Language Requirements for the Doctor's Degree

Abstract

E present investigation was * undertaken to gather from the U members of the Graduate School faculty at the University of Michigan information which might be helpful in determining whether or not the present requirement of a reading knowledge of German and French for the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Science should be modified. Several factors contributed to the investigation. First, many requests, especially from foreign students, to substitute another foreign language for German or French have been received since the requirement as stated in the catalogue suggests such a possibility. Second, there is an apparent inconsistency in two prevailing regulations, one of which says that any substitution of another foreign language for German or French must be recommended by the faculty committee usually appointed when the student is admitted to candidacy, and another which says that the foreign-language requirement must be met before admission to candidacy. Third, no statement is made, other than those just quoted, indicating the time at which the language requirement must be met, and, in consequence, some students tend to put off passing such examinations until near the close of the period of advanced study. Fourth, some professors and many students say that the foreign-language requirement is merely a hurdle to increase the difficulty of acquiring the degree, and that neither in his prenor post-doctoral days will the student make any use of foreign languages. Fifth, some disagreement exists concerning the present policy of having an examiner who is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School assume university-wide responsibility for determining the nature and content of the examination and the standards of attainment, instead of a professor in the department of specialization or some member of the appropriate foreign-language department. The Dean of the Graduate School, aware of these inconsistencies and confusions, appointed a committee to study the situation and to make recommendations. The members of the Committee examined correspondence provided by the Dean of the Graduate School dealing with the language requirements and with requests for substituting other foreign languages for German and French. They studied reports on the foreign-language requirement made at other institutions