Foreign Language Requirement

Foreign language study allows students to deepen their understanding of other cultures, engage in an important form of critical thinking, and experience small, discussion-based classes.

A range of business-language courses are offered beyond proficiency level and provide specific perspectives on other markets and business cultures. Intermediate- and advanced-language courses fulfill the Cross-Cultural Perspectives requirement and may double-count with other Liberal Arts and Sciences requirements.

Students must complete two semesters at the beginner level or the equivalent in a language other than English in order to graduate. Students who plan to continue with their high school language are urged to do so beginning in the fall semester of the first year. For more information on foreign language placement, please click here.

Students may satisfy the foreign language requirement in any of the following ways:

  • By receiving a required score on one of the AP or IB exams*
  • By completing the appropriate Cambridge A-Level Examination at a grade deemed satisfactory by the language group¹
  • Successful completion of a test given by a language department or by the Penn Language Center
  • Completion of two semesters at the beginner level in a Penn foreign language or American Sign Language (ASL)²

Please note the following:

  • Courses taken toward the language requirement may be applied to the Humanities, Flex Gen Eds, or Unrestricted Electives requirements.
  • Some study abroad programs require knowledge of a language beyond the minimum competency requirements. Consult with an academic advisor about language requirements for specific programs.
  • Wharton students are permitted to take language courses pass/fail, but students should be sure to review the pass/fail policy for certain restrictions.
  • It is each student’s responsibility to make sure that the Undergraduate Division has a record of the fulfillment of their language requirement.
Language Department Languages Taught
African Languages
Penn Language Center
Afrikaans
Amharic
Igbo
Kiswahili
Malagasy
Shona
Twi
Wolof
Yoruba
Zulu
Classical Studies
Greek (Classical)
Latin
East Asian Languages & Civilizations
Chinese
Japanese
Korean
Eastern European and Eurasian Languages
Penn Language Center
Czech
Hungarian
Polish
Serbo-Croatian
Ukrainian
Francophone, Italian, & Germanic Studies (FIGS) department
Dutch
French
Italian
German
Swedish
Yiddish
Greek (Modern)
Penn Language Center
Modern Greek
Near East Languages & Civilizations
Akkadian
Arabic
Egyptian
Hebrew
Persian
Sumerian
Turkish
Russian and East European Studies Russian
South Asia Studies
Hindi
Sanskrit
Teluga
Urdu
South Asian Languages
Penn Language Center
Bengali
Gujarati
Panjabi
Pashto
Tamil
Kannada
Malayalam
Marathi
Spanish & Portuguese Portuguese
Spanish

¹ External exams must be taken prior to matriculation at Penn.
² ASL was approved to fulfil the language requirement in fall 2022.