Course Placement
Certain degree requirements and specific courses require a placement exam to ensure students have the appropriate level of prerequisite knowledge to be successful. Access to placement exams can also be found in the First-Year Experience (FYE) Checklist.
All first-year students must complete the Directed Self-Placement (DSP) exam for the Expository Writing requirement, and the QR Placement Diagnostic for the Applied Quantitative Reasoning (AQR) requirement, regardless of their intended major or fall course schedule.
Expository Writing
Placement in a writing course is determined by the Directed Self-Placement (DSP) exam.
EN 105, EN 105H, and EN 110, or another designated writing-intensive course will all satisfy the Expository Writing requirement. Students considering an English major/minor should enroll in EN 110 Introduction to Literary Studies because this course satisfies both the Expository Writing requirement and a requirement for the English major/minor.
EN 103 Writing Seminar I does not fulfill the Expository Writing requirement. Students placed in EN 103 must complete this prerequisite course by the end of the first year in order to enroll in a course that does satisfy the Expository Writing requirement by the end of their sophomore year.
If you have questions about your writing placement or courses, contact Professor Michael Marx, Expository Writing Program Director, at mmarx@skidmore.edu or 518-580-5173.
Applied Quantitative Reasoning (AQR)
Students can meet the prerequisite requirement for enrolling in an Applied Quantitative Reasoning course either through submission of qualifying ACT/SAT scores, or by taking the online QR Placement Diagnostic.
Prior to enrolling in an AQR course, students must satisfy the prerequisite in one of three ways:
- Achieve a score of at least 650 on the Math SAT examination, a score of at least 28 on the Math ACT examination.
- Earn the necessary score on the online Quantitative Reasoning Placement Diagnostic.
- Successfully complete a Fundamental Quantitative Reasoning (FQR) course.
Depending on the results of the QR Placement Diagnostic and ACT/SAT scores, students may need to proceed according to the following course sequence:
- MA 100 Quantitative Reasoning
- A Fundamental Quantitative Reasoning (FQR) course
- An Applied Quantitative Reasoning (AQR) course
Students who place into MA 100 Quantitative Reasoning must complete this course in their first year in order to move on to an FQR course by the end of their second year, and finally, to an AQR course by the end of their third year.
Students who place into an FQR course must complete an FQR course by the end of their second year in order to move on to an AQR course by the end of their third year.
Note: The QR Placement Diagnostic may only be taken once.
If you have questions about the AQR requirement, quantitative reasoning courses, or the QR Diagnostic Placement, email Professor Smriti Tiwari, Director of Quantitative Reasoning, at stiwari@skidmore.edu.
Placement exams for the following academic areas and courses are only required if you intend to take a specific course this fall, or if you are considering a major/minor from that academic department/program. Students are expected to complete exams prior to meeting with their summer advisor. This information is critical for setting up your fall schedule.
Calculus
Skidmore offers several levels of calculus. The Calculus Placement Exam is an important tool that helps the Mathematics & Statistics Department advise students which calculus course is best suited for them. Take this exam before selecting a calculus course. If you have any questions, contact Professor Julie Douglas, Department Chair and Professor of Statistics, at jdougla3@skidmore.edu.
Chemistry
Skidmore offers two pathways through the first–year chemistry curriculum. The Chemistry Department has developed the required online General Chemistry Placement Diagnostic to place you into one of these course sequences.
Based on your diagnostic score and previous chemistry experience, you will be allowed to register for either CH 115 Foundations of Chemistry with Lab or CH 125 Principles of Chemistry. Please do not study or review before taking the diagnostic. The diagnostic will take 45 minutes, and you will need to have a calculator and scratch paper available.
Both CH 115 and CH 125 are only offered in the fall. Seats are held in both courses
for first-year students.
For students who complete CH 115 Foundations of Chemistry with Lab in the fall, CH
126 Principles of Chemistry is offered in the spring to enable them to complete their
introductory chemistry sequence. There is no placement directly into CH 126. Students
must complete the prerequisite CH 115 in the fall in order to enroll in CH 126 the
spring.
If you have any questions, contact Professor Juan Navea, Department Chair and Professor of Chemistry, at jnavea@skidmore.edu.
Foreign Language
Skidmore offers foreign language courses in American Sign Language*, Ancient Greek, Arabic*, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew*, Italian, Japanese, Korean*, Latin, Portugese*, Russian*, Sanskrit, and Spanish.
* These languages are offered through the Self-Instructional Language Program (SILP) and may not be taken in students' first semester.
All students with some experience in French, German, Italian, and Spanish must take the placement test. (There is no placement test for Chinese or Japanese. Student must contact the section coordinator or the department chair of World Languages and Literatures).
Advanced Placement (AP) scores may be used to determine the appropriate course placement in some languages. If students are waiting to receive their AP score, they may use our placement test. AP scores cannot be used to satisfy the Language Study requirement.
Students who already speak Spanish because they grew up in a Spanish-speaking environment but were schooled in English should take WLS 221 Spanish for Heritage Speakers.
Students with one year of Latin in high school should enroll in CL 110 Elementary Latin (fall only); students with two years of Latin in high school should enroll in CL 210 Intermediate Latin (spring only). Contact Professor Dan Curley in the Classics Department at dcurley@skidmore.edu regarding placement if you have three to four years of high school Latin or any AP experience. Professor Curley can also assist you with Greek placement.
Contact the designated faculty below with any questions.
Ancient Greek or Latin: Professor Dan Curley, dcurley@skidmore.edu
Chinese: Professor Mao Chen, mchen@skidmore.edu
French: Professor Cate Talley, ctalley@skidmore.edu
German: Professor Juliane Wuensch, jwuensch@skidmore.edu
Italian: Professor Barbara Garbin, bgarbin@skidmore.edu
Japanese: Professor Masako Inamoto, minamoto@skidmore.edu
Sanskrit: Professor Robert E. Goodwin, rgoodwin@skidmore.edu
Spanish: Professor María Lander, mlander@skidmore.edu
Self-Instructional Language Program: Professor María Lander, mlander@skidmore.edu
Visit the Department of World Languages and Literature's Language Requirement and Class Placement webpage for more information.
Music
Private Lessons and Ensembles
Students interested in participating in music ensembles and/or private instruction for voice or instrument offered by the Music Department should fill out the Music Interest Questionnaire over the summer and contact the appropriate instructor as early as possible in September. Audition schedules will be in the orientation materials you receive when you arrive.
If you plan to take private lessons or participate in an ensemble, you should proceed to enroll yourself in these courses alongside the rest of your fall schedule while you await a response to your Music Interest Questionnaire. If you have any questions, contact Professor Jeremy Day-O'Connell, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Music, at jdayocon@skidmore.edu.
Music Theory
In order to place students in the appropriate level of pre-theory or required theory course, the Music Department will administer a theory diagnostic exam during the first class session of MU 141 Foundations of Theory and Musicianship and MU 241 Materials and Structures I.
If you plan to major or minor in Music, you should self-diagnose according to the Music Theory Placement guidelines, but you may register now for whichever music theory course seems most appropriate.
Physics
Most students begin with PY 130 General Physics I, but those with strong physics preperation may be able to enroll directly in PY 140 General Physics II.
The Physics Placement Exam will determine whether or not you can enroll directly in the second course of the Introductory Physics course sequence (PY 140) and skip the first course (PY 130). If you plan to enroll in the first course of the sequence (PY 130), there is no need to take the Placement Exam. If you have any questions, contact Professor Javier Perez-Moreno, Associate Professor of Physics, at jperezmo@skidmore.edu.