Which Spanish course should you sign up for? The course level at which students begin their study of Spanish is determined by the language placement score, AP score, and/or IB score. Consult the following guidelines to find out which class is most appropriate for you to start with. Students are required to enroll in Spanish language courses based on the criteria described below. Exceptions to the basic and intermediate courses are only permitted if approved by the Spanish Language Program Director, Dr. Laura Rubio (lrubio@ua.edu).
| If you… | You should… | You may receive placement credit hours… |
|---|---|---|
| Have no previous study of Spanish | Enroll in SP 101 | N/A |
| … have an AP score of | ||
| — 3 | Enroll in SP 201 | 4 credit hours |
| — 4 | Enroll in SP 202 | 7 credit hours |
| — 5 | Enroll in SP 353/356 | 10 credit hours |
| … have an IB score of | ||
| — 4 | Enroll in SP 102 | 4 credit hours |
| — 5 | Enroll in SP 201 | 8 credit hours |
| — 6 | Enroll in SP 202 | 11 credit hours |
| — 7 | Enroll in SP 353/356 | 14 credit hours |
| Took college-level Spanish and … | ||
| — completed first-semester Spanish or SP 101 | Enroll in SP 102 | N/A |
| — completed second-semester Spanish or SP 102 | Enroll in SP 201 | N/A |
| — completed third-semester Spanish or SP 201 | Enroll in SP 202 | N/A |
| Took the UA Spanish Placement exam and earned a score of … | ||
| — 0 – 205 | Enroll in SP 101 | N/A |
| — 206 – 320 | Enroll in SP 102 | N/A |
| — 321 – 385 | Enroll in SP 201 | 4 credit hours |
| — 386 – 439 | Enroll in SP 202 | 7 credit hours |
| — 440+ | Enroll in SP 353/356 | 10 credit hours |
Note: No student may enroll in more than one 100 and/or 200-level Spanish language class during the same semester.
Credit Option
1. Back credit form: students placed in SP 201 or higher and who earn a grade of C- or higher in the course may be granted additional credit upon written petition. Heritage language or bilingual individuals are not eligible for back credit.
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- The placement exam is available online at myBama.ua.edu under the Admissions/Scholarships tab (Undergraduate Admission > Admitted Freshmen Next Steps > 6. Foreign language assessment).
- Placement credit hours for AP / IB scores do not need to be petitioned, as they are automatically transferred in. Visit the University’s “Credit by Examination” page for more detailed information on this.
2. Heritage language or bilingual individuals are encouraged to take the UA placement test, and/or a faculty evaluation/consultation. They do not receive credit for SP 100-200 courses, but they will benefit from classes tailored to their language learning background.