Language Requirement Waiver

Important Information

If you are requesting to waive the Language and Culture core requirement because your native language is a language other than English, you have the following options:

• if the native language IS taught at the University of St. Thomas, you should contact the MCL department’s administrative assistant to schedule a placement exam which will verify your level of competency in the language.
  
  
• if the native language IS NOT taught at the University of St. Thomas:
  1) if you have taken the TOEFL, make sure that your scores have been submitted to UST , as this will result in the language core requirement to be waived.
  2) if you have not taken the TOEFL, the following documentation will need to be provided.

a) Transcripts of any courses taken abroad at the secondary/university level or at the university level in the U.S. that indicate your preparation in the language and culture for which you want the requirement waived (at least equivalent to the end of the third semester university level).

or

b) if no transcripts are available you must obtain written documentation from a professional resource regarding courses taken in the language or to confirm your language and cultural preparation related to the language. The letter must be in English or accompanied by a professionally certified translation; the writer must be a native speaker of the language in question and explain in the letter how he/she is qualified to assess your language skills. Acceptable resources for this type of verification letter might include:


- a leader of a local community organization such as a cultural institute,  church, etc.; or
- a leader of a professional organization such as a business, or governmental organization; or
- a university professor that offers this language at his/her campus and can verify your language skills; or
- a consulate/embassy.
- student organizations are NOT valid sources for obtaining this verification.


and

c) Write a 1-2 page statement in English comparing and contrasting your cultural experiences with the language/culture in question and its differences and similarities to general aspects of U.S. culture. Please also include a brief one page writing sample in the foreign language that discusses your experiences learning the language and becoming connected to the culture related to that language. 

Include your full name and UST ID #  on all documentation.

Documentation should be turned in to:

Dr. Don Miller; Department Chair, Modern and Classical Languages
OEC 334;  ddmiller1@stthomas.edu

A waiver does not add credits onto the student's transcipt; it simiply waives that requirement, but does not reduce the number of units needed to graduate.