Modern Foreign Languages

Overview

Education

Applicants must have completed a BA in French, German or Spanish to be accepted into this program. Both graduates of institutions in the United States and those with undergraduate degrees from institutions outside the United States must have a grade point average of at least 3.0. 

Consideration will also be given to applicants who do not have an undergraduate degree in one of the three foreign languages but do have the equivalent of an undergraduate major in one of them.

For students choosing applied linguistics as an area of second concentration, reading competence in a second language is required. Competence will be determined by translation of a text from the foreign language into English, the test will be administered by the department.

A comprehensive examination must be passed before the student may be admitted to candidacy. The candidate is required to defend his/her dissertation in an oral examination. Central emphasis is put on the doctoral dissertation as a final test of the candidate’s scholarly qualifications.

Graduate Teaching Assistants with a second concentration in another language should have the opportunity and will be strongly encouraged to instruct in the languages of both their first and second concentration, subject to staffing needs.

Doctoral students are strongly encouraged to reside and study abroad and will be assisted in identifying potential sources of financial support. The Modern Foreign Languages program is offered by the University of Tennessee Knoxville.