Departmental Examinations

The Department administers examinations on two dates during the academic year, normally on the last Saturday of November and on a Saturday in the middle of April.

Regular examinations begin at 9:00 AM and take place in the Hough Library. All other examinations, comprehensive examinations, and thesis defenses must be scheduled with the Graduate Secretary.

Foreign Language Requirement

Candidates for the Ph.D. are required to demonstrate a reading knowledge of German and either French or Italian before the beginning of their 5th semester in the Ph.D. program by passing a test administered by the Department. Please consult the Director of Graduate Studies concerning the date and format of the test. Students in the M.A. program who are considering going on to pursue the Ph.D. are strongly encouraged to begin to prepare for this requirement and may apply to take the test before admission to the Ph.D. program.