Language other than English
High School Language Requirement
All applicants applying as first-time freshmen need to satisfy “E” on the UC A-G requirements to be eligible. Please see Freshmen Requirements for more information.
Approved High School Courses
If attending a U.S. high school, a minimum of 2 years of successive levels in the same language other than English is required. Language courses taken at higher levels will validate classes at the lower levels. For example, Spanish 4 will validate 4 years of successive levels in Spanish and therefore satisfies the requirement. Courses taken in the seventh and eighth grades may be used to fulfill part or all of this requirement if the high school accepts them as equivalent to its own courses.
To see what courses from your high school are approved, please visit the UCOP A-G Course List.
Alternative Methods to Meeting Requirement "E"
AP Exams are administered by CollegeBoard. Visit the CollegeBoard AP website for more information.
| AP Exam | Passing Score |
|---|---|
| Chinese Language & Culture | 3, 4, 5 |
| French Language & Culture | 3, 4, 5 |
| German Language & Culture | 3, 4, 5 |
| Italian Language & Culture | 3, 4, 5 |
| Latin | 3, 4, 5 |
| Japanese Language & Culture | 3, 4, 5 |
| Spanish Language & Culture | 3, 4, 5 |
| Spanish Literature & Culture | 3, 4, 5 |
When entering the LOTE requirements on Cal State Apply, enter "AP Exam" followed by the exam name under the grade level and year that the test was taken in. Enter with grades of "Pass". Be sure to enter "AP Exam" for two consecutive academic years to obtain the appropriate LOTE credit. Please see example below:
SAT Exams are administered by CollegeBoard. Visit the CollegeBoard SAT website for more information.
| SAT Subject Exam | Passing Score |
|---|---|
| Chinese with Listening | 520 |
| French/French with Listening | 540 |
| German/German with Listening | 510 |
| Modern Hebrew | 470 |
| Italian | 520 |
| Japanese with Listening | 510 |
| Korean with Listening | 500 |
| Latin | 530 |
| Spanish/Spanish with Listening | 520 |
When entering the LOTE requirements on Cal State Apply, enter "SAT Exam" followed by the exam name under the grade level and year that the test was taken in. Enter with grades of "Pass". Be sure to enter "SAT Exam" for two consecutive academic years to obtain the appropriate LOTE credit. Please see example below:
- Grade of C- or better in any transferable course(s) (excluding conversation) held by the college to be equivalent to two years of high school language. One year (two semesters or three quarters) of college-level coursework is considered equivalent to two years of high school study.
- The two years of Language Other Than English requirement may also be validated by successful completion of a single college-level course. Many colleges list the prerequisites for their second course in language as “Language 1 at this college or two years of high school language.” In this case, Language 1 or higher validates both years of the requirement.
- Formal schooling in a language other than English
- No earlier than age seven, at least three years of formal instruction in a school where a language other than English was used as a medium of instruction at least a third of the time (includes bilingual or immersion language programs in the U.S.). Consecutive enrollment is not a requirement. A transcript or other official document from the school is required documentation. If official documents are not available, a high school counselor may recommend a waiver based on other appropriate evidence.
When entering the LOTE requirements on Cal State Apply, select the earliest grade level and year you entered high school in the U.S., enter "Formal schooling in" followed by the country you previously studied in. Enter with grades of "Pass". Be sure to enter "Formal schooling in" for two consecutive academic years to obtain the appropriate LOTE credit. Please see example below:
- Participation in program for limited English proficiency
- Identified by a U.S. school from no earlier than age 10 as having limited English proficiency or were enrolled in a program for limited English proficient students (includes ESL and bilingual education courses). School transcript or official document is required documentation
When entering the LOTE requirements on Cal State Apply, enter ESL Grade" followed by grade level you completed ESL classes at a U.S. school. It cannot be earlier than age 10. Enter with grades of "Pass". Be sure to enter "ESL Grade" for two consecutive academic years to obtain the appropriate LOTE credit. Please see example below:
