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The following procedures have been established by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures for placement in foreign language courses:
- Students who have never studied French, German or Spanish, do not have to take the WebCAPE Placement Examination. They should register for a 1001: Elementary Language course.
- Students who have earned high school credit in French, German, or Spanish, and who plan to continue with the study of that language must take the WebCAPE Placement Examination to determine placement in the appropriate course. After taking the WebCAPE Exam, refer to the WebCAPE Placement Table for more information on your course placement.
- Students who place in Spanish 1001, but have studied two or more years of the language at the high school level, must register for the 1003: Intensive Elementary course if they plan to continue study in that language. The SPAN 1001: Elementary is limited to new language learners or those who have studied the language less than two years.
- Students who plan to study Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Classical Greek, Latin, or Italian, must complete the Foreign Language Survey Placement Survey. Students who have completed 2 years or less of the language in high school and who plan to continue with the study of that language should register for a 1001: Elementary Language course. Students with three years or more of high school study should register for a 2001: Intermediate Language course. Students should consult with the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures if they have any questions regarding the placement in these levels.
- Students who are native or near-native speakers of Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish are not eligible to register in the elementary or intermediate levels of their native language for credit. Registration in these courses may result in no credit being awarded for the course. Students should consult with the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures regarding the appropriate level for which to register.
- Students who are native or near-native speakers of French, German or Spanish, and who plan to continue advanced study of that language must first take the WebCAPE Placement Exam in that language to determine the level of proficiency. After taking the exam, students must consult with the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures before registering for an advanced foreign language course. Native speakers of other languages should consult with the records office in their college regarding possible exemption from the foreign language requirement.
- Students who have spent six weeks or more studying in a French, German or Spanish speaking country must take the WebCAPE Placement Examination, and consult with the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures before registering for a foreign language course.
- Students who have college credit for a foreign language course from another university (including CAPP courses in high school) must have their transcripts sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and should consult with the Registrar and their College office regarding the transfer of foreign language credit, and the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures before registering for a foreign language course. Students with college credit should not take the WebCAPE Placement Examination since placement will determined by the college credit transferred. In most cases you will receive 3 credits for a 2001 intermediate level 1 language course and would need to register for a 2002 intermediate level 2 course, or you would receive 3 credits for a 2002 intermediate level 2 language course and would register for a 3001 level course. This may differ based on the CAPP course or university. Retro active credits do not transfer to Marquette University.
- Students who have taken the Advanced Placement Exam or the International Baccalaureate Exam and have received credit for a course in a foreign language or literature should refer to the recommendations below for the appropriate course for which to register.
Placement exam and credit information
International Baccalaureate exam and credit information
Placement Credit in Foreign Languages
Students who enter Marquette University who have studied or have had previous exposure to French, German, Classical Greek, Italian, Latin, or Spanish, and who plan to continue the study of that language must follow the placement procedures established by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. They may be eligible to apply for three to six hours of special placement credit dependent upon the level in which they are placed, and the completion of that course with a grade of B or better (plus earn credit for the course in which they are enrolled). For example: if a student places in 2003: Intensive Intermediate in French, German, or Spanish, and completes the course with a grade of B or better, he or she may be eligible to apply for three hours of special placement credit (plus earn four credits for course 2003).
If a student places in 3001 in French, German, or Spanish, and completes the course with a grade of B or better, he or she may be eligible to apply for six hours of special placement credit (plus earn three credits for the course in which the student is enrolled). The grade awarded for the special placement credit will be an S (Satisfactory) which will be noted on the student’s transcript.
These credits will only count toward the total hours needed for graduation from Marquette, and cannot be used toward the completion of a major or minor in the language. Such special placement credit is not automatic. It is the student’s responsibility to complete an Application for Placement Credit in Foreign Languages form in his or her first college-level language course at Marquette. If the student is awarded the special placement credits, they will be noted on his or her transcript at the end of the semester after the course was completed.
Eligibility Requirements for Special Placement Credit:
- The student must have earned the high school credits for the language in question from a U.S. high school;
- The student may not be a native speaker or equivalent of the language, nor have resided in a country where the language is spoken for more than six months;
- The student may not have college credit in the language (including Advanced Placement (AP) credit, credit by examination, or transfer credit from another institution) and;
- The student may not have previously audited a college course in the language or enrolled in, and then withdrew from, a course in the language after the third week of the term.
