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Latin Placement: General Information

The Department of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (CAMS) offers a sequence of Latin courses during the fall and spring semesters:

Latin 101: Introductory Latin, usually offered in only the fall semester

Latin 102: Advanced Latin, usually offered in only the spring semester

Latin 203: Latin Reading and Composition, usually offered in only the fall semester

Latin 400-499, offered in both the fall and spring semesters

Latin 001, 002, and 003 are also offered as a 12-credit program in the Summer Intensive Language Institute. Students who have completed this program may enroll in Latin 203 or a 400-level Latin course.

Latin Placement Exam

Incoming students and currently enrolled students interested in being initially placed in a more advanced course than Latin 101 will be required to take the standard Latin placement exam. Students may prepare by taking the sample Latin placement exam and checking their answers with the sample Latin placement exam answer key. Students interested in taking Latin Placement Exam should contact Stephen Wheeler at smw6@psu.edu.

Carnegie Units

Incoming students and currently enrolled students who already have a number of Carnegie units of Latin language study prior to their admission at Penn State will have to determine their own placement according to these guidelines:

  • Students with fewer than two units (years) of Latin study should enroll in Latin 101 in a fall semester.
  • Students with two or three units (years) of Latin study may take Latin 101 (in a fall semester) or Latin 102. If students choose to take Latin 102, they should have a score of at least 75 points on the standard placement exam.
  • Students with four or more units (years) of Latin study may take Latin 102 or Latin 203 or a 400-level Latin course. Students who wish to take Latin 203 should have a score of at least 82 points on the standard placement exam. Students scoring more than 95 points should seriously consider taking a 400-leel Latin course.

AP Credits

Students with Latin AP credits may also wish to use the following guidelines for placement:

  • Students with an AP score of 4 should take Latin 203.
  • Students with an AP score of 5 should take either Latin 203 or 400-level Latin, depending on their performance on the standard placement exam.

Other Placement Issues

Instructors of Latin will confirm whether the placement of a student is correct at the beginning of the semester. Students who are incorrectly placed will be advised to register for Latin 101, if there is room.

If a student is uncertain about their Latin preparation and would like to study Latin at Penn State, it is advisable to register for Latin 101 as soon as possible to guarantee a seat.

Student Testimonial

“I did not start at Penn State in the CAMS department but by the time my fourth semester came around I found myself declaring a major in CAMS because I loved the subject matter. The courses instructed by the CAMS faculty gave me many opportunities to challenge my thinking. (...)
The department offers a wide variety of courses with some taught every semester, while more advanced courses change constantly. All of these courses introduced me to the wide variety of topics covered in the field. The CAMS department has many courses focusing on the Ancient the Near East and not exclusively Greece and Rome. In fact, classes in both areas are requirements of the degree. This breadth of study gave me a strong base of knowledge on which to build. The CAMS major offers an archaeology option that fostered my interests and supported my secondary major in Archaeology. I was surprised to find so many opportunities to study abroad within the department. I went on my first excavation in Israel in 2008 with support from Penn State and I did not want to return. Archaeology in the Near East became one of my favorite subjects. Since 2008, I have gone on two more excavations sponsored by Penn State. Without these experiences abroad, I would have never discovered and developed my passion for the study of the Ancient Near East. Now that I have graduated with a B.A. in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies and a B.S. in Archaeological Science, I shall continue my education by graduate work in Archaeological Studies at Yale University. The experiences and interactions that I have had in my years at Penn State in the CAMS department serve as the foundation for my future studies.”

Jane Skinner
2011 CAMS graduate

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