Placement
All of our first-semester languages courses are open to students with no previous training in the languages taught. All courses beyond first semester require the completion of prerequisite courses or placement via testing or other methods of evaluation. Placement testing is expected for students entering from high school. Students who have had other exposure to the language should take the placement exam and contact the department about placement.
Placement for German language courses is determined by a formal placement exam administered by UW–Madison’s Testing and Evaluation Services. Students who have had at least two years of previous instruction in German are required to take the placement exam. See the Testing and Evaluation website for the testing schedule and more information about the exam.
Placement for Dutch language courses is determined by an in-person evaluation by our Dutch Advisor.
Placement in languages offered in Scandinavian Studies (Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Old Norse, Sámi, and Swedish) is determined by an in-person evaluation with one of our instructors. To schedule a placement exam, please contact our Scandinavian Studies Advisor.
Placement in Russian and Polish language classes is determined by an in-person evaluation with our Russian Undergraduate Advisor and our Polish Placement Advisor, respectively.
For placement in Czech and Serbo Croatian language courses, see our advising page for the appropriate contact.
Students may earn college credit for language instruction in high school by demonstrating competence in a UW–Madison language course. Native speakers of the language in question and students who have not taken that language in high school are not eligible for retro credits. The course taken to earn retro credits must be the student’s first college course in that language; it must be taken before earning 30 degree credits (not including advanced-placement credits); and the student must earn at least a B to receive retro credits. Information about UW–Madison’s policies on retro credits can be viewed on the Language Institute website. For the complete policy, see the UW–Madison Undergraduate Catalog.