All Bachelor of Arts programs require proficiency in a foreign language through the intermediate level.
What does this mean for you?
1. It depends on how much language you had in high school.
2. If you are required to take a placement exam, it depends on how you placed.
If you had no language in high school (or one year or less of a language), or want to start a new language at JMU,
it means you would need to start at the beginning of the language and take four semesters (or the equivalent) of that language.
You would enroll in the 101 class of a language, then take 102, 231 and 232.
But wait! For some languages (Arabic and French), you could also complete your requirement in one summer by taking 111 in Maymester and 212 in June. The 111 classes are the equivalent of 101 and 102 and the 212 classes are the equivalent of 231 and 232.
If you had two or more years of a language in high school and want to continue that language at JMU, it means you need to take a placement exam to see where you would start.
If you place into the 109 level, then you would need to take 109, 231 and 232 in a language. If you place into 231, then you would need to take 231 and 232.
But what if you place into the 300 level? You may be able to fulfill your 2-year B.A. language requirement without taking any classes. See the next section for details.
Satisfying Your Foreign Language Requirement with a Placement Exam
You can satisfy your two-year foreign language requirement for a B.A. program or a second language requirement for your Foreign Language major IF
1. You place into the 300 level of a language
AND
2. You confirm your placement.
To confirm the placement you will need to either enroll in and pass the 300 class
OR
retake the FLPE in the Language Resource Center (Keezell 103) to confirm your 300 placement.
If you would like to confirm your FLPE placement in the Language Resource Center, please contact Dr. Stephany Plecker pleckesg@jmu.edu beforehand so she can reassign the exam to you.
When you arrive at the Language Resource Center to retake your exam, be sure to tell the lab assistant on duty you are there to confirm your score. Then retake the exam and print out two copies of your results page. Give one to the lab assistant on duty.
If you go to confirm your placement and do not place into 300 again, you must take the class in which you placed and finish up to the 232 level to fulfill your B.A. requirement.
If you do place into 300 again in the Language Resource Center, then your two-year B.A. foreign language requirement will be waived. (However, you will not receive credits for the placement exam.)
