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NCCU School of Library and Information Sciences

Frequently Asked Questions — Language Requirement

This page contains a list of frequently asked questions. If your question isn't answered here, you can search the SLIS Website using the search box on the left side of this page or contact the

What is NCCU's foreign language requirement?
Students are required to demonstrate knowledge of a foreign language, sign language, statistics, or a computer language. This requirement may be fulfilled by one semester of course work (3 hrs credit) in a foreign language, sign language, statistics, or a computer language at the undergraduate or graduate level. Original transcripts showing the pertinent courses must be provided as evidence prior to the application for graduation. Alternatively, the requirement may be fulfilled (a) if the student passes a modern language examination administered for this purpose by the Modern Foreign Language Department at North Carolina Central University in French, German, or Spanish, or (b) if the student has a currently valid professional IT certification. No courses taken for this purpose may be counted for course credit toward the master's degree.
What is NCCU's foreign language exam like?
According to students who have taken the exam in the past, it is 80 per cent translation and 20 per cent comprehension. The first part of the exam asks you to translate a page from the foreign language into English. You are allowed to bring and use a dictionary. The second part of the exam is a one-page article written in the foreign language; you are asked questions relating to the article. Students who have taken the exam suggest brushing up on verb conjugation as a key to passing the exam.
Can sign language be used to fulfill the School's language requirement?
Yes, if you took one semester of sign language at the undergraduate or graduate level.