Why Study a Foreign Language?

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. You may also be required to take a foreign language as part of your degree program.

Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships

Fellowships are available for undergraduate and graduate students of any discipline who study an approved foreign language. Undergraduate Academic Year FLAS fellowships provide up to $10,000 for tuition and a $5,000 stipend for living expenses. Graduate Academic Year FLAS fellowships provide full KU tuition (restrictions may apply) and a $15,000 stipend for living expenses. Summer FLAS fellowships (undergraduate and graduate) provide up to $5,000 for summer tuition and a stipend of $2,500. Travel funds may also be available for summer FLAS fellowships. The availability of FLAS fellowships is contingent upon U.S. Department of Education funding. Fellowships are awarded through the KU's area studies centers, each of which has its own set of requirements and deadlines. Please contact the appropriate center for more information.

Placement Exams

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. 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 that will be given to you by New Student Orientation 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. Click here to get the password for the on-line placement exam for Spanish, German, or French.

If you are enrolling at KU for the first time and want to continue your study of Japanese or Chinese, you will need to take an on-line placement exam prior to your arrival on campus. To take the exam, you will need to request a single-use username and password. Once your request is processed, you will receive an e-mail containing full instructions for the exam, including the username and password that you will need. At the end of the exam you will be given a preliminary placement, which you should use to register for a specific Japanese course. During the first week of classes, you will meet with a placement advisor to determine the accuracy of the placement. If it is determined that another course would be more appropriate, you will be allowed to transfer to that course.

For placement exams for all other languages, please contact the department offering the language.

Exemptions and Retroactive Credit

For further information on foreign language study, including exemptions from the four-semester requirement and retroactive credit, please see the website of Student Academic Services in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. For information on credits from Advanced Placement and CLEP exams, see the website of the Office of Admissions.