Language Requirements

Most major programs in the College of Liberal Arts will require the student to complete a world language requirement. This page provides additional information on how the requirement may be satisfied, available language courses and placement options.

Ways to satisfy the language requirement

Students must demonstrate proficiency in a world language other than English equal to a fourth-semester course level through one of the following options:

Completion of any level four language course (the “212” course in most cases) satisfies the language requirement. For most students, this will involve taking four semesters of instruction in a single language sequence. However, students with prior language exposure may pursue appropriate course placement—if a student places into a language sequence past the first level, they only need to take the number of courses necessary to reach and complete the level four course.

Language sequences offered at the University and their corresponding course information is listed below. For students with prior language exposure, course placement options are also described below.

Earning credit in a level four course automatically satisfies the language requirement, regardless of where a student begins the sequence. Note: There is no minimum grade necessary to advance to the next level in a sequence, nor is there a minimum grade required in the level four course to complete the language requirement.

Notes:

There are no minimum grade requirements or prerequisites (e.g. “C or higher”) in the language coursework.
Courses at different levels in a sequence cannot be taken concurrently. Students must successfully earn credit in a lower course to advance to the next course in the sequence, and will need a passing grade (i.e. any letter grade other than “F”) in the fourth level course to complete the language requirement.
Students with transfer credit in a world language not offered at UNR may still be able to use this coursework to satisfy the language requirement, if they successfully completed the final course of a two-year world language sequence at their previous institution. Speak with a College Advisor if this may apply to you.
Since language sequences can take up to two years to complete and some language courses are offered only once a year, students are highly encouraged to start working on the requirement right away (ideally in fall of their first year at the university). Students that wait until later to begin language coursework could put themselves in danger of delaying completion of the language requirement and potentially extend their graduation timeline.

Language courses offered

Students may automatically register in the first semester of any sequence (except Spanish; see placement section below). Students must meet prerequisites to enroll in higher levels unless other permission has been granted by the appropriate department.

For most language sequences other than French and Spanish, the level one and three courses are typically offered only in fall semesters, and the level two and four courses are typically offered only in spring semesters (see the for typically offered information). Therefore, students are advised to enroll in language coursework beginning in their first fall semester at the university and to remain continuously enrolled in language coursework each semester, to avoid delays in completing language requirements.

Course Level	Language Courses	Prerequisite
1	AM 145 - American Sign Language I (4 units)	None
2	AM 146 - American Sign Language II (4 units)	AM 145
3	AM 147 - American Sign Language III (3 units)	AM 146
4	AM 148 - American Sign Language IV (3 units)	AM 147

Course Level	Language Courses	Prerequisite
1	ARA 111 - First Year Arabic I (4 units)	None
2	ARA 112 - First Year Arabic II (4 units)	ARA 111
3	ARA 211 - Second Year Arabic I (3 units)	ARA 112
4	ARA 212 - Second Year Arabic II (3 units)	ARA 211

Course Level	Language Courses	Prerequisite
1	BASQ 101 - Elementary Basque I (4 units)	None
2	BASQ 102 - Elementary Basque II (4 units)	None
3	BASQ 203 - Second Year Basque I (3 units)	BASQ 102
4	BASQ 204 - Second Year Basque II (3 units)	BASQ 203

Course Level	Language Courses	Prerequisite
1	CHI 111 - First Year Chinese I (4 units)	None
2	CHI 112 - First Year Chinese II (4 units)	CHI 111
3	CHI 211 - Second Year Chinese I (3 units)	CHI 112
4	CHI 212 - Second Year Chinese II (3 units)	CHI 211

Course Level	Language Courses	Prerequisite
1	FREN 111 - First Year French I (4 units)	None
2	FREN 112 - First Year French II (4 units)	FREN 111 or CAPE score 150+
3	FREN 211 - Second Year French I (3 units)	FREN 112 or CAPE score 310+
4	FREN 212 - Second Year French II (3 units)	FREN 211 or CAPE score 345+ or SAT II French Subject score 600+

Course Level	Language Courses	Prerequisite
1	GER 111 - First Year German I (4 units)	None
2	GER 112 - First Year German II (4 units)	GER 111
3	GER 211 - Second Year German I (3 units)	GER 112
4	GER 212 - Second Year German II (3 units)	GER 211

Course Level	Language Courses	Prerequisite
1	ITAL 111 - First Year Italian I (4 units)	None
2	ITAL 112 - First Year Italian II (4 units)	ITAL 111
3	ITAL 211 - Second Year Italian I (3 units)	ITAL 112
4	ITAL 212 - Second Year Italian II (3 units)	ITAL 211

Course Level	Language Courses	Prerequisite
1	JPN 111 - First Year Japanese I (4 units)	None
2	JPN 112 - First Year Japanese II (4 units)	JPN 111
3	JPN 211 - Second Year Japanese I (3 units)	JPN 112
4	JPN 212 - Second Year Japanese II (3 units)	JPN 211

Course Level	Language Courses	Prerequisite
1	PAIT 111 - First Year Northern Paiute I (4 units)	None
2	PAIT 112 - First Year Northern Paiute II (4 units)	PAIT 111
3	PAIT 211 - Second Year Northern Paiute I (3 units)	PAIT 112
4	PAIT 212 - Second Year Northern Paiute II (3 units)	PAIT 211

Course Level	Language Courses	Prerequisite
1	SPAN 111 - First Year Spanish I (4 units)	CAPE score 0–178 OR Avant score of 1 (see also placement info below)
2	SPAN 112 - First Year Spanish II (4 units)	SPAN 111 OR CAPE score 179+ OR Avant score of 2
3	SPAN 211 - Second Year Spanish I (3 units)	SPAN 112 OR CAPE score 320+ OR Avant score of 3
4	SPAN 212 - Second Year Spanish II (3 units)	SPAN 211 OR CAPE score 347+ OR Avant score of 4 OR SAT II Spanish Subject score 600+

Course Level	Language Courses	Prerequisite
3	SPAN 226 - Spanish for Heritage Speakers I (3 units)	None
4	SPAN 227 - Spanish for Heritage Speakers II (3 units)	None

Course placement

French

Students wishing to take French for their language requirement should consult the Department of World Languages and Literatures’ French placement policy before enrolling.

The first course in the French sequence, FREN 111, is open for any student to enroll. However, taking the French Placement Test is highly encouraged for those students who have previously completed some French language instruction without earning college credit, as they may be able to place into a higher course level more reflective of their French language ability.

Spanish

Students wishing to take Spanish for their language requirement should consult the Department of World Languages and Literatures’ Spanish placement policy before enrolling.

Generally, most students wishing to pursue Spanish for the language requirement must take the Spanish Placement Test prior to enrolling in a course, unless they have met another course prerequisite. Students who have had no prior high school or college Spanish instruction may be permitted to enroll directly into SPAN 111 without taking the placement exam but will need to work with an advisor for verification and to obtain enrollment permission.

Spanish heritage speakers (individuals who attended high school in the United States and grew up speaking Spanish, typically without receiving formal Spanish instruction) wishing to pursue Spanish coursework for the language requirement may not enroll in SPAN 111–212 courses and should not take the placement test above. These students should instead complete the Spanish for Heritage Speakers track and should contact the Spanish heritage advisor to take a free heritage speaker placement test to determine placement into SPAN 226 or SPAN 227.

Other languages

For languages other than Spanish, students will automatically qualify to enroll in the first course of the sequence.

Students who wish to consider enrolling in a course beyond the first semester in the sequence should take into account their level of familiarity and comfort with all aspects of the language—speaking, listening and writing—as well as time passed since last formal language instruction. Keep in mind that each semester of a college language course at Nevada is roughly equivalent to one year of high school level language instruction, and course placement at the college level will typically take this standard into account—for example, a student who took two years of high school Japanese may potentially skip up to the first two semesters and be placed in the third level course, JPN 211.

Students with prior language instruction that wish to enroll in a course above level one for which they do not meet a stated prerequisite must contact the department offering the language for further placement assistance and enrollment permissions.

Questions

Course placement questions

Basque: Center for Basque Studies | Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center 307 (north entrance) | (775) 784-4854
All other languages: Department of World Languages and Literatures | Edmund J. Cain Hall 241 | (775) 784-6055

Questions about the language requirement

College of Liberal Arts Student Center | email: clalanguage@unr.edu | Lincoln Hall 314 | (775) 682-8745

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