Foreign Language Requirement

Day students seeking a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete successfully six semester hours of a single foreign language. AHE (Nationwide and Online) students may meet this requirement by successfully completing six semester hours of a single foreign language or six semester hours of Culture and Society coursework. A student may also satisfy this requirement as follows:

• By receiving a letter grade of C or higher in eight semesters of a high school foreign language (four semesters with a grade of C or higher will fulfill the first course in the language sequence.); or
• SAT II: Subject Test Foreign Language:
  • Test date before May 1995: score of at least 550;
  • Test date May 1995 or later: score of at least 590;
    or
• Advanced Placement Exam in a foreign language: three hours of foreign language 101 credit with a score of 3; six hours of foreign language 101 and 102 credit with a score of four or higher; or
• A CLEP score equal to or greater than the creditgranting language level 1 score as recommended by the American Council on Education; or
• Graduation from a high school where the native language is not English and one of the following: a minimum TOEFL score of 72 (internet-based); a minimum TOEFL score of 530 (paper-based), a minimum IELTS score of 6, or successful completion of the EAP program; or
• By completing six semester hours of American Sign Language at an accredited institution of higher education from which Columbia College accepts credit; or
• By completing the equivalent language courses via the Defense Language Institute per the American Council on Education recommendations; or
• By completing the equivalent language courses at an institution of higher education from which Columbia College accepts credit; or
• By completing the equivalent language courses non-traditionally via a program from which Columbia College accepts credit.