Oct 03, 2024  
Catalog 2024-25 
    
Catalog 2024-25

World Culture & Language


Knowledge of world cultures and the ability to use a language other than English to communicate, interpret, and present information is essential for success in the 21st century. It demonstrates that you can be flexible in difficult situations and adaptable in new environments. It also shows that you have the capacity to see the world through multiple perspectives.

For Majors Leading to a BS Degree


If you are in the following major programs, please read on to learn how to satisfy the World Culture & Language University Requirement:

  • Agricultural Plant and Soil Sciences, BS
  • Biology, BS
  • Business Administration, BS
  • Collaborative Health and Human Services, BS
  • Communication Design, BS
  • Computer Science, BS
  • Environmental Science, Technology, and Policy, BS
  • Human Development and Family Science, BS
  • Kinesiology, BS
  • Liberal Studies, BA
  • Marine Science, BS
  • Mathematics, BS
  • Mechatronics Engineering, BS
  • Nursing, BSN
  • Statistics, BS
  • Sustainable Hospitality Management, BS

How to Fulfill the Requirement


Advanced Placement (AP) Language Proficiency for BS Students


Students who score a 3 or higher on the following AP Exams have satisfied the World Culture and Language Requirement:

  • Chinese Language & Culture
  • French Language & Culture
  • German Language & Culture
  • Italian Language & Culture
  • Japanese Language & Culture
  • Latin
  • Spanish Language & Culture
  • Spanish Literature & Culture

International Baccalaureate (IB) HL Exam for BS Students


Students who score a 4 or higher on the IB Language A Literature HL or the IB Langauge A Language & Literature HL exam (or the IB Language A1 or A2 HL taken prior to Fall 2013) in a language other than English have satisfied the World Culture and Language Requirement.

Note: the following exams to not meet the requirement:  Language B HL or any standard level (SL) exam.

College Level Entrance Program (CLEP) Test Scores for BS Students


Students who score a 59 or above on the CLEP Level II in French, 60 in Level II German, or 63 in Level II Spanish have satisfied the World Culture and Language Requirement.

Students who score below the indicated levels on the AP, IB, and/or CLEP exams should determine appropriate placement in order to complete the requirement.

Take a Class


Students may fulfill the World Culture & Language University Requirement in any of the following ways:

  • Successfully completing one lower division GE C2 area language course; or
  • Successfully completing one upper division GE C area World Culture/Language course with no pre-requisite; or
  • Successfully completing one upper division GE C area course with a language pre-requisite; or
  • Successfully completing a study abroad course in a language other than English, approved to meet this requirement.

For Majors Leading to a BA Degree


If you are in the following major programs, please read on to learn how to satisfy the World Culture & Language University Requirement:

  • Cinematic Arts & Technology, BA
  • Environmental Studies, BA
  • Ethnic & Gender Studies, BA
  • Global Studies, BA
  • Humanities & Communication, BA
  • Japanese Language & Culture, BA
  • Music, BA
  • Psychology, BA
  • Social & Behavioral Sciences, BA
  • Sociology, BA
  • Spanish Language & Hispanic Cultures, BA
  • Visual & Public Art, BA

To fulfill the World Culture and Language Requirement, students must demonstrate second language proficiency through the 201 or equivalent level.

How to Fulfill the Requirement


For students in pursuit of a BA degree, the World Culture and Language University Requirement can be satisfied in a number of ways.

Advanced Placement (AP) Language Proficiency for BA Students


Students who score at 4 or 5 on the following AP Exams have satisfied the World Culture and Language Requirement:

  • Chinese Language & Culture
  • French Language & Culture
  • German Language & Culture
  • Italian Language & Culture
  • Japanese Language & Culture
  • Latin
  • Spanish Language & Culture
  • Spanish Literature & Culture

International Baccalaureate (IB) HL Exam for BA Students


Students who score a 6 or 7 on the IB Language A Literature HL or the IB Language A Language & Literature HL (or IB Language A1 or A2 HL taken prior to Fall 2013) exam in a language other than English have satisfied the World Culture and Language Requirement.

Note: the following exams do not meet the requirement: Language B HL, any standard level (SL) exam.

College Level Entrance Program (CLEP) Test Scores for BA Students


Students who score a 59 or above on the CLEP Level II in French, 60 in Level II German, 63 in Level II Spanish, or 65 in Level II Spanish with Writing have satisfied the World Culture and Language Requirement.

Students who score below the indicated levels on the AP, IB, or CLEP exams should determine appropriate placement in order to complete the requirement.

 

Take a Class


For most students, the traditional pathway toward fulfilling the World Culture and Language University Requirement includes:

Students with heritage proficiency in the following languages may elect to take WLC 212 - Language and Culture for Heritage Speakers  (3 units)*:

  • American Sign Language
  • Arabic
  • Cantonese
  • Farsi
  • French
  • German
  • Hebrew
  • Hindi
  • Italian
  • Korean
  • Mandarin
  • Polish
  • Portuguese
  • Punjabi
  • Russian
  • Swedish
  • Tagalog
  • Thai
  • Turkish
  • Vietnamese

* Students should be advised that registration in these courses requires permission numbers; contact wlc@csumb.edu or (831) 582-3863 for more information. 

Placement


If you have previous education in a language and plan on continuing to study that language at CSUMB, the School of World Languages and Cultures encourages you to enroll in an appropriate level of study based on your experience. Here is some information to help you find the appropriate level:

Online Spanish Placement Exam


You may elect to take this online exam to assist in determining the most appropriate placement for you. The test takes about 20-30 minutes to complete and will then send your score to your email address.

You can access the test at: https://app.emmersion.ai/registration?shortId=a908d86af8   
If you have questions or concerns please email wlc@csumb.edu

High School Students


One year of high school language study is typically considered equivalent to one semester of college language study.

Therefore, students with two years of high school language study should enroll at the 102 level of the language previously studied. Students with three years of high school study should start at 201.

 

Transfer Students


Transfer Students may look at Assist.org to find the relationship and articulation agreement between your school and CSUMB.

Contact


The Faculty members from the School of World Languages & Cultures are able to assist you with correct placement in language courses at CSUMB.

For American Sign Language: Darby Campbell at dcampbell@csumb.edu.

For Italian Language: WLC Department Chair at wlc@csumb.edu

For Japanese Language: Dr. Yoshiko Saito-Abbott at ysaito-abbott@csumb.edu OR Dr. Shigeko Sekine at ssekine@csumb.edu

For Spanish Language: Dr. Rebecca Pozzi at rpozzi@csumb.edu or wlc@csumb.edu

 

Note: Most faculty are not regularly available during the summer; please be sure to allow enough time before registration if you have questions or concerns about placement.