2025-2026 University Catalog
Languages and Cultures, PHD
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About the Program
The School of Languages and Cultures offers graduate study leading to the M.A. degree in French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Comparative Literature and the Ph.D. degree in French, German, Spanish and Comparative Literature. In addition, the School of Languages and Cultures participates in the curriculum for the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees granted by the Program in Linguistics/Foreign Language Acquisition housed in Interdisciplinary Studies. While graduate students must be proficient in at least one of the four languages (French, German, Japanese, or Spanish), they will have the opportunity to take coursework toward their degree with the broader faculty in the School of Languages and Cultures. Seminars are offered in exciting cross-cultural fields such as: media studies; cognitive studies; Afro-Hispanic and Francophone studies; popular culture; post/colonial and border studies; and critical theory. Graduate student cohorts in Purdue’s School of Languages and Cultures are small and congenial, providing many chances for collaboration with students and faculty across multiple languages and interdisciplinary research areas. Program Website Program Requirements
90 Credits Required (30 credits from a Master’s may be applied.) Required Courses (30-60 credits)*
*60 credits of coursework are required if not completed by 30 credits of coursework from a Master’s degree. Primary Area Courses (21-60 credits)*
*Students without an MA can complete 51-60 credits of coursework in a Primary Area (depending upon whether they choose to take 9 credits in a Related Area). For students with an MA, at least 21 of the 30 credit hours of post-MA coursework should be Primary Area courses. Primary Area courses are within the student’s area of study (CMPL, FR, GER, SPAN), as well as cross-listed SLC graduate courses in literature and culture that are taught in English as the language of instruction. The required 630 Literary Criticism and Bibliography course and the 519 course on teaching languages both count as Primary Area courses. German
(Currently on hiatus.) Related Area Courses (0-9 credits)
Up to 9 credits may be Related Area courses. These include courses that are outside of the Primary Area of literature and culture, and are usually offered by other departments, for example, courses in programs within the College of Liberal Arts (interdisciplinary programs such as gender studies, or fields that are highly relevant to the study of literature and culture, such as philosophy, history, and anthropology). In some cases, courses from another college could be included in Related Area coursework (such as psychology courses for a student interested in cognitive approaches to literature). The major professor and the Advisory Committee must approve Related Area courses if they are to count for the PhD Plan of Study. PhD students are encouraged to take at least 3 credits of Related Area coursework for their Plan of Study, but this is not a requirement. Dissertation Research (30 credits)
After successful completion of the Preliminary Examination and the Prospectus Defense, the PhD candidate will concentrate on conducting research for and writing the dissertation. This is a substantial piece of original scholarship that is required for all PhD degrees in SLC. Additional Requirements
Language Fluency: Students are expected to demonstrate, at a minimum, the ability to speak the major language fluently, in a substantially correct form; to read and comprehend texts in the major language; to write the major language in a style completely understandable to a native speaker; and to understand the language as spoken by native speakers. (An exception would be Comparative Literature students who are not specializing in one major language and instead are studying texts from a variety of cultures in English translation). If a student’s proficiency level in their major language of study is deemed by faculty in their area as too low to ensure their academic success, the student will be required to complete one or more advanced undergraduate language courses (e.g. 400-level language courses such as 401 and 402). These courses will be listed on the student’s transcript, but they will not count as part of the coursework required for the PhD degree. For the PhD, the student must also demonstrate proficiency in two additional languages other than English and the student’s major language. The student, in consultation with their committee, will determine which language would be most appropriate for the student’s program, which may include the student’s native language(s), if that language is neither English nor the major language of study. This language requirement may be met in any of the following ways: a. By examination in the language.
b. By completing the language course 202 or higher in the language with a minimum grade of B (3.0).
c. By completing the equivalent of 202 or higher in the language with a minimum grade of B (3.0) at another institution within five years of beginning the SLC graduate program. This additional language requirement must be satisfied before the Preliminary Examination may be scheduled. Concentrations
Departmental Concentrations: - Applied Linguistics/Foreign Language Acquisition
- French
- German
- Japanese
- Russian
- Spanish
Interdisciplinary concentrations and programs: GPA Requirements
No courses for which the student earns the grade of “C+”, “C”, or “C-” or below may be included on the Plan of Study to count toward the PhD degree. Additional Information
Preliminary Examination: A student should take the Preliminary Examination in the semester in which coursework is completed for the PhD or in the following semester at the latest. The examination will consist of a written and an oral component, both of which must be passed in addition to the Prospectus Defense to become a PhD candidate and to proceed to the dissertation phase of the program. Students are normally required to complete the written phase of the examination during a period not exceeding two weeks. After satisfactory completion of the written exam, the oral will be scheduled, normally within two weeks. The oral component will not last longer than two hours; its purpose is to give the student an opportunity to elaborate on and clarify responses, and to acknowledge and correct any factual errors, from the written exam, and to extend the scope and depth of the total examination. Graduate Programs Disclaimer
- The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Students should consult with their advisor/department for more information.
- Not all graduate programs may be actively recruiting students and course modality availability may vary.
- Please refer to the Explore Graduate Programs website for a list of currently available graduate programs.
- Transfer credit policy: Credits earned for graduate study at other universities (both domestic and international) may be applied toward an advanced degree. Only credit hours associated with graduate courses for which grades of B- or better were obtained will be eligible for transfer. Any additional conditions under which credit transfers may be made are determined by the various departments.
- Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
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