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New Student Registration

Updated 4/13/26

new transfer and first-year student registration


I. REGISTERING FOR A LANGUAGE WITHOUT PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

If you are beginning a language that you have never studied or used before (including no self-study or use at home), register for the first course of the first-year sequence. Be aware that course numbers vary by language.   

In most programs, the course sequence begins in the fall quarter. Please check the individual department home page (Undergraduate > Courses) for the current year’s course schedule. You can find the home department of each language in Language Study page.

If the class you plan to register for is closed (i.e., full) during the registration period and no instructions posted in CAESAR, see the Help With Closed Classes page.  If the language is not listed, contact the department listed under Languages Offered (click the language name).

 

II. REGISTERING FOR A LANGUAGE WITH PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

If you already know a language (e.g., studied it in high school, speak at home, lived in a country where the language is spoken, or self-studied), register for the course determined by your placement test result. 

If the course is not offered in the fall or if you are unsure about your placement, contact the individual language placement coordinator. Contact information is available in the Language Program Contacts page. 

IMPORTANT:  

FAQs: 

  1. Don’t know your placement? 
    Log into the Online Language Placement page to check your result.   
  2. Can’t find your result? 
    You may not have completed the entire process (e.g., the validation test may be pending).  Check your email for instructions on how to complete the validation test, and contact the language placement coordinator as soon as possible.  Their information is available on the Language Program Contacts page. 
  3. Using AP/IB scores instead of a placement test? 
    Follow the instructions on the AP and IB Language Credit page.  
    Note: Some language programs do     not use AP/IB scores for placement or proficiency validation. In that case, you must take the placement test. Test information is available on the Language Placement page.
          PERMISSION NUMBER FOR COURSES WITH PREREQUISITES

Before you register, check whether you need a permission number from the department (see table below). If a permission number is required, you should have received an email with instructions on how to obtain it, or your placement result page has the information.  If you are unsure, contact the placement coordinator (see Language Program Contacts). 

The following apply only to New Transfer and First-Year Student Registration Periods. For all other registration periods, check CAESAR to see whether a permission number is required. 

During New Transfer and First-Year Student Registration, if you register for a language course with a prerequisite a permission number may be required.  Please see the table below:


LANGUAGE		 PERMISSION NUMBER REQUIREMENT FOR COURSES WITH PREREQUISITES
NEW TRANSFER Students NEW FIRST-YEAR Students 
ARABIC Required  Required
CHINESE Required Required for CHINESE 211, 215, 311, 315; 
Not required for CHINESE 121-1, 125-1
FRENCH Required  Required for FRENCH 210/211 and above 
GERMAN Required  Required 
HEBREW Required  Not Required 
HINDI-URDU Required  Required 
JAPANESE Required  Required 
KOREAN Required  Required 
ALL OTHER LANGUAGES Not Required  Not Required 

If the class you plan to register for is closed (i.e., full) during the registration period and no instructions posted in CAESAR, see the Help With Closed Classes page.  If the language is not listed, contact the department listed under Languages Offered (click the language name).


III. NEED MORE INFORMATION?