All areas of specialization require reading ability in one foreign language relevant to the study of English literature. Advisory Committees may require reading proficiency in one or more additional foreign languages if this is felt necessary for students’ chosen areas of specialization.
You need to acquire sufficient familiarity with a language to be able to consult and translate scholarly materials for sustained research. Reading proficiency in a foreign language or languages may be demonstrated in either of two ways:
a) Passing a translation examination: A two-hour translation examination is offered twice a year: at the beginning of the Spring and Fall semesters. The DGS normally issues a memo announcing a set of examinations a month before they are to occur; students are asked to specify which language they have chosen. Students may repeat an exam without penalty until they pass. In some cases, students entering the program with the M.A. degree may receive the DGS’s approval of language examinations they have recently passed at other institutions.
—or—
b) Passing an approved foreign language course: The language requirement also may be fulfilled by passing with a grade of “B” or better an approved graduate or advanced undergraduate course in a foreign language. Students who select this option must have the permission of their Advisory Committees or the DGS prior to taking the course.
Because you may not take the Oral Examination until all other Departmental requirements have been completed, the faculty urges you to complete your foreign language requirements as soon as possible during your course of study.
As an incoming student, consult the DGS about the probable language requirements for your intended area of interest and prepare your languages as soon as possible to avoid hindering your progress in the program. Courses in reading comprehension are offered regularly in German, French, Spanish, and Latin by the departments of foreign languages. Watch for these offerings each semester and take reading courses as necessary while completing your regular course work.
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The English Department's Graduate Handbook
