The Maine Department of Education awards the Seal of Biliteracy to qualified high school students who have demonstrated proficiency in English and an additional language.

University of Southern Maine recognizes the knowledge demonstrated by students who have earned the Maine Seal of Biliteracy.  Students matriculating at the University who have earned the seal from a Maine high school, or from other states with equivalent requirements for demonstrating proficiency, are eligible for the following credit: 

American Sign Language = ASL 1XX CI 8 credits 

Arabic = ARA 201 + ARA 202 (8 cr total) 

Chinese = CHI 201 + CHI 202 (8 cr total) 

French = FRE 201 + FRE 202 (8 cr total) 

German = GER 201 + GER 202 (8 cr total) 

Italian = ITA 201 + ITA 202 (8 cr total) 

Latin = LAT 201 + LAT 202 (8 cr total)

Spanish = SPA 201 + SPA 202 (8 cr total) 

Other languages = LAN 201 + LAN 202 (8 cr total) 

Students who earn the Seal of Biliteracy with a score of at least advanced-low on the ACTFL OPI, an advanced score on the AAPPL speaking and listening sections, or a score of at least 3 on the ASLPI will earn an additional four credits at the 300 level:  ASL 305 for the ASL Seal and 3XX for all other languages.  Students who have taken these exams in the course of earning the Seal the Biliteracy should contact the CPL Office directly about submitting their scores. 

Credits earned from the Seal of Biliteracy fulfill the Cultural Interpretation requirement for the Core Curriculum. FRE 202, SPA 202, GER 202 and ITA 202 also fulfill the International requirement.

Please Note:

  • University of Southern Maine students can earn a maximum of 8 credits per level (100, 200, 300) by exam for each language.
  • Students who receive credit for Foreign Language course equivalents through Advanced Placement (AP) Examination cannot receive credit through the Seal of Biliteracy for the same language.
  • Credits earned from the Seal of Biliteracy do not satisfy the foreign language requirement of the International Studies track in the Political Science major.   

Students will be informed by an email to their maine.edu account when any Seal of Biliteracy credits are posted. Students who have questions about the Seal, or believe they are eligible for credit should contact the CPL Office at 207-780-4663 or priorlearningusm@maine.edu.