Fall World Language Placement Information

The following languages fill the College of A&S's World Language Requirement; placement is offered for each.

American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, Creole, French, German, Ancient Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, K'iche', Korean, Latin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Sanskrit, Spanish, Swahili, Tibetan, Turkish, and Urdu.

If you plan on enrolling in  French, German, Italian, and Spanish during the Fall '23 semester, you should complete the PLACE diagnostic by June 15, 2023. 

Latin and Persian can also be completed online. 

Important Information:

  • SAT and AP scores can determine appropriate placement or exemption; see the placement index for details.
  • Language placement diagnostics cannot be taken more than once. Once students are placed, students cannot "jump' from one level to the next.
  • Language courses level 2020 satisfies the World Language requirement except for Portuguese (PORT level 2120 satisfies the requirement).
  • Yiddish language courses are offered but do not fulfill the World Language requirement.
  • UVA has three language houses: the French House, the Spanish House and the Shea House (for Arabic, ASL, German, Italian, Chinese, Hebrew, Indi, Urdu, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Russian); click here for details.
  • Summer Language Institutes in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Latin, Russian and Spanish, offer eight- to nine-week courses during the summer to fulfill the language requirement. 
  • Please note the World Language disability accommodation website.

Placement may not be needed if you:

  • Have taken an SAT II Subject Test
  • Have earned credit through the 2020 language course level as a result of your AP test score
  • Plan to start learning a new language at UVA

American Sign Language Program

  • Director of ASL: Greg Propp - (434) 924-6646 (voice) - (434) 924-566-0213 (Videophone) – New Cabell Hall 255
    • Diagnostic interviews are scheduled to take place via Zoom. Please contact Greg Propp for instructions on how to sign up.  
  • The diagnostic interview consists of a conversation with one or two ASL faculty members that follows the progression of the curriculum along with a short, written quiz covering Deaf culture.  Afterward, your recommended placement will be discussed with you.  The process takes about 20 minutes.
  • For information on diagnostic interviews please contact Greg Propp.

American Sign Language Program | New Cabell Hall 258

Arabic

  •  To sign up for the test, please contact Bilal Humeidan at [email protected]. 
  • See here for more information and FAQs about Arabic placement.
  • Arabic Language Program Coordinator: Bilal Humeidan  | (434) 924-3488 - New Cabell Hall 127

Department of Middle Eastern & South Asian Languages and Cultures | New Cabell Hall 158 | Phone: (434) 982-2665

Chinese

  • Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, Chinese Placement Diagnostic will take place on Collab.

  • Click here for more information. 

  •  Click here to register for the diagnostic now. 

  • Please email the World Language Coordinator (WLC) for Chinese if you have any questions:

          Ran Zhao  (434) 243-8083 - New Cabell Hall 171.

French and Creole

  • The French placement diagnostic is online through PLACE.
  • New students should take the diagnostic 10 days before the date in your May welcome letter. Continuing students can take it at any time 10 days before enrollment. 
  • For detailed information, visit the French placement website.
  • Director of the Language Program: Karen James: (434) 924-4629 | New Cabell Hall 375
  • The contact person for Creole: Kandioura Dramé: (434) 924-4634 | New Cabell Hall 342  

Department of French  | New Cabell Hall 358 – Phone: (434) 924-7158 |

German

  • The German placement diagnostic is online through PLACE. 
  • New students should take the diagnostic 10 days before the date in your May welcome letter. Continuing students can take it at any time 10 days before enrollment. 
  • For detailed information, visit the German placement website.
  • Director of the Language Program: Julia Gutterman, New Cabell Hall 241.

Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures | New Cabell Hall 258/258A – Phone: (434) 924-3530

Greek, Ancient

  • Contact: Couter George
  • Students interested in placement in Ancient Greek need to contact Professor George before classes start. 

Department of Classics | Cocke Hall B018 | Phone: (434) 924-3008

Hebrew (Modern and Biblical)

  • Students with placement questions regarding Modern Hebrew need to contact Zvi Gilboa by email. Placement questions can be addressed each semester.
  • Students with placement questions regarding Biblical Hebrew need to contact Greg Schmidt Goering by email. 

Director of the MESALC Undergraduate Programs: Zvi Gilboa (434) 924-1322 - New Cabell Hall 145

Hindi

  •  Students interested in Hindi placement/exemption should e-mail Prof. Abdul Nasir. 
  • Placement/proficiency interviews will be conducted on a student-by-student basis, and each one will probably take 15 minutes or less. 
  • For general information on Hindi placement see here.
  •  Language Program Coordinator: Griffith Chaussee - (434) 243-2019 | New Cabell Hall 125A

Department of Middle Eastern & South Asian Languages and Cultures | New Cabell Hall 158 | Phone: (434) 982-2665

Italian

  • The Italian placement diagnostic is online through PLACE. 
  • New students should take the diagnostic 10 days before the date in your May welcome letter. Continuing students can take it at any time 10 days before enrollment. 
  • For detailed information, visit the Italian placement website for the Italian diagnostic instructions.
  • Language Coordinator in Italian: Francesca Calamita
  • Italian Language Program: Sarah Annunziato | New Cabell Hall 482 | (434) 2432917

Department of Spanish, Italian & Portuguese | New Cabell Hall 444 | Phone: (434) 924-7159  

Japanese

  • The Fall placement will be conducted online. The diagnostic consists of two parts:
  • Timed written (multiple choice, short answers) that asses basic knowledge such as grammar, vocabulary, and basic language skills including a short writing sample in Japanese.
  • Oral Interview with a Japanese instructor in Japanese for about 10 minutes.

For more information and to register for the Japanese placement click here.

Program Director for Japanese: Tomoko Marshall

Korean

Fall 2021 Korean Placement will be conducted online. 

  • Please click here for more information and to sign-up for Korean language placement.

  • Students will receive the instructions by email.

  • The placement consists of two parts: reading/writing and an oral interview. The reading/writing diagnostic normally takes 90 minutes, and the oral interview is 10 minutes long.

Language Coordinator for Korean: Yoon Hwa Choi

Latin

  • The Latin placement is online. Please contact Coulter George to register for the diagnostic and receive instructions on how to take it.
Department of Classics | Cocke Hall B018 | Phone: (434) 924-3008

Persian

  • For placement in Persian, students should contact the Persian Language Program Coordinator: Mahshad Mohit | (434) 924-4641 | New Cabell Hall 143

Department of Middle Eastern & South Asian Languages and Cultures | New Cabell Hall 158 | Phone: (434) 982-2665

Polish

  • Students with questions about Polish language placement should contact Professor Dariusz Tolczyk (New Cabell Hall 271).

Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures | New Cabell Hall 258 | Phone: (434) 924-3548

Portuguese

  • Students with questions regarding Portuguese placement should contact Eli Carter by email or report to his office (New Cabell Hall 441).

Department of Spanish, Italian & Portuguese | New Cabell Hall 444 | Phone: (434) 924-7159

Russian

  • First-year and transfer students interested in taking the Russian language placement diagnostic should contact Professor Anna Borovskaya-Ellis.
  • Director of the Undergraduate Programs: Mark Elson | (434) 924-6685 | New Cabell Hall 261
  • Please visit the General website for language placement. 

Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures | New Cabell Hall 258 | Phone: (434) 924-3548

Sanskrit

  • Placement into Sanskrit language courses of various levels at the University of Virginia is done through an informal diagnostic administered in person by the teacher of the language classes.
  • Students must make prior arrangements to take a placement diagnostic by contacting Sanskrit Language Program Coordinator: Robert Hueckstedt (434) 243-8228 - New Cabell Hall 137

Department of Middle Eastern & South Asian Languages and Cultures | New Cabell Hall 158 | Phone: (434) 982-2665

Spanish

  • The Spanish placement diagnostic is online through PLACE. 
  • New students should take the diagnostic 10 days before the date in your May welcome letter. Continuing students can take it at any time 10 days before enrollment. 
  • For detailed information, visit the Spanish placement website. 
  • Director of Spanish Language Program: Kate Neff | New Cabell Hall 443 | (434) 924-4650.

Department of Spanish, Italian & Portuguese | New Cabell Hall 444 | Phone: (434) 924-7159  

Swahili

  •  Students with questions about Swahili language placement should contact Anne Rotich or call AAS office 434-924-3109. 

African American and African Studies |  Woodson Institute | 108 Minor Hall

Tibetan

  • There is no major in Tibetan language in the department, however, students interested in a concentration in Tibetan in the East Asian Studies Major may contact Kurtis Schaeffer.

Turkish

For placement in Turkish, please contact Didem Z. Havlioğlu 

Urdu

  • Students interested in Urdu placement/exemption should contact Griffith Chaussée.  
  • For more information, students may contact Professor Griff Chaussée ([email protected] ).
  • For general information on the Hindi/Urdu placement diagnostics see here.
  • Language Program Coordinator: Griffith Chaussee |- (434) 243-2019 | New Cabell Hall 125A

Department of Middle Eastern & South Asian Languages and Cultures | New Cabell Hall 158 | Phone: (434) 982-2665