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PhD students in English and Women’s and Gender Studies must demonstrate either a basic proficiency in two foreign languages or an advanced proficiency in one. These requirements may be satisfied through coursework or by passing a departmental examination (graded on a pass/fail basis). The department recognizes two levels of language proficiency:

BASIC-- equivalent to four semesters of college course work

ADVANCED -- equivalent to six or more semesters of college course work

The language requirements must be satisfied on the U-M campus during the student's graduate course of study.

If a student's native language is one other than English, but English is the student's primary language (i.e., the language of schooling), that student may take either a basic or an advanced examination in the native language. If a student's primary language is not English, we can waive the advanced examination, thus fulfilling the language requirement for that student.