Department of Spanish

Retroactive credits in Spanish

This policy applies to all students whose first enrollment at WMU is Fall 2005 or after.
Students who entered WMU before Fall 2005 are considered under the policy in effect at the time of entry.

Beginning Fall 2005, all new students with previous experience in Spanish will take the online placement exam found within the GoWMU portal to determine the first Spanish class in which they should enroll at WMU.

Students may receive retroactive credits in Spanish equivalent to four hours for Intermediate Spanish I (SPAN 2000) and/or four hours for Intermediate Spanish II (SPAN 2010) by completing one or more advanced courses with a grade of "C" or better.

A student who places into SPAN 2010 will receive four hours of retroactive credit for SPAN 2000 by taking SPAN 2010 and receiving a grade of "C" or better in that course. This student would thus receive four hours of credit for 2010 (the course taken) and four hours of retroactive credit for 2000 (the course passed over).

A student who places at the 3000 level will receive four hours of retroactive credit for SPAN 2000 by taking either SPAN 3160 or 3170 and receiving a grade of "C" or better in that course. This student may receive an additional four hours of retroactive credit for SPAN 2010 by taking the remaining 3000-level course (3160 or 3170) and receiving a grade of "C" or better in that course.

No retroactive credit is granted for 1000-level courses. In accordance with University policy, a fee of $100 is charged for each four-hour course for which a student receives retroactive credit.

Native speakers of Spanish are not eligible to receive retroactive credit under the process described above. They will be eligible for credits, however, if they complete a major or a minor in Spanish. For purposes of this policy, a native speaker is defined as a person who has received his or her secondary education in Spanish in a Spanish-speaking country. Determination of eligibility for retroactive credit in unusual cases will be made by the Spanish undergraduate advisor or by the department chair.

Native speakers may take courses at the 3000 level and above, with the exception of 3160, 3170, 4520, and 4530. In certain cases, native speakers may take 4520, but only with the permission of a Spanish undergraduate advisor. Native speakers who complete a major in Spanish will be eligible to receive a maximum of eight hours of retroactive credit. Determination of this credit will be made by the undergraduate advisor or by the department chair. In order to receive this credit, the student must declare and complete a major in Spanish. Native speakers who declare and complete a minor in Spanish will be eligible to receive a maximum of four hours of retroactive credit as approved by the Spanish undergraduate advisor or by the department chair.

This policy applies to all students whose first enrollment at WMU is Fall 2005 or after.
Students who entered WMU before Fall 2005 are considered under the policy in effect at the time of entry.

AP/IB Credit in Spanish

Students who receive a grade of 3 or 4 in the Advanced Placement Exam or a grade of 4 or 5 in the HL (= higher level) International Baccalaureate Exam will receive credit for SPAN 2000 without charge. If they take a course at the 3000 level and receive a grade of "C": or better, they can also receive credit for SPAN 2010 by paying the $100 fee. Students who receive a grade of 5 in the Advanced Placement Exam or a grade of 6 or 7 in the HL International Baccalaureate Exam will receive credit for SPAN 2000 and 2010 without charge.

Note: the maximum number of hours of retroactive credit in Spanish that a student may receive is eight, whether through the retroactive credit policy, or through the AP/IB policy, or through any combination of those policies. Students should come to the Department of Spanish, 420 Sprau Tower, to process any retroactive credits.

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