Scholarly Languages
Students are required to pass reading examinations in two scholarly languages (normally French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, or Russian, though another may substituted upon approval of a petition to the department). The language exam consists either of the university's language exam or of a departmental language exam; the latter is a written translation of a passage of approximately 750-1000 words in length selected by a faculty member; the student has two hours and may use a paper dictionary.
These language competencies are ideally satisfied early in the graduate career. The function of the scholarly language exams is to test reading comprehension at a level which will allow effective use of the language in reading linguistic material.
A student will be considered to have passed a language examination in a language approved for this category if s/he has received a university degree from an institution whose normal language of instruction is the language in question. (NB: Majoring in a language does not satisfy this requirement.)
Non-Indo European Language Requirement
The equivalent of one year's coursework in a living non-Indo-European language is required for the Ph.D. Native speakers of a non-Indo-European language will be considered to have fulfilled this requirement.