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Foreign Language Entrance and Degree Requirements

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2020

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Information
PMLA , Volume 69 , Issue 4-Part2 , September 1954 , pp. 34 - 50
Copyright
Copyright © Modern Language Association of America, 1954

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References

1 In 1913, 41 years ago, approximately 11% (62 out of 306 institutions studied) of American colleges and universities had no modern foreign language requirement for entrance. By 1922 the percentage had risen to 30% (153 out of 517 institutions studied). See Harry C. McKown, The Trend of College Entrance Requirements, 1913-1922, Bur. of Educ., Bull. No. 35 (1924), p. 73, and Kenneth Mildenberger, “Foreign Language Entrance Requirements in American Colleges Granting the A.B. Degree,” MLJ, xxxvii (1953), 385-387, a study based on this PMLA article.

2 American International C, Mary Manse C, Mt. St. Mary's C, Princeton U, State C of Washington, Shaw U, U of Washington, Washington and Jefferson C, and Whittier C.

3 All freshmen in the following institutions, which have no FL entrance requirement, offered 2 or more units for admission in 1953: Boston U, Goucher C, Johns Hopkins U, Pennsylvania C for Women, Skidmore C, Sweet Briar C, Wheaton C (Mass.), William Smith C. Other outstanding examples of the deceptiveness of categories: Bryn Mawr recommends 6 units of foreign language for admission, in view of its degree requirement of proficiency in 2 foreign languages. Percentages of entering freshmen who offered 6 or more entrance units: 1949, 68.6%; 1950, 67.5%; 1951, 56.1%; 1952, 54.2%. In 1952 only 5 freshmen presented as few as 2 units; the average was 5.67 units. Columbia admits only 2 or 3 freshmen out of 600 without at least 2 years of foreign language study. At Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences only 1 or 2 accepted applicants fail to present at least 2 units, and many present 5 units. Wellesley recommends 5 units, 3 in Latin or Greek, 2 in modern languages; 95% of accepted candidates for admission meet this recommendation.

4 “Bowdoin College is on the semester course, not the semester hour, basis. [Required for the B.A. degree is] completion of seven units of foreign languages (ancient or modern). A language unit is defined as an admission unit (usually one year of study of a language in secondary school), or a semester course taken in college. The requirement may be fulfilled by taking appropriate courses, or by passing a reading examination set by the College, or by attaining a satisfactory rating from the College Entrance Examination Board” (Registrar).

5 Entrance and degree requirements to be restored in 1957.

6 Entrance requirement listed (up from 2u) went into effect Sept. 1954.