The foreign language requirement may be satisfied only by (1) earning a passing grade in Course III of a foreign language sequence at USC or its equivalent elsewhere or (2) scoring on the placement examination at a level considered by the department as equivalent to the completion of Course III or (3) scoring on a national or statewide examination at a level set by the department and approved by the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Students who can supply proof of at least two years of full-time secondary schooling beyond the age of 14 taught in a foreign language may request exemption from the foreign language requirement. Click here to download the Request to Fulfill the Foreign Language Requirement Form.

All students earning degrees granted by or under the jurisdiction of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences or earning degrees in programs of other schools that require three semesters of foreign language who do not meet the criteria of (1) must take a placement examination to determine their level of language proficiency. Placement in elementary and intermediate foreign language courses is made by the appropriate placement examination. Transfer courses equivalent to a USC elementary or intermediate language course fulfill the prerequisite for the next course in the sequence, but students may be advised, although not required, to repeat without additional credit a semester or semesters of instruction if their skills are judged insufficient at the time of testing. It is strongly recommended that all students who as freshmen are enrolled in degree programs that have a language requirement fulfill that requirement by the time they have completed 64 units. All other students for whom it is a requirement should fulfill it before they have completed 96 units.

International students whose native language is not English are exempt from the foreign language requirement. Students with advanced skills in languages other than those taught at USC may request exemption from the foreign language requirement if (1) they can supply proof of at least two years of fulltime secondary schooling taught in a foreign language beyond the age of 14, [Click here to download petition.] or (2) if they can pass a competency exam testing for advanced language skills and administered at USC subject to the availability of suitable academic examiners; the competency exam will test proficiency in speaking, reading and writing skills. Students with documented learning disabilities or physical impairments inhibiting language acquisition may petition for substitution.

Students who studied a language in high school are strenuously advised to take the placement examination in that language at a time offered by the USC Testing Bureau.

Students can request an exception examination through the College Language Center. Download the form here. Complete the top portion and bring in person, with a photo-ID, to THH 309 for processing.

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