USD: Languages and Literatures: Placement home new

LANGUAGE PLACEMENT AT USD

The Department of Languages and Literatures has in place a comprehensive Language Placement Policy especially designed to provide language students with the learning environment most suitable to their experience and skills and maximize the opportunities available to them for mastering the language they have chosen to study. In principle, every student wishing to enroll in any of the languages offered by the Department of Languages and Literatures is required to go through the placement process. The placement process is intended to assess the skills and experience of prospective language students. Based on the results of this assessment students are placed in the course level most appropriate for their progress in the study of the language they have chosen.

The placement process is mandatory for students who have studied the language in middle and/or high school, and also for native or near-native speakers who have not had formal training in the language.
Students who have never been exposed to the language they want to study will be identified as such through the placement process and will be directed to enroll in courses for absolute beginners. As an alternative, these students may obtain a Waiver of Placement and skip the placement process altogether.
Students who already have some college credit in the language they want to study need not go through the placement process and their entry course level at USD will be determined by the transfer status of their previous college courses. However, if they wish to enroll in a course level higher than that which would normally correspond to them, they must communicate this to the Director of Placement and initiate the placement process.
Students who have already satisfied the Core Curriculum requirement in language and wish to continue their studies in the language are automatically allowed to enroll in 202 language courses (last course in the lower division language sequence). If they wish to skip this course and enroll directly in Upper Division courses, they must communicate this to the Director of Placement and initiate the placement process.