New School Core

 AIS World Language Requirement

 Proficiency goal:  In keeping with the state and federal mandates that K-12 students achieve mastery in English and one other world language as well as the international and intercultural missions of Ramapo College, the School of American and International Studies has instituted a world language component.  All degree candidates in AIS are required to show proficiency in a world language other than English at the Intermediate Low level as described by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Proficiency Guidelines.*  This minimum proficiency standard is only a stepping stone to mastery.  Therefore, we encourage students to continue coursework, immersion activities, and study abroad that will help them reach the ultimate goal of linguistic and cultural competence in a language beyond English.

 Placement:  All students who are not exempt from the component must submit to a placement test so they may be placed in the appropriate level courses.  Students will be provided with the opportunity to take the STAMP test in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, and Japanese at Ramapo.  They will be notified about the dates for the testing.  The results of the STAMP test will become available within three to four weeks.  Students who do not reach the required proficiency level will be placed at the appropriate level and will need to complete the required coursework up to and including an Intermediate I course.  In the event that the language a student chooses is not tested and/or taught at the College, it will be the responsibility of the student, in consultation with the language faculty, to identify a test and/or courses off-campus that will serve to prove the required proficiency. 

 Student may opt to take lower level courses for remedial work that will help them to successfully complete the requirement.  Students who have never previously studied a World Language will be rare since Ramapo College requires at least two years of a world language for admission.  In the case of a student who is admitted with no previous study, has spent a lengthy span with no practice since prior study, or who wants to start with a new language will have to begin at the Foundations I level of coursework.

 Satisfactory evidence of Intermediate Low proficiency can be demonstrated in the following ways and will constitute exemption from further coursework:

◦Successfully completing Intermediate I World Language course 

◦Completing equivalent coursework in an approved study abroad program

◦Receiving transfer credit for equivalent coursework

◦Passing a Ramapo College Placement Test (STAMP) at that level or higher

◦Passing CLEP exam at the Intermediate Low level or higher

◦Passing the ACTFL OPI at the required level (Life and telephone interviews offered at cost through state and national testing centers)

◦Passing the NYU Language Test (for those languages not offered through CLEP or STAMP at Ramapo, cost is responsibility of student)

◦Receiving a score of 4 on the High School Advanced Placement Test

◦International High School Graduates whose native language is not English are exempt from the component and encouraged to study an additional language

◦International Baccalaureate (IB) Graduates

* Summary of ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines for Speaking and Writing (full descriptions of all levels at www.actfl.org):  Intermediate Low speakers can maintain simple face-to-face conversation by asking and responding to simple questions in informal settings dealing with topics related primarily to one’s self and immediate environment.  In writing, they create statements and formulate simple questions by recombining familiar structures and vocabulary in order to meet elementary needs.  These speakers and writers can be understood, with some repetition or additional effort, by speakers unaccustomed to non-native speakers.

About the School

The School of American and International Studies provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the civilization of the United States and other societies within the international systems. Courses in American studies, international studies, foreign languages, history, literature, political science, anthropology, and philosophy are designed to present the culture and institutions of the United States and the international community from both a domestic and a comparative point of view. These courses acknowledge the contributions of several disciplines in studying significant themes and problems in American and International Studies.

The language program utilizes a state-of-the-art computerized language lab which is linked to the International Telecommunications Center, enabling students to view international programming via satellite. Language instruction is offered in Spanish, Italian, French, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and Hebrew.

The School’s faculty members are dedicated to teaching and scholarship, have traveled and studied abroad extensively, have backgrounds in foreign languages, humanities, and social sciences, and all share a common interest in American and International Studies. The international component of the School is enhanced by a program of visiting professors from around the globe, including visiting professors from China, and Russia.

The School offers internships, fieldwork experiences, and international study opportunities. Students may participate in study programs in England, Ireland, Costa Rica, Canada, China, Africa, and Czechoslovakia as well as fieldwork and/or internships in the U.S. Students who wish to conduct their field study for Political Science in the nation’s Capital may do so through the College’s affiliation with the Institute for Experiential Learning. Those students wishing to do field study in Washington, D.C. or other distant sites, should confer in their Sophomore year with the Convener of the Major. Students are also encouraged to participate in one or more of the many clubs and organizations sponsored by the School, such as the History Club, Literature Club, Political Forum, Anthropology Society, Model U.N. Club (which has consistently won annual competitions against institutions such as Harvard), and Trillium (the College’s literary magazine). In addition, qualified students are invited to join honorary societies: Phi Alpha Theta for History majors, Sigma Tau Delta for Literature majors, Pi Sigma Alpha for Political Science majors, or Phi Alpha Delta, an international fraternity of pre-law and law schools.

Students may major in American Studies, International Studies, History, Literature, or Political Science. These programs all lead to the Bachelor of Arts degree. Minors are available in many of the above majors and in African American Studies, Anthropology, French, Italian, Judaic Studies, Latin American Studies, East Asian Studies, Philosophy, and Spanish. Students, regardless of major, are encouraged to participate in a minor program.

Graduates from the School of American and International Studies are prepared for law school and graduate programs in the humanities and social sciences, as well as careers in business, state and Federal government, community organizations, journalism, advertising, public relations, publishing, and secondary school teaching (when combined with teacher education courses).


Please refer to the Academic Course Descriptions section on the Web for Students for undergraduate course descriptions.