Language Requirement

Language Requirement Information

The FLRC oversees the 8th option through which students may satisfy the Pomona College Language Requirement:

[…] for languages not offered at The Claremont Colleges, by the successful completion of a Foreign Language Resource Center-approved proficiency exam that is offered by a faculty member or instructor teaching that language at another accredited college or university; that tests reading, writing, and speaking literacies; and that verifies the student’s preparedness to enter the fourth semester of college-level language instruction.

The following foreign languages are offered at The Claremont Colleges:

• Claremont McKenna: Arabic, French, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish
• Pitzer: Portuguese, Spanish
• Pomona: Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish
• Scripps: French, German, Italian, Spanish

To fulfill the Pomona Language Requirement with one of the above languages, please contact the language department directly.

For languages not offered at The Claremont Colleges, the FLRC works with several colleges and universities to offer proficiency exams that will satisfy the Pomona Language. The FLRC also has access to a database of universities and colleges that teach less commonly taught languages. If a language is unavailable via the database, students must find a professor who teaches the language in question at an accredited college or university. The FLRC will then contact the professor and/or language department to inquire about the availability of a proficiency exam and will verify that the exam used will meet and/or can be modified to meet the requirements of Pomona College. The proficiency exam will need to be able to tests reading, writing, and speaking literacies; and verifies the student is prepared to enter the 4th semester (or 6th quarter) of a college-level language course. The FLRC is not responsible for making travel arrangements or proficiency exam payments; this is the student’s responsibility. Students with financial need who are taking an off-campus proficiency exam may apply for funding from the Dean of Students Office to exam fees for up to two exams. The application forms are on Engage.

Steps to fulfill Pomona’s Language Requirement with a non-Claremont Colleges language:

1. Please contact the FLRC to see if it currently has a contact for the non-Claremont College language you are interested in using to satisfy the language requirement.
2. If the FLRC confirms it currently knows of no resource for the desired non-Claremont College language, the student should identify a US based accredited college or university where that language is currently taught. The student should then e-mail that information to the FLRC (include language department information). The FLRC will then contact the department to verify that their proficiency exam will satisfy Pomona’s language requirement.
3. Register for the host institution’s proficiency exam and also inform the FLRC of your intent to take the exam.
4. Realize the host institution will require payment and make those arrangements. Students with financial need may apply for funding from the Dean of Student’s office.
5. Consider any necessary travel arrangements and arrange for travel to/from the exam.
6. Very Important: Ensure that the FLRC gets a copy of the exam results. It is the FLRC that notifies the PO Registrar when a student has successfully satisfied the language requirement via a proficiency exam.