Placement & Advanced Standing

Should you take a placement exam for Spanish courses?

¡Sí! All students are encouraged to take a placement exam to determine their readiness to take beginning, intermediate or advanced Spanish language courses. You will work closely with your Spanish adviser to ensure that you are challenged yet adequately prepared for each course.

Course Exemptions

Spanish majors may opt to place out of elementary or intermediate courses if they have past experience with the Spanish language. However, they must take SPA 301 and 302 as part of their major.

Students with an AP Spanish grade of 4 or 5 may earn 3 elective credits towards a major or minor in Spanish.

Students with a CLEP exam score of 50 or higher may also earn up to 3 credits towards a Spanish major or minor. CLEP credits cannot be counted towards the Global Studies requirement.

Click here for more information on course exemptions.

Students in the Masters of Education program seeking secondary certification in Spanish are ordinarily required to take SPA 301 and 302, as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. If they have taken the equivalent of SPA 301 as part of their undergraduate major, or feel they have satisfied that requirement through coursework at a university abroad, they are welcome to submit those transcripts for evaluation. They may also request to take a placement exam to determine if they meet the competencies in SPA 301. Successful completion of that placement exam will exempt them from taking SPA 301, but they will still be required to take SPA 302. No credits will be awarded as the result of the placement exam.

Students Unable to Take a Placement Exam

If you cannot take the placement exam, follow these guidelines when enrolling in courses.

1. Students who have had 4 years of successful Spanish study in high school should be placed in the 300 level.
2. Students who have had 3 years of successful Spanish study in high school should be placed in the 200 level.
3. Students who have had 2 years of successful Spanish study in high school should be placed in the 102 section.
4. Students who have had 1 year of successful Spanish study in high school should be placed in the 101 section.
5. Students who have not had any previous academic experience with Spanish must begin in the 101 section.