Anthropology
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Foreign Language Requirement
In Anthropology, language competency is often needed for reading global scholarly literature and may be necessary for successful completion of field research in anthropology. Language coursework or demonstrated proficiency is normally required as part of the student's progress in the doctoral program. The language requirement may be waived by the advisory committee only in exceptional circumstances, and with the approval by the Graduate Committee
Each PhD student is required to demonstrate proficiency in one language other than English. The choice of the language to be demonstrated and the type and level of proficiency must be approved in advance by the student's advisory committee. This requirement must be satisfied before taking the preliminary examination.
Language proficiency may be demonstrated by any of the procedures specified in the Graduate School's Policies and Procedures Manual.
1. By satisfying the foreign language requirement at another graduate school and transferring the record to Purdue.
2. By passing the fourth semester of Purdue's undergraduate course sequence in an acceptable language with at least a grade of C- in the last course, or with an equivalent of this requirement transferred from another institution.
3. By examination. The student's department will notify the School of Languages and Cultures of the skill it requires (reading, conversation, etc.) and will submit examination material to be approved by the foreign language examiner. The School of Languages and Cultures will then prepare, proctor, and grade an appropriate examination and transmit the results to the student's department. A student may not take this examination if currently enrolled in one of the corresponding foreign language courses listed under method four. This examination may be repeated only twice. If a language requirement is to be met by examination (regardless of language), the examination and examiner must be approved by the School of Languages and Cultures, and the report to the student’s department must be made by the School of Languages and Cultures.
4. By graduate coursework. This option currently is available in French, German, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. It consists of passing the appropriate 603 or 605 course with a grade acceptable to the student's department. Admission to either of these courses requires either a grade of at least C in the 601 course in the same language or the permission of the School of Languages and Cultures. Grades in these courses will not be counted in the student's grade index
If the language is one for which these procedures cannot be used, any of the following methods may be substituted:
1. The student may arrange an examination by a member of the Purdue faculty who is fluent in the language. The format of the exam and the qualifications of the examiner must be approved by the student's advisory committee prior to the examination.
2. The student may take an examination administered by an independent testing center or service (e.g., Educational Testing Service) which is approved by the student's advisory committee.
3. The student may provide evidence satisfactory to the advisory committee that the student is a native speaker of the language.
(Department Policy, 4/16/2009)
Foreign language exam requirements should be satisfied concurrently with or prior to the completion of the preliminary examination and before students embark on a main phase of dissertation data collection.
(Department Policy, 3/23/2010)
