The Department of World Languages and Literatures offers undergraduate major programs in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish; minor programs in the above languages and in American Sign Language, Italian, Persian, Turkish, and Classical Studies; and instruction in the above languages, as well as in Modern Hebrew, Italian, Korean, Latin, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, and Vietnamese. Other languages may be offered from time to time.
Admission requirements
Admission to the department is based on general admission to the University. See Admissions Requirements for more information.
Placement
Students with prior experience in French, German, or Spanish are required to take an online placement examination. You may access the test under “Advising” at www.pdx.edu/wll.
Students of American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, Modern Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Norwegian, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, or Swedish may contact the Department of World Languages and Literatures for placement advising.
Restrictions
The language sequences 101, 102, 103 (or 150, 151) and 201, 202, 203 must be taken in order. Students who have earned credit in a higher-level language course will not receive credit for any lower numbered course or the equivalent CLEP exam. This restriction also applies to transfer credits and Credit for Prior Learning.
Native speakers (defined as students whose formal secondary education was completed in the foreign language) may not register for first- through fourth-year language courses in their native language. They may register for courses that are taught in English.