Language Requirements

All graduate students in the English department are required to fulfil a foreign language requirement. Courses taken for the language requirement cannot be used as part of the credit required for degree.

Master's Requirements:

All MA students must demonstrate competency through the second-semester, second-year level in a language other than English. CLEP or UNM-administered tests may be used to fulfill the language requirement as well as coursework at UNM.

With the approval of a major advisor and the Graduate Director, students in the MA program in Professional Writing may substitute competence with a research skill such as Computer Science or Statistics for their one required foreign language.

For such students, "competence" can be established by completion of a second semester, second year course in the subject with a grade of B or better. Such coursework will not apply to the graduate hours required by the degree program.

Courses in Computer Science that would minimally meet this requirement include CS 152L, 201, 241L, 257L, 259L, 2990L and 292. Courses in Statistics that would minimally meet this requirement include Stat 145, 245, and 270.

Other research tools may be approved in exceptional cases, in which similar provisions must be made for rigorous academic training in the subject.

Medieval Studies students have special requirements - see below.

PhD Requirements:

With the approval of a Committee on Studies and the Graduate Director, doctoral students may satisfy the language requirement in one of three ways:

a. By demonstrating competence in two foreign languages. "Competence" can be demonstrated in one of several ways, including a grade of B or better in a second-semester, second-year course in the language.

Students may also meet this requirement by demonstrating competence in one foreign language and competence in Old English, with competence in Old English demonstrated by a grade of B or better in the second semester of a one-year sequence in Old English.

b. By demonstrating fluency in one foreign language. "Fluency" can be demonstrated in several ways as well, including a grade of B or better in a second-semester, third-year course or an advanced or graduate-level course in the language.

c. By combining competence in one foreign language with a similar competence in a research skill such as Computer Science or Statistics. "Competence" in the research skill can be established solely by completion of a second semester, second year course in the subject with a grade of B or better. The decision as to which courses in such fields as Computer Science or Statistics will satisfy these requirements will be negotiated between the Graduate Director and faculty in other departments.

Such coursework, as with that in foreign languages, will not apply to the graduate hours required by the degree program.

Other research tools may be approved in exceptional cases, in which similar provisions must be made for rigorous academic training in the subject.

Medieval Studies students should see below.

Medieval Studies Requirements:

• MA Students in Medieval Studies must choose Latin as their foreign language and pass Latin 202: Intermediate Latin or 352: Accelerated Latin - Reading with a grade of B or better.
• PhD Students in Medieval Studies must demonstrate a reading knowledge of Latin, to be satisfied no later than the second year, plus one additional language other than English.