College Language Requirement

All students in the College must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language (ancient or modern) through the intermediate level. During New Student Orientation, proctored placement exams are offered in most languages. Students who place above the intermediate level on a language placement exam have fulfilled the foreign language requirement. Students who do not place above the intermediate level on a language placement exam must complete language coursework through the intermediate level in order to fulfill the requirement.

There are two language tracks, intensive and non-intensive. Some languages are offered only on the intensive track: Arabic, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, modern Greek, and Russian. Others (French, German, Spanish) are taught on both the intensive and non-intensive tracks. Languages taught on the intensive track require differing lengths of study to achieve intermediate mastery: students beginning French, German, Italian, modern Greek, Russian, or Spanish at Georgetown require one year of intensive study to complete the language requirement, whereas Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean  require two years of intensive study to complete the language requirement. Most languages taught on the non-intensive track require four semesters of study to reach the intermediate level and fulfill the language requirement.

The following courses are considered “exit courses” and complete the language requirement:

  • Ancient Greek: CLSG-1511
  • Arabic: ARAB-1112
  • Chinese: CHIN-1512
  • French: FREN-1502 or FREN-1511
  • German: GERM-1502 or GERM-1511
  • Hebrew: HEBR-2002
  • Italian: ITAL-1511
  • Japanese: JAPN-1512
  • Korean: KREN-1523
  • Latin: CLSL-1511
  • Modern Greek: GREE-1512
  • Persian: PERS-1502
  • Polish: PLSH-1502
  • Portuguese: PORT-1500
  • Russian: RUSS-1012
  • Spanish: SPAN-1522 or SPAN-1532
  • Turkish: TURK-1502

Students are strongly encouraged to begin language coursework as early as possible and to complete the language requirement no later than the end of their sophomore year.

Please note that the Undergraduate Bulletin for the academic year in which the student matriculated is the ultimate authority on all degree requirements.

The bulletin for the current academic year.

Archived bulletins for previous academic years.

Please see below for the list of the contact person for each department or program:

Arabic/Islamic Studies: Elliott Colla
Classics: Cathy Keesling
Chinese: Fei Ren
French: Joe Johnson
German: Peter Pfeiffer
Greek (Modern): Ismini Lamb
Hebrew: Meital Orr
Italian: Laura Benedetti
Japanese: Yoshiko Mori
Korean: Min Koo Choi
Persian: Farima Mostowfi
Polish: Iwona Sadowska
Portuguese: Alejandro Yarza
Russian: George Mihaychuk
Spanish: Alejandro Yarza
Turkish: Sylvia Önder
Ukrainian: George Mihaychuk