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Language Requirements (M.A.)
Knowledge of a nonnative language is required for the M.A. in English with a specialization in Literature and for the M.A. in TESL/Applied Linguistics.
Students in the Literature specialization of the M.A. in English
Native speakers of English
All students completing the M.A. degree in English with a specialization in Literature must complete a requirement in the study of language. Students must do one of the following:
- complete two years or their equivalent of college-level study in a single foreign language with an average grade of C or higher OR
- take the placement exam (in German, French, or Spanish) offered by the Department of World Languages and Cultures and achieve a score certifying proficiency in that language equivalent to satisfactory completion of two years at the college level OR
- complete, with a grade of B or higher, English 523: Introduction to Old English Language and Literature* OR
- complete, with a grade of B or higher, 3 credit hours of graduate linguistics
Nonnative speakers of English
To satisfy the language requirement, nonnative speakers of English who did not graduate from a U.S. institution must
- pass the English Placement Test (as a graduate student); if students fail this examination, they will be required to take English classes
Nonnative speakers of English who did graduate from a U.S. institution must
- submit to the Graduate College the Graduate English Requirement Approval form. Two conditions must be met:
1) the student must have received a bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. degree from a U.S. college or university and
2) the language of instruction at that college or university must have been in English.
| Graduate courses taken to satisfy the Language Requirement may also be applied, where appropriate, on the Literature POS for the M.A. in English. |
| *English 523 can be used to satisfy either the Language Requirement or a literature course requirement (e.g., pre-1865 British literature), but NOT BOTH. |
| The Graduate College Language Requirement form has to be submitted with the Program of Study form to the Graduate English Office. See the Assistant Director of Graduate Education for assistance in filling out the form and obtaining its supporting documentation. |
Students in the M.A. in TESL/Applied Linguistics
The spirit of this requirement is that students will have had a language learning experience before they graduate, either in the recent past or concurrent with working toward their degree.
Native speakers of English
The following are the most typical ways for native speakers of English to fulfill the requirement. Students who believe they have fulfilled the spirit of the requirement in other ways can write a petition explaining their situation. To satisfy the language requirement, students must
- have completed one year or its equivalent of college-level study in a single language with a grade of B or higher, as shown on a transcript, no more than five years before beginning graduate work in the TESL/Applied Linguistics program; students who finished at least one year of college-level language study more than five years before beginning graduate work in TESL/Applied Linguistics must complete one semester of college-level study of any foreign language with a grade of B or higher, concurrent with working toward the degree OR
- complete one year or its equivalent of college-level study in a single language, with a grade of B or higher in the second semester, concurrent with working toward the degree OR
- demonstrate proficiency in a single language by means of an approved examination at a level equivalent to one year of college-level study OR
- provide clear evidence of a bilingual background
Nonnative speakers of English
To satisfy the language requirement, nonnative speakers of English who did not graduate from a U.S. institution must
- pass the English Placement Test (as a graduate student); if students fail this examination, they will be required to take English classes
Nonnative speakers of English who did graduate from a U.S. institution must
- submit to the Graduate College the Graduate English Requirement Approval form. Two conditions must be met:
1) the student must have received a bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. degree from a U.S. college or university and
2) the language of instruction at that college or university must have been in English.
| All nonnative speakers of English in the TESL/Applied Linguistics M.A. program must pass the SPEAK/TEACH Test in order to satisfy graduation requirements, even if they are not teaching assistants. If they are teaching assistants, they must pass the SPEAK/TEACH Test before they begin teaching. Passing the test in itself does not meet the language requirement. To pass the SPEAK/TEACH test, students must receive a Level 1 pass and be fully certified. |
| The Graduate College Language Requirement form has to be submitted with the Program of Study form to the Graduate English Office. See the Assistant Director of Graduate Education for assistance in filling out the form and obtaining its supporting documentation. |
