Language Requirement for Each School
Students in the Schools of Arts & Sciences, Nursing, and Wharton must fulfill the language requirement specific to their school’s policy.
- Arts & Sciences students have a 4-semester requirement.
- Wharton students entering Fall 2017 and later have a 2-semester requirement.
- Nursing students entering Fall 2023 and beyond have a 2-semester requirement. Nursing students entering before Fall 2023 have a 4-semester requirement.
- Engineering students who wish to enroll in a language class may use the online test for placement into the correct level.
- Students in dual degree programs should consult the requirements of both programs to determine which language requirement applies to them.
Placement Departmental Exams
- Incoming students who did not place out of the language requirement via the SAT II, AP, or IB HL exams should consult the information linked below to proceed with placement and/or exemption.
- Be aware that each language has a specific process. French and Italian require students in SAS and Engineering who have previous language experience to take an online language test to determine eligibility for the in-person exam.
- Detailed information can be found by following the appropriate links in the sections below.
- Wharton students are not eligible to take the online test and must sit for the in-person departmental exam for French, Italian, or German.
- After NSO, make-up exams are offered a few times a semester. Contact the Undergraduate Coordinator for more information.
Students in Arts & Sciences and Engineering
French and Italian
- Online placement exam registration details and instructions.
- For more information, see the French placement or Italian placement page.
- After NSO, make-up exams are offered a few times a semester. Contact the Undergraduate Coordinator for more information.
German
- The German exam is mandatory for all students new to the German program at Penn who had previous formal or informal instruction in German. Students who have received advanced scores in external credit exams (SAT II, AP, IB Higher Level), please refer to College website for registration policies. For questions, contact the Language Program Director for Germanic Studies, Claudia Baska Lynn.
Wharton and Nursing Students
NOTE: Nursing students entering before FALL 2023 have a 4-semester requirement while those entering Fall 2023 and beyond have a 2-semester requirement.
- General information on the foreign language requirement at Wharton can be found on the Wharton Foreign Language Requirement webpage.
- General information on the foreign language requirement of the Nursing School can be found on the Nursing Degree Requirements page.
French and Italian
- Wharton and Nursing students who did not place out of the 2-semester language requirement via the SAT II, AP, or IB HL exams are required to sit for the in-person departmental exam offered during NSO.
- After NSO, make-up exams are offered a few times a semester. Contact the Undergraduate Coordinator for more information.
- For information about placement and exemption, see the French placement page or the Italian placement page.
German
- The German exam is mandatory for all students new to the German program at Penn who had previous formal or informal instruction in German. Wharton students who have received advanced scores in external credit exams (SAT II, AP, IB Higher Level), please refer to Wharton website for registration policies. For questions, contact the Language Program Director for Germanic Studies, Claudia Baska Lynn.