Course Placement
To determine the appropriate level of a course to take, you need to consider various factors, including prior study, test credit, and your intended course of study.
Some factors that affect placement:
- Prerequisites: Some classes require you to have satisfied certain prerequisites to be eligible to take a higher-level class. Under "Requirements" on the class detail page in YES you can see if the class has any mandatory prerequisites. AP, IB, and other test credit can satisfy prerequisites.
- Some upper-level classes have no prerequisites but may not be appropriate for a first-year student, whereas some classes may have high course numbers, but are fine for first-year students to take. Check with your Pre-Major Adviser if you're interested in an upper-level class to discuss whether it's likely to be a good fit for you.
- Some majors require students to start with particular sequences of classes in order to be on track to complete the major in four years. Make sure to speak with your pre-major adviser about any majors or minors you're considering to determine if there are classes you need to prioritize in your first semester.
For questions about Calculus placement, visit the Department of Mathematics website.
For questions about Computer Science placement, visit the School of Engineering website.
Foreign Language Placement
To determine the appropriate level for a foreign language course, you may take a placement exam to assess your proficiency. Placement exams are available for:
Once you receive your placement score, visit the relevant department website to interpret which course level you should take (French, German, Spanish).
For all other languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Portuguese, and Russian, among others, it is generally recommended that you take 1101 if you have no experience with that language. If you have studied the language before, consult with the director of undergraduate studies in the relevant department.
Tennessee Language Center
Students who entered Vanderbilt before Fall 2025 and are taking AXLE may demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language via testing through the Tennessee Language Center. Please note that this option is NOT available to students entering in Fall 2025 and later and are taking the College Core. (Latin and classical Greek are exceptions; proficiency tests for those two languages are administered through the Department of Classical Studies.)
To demonstrate proficiency for AXLE, students must score 4 or higher on both the spoken and written ALTA tests administered by TLC. Students who demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language to the level of a second-semester language acquisition course taught at Vanderbilt are not required to take any further language instruction but must still complete three courses in the International Cultures category in AXLE.
Please contact the relevant department website to determine how to interpret your ALTA test score.