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Prepare for success in intercultural communication

Your undergraduate journey in languages and cultures starts with your application to join the School of International Letters and Cultures at Arizona State University. During your application process, you’ll declare a major in Asian languages, French, German, international letters and cultures, Italian, Russian or Spanish.
We also offer a variety of undergraduate minors and certificates for additional training in intercultural and interdisciplinary communication, including Arabic, Brazilian, Korean, Latin American and Slavic studies.
Visit ASU Admissions to start your application.

Admission requirements and deadlines

Admission requirements may vary for freshman, transfer and international students. Read your program details thoroughly and explore the individual admissions websites for additional information.

We look forward to having you join the School of International Letters and Cultures. If you have any additional questions about undergraduate admissions, check out our frequently asked questions below or contact silc@asu.edu for assistance.

Admissions FAQ

General

Q. Where is the advising office in the School of International Letters and Cultures?

A. Advising office is located on the 1st floor of the Durham Hall Languages and Literatures Building, Suite 131 (DH131)

Q. How do I make an advising appointment?

A. You can go to my.asu.edu to make an advising appointment. You may also call the front office at 480-965-6281

Q. Do you offer walk-in advising?

A. Walk-in advising is not currently available

Q. How should I prepare for my advising appointment?

A. New and transfer students should have thoroughly reviewed their DARS report. All students should bring their ASU SunCard, and any other applicable forms. If you are a prospective, new, or transfer student, it is helpful to have copies of your unofficial test scores, transcripts, etc.

Q. May I meet with an advisor over the phone instead of in person?

A. ASU Online students meet via phone when scheduling an advising appointment. Students are responsible for calling at the designated appointment time. You may schedule an appointment through EZ Appointments online or call the front office at 480-965-6281.  For on-campus students in-person advising is preferred.

Q. What is the late policy for advising appointments?

A. In order to be fair to all students, anyone arriving or calling 10 or more minutes late to their appointment may need to reschedule.

Q. How do I cancel or reschedule an advising appointment?

A. Please call SILC front office at 480-965-6281. 

Q. May I email an advisor my question(s)?

A. If you have a very simple (one sentence) question, you may email silcadvising@asu.edu and an advisor will respond to your inquiry. However, if you have multiple or complex questions, you must make an appointment to meet with a school advisor. Please note that probationary advising requires an in-person appointment.

Q. If I have concerns, comments, or feedback about advising who do I contact?

A. Please email silcadvising@asu.edu with the subject line “comments”.

Q. How do I obtain permission for a course overload?

A. SILC majors must petition the school's Overload Petition committee for permission to take up to 21 credit hours. Contact your SILC advisor once you have read the overload petition requirements.  Students who wish to take more than 21 credit hours must petition the college.

Language proficiency and testing

Q. Do you offer testing to high-school students trying to meet deficiencies in foreign languages?

A: No 

Q. Who is the School of International Letters and Cultures contact for language testing questions?

A. Louis Wigley is the Language Placement Testing Coordinator and is the contact for all things related to language testing. Contact her via email at: Louis.Wigley@asu.edu

Q. What is the difference between a Language Placement test and a Proficiency test?

A. Placement tests are diagnostic tests which, upon completion, will provide a recommended course level for an ASU language course (101, 102, 201, 202, etc.). A proficiency examination can be used in place of course work to satisfy a student’s college foreign language graduation requirement.

Courses and academic standing

Q: Why can’t I add SPA 101 or 202? I try to add the course and it says I need permission? 

A: Students wanting to add either SPA 101 or 202 need to complete a course override form, found here (insert link), to be given permission to add either SPA 101 or 202.

For SPA 101, you must first have taken the Spanish online placement test (insert link) and subsequently place it into SPA 101.

For SPA 202, if you already have credit for Spanish 201, you just need to complete the course override form.

If you do not have credit for SPA 201, you must also take the Spanish placement test and test into SPA 202. If you test above (313 or 315) or below (SPA 101 – 201) SPA 202, you cannot take SPA 202 and must take the course indicated in your placement.

Q. How do I obtain an override for a language course (I.e. SPA101 SPA202)?

A. Submit your request for an override through the online override request form.

Q. I notice that I have a "Junior Check-In" notification on MyASU. What does this mean?

A. Your advisors are interested in making sure that everything is going as planned and that you are on your way to being a Sun Devil graduate! In order to accomplish this, when you see this notification, schedule an appointment with an advisor. During this check-in appointment, we will verify that everything is correct in your student account and that all other indicators show that you are making progress towards graduation. This is not an urgent hold, and it will not impact your ability to register. However, please do make an appointment to see your advisor so we can remove the hold from your account.

Q. How do I add a language minor?

A. Check the catalog to review minor requirements.  After reviewing, you can email silcadvising@asu.edu to request the minor to be added.  Please include your ASU ID number in the body of the email. We encourage you to schedule an appointment with a SILC advisor to find out more about study abroad options, internships, scholarship opportunities, and student involvment.

Q. If I am on academic probation what should I do?

A. Schedule an in-person appointment with a SILC academic advisor by calling 480-965-6281. Please note that probation appointments are not taken during our Walk-in advising hours. 

Q. I want to refresh my language skills. Can I take a lower level course if I already passed a higher level course?

A. Students are expected to follow the progressive sequence of 100, 200, 300, or 400 level.  Once a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher is earned in a 300-level class in a language, students may not earn lower-division credit in that language.  Moreover, once a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher is earned in a 200-level language course, students may not earn credit in any 100-level course in that language. Students may be allowed to audit a lower level course to refresh their skills and are encouraged to meet with a SILC advisor to discuss this option.

Q. Can I take intensive language courses to accelerate my language proficiency progress?

A. Yes, students can enroll in intensive language courses in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. Elementary intensive language 110 courses are offered in fall semester. Intermediate intensive language 210 courses are offered in spring semester. 

Q. I need to withdraw from my course(s).  What do I do?

A. Contact your advisor.  They can guide you through the withdrawal process. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences students can review information on the withdrawal process online. and/or the complete session withdrawal. 

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