College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Language Requirements

In addition to meeting the entrance requirement in foreign language (two years of high school language, one year of college language, or demonstrated equivalent proficiency), candidates for degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences (B.A., B.S.) must meet Option I, II, or III below. Candidates for the B.A. with a major in English, for the B.A. in Education with a secondary teaching major in English, for the B.A. in global studies, and for election to the Areté Society must meet Option I. Candidates for a B.A. with majors in music or religion must meet Option I or II of the College of Arts and Sciences foreign language requirement. Religion and history majors must complete Option I, II, or III of the College of Arts and Sciences foreign language requirement. Music majors take a non-music arts elective in either visual art, theatre or dance.

  • Option I

Completion of one foreign language through the second year of college level. This option may also be met by completion of four years of high school study in one foreign language with grades of C or higher, or by satisfactory scores on a proficiency examination administered by the PLU Department of Languages and Literatures.

  • Option II

Completion of one foreign language other than that used to satisfy the foreign language entrance requirement through the first year of college level. This option may also be met by satisfactory scores on a proficiency examination administered by the PLU Department of Languages and Literatures.

  • Option III

Completion of four semester hours in history, literature, or language (at the 201 level, or at any level in a language other than that used to satisfy the foreign language entrance requirement) in addition to courses applied to the general education elements, and four semester hours in symbolic logic, mathematics (courses numbered 100 or above), computer science, or statistics in addition to courses applied to the general education elements. Courses used to satisfy either category of Option III of the College of Arts and Sciences requirement may not also be used to satisfy general education program requirements.

Language Coursework and the Perspectives on Diversity Requirement

A foreign language course numbered 201 or above used to satisfy Option I, or completion of a foreign language through the first year of college level used to satisfy Option II (excluding American Sign Language), may be used simultaneously to satisfy the Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Diversity General Education Program element. A course in American Sign Language may be used to satisfy the Alternative Perspectives GenEd Program Element.