L&S Language Requirement

Guidelines for the L&S Language Requirement

The L&S Language Requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in a language other than English equivalent to the second-semester college level. This requirement prepares students to engage more fully, upon graduation, with California and the wider world. L&S students have a unique opportunity to take advantage of the incredible depth and breadth of language instruction at UC Berkeley, which leads among institutions of higher education by offering classes in more than 50 languages.

The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.

Passing Grade

C- or better

Grading Option

Letter graded only

Prerequisite

First semester or equivalent of the language you plan to take

Deadline

All students must complete the L&S Language Requirement before graduation.

Because the second semester is required to satisfy this requirement, we recommend planning for this requirement early.

How to Satisfy the L&S Language Requirement

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High School Instruction in a Langauge Other than English (LOTE)

You can satisfy the L&S Language Requirement by completing at least three years of secondary school in which the primary language of instruction was a language other than English, starting from grade 6 or above as verified by transcripts.

High School Coursework or Exam Score

Use the following table to determine if you have received a score on an exam that satisfies the L&S Language Requirement.

Exam/Coursework	Minimum Grade/Score Required to Satisfy the L&S Language Requirement
For students admitted before Fall 2026, completion of high school language other than English through the third year of instruction. For students admitted for Fall 2026 and after, L&S is no longer using completion of high school language other than English through the third year of instruction to satisfy the L&S Language Requirement.	Letter grade of C- or higher
SAT Subject Test, language other than English	590
Advanced Placement Exam in World Languages and Cultures: Chinese Language and Culture French Language and Culture German Language and Culture Italian Language and Culture Japanese Language and Culture Latin Spanish Language and Culture Spanish Literature and Culture	3, 4, or 5
International Baccalaureate Exam* in Language (other than English) acquisition: B Standard Level (SL) B Higher Level (HL) Note: IB ab initio language exam scores do not meet the requirement. Studies in language (other than English*) and literature: A: literature Standard Level (SL) A: literature Higher Level (HL) A: language and literature Standard Level (SL) A: language and literature Higher Level (HL)	5, 6 or 7
GCE A-levels or IGCSE/GCSE/GCE O-level exam in a language other than English	A, B, or C (or 1, 2, or 3)
Foreign Service Institute (FSI) or Defense Language Institute (DLI) exam	1-5

Berkeley Courses

There are three options for satisfying the L&S Language Requirement at Berkeley:

(1) Completion of second semester or higher of L&S Language Requirement instruction courses with a C- or higher.	Review list of approved L&S Language Requirement instruction courses.
(2) Completion of a pre-approved breadth course that is taught in a language other than English and requires an advanced language instruction course as a prerequisite.	For this option, students may use the course to fulfill the L&S Language Requirement and one of the approved Seven-Course Breadth areas, provided the course is completed with a letter grade of C- or higher. Review list of approved breadth courses taught in a language other than English.
(3) Proficiency exam issued by a UC faculty.	Note: Not all language departments/faculty administer proficiency exams. Check with the department for your language of interest to confirm that this option is available. The faculty administering the exam must issue the results on UC departmental letterhead, and confirm proficiency (i.e. C- or higher) in reading, writing, speaking and listening at a level equivalent to what the student would have otherwise achieved by completion of instruction through the second semester (or third quarter) of instruction in a language other than English. After the college confirms the results, they are shared with the Central Evaluation Unit, which updates students' Academic Progress Reports (APR) to reflect satisfaction of the requirement. APRs will be updated in mid-November for results received in Fall, and in mid-April for results received in Spring.

Transfer Courses

All transfer courses pursued for the L&S Language Requirement must be completed with a C- or higher.

Students admitted with UC IGETC Certification or UC Reciprocity	L&S Language Requirement is satisfied. No additional course work is required.
California Community College	Students can complete a pre-approved language course (including American Sign Language) at a California Community College. To identify pre-approved courses for the L&S Language Requirement, see our Transfer Credit: California Community College page for step-by-step instructions.
Non-California Community College	Transfer courses from accredited higher education institutions (i.e. 2-year or 4-year campus in the U.S. or non-UCEAP courses from abroad), must be reviewed and approved by L&S to satisfy the L&S Language Requirement. See our Transfer Credit: Other Higher Education Institution page for step-by-step instructions.