end of the second year of college level language with an average grade of C– or better as certified by the School of Language, Culture, and Society.

To satisfy the BA language requirement students may:

• Complete language courses through the end of the 2nd year (ex. complete SPAN 111-113 and 211-213 or equivalent
• Complete a language placement assessment to test out of taking language courses.
• Submit a BA Language Requirement petition:
  • To submit your AP or transfer course transcripts to show you have completed the equivalent to the 213 level course of any language.
  • If you have met the requirement through any of the "Options for Completing Bachlor of Arts Requirement" below
  • If you are looking to waive this requirement through any other means

High school language courses cannot be used to satisfy the BA language proficiency requirement. Only high school courses completed with AP credit may be used to satisfy this requirement. 

• AP or transfer credits determined to be equivalent to OSU’s 213 level of language with an average of C- or better (P grades are acceptable)
• Completion of the OSU Language Assessment with placement into the 3^rd year of a language other than English (ex. SPAN 311 course).

• For placement in languages not tested through OSU, students can complete one of the following and should submit final scores to the World Languages & Cultures advisor:
  • BYU Flats (Brigham Young University / Foreign Language Achievement Testing Service) - Cost is around $50 for the test (subject to change). Your proctor may also charge a fee. Schedule the exam and find a location that is convenient for you. Please note that when registering for this test, test site options and proctor information should be offered.
  • ACTFL OPi (American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages / Oral Proficiency Interview) - Cost is around $140 for the test (subject to change). Your proctor may also charge a fee. Schedule the exam and find a location that is convenient for you. Please note that when registering for this test, test site options and proctor information should be offered. ACTFL OPi or OPiC test score of “Intermediate-Low” or higher must be achieved to satisfy the 2^nd language requirement.
  • The above lists of proctors are not exhaustive and students may locate other external proctors, at places like libraries, testing centers, learning/tutoring centers, universities, faculty members, etc. Keep in mind that the proctoring site has to be willing to proctor the specific test that is needed, and the testing company needs to agree to the specific proctoring site.
  • Unacceptable proctors include (and are not limited to): Relatives and family members, friends, roommates, co-workers, supervisors, business associates, athletic coaches, anyone who does not have a professional email address (gmail, hotmail, yahoo, etc. are unacceptable).

• Completion of any state Seal of Biliteracy. Completion of a Seal of Biliteracy also places students into 3^rd year OSU language courses (ex. FR 311)
• For students admitted as international students, one of the following may be used:
  • TOEFL score of 80+ (TOEFL score is acceptable only for students whonon-native speakers of English)
  • IELTS score of 6.5+
  • Participation in an INTO OSU Pathway program where the student has progressed into the OSU curriculum, demonstrated by completion of ALS 150, 151, 162, or 182
• Students who completed (and graduated from) high school outside of the U.S., and the language of instruction at the school was not English, a high school transcript may be used as evidence of proficiency.
  • The transcript should indicate in some form that the language of instruction was not English. This may be best shown by submitting the original transcript and the translated version.
  • Note that most international baccalaureate schools are often taught in English, which would not meet this requirement.

Submit the Language Requirement Petition and indicate your transcripts are already submitted to OSU.

Please submit the Language Requirement Petition to have your MyDegrees requirement satisfied by your language placement test scores.

On the OSU placement test:
    •    placement into a 113 language class (or higher) marks off the World Language Requirement.
    •    placement into a 311 language class marks off the Bachelor of Arts Requirement.

Please contact the SLCS Advising team for support at [email protected]

Yes! Submit the Language Requirement Petition with supporting documentation to use your AP/IB/CLEP/Seal of Biliteracy to satisfy your requirement.

Yes.

Yes. However, if submitting your petition “late” students should be mindful that if it is determined you do not meet the language requirement, your graduation date may be delayed.

The quickest and easiest way to demonstrate your language skills is to complete the OSU language placement assessment. Students can also submit a Language Requirement Petition.