The language examinations at both the MA and PhD levels are administered by the Department and are designed to test the student's ability to use a language as an effective scholarly tool. Students needing additional preparation are urged to register for an intensive language course the summer or year preceding entry into the art history program. Entering students must take their examination(s) the first semester they register. If the examination is not taken during the first semester of registration, it will be considered an unsuccessful attempt. Should any student fail the examination, another opportunity to pass it will be given the following semester. If the examination is failed a second time, the student will not be allowed to register for credit after that semester. Resumption of the program may be accomplished by passing the examination at a later time.

About the Exam
(guidelines adopted by the faculty August 31, 1999)

1. Examinations will normally be administered during the first or second week of each semester.

2. Graduate students will be given a foreign-language passage of approximately 500 words (plus appropriate illustrations). If the passage is part of a longer text, the 500-word limit will be marked.

3. The entire passage should be translated into readable English.

4. Students will be given two hours (with dictionary) to complete the translation. At the end of that time both the original text and the translation will be turned in. Students whose native language is not English may use an extra half-hour to polish their translations, though the original text will be taken away.

5. Faculty readers for each language will be designated in advance and notified of examination dates and grading deadlines. Readers will be given a clean copy of each original text as well as the student translations. The names of the readers as well as the names of the students taking the exam will be confidential.

6. Grading will take account of both the quality of the translation and the amount translated. Thus an excellent translation of 250 words would pass (50% A, 50% F); a mediocre translation of 250 words might well fail. In all cases the final decision between Pass and Fail will depend on the readers' assessment of whether the translation shows a working knowledge of the language, sufficient for advanced art historical and archaeological research.

7. Failure to take an exam when required will result in a failing grade. Any student who twice fails a required language exam may not register for graduate courses in ARTH or hold a Teaching Assistantship until the exam has been passed.

8. Deborah Down will maintain a list of student test results. The faculty member overseeing the examinations will be responsible for consulting this list, ensuring that students who should be examined in a given term are indeed examined, and communicating the results to graduate secretary.

Language Requirements for Areas of Study

African Art and Art of the African Diaspora

Masters:
For African students: French is the required language, although students may petition to substitute German. Language examination date to be determined by the advisor.

For non-African students: French or German

PhD
For all students: If French or German was passed at the MA level, additional requirement will be the language relevant to the dissertation topic. Creolised (pidgin) language of the people researched on may be substituted for the actual local language. Language examination date to be determined by the advisor.

Indigenous Art of the Americas

Masters:
The students must pass an examination in either German or one of three Romance languages (French, Italian, or Spanish).

PhD:
Students may be asked to take an examination in one of three Romance languages (French, Italian, or Spanish) if one of these has not already been taken at the MA level, or German, or one of the indigenous American languages.

Asian Art

Masters:
The students must pass an exam in one major Asian language related to the MA thesis. Language examination date to be determined by the advisor.

PhD
The student must pass an exam in a second foreign language, which must be one of the major Asian languages related to the PhD dissertation, or in French or German. Language examination date to be determined by the advisor.

Western Art

Masters and PhD:
French and German, one to be taken at the Masters level and the other at the PhD level. In consultation with their advisors, students may be required to acquire additional languages according to their research interests.