Language Requirements
Knowing more than one language is critical in today’s world.
At Adelphi University, we prepare students to become informed, culturally aware citizens. Proficiency in more than one language—and understanding more than one culture—is valuable across all career paths and academic disciplines.
Who Must Complete the Language Requirement?
All students pursuing a BA degree (including STEP, honors, and transfer students) must fulfill the language requirement, as well as students in the Levermore Global Scholars Program. Students who change from a BS to a BA program are also required to meet the BA language requirement.
Before graduating, students must demonstrate proficiency in a chosen language at the fourth-semester level.
Language Placement and Testing
Students with prior experience in a second language are required to take a placement exam to determine their skill level and ensure appropriate course placement. Please note that these tests are for placement purposes only.
Placement Exam Requirements
To complete the WebCAPE placement exam:
- Follow the provided link to access the exam
- Register using your mail.adelphi.edu email address and create an account
- Sign in with your new credentials at app.webcape.net
- Select “Take Test” from your dashboard, select the language(s) you would like to take and complete the exam
- Print your results and provide them to your advisor
For questions about WebCAPE registration, contact Ignacio Arellano Torres at iarellano-torres@adelphi.edu or 516.877.4057 ext. 4057.
To complete the Moodle placement exam:
- Log in to Moodle using your Adelphi credentials to access the Italian and Japanese placement exams.
- Select “Italian/Japanese Placement Exam”
- Complete the exam and review your results in your browser
- Print your results and bring them to Orientation
Under no circumstances may you register for a level lower or higher than the one to which you are assigned.
To schedule a placement exam for Latin or Greek, contact Ignacio Arellano Torres at iarellano-torres@adelphi.edu or 516.877.4057 ext. 4057.
Language Proficiency and Exceptions
If you feel you are already proficient in one of the above languages, or have placed above level IV in the placement test, you must take the proficiency test on campus in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
For languages not offered by the department, contact the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office at collegeartssciences@adelphi.edu.
- If you began taking a language in high school which is also offered at Adelphi, your placement test will determine how many semesters of the language you will need to take to satisfy the requirement. For example, if you place into Level II, this means you need three semesters of language to complete the requirement (Levels II, III and IV). Keep in mind that high school and college language levels are very different and we can only transfer direct equivalences for up to level II of a language when the college level language courses are completed during high school.
- If you have taken an AP language exam, please consult our Advanced Placement Credit chart for credits allowed.
- If you scored above a Level lV on your placement test, or if you feel you are proficient in a language, please email Ignacio Arellano Torres at iarellano-torres@adelphi.edu to take a supervised test for proficiency.
- Demonstrated completion of three years of high school education in a non-English-speaking country will satisfy the requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions About Language Requirements
We’ve provided answers below to the questions we have been most frequently asked about the language requirement by prospective and current students.
Students are encouraged to begin working toward the language requirement within their first 30 credits at Adelphi. Courses should ideally be taken in consecutive semesters, as breaks in instruction can negatively affect language retention and performance.
Placement reflects current skill level and course readiness, not performance or academic standing. High school and college language coursework are not directly equivalent, so it is common for students with several years of prior study to place into second-semester courses.
If you have taken language courses at another college, you may typically continue at the next level without retaking a placement exam.
No. If you are beginning a new language, you may enroll directly in Level I.
Yes. Students with native or near-native proficiency must complete a supervised competency exam on campus.
If the language is not offered at Adelphi, you may take the NYU online proficiency exam (fee required).
No. Placement into a higher level indicates your skill level, but it does not waive the requirement. To “place out,” you must pass the supervised competency exam.
To schedule a competency exam, contact Sara Aponte-Olivieri at saponte-olivieri@adelphi.edu or 516.877.4050.
Please contact Kerry Scalere in the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences at kscalere@adelphi.edu or 516.877.4770 for guidance.
Your academic advisor can access your placement results and provide them upon request.
Yes. Completing placement testing is recommended if your intended degree path is not yet finalized.
The requirement is tied to your degree, not your major.
- If you graduate with a BA in the College of Arts and Sciences, the requirement applies.
- If you graduate with a non-BA degree (such as a BFA or a BA from another school), the requirement does not apply, even if you have a second major that is a BA.
Language Requirement Contact
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Contact
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Alumnae Hall 107