Foreign Language (FL)

What is the Foreign Language (FL) requirement, and how may I satisfy it?

• Most sophomores have satisfied the College of Letters and Science FL breadth requirement before coming to Berkeley:
  
  
  1. By completing at least three years of one foreign language in high school, with a minimum grade of C- during the final year; or
  2. With test scores.
     
     
• We urge you to complete FL during your first or second year, if at all possible. FL courses are time-consuming, and the longer you wait after the last time you studied a language, the more you may forget. To complete the requirement, you will need either to:
  
  
  1. Complete the second-semester level course in a FL here at Cal with a minimum letter grade of C-; or
  2. Complete an equivalent course at another college (check with www.assist.org); or
  3. Demonstrate sufficient ability in a FL by taking a proficiency exam, offered by some of the language departments at Cal (check with the department office to find out).

Frequently Asked Questions

Q - I took two years of French and two years of Spanish in high school. Have I satisfied FL?

A - No. However, with your background, you may be able to jump into either French 2 or Spanish 2, and if you earn at least a C- grade, you will complete FL.

Q - You recommend taking FL in my first year or two, but with all my pre-med courses and my major prereqs, this seems impossible! What else can I do?

A - You might consider taking an intensive foreign language course in the summer at Cal, or else at a community college (making sure in advance that you are taking a course we accept for FL). Otherwise you will need to fit it into you schedule in your junior or senior year.

Q - I hate foreign language and was terrible at it in high school. Is there any way out of this particular requirement?

A - Only if you have a diagnosed disability that prevents you from being able to learn a foreign language, in which case, you may be allowed to substitute some upper division courses in a foreign culture in order to satisfy the FL requirement, but this would require approval from the Dean.

Quantitative Reasoning

Seven-Course Breadth