B.A. Foreign Language Requirement

FOREIGN LANGUAGE-12 semester hours required for Bachelor of Arts degrees (except Education and Regent’s BA)

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree (not including Education or RBA students) are required to complete 12 semester hours in the same foreign language, except music students whose requirements must be approved by the chairs of the Music and English and Modern Languages departments. Even if a chosen major does not require foreign language, SPAN/FREN/GERM 203 and 204 can be used to meet the Tier Two Humanities requirement in the Core Curriculum .

The foreign language requirement for the B.A. degree can be satisfied in any of the following ways:

1. By successfully passing the WebCAPE exam.
   • All students who have taken a year or more of Spanish, French or German prior to entering Shepherd should take the WebCAPE exam before registering for classes.  Correct placement in a language class can help students graduate earlier, save on tuition payments, and boost the resume with second language certification. Placement may also help students get a head start on a modern language major or minor and expand their study abroad opportunities.
   • Students may take the WebCAPE exam at any time after they are accepted to Shepherd University, before the beginning of each semester.
   • Students may only take the test before they have started language classes at Shepherd. A student may take the test in more than one language (i.e. Spanish, French, German) but may not take the test multiple times in any one language. In the event of a student taking the test in one language more than once, only the first score will count.
   • Students may not enroll at a lower level than that indicated by the WebCAPE exam. The exam is designed to place students in a class where they will not be bored, but rather will utilize the skills they have acquired and challenge them to learn new skills. Taking a course lower than the placement will affect eligibility for earning posted language credit.
   • Students who transfer college credit for language courses are not required to take the WebCAPE exam, provided there is evidence their work is comparable to that required at Shepherd University. However, transfer students must take the WebCAPE exam if course equivalency cannot be established.
   • Students who are native speakers of a language other than those taught by the Department of English and Modern Languages can receive a foreign language waiver if they can demonstrate speaking, listening, reading, and composition skills in that language. Students should contact the chair of the department to identify a faculty member on campus who can aid with the assessment of their skills. The chair will arrange the testing of the student and the notification of the appropriate individuals.
   • Posted Credit by Placement: Students can receive posted credit for a course which they place out of. To be eligible for the free posted credit, students must complete the WebCAPE exam before enrolling in a language class.  Students who successfully place into a course above 101 can receive up to nine (9) hours credit for the courses they have placed out of if they take and pass with a B or higher the next course in the sequence. Credit is awarded only in the semester in which the student takes the next course. To be eligible for the free posted credit, students must:
     • Complete the WebCAPE exam before enrolling in a language class.
     • Register for the next level of language class in the sequence.
     • Complete that course with a B or higher.
     • After achieving a grade of B or higher in the appropriate course in the first semester at Shepherd, students will receive credits (CR) on their transcripts for the appropriate course(s) passed by exam.  The department will notify the Registrar to post credit just after the student has 1) registered and 2) earned a grade of B or higher in the appropriate course.
2. By receiving Advanced Placement credit for foreign language examinations.A score of 3 or 4 on the Advanced Placement tests in French, German, or Spanish entitles a student to 3 hours credit in the same language, while a score of 5 entitles a student to 6 hours credit. No credit will be awarded for scores of 2 or 1.
    
3. By successfully completing CLEP tests in French, German, or Spanish. 
   
   For the university’s policy on Advanced Placement and CLEP tests, see the section titled Prior Learning Assessment and Transfer of Credit .