Brooklyn College has a Language Other Than English (LOTE) requirement as part of its College Option. The requirement has changed for incoming first-year and transfer students as of Fall 2025. This FAQ page refers specifically to the new LOTE requirement as defined in the 2025 Bulletin.
If you haven’t already done so, please fill out the Language Placement Survey and Permission Request Form
What is the requirement for incoming students in Fall 2025?
Beginning in Fall 2025, all first-time first-year students and transfer students with fewer than 30 credits need to take two semesters, both in the same language.
However, if they begin at Level 4 or above, they can either continue with another course in same language or complete the rest of the College Option with courses taught in English, one in each of the three categories of the Brooklyn College Option.
Transfer students with 30+ credits but no Associate’s Degree must take at least one 3-credit course at Level 2 or above. If they continue with a language they have previously studied, one class is all they need. If they choose to start over with a new language, they will need to take two semesters, reaching Level 2.
As of Fall 2025, incoming transfer students with an Associate’s Degree have no LOTE requirement.
Which languages are offered?
The department of Modern Languages and Literatures currently offers Arabic, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. German may be offered in future semesters. Haitian Creole is currently only for heritage students.
The department of Classics teaches Latin and Ancient Greek.
The department of Judaic Studies offers classes in Hebrew. They also teach Yiddish, though not in Fall 2025.
How can I decide what level to take?
The basic rule of thumb is: 1 year of high school language = 1 semester of college.
| If you have | sign up for | which corresponds to |
| never studied the language before | Level 1 | 1010 for most languages Hebrew & Yiddish 1001 Latin 2101 / Greek 2001 |
| one year high school or one semester college | Level 2 | 1020 for most languages Hebrew & Yiddish 1002 Latin 2102 / Greek 2001 |
| two years high school or two semesters college or three years high school with an average and/or Regents’ exam below 85 | Level 3 | 1030 for most languages Hebrew & Yiddish 1003 Latin 3111 / Greek 3011 |
| grown up speaking the language with little or no formal education in it | heritage speaker class | 1038 for languages in which it is offered (Arabic, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Russian, and Spanish) |
| three years high school with an 85+ average and/or Regents’ exam or three years college | Level 4 | 2000+ for most languages Hebrew & Yiddish 1003 Latin 3112 / Greek 3012 |
Note: If you have never studied the language before, you can register for Level 1 without permission. For Spanish 1010 and French 1010, however, you do need permission, because sometimes students try to take those classes when they have already studied the language.
Do I need to take a placement test?
No, you do not have to take a placement test to register for a language class. Based on the above guidelines, you can place yourself and request permission by filling out the Language Placement Survey and Permission Request form. However, if you are unsure of your level, there is an online placement test available for Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian, and Japanese, and Spanish. Contact the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures for information about how to access the test.
What should I do if I need permission to register?
Please fill out the Language Placement Survey and Permission Request form if you haven’t already done so. You can also contact the department directly:
For Hebrew or Yiddish, contact the Judaic Studies department.
For Latin or Ancient Greek, contact Classics.
For all other languages, contact the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.
Are there any exemptions from the requirement?
No, all students subject to the LOTE requirement must fulfill it by means of college credit. In addition to taking classes at Brooklyn College, there are several other ways of earning college credit in a LOTE: transfer credit from another institution, credit by examination, and credit for prior learning (if you already speak, read, and write another language).
There is no LOTE requirement for transfer students who hold an Associate’s Degree, but they can still take another language as an elective if they choose to.
I passed a Regents’ exam. Do I still need to study a LOTE?
Yes, you do. The Regents’ does not provide college credit, so you will still need to take a LOTE.
If you choose to continue with the same language, and you passed the Regents with a grade of 85 or higher, you should register for a Level 4 course, in which case you can either go on to take a second course in that language or complete the College Option by taking classes in all three Brooklyn College Option categories. If your Regents score is below 85, you should register for Level 3, and then go on to take the next level.
If you choose to start fresh with a new language, you need to take two semesters, Level 1 and Level 2, both in the same language.
For which examinations is credit awarded?
Brooklyn College awards LOTE credit by examination for AP, CLEP, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge AICE, and the Defense Language Proficiency exam. For Hebrew, we accept the Jerusalem Exam; for Russian, the National Exam in World Languages; and for Spanish, the UExcel Exam. The amount of credit and score required vary from language to language. Students who want to see what specific credits they would receive for a specific exam can check the T-Rex transfer explorer non-CUNY page.
If I grew up speaking another language, do I have to study a LOTE?
If you can read and write your home language, you may be eligible for credit for prior learning for a Level 4 course, which would allow you to either take another advanced course in that language (if it is offered) or complete the College Option by taking only courses offered in English. Of course, you always have the choice to start over with a new language and take two semesters to fulfill the requirement.
If you cannot read and write your heritage language, you cannot receive credit for prior learning. In some languages, such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Russian, and Spanish, there are class specially designed to help heritage speakers become literate. We encourage you to enroll in one of these. If your heritage language is not taught at Brooklyn College but it is available elsewhere in CUNY, you can e-permit to take it. Otherwise, if you will need to take another LOTE to fulfill the requirement.
I hold the New York State Seal of Biliteracy. Does that exempt me?
You can receive 6 credits for prior learning, 3 in LOTE and 3 in the Pathways Flexible Core under World Cultures and Global Issues.
If the language for which you received the Seal of Biliteracy is taught at Brooklyn College, you will receive Level 3 credit, allowing you to complete the LOTE requirement by continuing study of that language at Level 4 or higher. If you prefer, you can start over with another language and complete two semesters in that language.
If the language for which you received the Seal of Biliteracy is not taught at Brooklyn College, you will receive credit for MLAN 2018, a Level 4 LOTE, in which case you will be able to complete the College Option by taking classes taught in English in each of the three categories of the Brooklyn College Option. Or, if you prefer, you can start over with another language and complete two semesters in the same language.
What are “heritage speaker” courses?
Heritage speakers grew up in an environment where a language was spoken that is not the dominant language of the surrounding society. Their level of proficiency depends on various factors. They may have received some formal instruction. They may have spent time in their family’s home country, and experienced immersion. Typically, however, heritage speakers are not fully literate in their home language, and can benefit from instruction specifically targeted to their needs. At Brooklyn College, we offer two levels of heritage courses, usually numbered 1038 and 2018, and considered Level 3 and Level 4 LOTE courses. Depending on the language and the specific needs of the cohort of students, 1038 usually provides an overview of the grammar and writing system, with 2018 offering more advanced, nuanced encounters with complex texts and more formal registers in speaking.
These courses are open to all heritage speakers of languages in which they are offered. Students may wish to make an appointment with an instructor to have their skills evaluated before registering, in which case they should contact Modern Languages & Literatures. They may also choose to simply register for 1038. Afterwards, if the class is too easy for them, they can move up to 2018 or a more advanced course if one is available.
How has the LOTE requirement changed?
Before Fall 2025, students completing the 12-credit College Option could take two 3-credit courses in different languages. Now they must be in the same language.
Before Fall 2025, students deemed “proficient” in a LOTE could instead take an International Cultural Competency (ICC) course, taught in English. Now college credit in a LOTE is required.
For students with an Associate’s Degree, the LOTE requirement has been eliminated.
I am a continuing student. Should I opt in?
Continuing students have the choice to opt in. Doing so will change their College Option requirements in different ways, depending on their status when they entered Brooklyn College.
For students with an Associate’s Degree, it will remove LOTE from their College Option entirely. This will mean they no longer have to take a LOTE, but it will also mean they cannot count any LOTE they have taken toward the College Option.
For students doing a 9-credit College Option, opting in would mean they would need a Level 2 course to complete the LOTE requirement. A Level 1 LOTE would only count for them if they took it at Brooklyn College and followed up by taking another LOTE in the same language.
For students doing a 12-credit College Option, opting in will impact them differently depending on whether were deemed proficient in a LOTE or not.
If they are not proficient, the only change will be that they will now have to complete both LOTE classes in the same language.
If they were considered proficient under the old requirement, they were able to complete the College Option with an ICC course instead of a LOTE. That will no longer be the case, and they will need to complete one or possibly even two semesters of LOTE, depending on whether they start at Level 3 or Level 4+. Either way, opting in will open up for these students the possibility of taking two LOTE courses in the same language, if that is what they want to do, and both will count toward the College Option.
Who should I contact if I have a question not answered here?
For Hebrew or Yiddish, contact the Judaic Studies department.
For Latin or Ancient Greek, contact Classics.
For all other languages, contact the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.