Department of Near Eastern Studies

Language Proficiency Requirements

and Credit by Examination Policy

UA Policy

1. University Second Language Proficiency Requirement

The Department of Near Eastern Studies offers non-credit proficiency examinations in Modern Standard Arabic, Persian, and Turkish at the two- and four-semester level to satisfy the second language proficiency requirement in the student’s home department. Passing a course for which the required level is a prerequisite also establishes proficiency in the language.

Proficiency examinations are available only to UA degree-seeking students. The results of proficiency examinations, if successful, are reported in writing directly to the Office of the Registrar, with a copy to the student. For more information on fulfilling the second language proficiency requirement in NES languages, contact the Middle Eastern Language Coordinator.

2. NES Undergraduate and Graduate Language Requirements

Undergraduate NES majors are required to achieve 2^nd year language proficiency in their language of focus. Students whose focus language is Arabic may satisfy the requirement by taking either 4 semesters of Modern Standard Arabic or 3 semesters of Modern Standard Arabic plus one sequence (two semesters) of an Arabic dialect class. .

MA students in the General Middle Eastern Studies Track must achieve 2nd year language proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish. Second-year language proficiency is achieved by successfully completing four semesters of the focus language. Students whose focus language is Arabic may satisfy the requirement by taking either 4 semesters of Modern Standard Arabic or 3 semesters of Modern Standard Arabic plus one sequence (two semesters) of an Arabic dialect class. .

MA students in the thesis track must achieve 3^rd year language proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish, which must be satisfied by successfully completing the sixth semester of their language of focus. No other language courses at the 500 level may substitute to satisfy this language proficiency requirement.

For more information on undergraduate and graduate language requirements for NES majors, or to request an examination, contact the Middle Eastern Language Coordinator

 3. Credit by Examination

Under certain limited circumstances, students enrolled at the University of Arizona may earn non-graded credit for undergraduate NES language courses-maximum of 10 credits-by taking a special examination. Students may not earn credit for language proficiency gained in secondary school, before entering university. The language proficiency should have been gained through post secondary self study, summer study or study abroad.  The responsibility for preparatory study for these examinations rests entirely with the student; faculty members are under no obligation to assist with such preparation. A passing grade will be recorded as credit “CR” and will become a permanent part of the student’s record, but will not be used in computing the student’s cumulative grade-point-average (GPA).

Credit by exam examinations are constructed and administered by the Department of Near Eastern Studies. The examinations for NES languages include both a written and an oral component.

Limitations

• Credit by exam is not available for Persian.
• International students are considered native speakers of the official language of their country of citizenship, and as such may not test out of and receive credit for courses in that language.
• The credit earned through credit by exam may not duplicate units already presented for admission to the University.
• Credit earned through credit by exam may not be in a course which is equivalent to, or more elementary than, another course in which the student is enrolled or for which the student has already received credit.

Eligibility  

Students wishing to earn credit by exam in a language course must establish the following:  

• Active enrollment at the University of Arizona- Students not currently enrolled may not receive course credit by taking an examination.
• Preparation for the exam- The credit-by-examination option subsumes preparatory effort; students must demonstrate, through self-study or study abroad program that they have prepared for the exam.  

THE PROCESS  

Complete the Form  
Students who wish to test for credit in a language course must first complete an Application for the Special Examination for Credit (R-191 Form). This form is available in the Near Eastern Studies Office. Once completed, give this form to the examining instructor, who will schedule your test. Signatures need to be obtained from the examining instructor and the Near Eastern Studies Department Head.  Contact the ME Language Coordinator to find out who the examining instructor will be.

Pay the Fee  
After you have obtained the necessary signatures and scheduled your exam, take the R-191 form to the Bursar’s Office in the University Services Building and pay the $21.00 per unit fee. The Bursar’s office will stamp the R -191 form and return it to you. Save all receipts.

Take the Exam  
The examining instructor will give you your exam on the scheduled date. Bring the R-191 form with you along with the receipt, when you test. You may not test without proof of payment.

Receiving Credit  
It should take about two weeks for the credit to appear on your record. If not, contact the Near Eastern Studies main office at 621-8013. The grade "CR" will be reported to the Office of the Registrar. The student's graded examination paper and any evaluations of oral performance or projects will remain on file with the department for at least one year.

Please contact the ME Language Coordinator for further information about the credit by exam policy or to schedule an exam.