In alignment with the strategic objective to become a multi-lingual university, The UWI Foreign Language Policy mandates that students demonstrate proficiency or conversational competence in a language other than English before they graduate. 

According to the policy, all students who have been accepted into The UWI in academic year 2023-2024 to read for an undergraduate degree are required to register for and successfully complete a prescribed three (3) credit Foreign Language, Sign Language or Caribbean Creole Course.

The foreign language requirement policy shall take effect in academic year 2022-2023, however, it is applicable to all FSS undergraduate students who accepted an offer to start studies in August 2023, i.e., academic year 2023-2024.

Yes.  Students who reapplied and were readmitted to resume their studies starting August 2023 are subject to the foreign language policy.

The following students shall be exempt (without credit) from the requirement:       

(i)      Regional students accepted to The UWI with a foreign language obtained at CSEC (Grade 1-3) or CAPE Unit I/II (Grade 1-5) or an equivalent.

(ii)     International students whose first language is not English and who were accepted into The UWI with English as a second language qualification.

Exemption (without credit) is applied when a student has completed a course that is equivalent to a required course.  The exemption, therefore, removes the need to enroll in that specific course. However, it's important to note that no credit will be awarded for the exempted course. To earn credit in place of the exempted course, another course, typically at the same level, must be completed.

Eligible students must apply for “exemption without credit” on the Automated Student Request System (ASRS) via the SAS Portal. In making the request, students must use the course code that matches the language previously taken.

Yes. The Faculty recommends the following language courses for eligible students:

• CHIN1001: Chinese (Mandarin) 1A

• FREN0101:  Beginners’ French

• JAPA1001: Japanese Language 1

• LING1819:  Beginners’ Caribbean Sign Language

• SPAN0101: Beginners’ Spanish

Yes.  Students will be awarded three (3) credits upon successful completion of the foreign language course.

Yes.  To fulfill the necessary Level I credits, students have the option to select any two out of the following three courses:

• FOUN1101:  Caribbean Civilization
• FOUN1201:  Science, Medicine & Technology in Society
• One Level I Free Elective

Yes.  Students exempted based on CSEC/CAPE Spanish or French and opting for the same language as their Level I free elective should follow the recommended guidelines below:

• CSEC Spanish, must take SPAN1000 instead of SPAN0101
• CAPE Spanish, must take SPAN1001 instead of SPAN0101
• CSEC French, must take FREN1000 instead of FREN0101
• CAPE French, must take FREN1001 instead of FREN0101

No.  Students may sit the foreign language course at any time during their programme, however the Faculty recommends that students complete their level 1 courses/credits before advancing to level 2 and 3.

No.  Students pursing International Relations and Tourism Management are urged to follow closely their programme guidelines in the FSS Handbook for their year of admission, transfer or readmission.

Students who do not possess a foreign language certification may be required to take a diagnostic test to determine proficiency.  It is recommended that you reach out to the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures in the Faculty of Humanities and Education regarding this test.  Once proficiency is established, you should (i) apply for “Exemption without Credit” on the Automated Student Request System via the SAS Portal and (ii) sit all three (3) foundation courses.