Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do I have to be a regular BYU student in order to take summer classes?

2. If I attend Summer Term as a visiting student, will I have a greater chance of being admitted at the start of a later semester?

3. Can I take classes other than the advanced language class during the Summer Term?

4. How much does it cost to attend Summer Term?

5. Can I live in the Foreign Language Student Residence during the Summer Term?

6. How do I find housing?

7. How do I sign up for classes?

8. How much credit do I get by taking a credit exam as part of a Summer advanced course?

9. How should I prepare for the credit exam?

10. When is the credit exam given?

11. Can I take the credit exam without taking the course?

12. How much does it cost to take the credit exam?

13. Do I have to pay for the credit I get by credit exam?

14. Is the credit I get by credit exam graded or pass/fail?

15. Do I have to be a returned missionary in order to take the advanced class?

16. Does the advanced course satisfy BYU's University Core Languages of Learning requirement?

17. Can I transfer the credit I earn during the Summer Term to another school?

18. How do I apply?

1. Do I have to be a regular BYU student in order to take summer classes?

No, both Spring and Summer Terms at BYU are considered "open campus". That is, they are for matriculated as well as non-matriculated visiting students.

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2. If I attend Summer Term as a visiting student, will I have a greater chance of being admitted at the start of a later semester?

All of the grades received as a visiting student at BYU are placed on a BYU transcript and will apply toward an application to BYU at a later semester. The Challenge Examination taken as part of the advanced level language courses does receive graded credit and will affect a student's cumulative GPA. However, admission and enrollment as a visiting student does not in any way imply continued enrollment at BYU beyond Summer Term.

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3. Can I take classes other than the advanced language class during the Summer Term?

Yes. All courses offered by BYU during the Spring/Summer Terms are available for enrollment.

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4. How much does it cost to attend Summer Term?

Tuition costs vary. To find out what tuition is for your own situation, visit BYU's Tuition and Fees page by clicking the link below. This site is very helpful to prospective students and might also be able to answer other questions.

Tuition and Fees

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5. Can I live in the Foreign Language Student Residence during the Summer Term?

The Foreign Language Student Residences at BYU are open during Summer Term. However, their department has the final decision about the language houses that are created, as well as which students are accepted in each language house. You can get additional information from their web page by clicking the link below.

Foreign Language Student Residences

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6. How do I find housing?

Information about both on-campus and off-campus housing opportunities near BYU is available at the BYU Housing Office website by clicking the link below.

BYU Housing

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7. How do I sign up for classes?

Once you have been accepted to BYU for the Summer Term, you will receive information from the Admissions Office that will instruct you on how to register for classes through your Route Y account online. Route Y is a secured account manager that is available to all BYU students, faculty, administration, and staff.

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8. How much credit do I get by taking a credit exam as part of a Summer advanced course?

The foreign language challenge examinations are worth 14-16 credit hours depending on the language being tested. For more information about the challenge exam, contact the department office of the language you wish to be tested. The "Languages" section of this website will help you identify which department is responsible for each language and will also provide a link to other departments' websites.

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9. How should I prepare for the credit exam?

While the curriculum of the advanced language courses are not designed specifically to help you prepare for the exam, they provide an opportunity to brush up on the skills that will be tested.

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10. When is the credit exam given?

The course instructor schedules the exam for his/her own class and it is up to the instructor's discretion when the exam is scheduled. They typically wait till the last few weeks of the term in order to give students an opportunity to be better prepared.

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11. Can I take the credit exam without taking the course?

Only non-BYU students are eligible to take a challenge exam without taking the course. These challenge exams are handled through the Humanities Technology Research Support Center at BYU and are known as the FLATS proficiency exam. They are worth 12 hours of pass/fail credit and are different from the challenge exams offered through the on-campus advanced language courses. Information about these exams can be found by clicking the link below.

Foreign Language Testing

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12. How much does it cost to take the credit exam?

The challenge examination fee is $20.00.

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13. Do I have to pay for the credit I get by credit exam?

No, only the $20.00 examination fee is necessary to receive the challenge examination credit.

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14. Is the credit I get by credit exam graded or pass/fail?

It depends of which credit exam you took; the Challenge Exam or the Foreign Language Achievement Test (FLAT).

The Challenge Exam is only available to students who are enrolled in an advanced language course. The credits received through the Challenge Exam are graded. Four letter grades will be given to four foundational course. (For example: Thai 101, Thai 102, Thai 201, and Thai 202). The student may choose which grades are applied to their transcript (in the event any or all of the grades are poor while the others are outstanding). These grades are applied to a BYU transcript but it is important to note that it is up to the discretion of the university you are attending whether the credits would be accepted toward a degree at another university.

FLAT is another credit exam which offers pass/fail credits only. The test is available to non-BYU students through the Humanities Technology Research Support Center (HTRSC). These credits are not applied to a BYU transcript.

In taking any credit exam, it is important to work with the university where the credits would be applied in order to ensure that the credits are acceptable toward a degree at that university.

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15. Do I have to be a returned missionary in order to take the advanced class?

No, anyone who is qualified to take a course at an advanced fluency level is eligible.

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16. Does the advanced course satisfy BYU's University Core Languages of Learning requirement?

Yes, in most cases, but some majors have different requirements. Check with the advisement center of your major to ensure that the University Core Languages of Learning requirement is satisfied by this course for their program.

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17. Can I transfer the credit I earn during the Summer Term to another school?

The credit earned while at BYU during Summer Term is applied to a BYU transcript and should be transferable. However, it is important to work with the university where the credits will be applied in order to ensure that the credits earned at BYU are acceptable toward a degree at that university.

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18. How do I apply?

Instructions and applications for matriculated students and non-matriculated visiting students are available by clicking the link below.

www.besmart.com

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