Find out more about the Gen Ed foreign language requirement concerning: current student and prospective students, proficiency testing, study abroad and internships, non-native English speakers, and students with disabilities.
Students follow the Gen Ed program in effect for their catalog year. A student's catalog year is the academic year in which he or she matriculates at Binghamton University. For example, students matriculating in Summer 2008, Fall 2008, or Spring 2009 all fall under the 2008 catalog year and would follow the 2008-2009 Bulletin. If you are not sure of your catalog year, please contact your school advising office for assistance.
Foreign Language skills are ensured by requiring that students pass either a third-semester college-level course in one foreign language or a second-semester course in two foreign languages, or satisfactorily complete some other significant activity that requires second-level foreign language proficiency as a prerequisite, such as study abroad in a non-English environment or an internship serving people who can communicate only in a language other than English. Students may fulfill the foreign language requirement prior to enrolling in college either by completing four or more units of one high school foreign language with a course grade in the fourth unit (i.e., the unit beyond the Regents exam in NY Regents high schools) of 85 or better, or three units each of two high school languages with course grades in each third unit of 85 or better, by passing the AP examination (or its equivalent) with a score of 3 or better, or by demonstrating equivalent proficiency in some other fashion.
Exceptions:
Note: Students who have completed a fourth-level high school language with a passing grade or third-level high school language with a Regents score or (for students from non-Regents high schools only) a course grade of 85 are considered to have completed two semesters of a college-level language and can fulfill the requirement by completing either the third semester college-level course of that language or the second semester college level course of a second foreign language.
Foreign Language skills are ensured by requiring that students complete either a third-semester college-level course in one foreign language or a second-semester-level course in each of two foreign languages. This requirement may also be fulfilled in high school by demonstrating a level of proficiency equivalent to passing the corresponding Regents foreign language examination with a score of 85 or higher. Normally this examination is taken after three units of high school language study.
Exceptions:
Note: Students from Regents high schools who scored between 65 and 84 on the Foreign Language Regents exam or students from non-Regents high schools who received a grade of between 65 and 84 in the 3rd level of high school foreign language are considered to have completed two semesters of a college-level language and can take either the 3rd semester of that language or two semesters of a 2nd language.
Foreign Language skills are ensured by requiring that students complete either a third-semester college-level course in one foreign language or a second-semester-level course in each of two foreign languages. This requirement may also be fulfilled in high school by demonstrating a level of proficiency equivalent to passing the corresponding Regents foreign language exam with a score of 85 or higher. Normally this exam is taken after three years of high school language study.
Exceptions:
Note: Students from Regents high schools who scored between 65 and 84 on the Foreign Language Regents exam or students from non-Regents high schools who received a grade of between 65 and 84 in the 3rd level of high school foreign language are considered to have completed two semesters of a college-level language and can take either the 3rd semester of that language or two semesters of a 2nd language.
Students may only request to be proficiency tested in languages they did not study in high school. For more information, read the downloadable form Policies on Proficiency Testing (in Microsoft Word format). If you have any additional questions, contact your advisor for more information.
Beginning with the 2004 catalog year, students may fulfill the Foreign Language requirement by satisfactorily completing some other significant activity that requires second-level foreign language proficiency as a prerequisite, such as study abroad in a non-English environment or an internship serving people who can communicate only in a language other than English.
Non-native English speakers may fulfill the Foreign Language requirement by alternate means. For more information, read the downloadable form Policies on Proficiency Testing (in Microsoft Word format). If you have any additional questions, contact your advisor for more information.
Students with documented disabilities who feel their disabilities will impact their ability to learn a foreign language should contact the Office for Services for Students with Disabilities at ext. 7-2686 or 607-777-2686.
(Links to University Bulletin)
(Links to PDFs)
Designed & maintained by Liz Abate. Last updated November 20, 2009