PhD in English Language and Linguistics: Foreign Language Requirement
Because the PhD is a research degree, the Department requires for Admission to Candidacy that students be competent to do research involving primary and secondary materials in languages other than English.
Specifically, the student must demonstrate advanced competence in one language and adequate competence in another. One of these languages must be French, German, or Latin.
At least adequate competence in one foreign language must be demonstrated before the student may take the preliminary examination. The remainder of the foreign language requirement must be completed before admission to candidacy. A student who has completed a graduate degree elsewhere may, if approved by the Graduate Committee, transfer for adequate competence the previous certification in one foreign language granted for that degree.
Otherwise, reading proficiency must be proved in one of two ways: (1) through examination administered either by the Educational Testing Service or a UW-Madison department designated by the English Department Graduate Committee; or (2) through certification by the English Department Graduate Division that the student has completed a fifth and sixth semester reading course in college with no grade lower than B (advanced competence), or a third and fourth semester reading course in college with no grade lower than B (adequate competence). While passing scores may vary slightly on the basis of information provided by the testing agencies, students may use the following guide for ETS examinations:
ETS perfect score 800
Advanced competence 650
Adequate competence 520
(rev. 8/2005)
