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The Foreign Language Requirement at Rutgers-Camden

A students' guide to the requirement, placement, and course selection
For questions that cannot be answered here, please contact the chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Dr. James Rushing.

If you began your studies at Rutgers-Camden before the Fall of 2003, click here.

Do I have to fulfill the foreign language requirement?
Are you planning to major in accounting, finance, management, marketing, nursing, pharmacy, engineering, or bio-med technology? If yes, click here.
All other majors require you to complete three credits in a foreign language course at the 102 (Elementary II) level or higher.

Frequently asked questions include the following.


Are there other requirements that can be fulfilled by taking courses in the foreign languages?
Yes, there are two other categories in the general requirements that can be met by foreign language department courses.
Why does foreign language study matter, anyway?
Studying a foreign language is a wonderfully enriching, mind broadening experience, and an important part of a general education. But for more concrete reasons, look at our country, and look at the world. Millions of Americans speak languages other than English, many millions more come from families that spoke another language not many generations ago. Issues of immigration and language policy are frequent topics of political debate. Studying another language, any other language, will help you understand the issues faced by Americans who speak languages other than English, will help you understand the immigrant experience, may help you understand your neighbor, your family, or yourself. And look at the world: America is less isolated (like it or not!) and the world is more interconnected than ever. Economic opportunities, economic threats, opportunities for international cooperation, and threats to our security are everywhere. Studying another language will help you understand all these things. Finally, studying a foreign language helps you understand the nature of language itself, one of the most essential aspects of our humanity.  
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Which language should I study?
There are several reasons for continuing to study a language that you have already begun studying in high school (or elsewhere).
  • You can fulfill your language requirement in one semester, whereas if you start a new language you will have to take two semesters.
  • You can advance much farther in your ability to actually use the language.
  • Studying at a slightly more advanced level can be much more rewarding, and actually a lot more fun, than starting over with the basics in a new language.
On the other hand, there can be reasons to start a new language. But many of the reasons that commonly motivate students to start a new language are not really good reasons.
  • You think it will be easier to start over at the beginning level, even though it means taking an extra semester. 
    • For most people, this is probably not true. If you had two or more years of a language in high school, even if you didn't do really well and you've forgotten a lot, you have learned a good many basic structures and vocabulary items. Why start all over with how to say your name and the words for "pen" and "chalkboard," when you could be building on what you know and moving on to much more interesting topics? TAKE THE PLACEMENT TEST, and see how you do. Chances are, it will confirm that you know more than you think and are ready for further study.
  • You took three years or more of a language in high school, but feel that you performed so poorly and learned so little that you are unqualified for anything beyond Elementary I, which you are not allowed to take for credit after taking three years in high school. So you feel you must start a new language.
    • You could be right, but you could be underestimating your abilities and overestimating the difficulty of the next level. TAKE THE PLACEMENT TEST, and see how you do. If you really do place into the beginning level, you will have to decide whether to take one semester for no credit and then continue the language, or to start a new language.
  • You are really interested in a different language for academic, personal, or future professional reasons. 
    • By all means go ahead and start a new language.
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Do I have to take a placement test?
If you have to fulfill the language requirement, and you are continuing in a language you took in high school, then YES, you must take a proficiency test, which will be used to place you at the appropriate level of study.
If you are not sure whether to continue your old language, the placement test can help you decide. Most likely, you will do better than you expect, which should give you confidence in your ability to perform at the level of your placement.

Follow this link for a series of simple questions will help you determine whether you need to take the placement test.


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How do I schedule a placement test?
Placement tests are administered by Undergraduate Admissions. Please follow this link to information on testing dates and registration. 

Why do we use a proficiency test for placement?
High school programs vary enormously in how much they cover and how well. A student who had four years at one school might be at the same level as a student who had two years at another school. Individuals also vary enormously in how much they learn from a given amount of study. Testing thus provides a much more precise and individualized placement than merely relying on how many years a student has studied the language.
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Are there restrictions on which courses I can take for credit?
Yes. If you took three years or more of a language in high school, you cannot receive credit for Elementary I (usually 101) in that language. If you took more than three years, you cannot get credit for Elementary II (usually 102). Shorthand: three years, no 101; four years, no 102. Most people will place higher. These rules are intended to prevent students who somehow fall through the cracks in the placement system from getting credit for courses that are far below their true level.
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My placement is "Intermediate." Isn't that a really advanced course? Won't it be really hard?
No! Many students appear to be inordinately fearful of Intermediate level courses. If that is your placement, then you should be ready for it, and you should do fine. In fact, Intermediate may be easier in some ways than Elementary, because so much of the grammar will be a review of points already learned in Elementary.
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What if I’m a transfer student?
In general, transfer students who completed a foreign language course at the Elementary II level or above at their previous institution will receive transfer credit for that course, which will fulfill the Camden foreign language requirement. Any problems or questions should be referred to the chair of the foreign languages department. Transfer students who have not completed the language requirement elsewhere should take the placement test and be placed just like freshmen (unless they've been out of high school for ten years).
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What if I’m a native speaker of a language other than English?
Students who identify themselves as native speakers of a language other than English are treated in the same way as everyone else under these guidelines:
if they wish to study their non-English native language (provided it is one we teach here), they must take the placement test and start at the appropriate level. If they wish to study a different language, they should be placed in the same way as any other student. They may not receive course credit by examination simply for speaking a language other than English.
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What if I took an Advanced Placement test in a foreign language?
Students who receive a score of 4 or 5 on the ETS Advanced Placement Exam in French, German, or Spanish receive 4 elective credits and begin language study at a more advanced level. The AP test does not fulfill the language requirement, it merely provides advanced placement, as the name suggests.
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What if I took my high school language classes ten years ago or more?
If you last studied a language ten or more years ago, you do not need to take a placement test, and you may take Elementary I (101) for credit.
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Other requirements involving the foreign languages department
  • Literature and Fine Arts
In category 4.b. of the general requirements, “Literature and Fine Arts,” you must take one course from either the English Department or the Foreign Languages Department, but not counting pure writing courses in English or pure language courses in Foreign Languages. This has to be a course in literature, culture, or film. Most of the courses taught in English in the foreign languages department, such as French Literature in English Translation, German Cinema in English Translation, Civilization of the Spanish Peoples, and so forth, will count here, as will advanced literature, film, and culture courses taught in the target languages.
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  • Diversity and Global Studies
The general requirements also include one course in Diversity or Global Studies. Courses acceptable here will be designated D or G in the catalog and the schedule of classes. At present, all Foreign Languages Department courses, except elementary level language courses, fulfill this requirement. Thus if you took, for example, Intermediate French/German/Spanish I to fulfill your language requirement, you could take Intermediate II to fulfill your Globalism requirement, and take your language abilities to a new level at the same time. All the courses taught in English in the foreign languages department will also fulfill this requirement.
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Fields with no true foreign language requirement
The business majors, along with nursing, pharmacy, engineering, and bio-med technology, have no foreign language requirement in the strict sense. You may, however, have other requirements that can or must be fulfilled through foreign language department courses, such as the humanities elective in nursing, or the “three credits from the offerings of the foreign language departments” in the School of Business.

Many students who do not have a true foreign language requirement in their field choose to take foreign literature, film, and culture courses taught in English. While these are excellent courses and can play an important role in your overall education, you shouldn’t take one because you assume it will be easier than a real foreign language course. Consider your own strengths and weaknesses. If you’re better at memorizing than at writing essays, for example, you may be better off in a language course. Courses taught in English often require a considerable amount of reading, and grading is likely to be based to a significant extent on your ability to write essays about literary or cultural questions. Many students are likely to have an easier time getting the grade they desire in a real foreign language course. Besides, there is something to be said for taking courses based on what you can gain by taking them rather than on what you can avoid by not taking them. Studying a foreign language, even if you don’t have to, can be an enormously rewarding experience, providing valuable insight into how other people live and a valuable tool for understanding the world and communicating with the people in it.
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The old (pre-03) general degree requirements and the foreign languages
General point
In August 2003, the general requirements for a Rutgers-Camden bachelor's degree changed in several ways. If you enrolled at Rutgers prior to that date you must choose whether to graduate under the old requirements or under the new requirements. The changes don't just involve the foreign languages, but also some other areas that might influence decisions as to which requirements to graduate under. Students should familiarize themselves with the complete set of new requirements (available at http://www.camden.rutgers.edu/RUCAM/facinfo/GenEdReq.html), compare them to the old requirements (http://www.rutgers.edu/catalogs/camden-ug/01-03/overview.pdf, p. 6), and consult their advisers if they are in any doubt as to which set of requirements they should plan to graduate under, or if they have any other questions about the requirements. Students in doubt about which foreign language courses to take should contact faculty in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.

Foreign language department courses under the old requirements
As far as foreign language department courses are concerned, under the old requirements, you have to take one course from the foreign languages department, plus a second course that is either from the foreign languages department or one of a short list of English department courses, including World Masterpieces II and a handful of writing courses. You could fulfill this requirement by taking courses like German Literature in English Translation, French Film in English Translation, Culture and Civilization of the Spanish Peoples, and so forth, as well as by taking actual courses in foreign languages.

Courses taught in English vs. foreign language courses
Students working under the old requirements often choose to take foreign literature, film, and culture courses taught in English. While these are excellent courses and can play an important role in your overall education, you shouldn’t take one because you assume it will be easier than a real foreign language course. Consider your own strengths and weaknesses. If you’re better at memorizing than at writing essays, for example, you may be better off in a language course. Courses taught in English often require a considerable amount of reading, and grading is likely to be based to a significant extent on your ability to write essays about literary or cultural questions. Many students are likely to have an easier time getting the grade they desire in a real foreign language course. Besides, there is something to be said for taking courses based on what you can gain by taking them rather than on what you can avoid by not taking them. Studying a foreign language, even if you don’t have to, can be an enormously rewarding experience, providing valuable insight into how other people live and a valuable tool for understanding the world and communicating with the people in it.
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Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Rutgers University   |   Armitage Hall, 311 N. 5th Street, Camden, NJ 08102   |   (856) 225-6136   |   forlangs@camden.rutgers.edu