All students completing an B.A. or B.S. degree in the College must demonstrate fourth-term proficiency in a language other than English prior to graduation. You can fulfill this requirement either by electing the necessary language courses or through placement testing. However, the College recognizes that there are some students that may experience a significant barrier to completing the language requirement (i.e. language learning disability).

Criteria for exception:

Students who have received the exception in the past typically have a documented history of extreme difficulty in learning a world language and one or both of the following:

• Up-to-date neuropsychological testing that indicates a language learning disability
• Exerted a “good-faith effort” (i.e. perfect or near perfect attendance; completion of all assignments and exams; frequenting instructor’s office hours) at learning a language at the college level through taking world language courses at UM

How Do I Start the Petition Process?

• Meet with a member of the Language Exception Committee. The committee member will talk with you about the criteria for approving an exception and about the petition process. Schedule an appointment by filling out the appointment request form.
• Contact the instructor(s) of the course(s) you have taken regarding their role in the petitioning process.
• Students petitioning on the basis of a disability should also contact Services for Students with Disabilities to have their request for a substitution explored as a disability related accommodation, or, to explore alternative accommodations for access in their language courses. You are encouraged to connect with SSD through this process.

What Happens If My Petition Is Granted?

You will be allowed to substitute culture courses for language courses to meet the requirement. You will meet with one of the Language Exception Committee members to determine which courses you will use. These courses cannot be used to fulfill your distribution requirement. The courses must be approved in advance by a committee member.

What Happens If My Petition Is Denied?

You will receive an email to inform you of the decision.  You are then welcome to meet with a member of the Language Exception Committee. They will help you assess degree options and next steps.