Initial Courses

Composition: One Required Course

This course will build competence and confidence in the use of language for analytic, dialogic, and expressive purposes, develop basic reasoning skills and skills of close and attentive reading, enrich an appreciation of the power and importance of language, and help students learn sound practices with respect to conventions of citation, quotation, paraphrase, and documentation.

ENGL 1102 Composition II

Prerequisite: Depending on placement, ENGL 1101 Composition I may be required. To move to ENGL 1102 Composition II from ENGL 1101 Composition I, a grade of C or better is required.

Foreign Language and Literature: Core Completion

A 2000-level course in a classical or modern language other than English fulfills the language requirement. In order to achieve a level of mastery of a foreign language that will allow students to comprehend a text of average sophistication in its oral and written form and to be able to comment on it orally and in writing in a coherent and correct manner, the courses provide either a critical analysis of selected cultural and literary texts, with composition, conversation, and review of pertinent grammatical structures, or advanced reading in classical authors.

Students starting a new language will take an intensive one-semester course (three class hours, two lab hours, two tutorial hours; 5 credits) in order to accelerate their progress (1001-Introduction I). This introductory course is followed by 1501 and 1502-Intermediate I and II, and concludes with a 2000-level course that completes the core requirement. Students continuing with a language will be placed in one of the following: 1002-Introduction II (offered only in the fall), Intermediate I or II, or a 2000-level course. The starting point will be determined by their placement test, and it will take zero to four courses (1001 or 1002, 1501, 1502, 2000 level course) for completion. The language preparation courses may not be taken Pass/Fail.

Students in classical languages (Greek and Latin) take 1001/1002-Introduction I/II, 1501-Intermediate I, and 2001. Students continuing with a language will be placed in Introduction II, in Intermediate I, or in 2001. The language preparation courses may not be taken Pass/Fail.

Students seeking a substitution for the foreign language core through the Office of Disability Services must complete the process by the end of their first year at Fordham. Similarly, students with proficiency in a foreign language must provide documentation to the Associate Chair of the Modern Language and Literature Department regarding competence by the end of their first year at Fordham. This documentation may include the equivalent of a high school diploma from a foreign-language- speaking country where the foreign language is the language of instruction or official certification of having attained a B2-level score from the Common European Framework exam or passing the 16-point proficiency exam at NYU with a score of 15 or higher.

Courses in languages are offered by the Classical Languages and Civilization or Modern Languages and Literatures departments.

Exemptions: Psychology majors must complete the language requirement unless they are pre-health. B.A. students in PCS do not have a language requirement unless required for their major. All other B.S. and B.F.A. students, as well as students majoring in natural science, are exempt from the language requirement.