Comparative Literature Department
Language Requirements
Graduate Office (812)855-9602
Entering graduate students are normally expected to have a good command of at least one foreign language. They will ultimately need proficiency in two foreign languages to obtain the M.A. degree, three for the Ph.D. An M.A. candidate's second language must be certified by the end of the second year of study. For students entering the graduate program in Fall 2001 or later, reading proficiency in a foreign language may be certified in the following ways:
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Receiving a grade of B or higher in a graduate-level literature course or an undergraduate literature course at the 300 or 400 level in which the assigned readings are in the foreign language. The student must obtain the instructor’s signature on the certification form available from the Graduate Studies Office. For students entering the graduate program in Fall 2001 or later, the successful completion of the 491/492 course sequence in a foreign language will not be accepted by itself as certification of reading proficiency.
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Passing an examination in translation of literary texts in the foreign language, administered by the Comparative Literature Department in consultation with faculty in other departments. Students must submit a written request for an exam to the Graduate Studies Office at least 30 days in advance of the scheduled exam date. One date will be scheduled for language exams each semester. For students entering the graduate program in Fall 2001 or later, passing grades on foreign language exams offered by other departments will not be accepted by themselves as certification of reading proficiency.
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Students whose native language is not English may request certification of English as one of their foreign languages. Prior to registration for classes, all new students at IUB whose native language is not English are required to take an English Language Proficiency Test administered by the Indiana University Center for English Language Training (CELT) in Memorial Hall, Room 319. When students have passed this proficiency test, they may request permission to designate English as a foreign language by obtaining a form from the Comparative Literature Graduate Studies Office to complete and sign. This form will then go to the Director of Graduate Studies and to the Graduate School Dean for approval.
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Upon approval of the Director of Graduate Studies, doctoral students may be allowed to substitute intensive preparation (at least 27 credit hours) in a non-literary discipline for the third foreign language requirement. This substitution would need the support of the student’s advisory committee, and the request would need to include a detailed explanation of the importance of the non-literary discipline to the student’s research interests.
The Department’s foreign language requirements reflect the need for graduate students to achieve a level of reading knowledge suitable for literary analysis. The Department therefore encourages students to take at least one advanced literature course in a foreign language. For the first foreign language, students will normally be expected to certify reading proficiency by successfully completing a graduate-level literature course in which the required readings are in the foreign language. For the second and third languages, students may instead choose to certify reading proficiency by successfully completing an undergraduate literature course in a foreign language at the 300 or 400 levels or by passing an examination in translation of literary passages administered by the Department. The Department does not specify which foreign languages students choose to fulfill their degree requirements; but it does stress the important link between language proficiency and scholarly achievement in Comparative Literature. Students should consider both what previous language training they can utilize to achieve the required certifications for their degree programs most efficiently and which languages will be necessary in the research and teaching interests students hope to pursue, especially in their qualifying examinations and doctoral dissertation. For example, students who choose to specialize in medieval European literature will be expected to have reading proficiency in Latin. All students will be expected to quote literary texts in their original language in the doctoral dissertation. Students should therefore consult with their mentors and other faculty members in order to make informed choices for language study.
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