No CrossRef data available.
Article contents
Foreign Language Entrance and Degree Requirements
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 March 2021
Extract
Listed below, by areas, and then alphabetically by states and institutions, are all the institutions recognized as accredited and therefore fully described in the American Council on Education's American Universities and Colleges, 1952, excepting only institutions which do not offer the B.A. degree. All except those italicized have a foreign language requirement for the B.A. degree. Those starred require foreign languages for entrance.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- Copyright
- Copyright © Modern Language Association of America, 1953
References
∗ In 1913, forty years ago, approximately 11% (62 out of 306 institutions studied) of American collages and universities had no modern foreign language requiement for entrance. By 1922 the percentage had risen to 30% (153 out of 517 Institutions, studied). See Harry C. McKown, The Trend of College Entrance Requirements, 1913-1922, Bur. of Educ., Bull. No. 35 (1924), p. 73.
1 “Each student must take in college an advanced course in at least two languages other than English. A student who begins in college a foreign language other than Greek, must continue it through another year to receive credit for the first year” (Registrar).
2 “Bowdoin College is on the semester course, not the semester hour, basis. [Required for the B.A. degree is] completion of seven units of foreign languages (ancient or modern). A language unit is defined as an admission unit (usually one year of study of may be fulfilled by taking appropriate courses, or by passing a reading examination set by the College, or by attaining a satisfactory rating from the College Entrance Examination Board” (Registrar).
3 “At least 2 years” of high school foreign language (i.e., 2 units) are usually necessary for the student to pass satisfactorily the entrance placement exam and to begin work on the degree requirement (Registrar).
4 Entrance units must include 2 or more of Latin (Registrar).
5 “At least one year's study of foreign language or literature is required in college. All students must attain. in school and college courses combined, a command of one foreign language, ancient or modern, sufficient for study of its literature, and a basic knowledge of a second language, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, Russian, or Spanish. Three years of study in school, or a course in college with a prerequisite of 2 literature. Two years of study in school or one year in college meets the requirement of a basic knowledge of a language” (Catalogue).
6 For degree: The satisfactory completion of a foreign language through the intermediate level A student who elects to meet the language requirement in Modern Language must obtain a satisfactory grade in a reading test in the language studied“ (Registrar).
7 DM permitted, but “no student admitted with less than 2 units in 1 FL” (Director of Admissions).
8 “Foreign language study is recommended and normally taken. I answered as I did because we have no fixed requirements Each student's program is developed in accordance with his interests and aptitudes” (Registrar).
9 “For Sept. 1954 the entrance requirements will be: Three units in one language, or two units in each of two languages” (Dean).
10 18s required for degree if student elects not to take 6s in mathematics (Registrar).
11 For B.A. degree: “To satisfy this requirement, six hours must be taken in each of two languages. An elementary course in any language, while counting toward the degree, will not count toward the satisfaction of the group requirement except in the case of students who offer only Latin for entrance and continue that language in college” (Catalogue).
12 “Briefly, these new requirements [effective Fall 1953] are that each student, B.A. or B.S., take a minimum of two courses (some specified) in each of five fields (mathematics and physical sciences, English and classical civilization, foreign languages, social sciences, and physical education and ROTC) Students who do not take four years of ROTC are required to take an additional year course in each of two groups, exclusive of the fifth group, outside of the group including field of concentration. Since most students major in groups two or four, this would make necessary an additional year of either science or foreign language. Most will choose the latter. Also, a number of departments require one or two additional years of foreign language for concentrators” (Director of Admissions).
13 “The degree requirement is ”15 semester hours, minus high school units of ‘B’ or ‘A’ grade in the same language presented as the basic entrance requirement of 2 units, or in excess thereof. The quality of the work is most important in applying these units to the language requirement for the degree“ (Assistant Dean).
14 American International C, Dillard U, Middlebury C (Women), Mt St. Mary's C, Princeton U, St Paul Seminary, Shaw U, State C of Washington, U of Washington, Washington and Jefferson C, and Whittier C.
15 Among colleges classified as without foreign language entrance requirements. Byrn Mawr recommends 6 units of foreign language for admission, in view of its degree requirement of proficiency in I foreign languages Percentages of entering freshmen who offered 6 or more entrance units: 1949, 68.6%; 1950, 67.5%; 1951, 56.1%; 1952, 54.2%. In 1952 only 5 freshmen presented as few as 2 units; the average was 5.67 units. Columbia admits only 2 or 3 freshmen out of 600 without at least 2 yean of foreign language study. At Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences only 1 or 2 accepted applicants fail to present at least 2 units, and many present 5 units. Wellesley recommends 5 units, 3 in Latin or Greek, 2 in modern languages; 95% of accepted candidates for admission meet this recommendation.