Art & Sciences students can fulfill the CAS Second Language Requirement in a number of ways. Please review the pathways flow-chart below well as the additional information for more detailed information on how:
- By completing courses through CAS (or Wheelock School of Education if American Sign Language), including some through Study Abroad.
- A score of 4 or 5 on an Advanced Placement foreign language exam or a score of 5, 6, or 7, on an Higher Level, International Baccalaureate exam.
- Scores on SAT II language exam of 560 or higher (These tests were discontinued by the College Board in January 2021. Students may submit scores from tests taken prior to this date in fulfillment of the requirement.)
- Bilingual proficiency evaluation
Language Placement Exam:
If you are planning on continuing in a language you have previously studied, you are required take a Language Placement Exam. Please note that a placement exam does not fulfill the requirement; see chart above. If you are starting a new-to-you language, you do not need to take a placement exam.
If you are continuing study in Arabic, Chinese, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, or Russian, please see instructions for the on-line placement tests here.
If you are continuing study in French, Italian, Portuguese, or Spanish, please see instructions for the online placement tests here.
If you are continuing study in Latin, Ancient Greek, or Modern Greek, please see instructions for placement tests here.
These are not the only languages we offer! In addition to the languages listed above, see below for more offerings.
Please check with the World Languages and Literatures, the Department of Romance Studies, the Department of Classical Studies, or the African Studies Department for other placement exam parameters.
Language Courses at BU
To register for a language course, please use the MyBU student portal register for the appropriate level. You can find languages offered and their course codes below:
| Language | College/Dept |
| American Sign Language | SED DE |
| Amharic | CAS LD |
| Arabic | CAS LY |
| Chinese | CAS LC |
| French | CAS LF |
| German | CAS LG |
| Greek-Ancient | CAS CL |
| Greek-Modern | CAS CG |
| Hebrew | CAS LH |
| Hindi-Urdu | CAS LN |
| Igbo | CAS LD |
| Italian | CAS LI |
| Japanese | CAS LJ |
| Korean | CAS LK |
| Latin | CAS CL |
| Persian (Farsi) | CAS LZ |
| Portuguese | CAS LP |
| Russian | CAS LR |
| Spanish | CAS LS |
| Swahili | CAS LE |
| Turkish | CAS LT |
| Akan Twi | CAS LW |
| Wolof | CAS LW |
| Xhosa | CAS LM |
| Zulu | CAS LD |
Proficiency Evaluation:
Students whose first language is not English may be eligible to take a language exam or meet the requirement by demonstrating appropriate fluency, as determined by the College. Typically students must have fluency in skills relevant to the comprehension and production of that particular language (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). Students can request proficiency evaluation by submitting the Request for Foreign Language Proficiency Evaluation form to CAS Language Advising no later than second semester of sophomore year. Note: students who were required to provide TOEFL, IELTS, or DET scores on file as part of their application to BU do not need further evaluation; the requirement will marked as complete.