Literature Language Requirement

The Literature Department language requirement has two parts:

1. Reading proficiency in a second language. 

Students must present evidence of one of the following: 

One year (three quarters or equivalent) of college-level study of a non-English language (e.g. completion of Spanish 3 at UCSC)

or

Demonstrated reading ability at this level 

  • Literature reading proficiency tests are available in the following languages:

    Chinese Italian Punjabi
    French Japanese Russian
    German Korean Spanish
    Greek (Ancient) Latin Tagalog
    Hebrew Polish Ukrainian
    Hindi Portuguese Urdu
    UCSC also offers instruction in many of these languages.
  • All students who would like to take a language proficiency test are encouraged to do so. Please contact the Literature Department at litdept@ucsc.edu for more information and to schedule a language proficiency test.

2.  Completion of LIT 102 Translation Theory; or one upper-division course in a non-English literature studied in the original language.

In order to be able to enroll in LIT 102, Translation Theory, during their junior year, we recommend that students complete the language proficiency requirement by the end of sophomore year.

Students proposing to take an upper-division course in a non-English language literature must have speaking, reading, and writing proficiency in the appropriate language, except in ancient languages (Greek, Latin) where only reading knowledge is required.