Foreign Languages at KU

There are over 5,000 languages spoken in the world today. When you study a language you gain greater insights into the varied cultures these languages represent, and thus gain a greater appreciation of the world and your place within it. Learning a foreign language gives you access to new literature, new music, and new art. Knowledge of a foreign language can open up travel-filled career paths in business, technology, diplomacy, journalism, education, the military and countless other fields. If you are an undergraduate in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, you may need to take a foreign language to graduate. Click on the links above or below to get more information on languages and language study at the University of Kansas.

If you are enrolling at KU for the first time and want to continue your study of Spanish, German or French, you will need to take an on-line placement exam prior to your arrival on campus. You will receive the password for accessing this exam along with the New Student Orientation confirmation card, which indicates the date of your on-campus orientation. Although you may request to have an e-mail summary of your results sent to you, a complete set of results will be included in the materials you are given during on-campus enrollment. As part of this enrollment process you will meet with a foreign language placement advisor who will interpret your results and suggest a proper course placement. These exams must be completed one week prior to your arrival on campus for orientation as they are a crucial component in your enrollment process. Those students failing to take the exams prior to arriving on campus may be unable to sign up for a foreign language course until the add/drop period at the beginning of the semester.

Students currently enrolled at KU are asked to come to 4070 Wescoe to take these computerized exams in one of our computer labs. We will provide you with a copy of your results to take to the language placement advisors. For all other language placement exams, please contact the department offering the language. Links to all of KU's language departments are provided in the left navigation panel.

This page is the continuation of a project started with a U. S. Department of Education Title VI grant entitled "Enhancing Less Commonly Taught Languages and Cultures" (Award #P016A990036 for AY 99-01). This site was designed by Jonathan Perkins and is maintained with the assistance of the staff of the Ermal Garinger Academic Resource Center.