Placement

Spanish

Information for placement in Spanish courses and for placement testing (Entrance Proficiency Test, EPT, or Language Proficiency Test, LPE) can be found at the CLA Language Testing Program.

Which Spanish Course Should I Start With?

Course Prerequisites
SPAN 1001

SPAN 1001 - SPAN 1002 is a two-semester sequence designed for students with little or no knowledge of the Spanish language. This course is recommended for students who: 

1. have had less than two years of high school Spanish, 

2. have been away from studying Spanish for 3 years or more and/or, 

3. seek an opportunity to refine their skills and solidify their foundation in the language. 

When you pass 1002 with a 70% or better, you can move on to Spanish 1003.

If you’ve studied some Spanish and are unsure if SPAN 1001 or SPAN 1022 is a better fit for you, you can use the Beginning Spanish Class Recommendation Tool to see what you know and receive a recommendation based on your current skills.
SPAN 1002
Students must take SPAN 1001 at UMN-TC to qualify for SPAN 1002. Students who have taken one semester of Spanish at another institution should register for SPAN 1022. Students who have taken SPAN 1001 at UMN-TC may request a permission number from the Department of Spanish & Portuguese Studies (spanport@umn.edu).
SPAN 1022

SPAN 1022 is an accelerated beginning Spanish course designed for those students who have some experience learning the language and feel confident in their basic Spanish skills. This course is recommended for students who:

  1. have had two or more years of Spanish in high school or one or more semesters of Spanish in a higher education institution,
  2. have taken these courses in the last three years,
  3. feel confident in their language skills and ability to succeed in an accelerated course,
  4. want a faster-paced track to completing the University’s language requirements.
     

Building upon your previous knowledge of Spanish, SPAN 1022 begins with a quick review of the foundational basics to then focus on the skills and language structures to take your Spanish to the next level!
SPAN 1003 Students must have taken 1002, have taken 1022, or have taken the EPT. If you have taken Spanish in high school or at another institution and want to begin in 1003 or higher, you must take the EPT.
SPAN 1004 Students must have taken 1003 or the EPT.

SPAN 1014 (Business Spanish) or SPAN 1044 (Medical Spanish) can be taken for credit instead of 1004. However, completion of 1003 or EPT validation is still required to enroll.

Waitlist Information

For Spanish classes that are full, please verify that there is no other section that can fit your schedule by viewing all of our courses via the Class Schedule. If there are no open sections that fit your schedule, you may then add yourself to the waitlist.

The automatic enrollment process will run every night until midnight on the first Tuesday of the semester.  After that time our classes will remain open to enrollment for any open spots until 4:00 pm the first Thursday of the semester. It is not necessary for you to attend a class during this time if you are not enrolled in one of our classes, but it would be good to keep checking for any open classes starting the first Wednesday morning of the semester.

Repeating a Course

Policies for repeating all courses are determined by the University (not the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies). In accordance with the University of Minnesota's repeat policy and as described on the OneStop grading policy page:

  • You may repeat each course one time.
  • If you wish to repeat a course for a third time, you will need to file an Academic Policy Petition. Petitions to repeat a course for a third time are rarely approved. In that case, you may need to take an equivalent course at another University and transfer the credit back to the University of Minnesota.
  • If a course is repeated, both grades for the course appear on your official transcript.
  • The course credits will be counted only once towards your degree and program requirements.

To read the complete University policy, please see the U Policy Library’s “Grading and transcripts” policy page (Letter F ,“Other provisions” > Item 6, “Repeating courses”).

Portuguese

There is no EPT for Portuguese. If you wish to start at the third or fourth semester Portuguese (PORT 1103 or 1104), you will need to contact the individual Portuguese instructor for consent to register.

Students taking any of the Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs), which are all except German, French, and Spanish, will take the LPE exclusively during the fourth semester.

Students enrolled in the third semester of LCTLs who are in extraordinary situations with regard to their language education or the completion of their language requirement should contact the CLA Language Testing Program to discuss their options.