Foreign Language Requirements

This information is designed to be a guideline for you. Please refer to the institution's catalog or contact individual institutions for specific information. Transfer equivalency guides can help you transfer more effectively.

Central Washington University

Entrance: Students with fewer than 40 credits must complete the foreign language requirement which is satisfied by one year of a single foreign language at the college-level (through 123) or two years of a single foreign language at the high school. Students with 40 credits or more or an AA or AS (DTA) are not held to the foreign language requirement for admissions.

Graduation: All students seeking the Bachelor of Arts Degree must complete one year (through 123) of college-level foreign language prior to graduation from CWU. Students who transfer to CWU with a DTA and pursue a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Fine Arts or Bachelor of Arts in Education degrees do not have to meet the foreign language requirement.

Eastern Washington University

Entrance: Transfer students with 40 college credits or more at time of matriculation do not need to meet the foreign language requirement as an entrance requirement. Transfer students with fewer than 40 college credits at the time of matriculation must meet the same foreign language requirement that pertain to high school students; either 2 years in high school or one year in college/through 123.

Graduation: Foreign language is an exit requirement for all Bachelor of Arts degrees except: BA Business, BA Education and Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA). Foreign language is not a requirement for any BS degree.

The Evergreen State College

Transfer students who have completed the AA or AS are not required to take any foreign language. If they are transferring with fewer than 40 transferable credits, however, they must have completed two years of foreign language in high school, or through 122 at college-level.

Pacific Lutheran University

Entrance: Two years of one foreign language in high school with an average grade of C or higher, or one year at the college level (through 123), or demonstrated equivalent proficiency. Students who have not satisfied this requirement may still be admitted to the university but they may not graduate without completing the foreign language requirements as an additional degree requirement. Student is strongly encouraged to connect with an academic/admissions adviser.

Graduation: In addition to meeting the entrance requirement in foreign language students in the College of Arts and Sciences must meet additional foreign language requirements. Please contact advisor for requirements.

Seattle Pacific University

Students must have three years of a single foreign language in high school or a full year in college (through 123) will be required for graduation. Students who enter SPU with an AA do not need to satisfy the foreign language requirement.

Seattle University

Entrance: Transfer students with 45 college credits or more, do not need to meet the foreign language requirement as an entrance requirement. Transfer students with fewer than 45 college credits must have two years of high school foreign language or two college quarters (must be the same foreign language).

Graduation: The College of Arts and Sciences requires one-year proficiency or foreign language through 123 in order to graduate.

University of Puget Sound

Entrance: No foreign language requirement for admissions

Graduation: For graduation from Puget Sound, a student must satisfy the Foreign Language Graduation Requirement by at least one of the following:

• Successfully completing two semesters of a foreign language at the 121-123 college level, or one semester of a foreign language at the 200 level or above (Courses taken pass/fail will not fulfill the Foreign Language graduation requirement.);
• Passing a Puget Sound-approved foreign language proficiency exam at the third-year high school or first-year college level;
• Receiving a score of 4 or 5 on an Advanced Placement foreign language exam or a score of 5, 6, or 7 on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level foreign language exam;
• Qualifying for a waiver on the grounds of a documented learning disability that affects the ability to process language.

University of Washington (Seattle)

Entrance: Minimum Admission Requirement: Two years of a single foreign language (including ASL) in high school or two quarters in college. Student have the option to take a test to fulfill the requirement. Please contact the Office of Educational Assessment at the University of Washington for this option. 
Recommended for Transfer, and to the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Social Work: a third quarter of college-level foreign language 123, with a minimum GPA of 2.0.

Graduation: for Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Social Work, students need to show additional proficiency in foreign language to graduate. Please review the following options:

• Complete the third quarter of college course work in a foreign language with a grade of 2.0 or higher at UW
• Transfer college course work, with a grade of 2.0 or higher, equivalent to the third quarter of foreign language at UW
• Pass a UW placement test that qualifies for entrance into the fourth quarter or higher, of a UW foreign language course
• Pass a UW proficiency test in a foreign language
• Meet the UW definition of a native speaker of a language other than English
• Complete the third high school-level year of a foreign language

The Colleges of Architecture, Business Administration, Engineering, Forest Resources, Nursing, Fisheries, Sciences, and Public Health do not require a third year.

University of Washington Tacoma

Entrance: Two years of a single foreign language in high school or two quarters in college. With the exception of students planning to transfer into International Business. Students may be deficient in this requirement and still be admitted to the university. However, they must fulfill the foreign language requirement prior to graduation. Applicants for the International Business Option must take 10 credits of foreign language or have had two years of foreign language in high school prior to admission.

Graduation: for the International Business Concentration within Business Administration, a third quarter of college-level (103) foreign language is required otherwise no further foreign language is required.

Washington State University

Entrance: transfer students are not required to have a foreign language completed to be admitted. However, some departments do require a foreign language before becoming eligible to graduate or certify into the program.  

Graduation: for programs in the College of Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts, students must meet the stated graduation requirement regardless of freshman or transfer status. The Colleges of Engineering, Architecture, Business and Economics (except International Business), Nursing and Pharmacy do not require a foreign language as a graduation requirement.

Western Washington University

Entrance: two years of a single world language in high school or two quarters in college is required for all freshmen and for transfer students with fewer than 45 transferable credits.

Graduation: foreign language is not required for graduation.