2025-2026 University Catalog
Languages and Cultures, MA
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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. Master’s students can pursue a thesis or non-thesis option. See below for each set of requirements. Program Website Program Requirements - Thesis & Non-thesis
30 Credits RequiredRequired Courses (24-30 credits)
Primary Area Courses (15-30 credits)
Students should take as many courses as possible with the prefix designation that is affiliated with the student’s area of study (CMPL, FR, GER, JPNS, SPAN); however, cross-listed SLC graduate courses in literature and culture that are taught in English as the language of instruction also count as Primary Area courses, as does the SLC 630 Literary Criticism and Bibliography course and the SLC 519 course on teaching languages. German
(Currently on hiatus.) Related Area courses (0-9 credits)
Related Areas are outside of the Primary Area of literature and culture and usually come from other departments; these may include, 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). Thesis-option students may have up to 6 credits in a Related Area. Non-thesis students may have up to 9 credits. All MA students are encouraged to take at least 3 credits of Related Area coursework, but this is not required; the Plan of Study may consist entirely of Primary Area coursework. Thesis Research (6 credits)
Only required for thesis MA students. The thesis is a substantial piece of original scholarship. Students must have the formatting approved before scheduling written and oral exams. MA programs in SLC also require a written and oral examination, which will cover the reading lists and other general background knowledge for the respective programs (such as characteristics of the main literary periods and genres). The final oral examination for a thesis-option student will be, at least in part, a defense of the student’s MA thesis. 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 30-hour minimum required for the MA degree. For the MA, the student must also demonstrate proficiency (at least reading knowledge) in one additional language other than English and the student’s major language of study. 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 final MA examination may be scheduled. Concentrations
Departmental Concentrations: - Applied Linguistics/Foreign Language Acquisition
- French
- German
- Japanese
- Russian
- Spanish
Interdisciplinary Concentrations: GPA Requirements
Not more than one course for which the student earns the grade of “C+”, “C”, or “C-” may be included on the Plan of Study to count toward the MA degree. No coursework with grades below a “C-” will be allowed to count toward the 30 credits for the MA. Additional Information
Examination: All candidates for the MA are expected to read the works included on the reading lists given to them by their program. The MA examination, consisting of written and oral components, will be based upon the broad educational experience of the candidates, with allowance and opportunity for them to draw on the reading lists, outside readings, and general background gained in courses. The examination will be written and graded by the members of the student’s Examining Committee (this might or might not consist of the same faculty from the Advisory Committee). The method of grading will be uniform within each language department. No student will be advanced to the oral examination unless the written part has been judged satisfactory by the Examining Committee. In most cases, the oral examination will be administered within two weeks of the written examination. Students may take the MA examination no more than three times; permission to repeat the examination is not guaranteed, but may be granted by the student’s major professor and Advisory Committee. A repeated examination may not occur within the same registration period. 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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