Accommodations for World Languages

Applying for a Foreign Language Accommodation

Students who believe that they may have a disability with learning foreign languages should contact the Office of Accessibility Services. To document the disability, the student may be asked to provide a history of problems encountered in learning a foreign language. Documentation could include grades and letters from high school language teachers, describing the student's attempt to learn the language. Evidence such as certification by a psychologist or medical doctor specializing in the diagnosis of disabilities may be required. The evidence should establish that the disability effectively prevents the learning of a foreign language.

If the disability is verified, the Office of Accessibility Services will recommend to the student's college that an accommodation be made in writing. This accommodation will be a substitution of courses on a one by one basis for the number of foreign languages courses required. If more than one course is required, the student must take all the courses from the same Focus Area.

The substitution of alternative courses is founded on the University's belief that studying a foreign language is important. If a student is unable to learn a foreign language, the courses substituted emphasize foreign literature, civilization or culture. The student's college must approve the particular courses that are being substituted, and the student should seek that approval before taking the courses.

Some of these courses have prerequisites. Students should inform themselves about pre-requisites and course offerings and should discuss these matters with their advisers.

List of Approved Courses

For Students with a Verified Foreign Language Accommodation

Focus on Africa

ARTH 3750: Art of Western Africa
GBS 2000: Critical Issues in Global Black Studies
ETHN 2200: Introduction to African Literature
ETHN 3440: African Women
ETHN 4027: Colonial Africa*
GEOG 1210: World Geography: Eurasia and Africa
GEOG 3470: Africa
HIST 3173: African Cultures and Societies
HIST 4027: Colonial Africa*
HIST 4037: Contemporary Africa
ROCS 2200: Introduction to African Literature

* Cross-listed courses; cannot receive credit for both.

Focus on Asia

ARTH 3730: Art of China and Japan
ASIA 1800: Asian Civilizations*
ASIA 2000: Introduction to Asian Religions
CHIN 2160: Contemporary Chinese Culture
CHIN 3120: Modernity in Chinese Literature and Film
CHIN 4150: Chinese Film
GEOG 1210: World Geography: Eurasia and Africa
HIST 1800: History of Asia*
HIST 3683: Premodern Japan
JAPN 2150: Japanese Culture
JAPN 2160: Contemporary Japanese Society
JAPN 4150: Japanese Film
PHIL 3210: Indian & Chinese Philosophy
POLS 3660: Governments and Politics of Asia

* Cross-listed courses; cannot receive credit for both.

Focus on Classical Civilization

ARTH 1450: Western Art I
ARTH 3130: Greek Art
ARTH 3310: Early Christian & Byzantine Art
CLCV 2410: Great Greek Minds*
CLCV 2420: Great Roman Minds#
CLCV 2450: Word Power from Greek and Latin Roots
CLCV 3800: Classical Mythology
CLCV 3810: Roman Life
CLCV 3907: Ancient Historians*
HIST 1510: World Civilizations
HIST 3417: Ancient Greece
HIST 3445: Ancient Rome
PHIL 2110: History of Ancient Philosophy
POLS 4020: Western Political Thought I

* Cross-listed courses; cannot receive credit for both.
# Credit not allowed for both courses.

Focus on Francophone Studies

ARTH 1450: Western Art I
ARTH 1460: Western Art II
ARTH 3330: Medieval Art
ARTH 3610: Art of the 19th Century
ARTH 3670: Art of the Modern Period
CAST 2010: Introduction to Canadian Studies
ENG 2620: World Literature from 1700 to Present
FREN 2220: French Culture
HIST 4140: Canada
FREN 4440: French Film
HIST 1520: The Modern World
HIST 3142: History of Canada
HIST 3477: 20th Century Europe
HIST 4540: War & Diplomacy in Europe, 1914-Present
HIST 4555: Europe Since World War II
POLS 3510: Western European Politics
ROCS 2000: European and Latin American Cinema

Focus on Germany

ARTH 1460: Western Art II
ARTH 3330: Medieval Art
ARTH 3370: Northern Renaissance Art
GERM 2150: German Culture and Civilization
GERM 2160: Contemporary Germany
GERM 4150: The German Film
HIST 1520: The Modern World
HIST 3477: 20th Century Europe
HIST 3484: Hitler's Germany: Rise and Fall of Nazism
HIST 4444: War and Diplomacy in Europe, 1914-Present
HIST 4555: Europe Since 1945
POLS 3510: Western European Politics

Focus Hispanic Studies

ARTH 1460: Western Art II
ARTH 3330: Medieval Art
ARTH 3770: MesoAmerican Art
ETHN 1100: Introduction to Latina/o Studies
ETHN 2110: History of Mexican Americans
ETHN 3100: Mexican Culture
ETHN 3120: Chicanos in the US
ETHN 4550: Latina/o Gender & Sexuality
GEOG 1220: World Geography: Americas and the Pacific
GEOG 3490: Latin America Landscapes
HIST 3103: Latin America Before Independence
HIST 4115: Modern Mexico
HIST 4130: Caribbean
POLS 3550: Governments and Politics of Latin America
ROCS 2000: European and Latin American Cinema
SPAN 2700: Hispanic Culture

Focus on Italy

ARTH 1450: Western Art I
ARTH 1460: Western Art II
ARTH 3330: Medieval Art
ARTH 3350: Art of the Italian Renaissance
ARTH 3610: Art of the 19th Century
ENG 2620: World Literature from 1700 to Present
HIST 1520: The Modern World
HIST 3477: 20th Century Europe
ITAL 2610: Italian Culture and Cinema
ITAL 2620: Italian American Experience: Mafia, Migration, and the Movies
POLS 3510: Western European Politics
ROCS 2000: European and Latin American Cinema

Focus on Russia

POLS 4540: Russia and East European Politics
RUSN 2150: Russian Culture
RUSN 2160: Post-Communist Russia
RUSN 3120: Introduction to Russian Literature
RUSN 4010: Russian Poetry
RUSN 4020: Russian Novel
RUSN 4030: Russian Drama
RUSN 4150: Russian Film

Revised 4/2026 R. Petersen

Updated: 04/29/2026 12:05PM