MA students in musicology must fulfill one language requirement, and Ph.D. students must fulfill two. The languages are typically French and/or German, though in some cases a student may request a different language if it is applicable for his or her research interests. The language requirement is waived for MA students who minor in Latin American music.

Language requirements may be fulfilled at any point during a student’s coursework; however, all requirements must be completed before a student is permitted to take comprehensive exams. It is always recommended that students fulfill language requirements early in their academic career rather than putting them off until late in their coursework.

All language requirements may be fulfilled in one of two ways: either the student passes a standardized exam in the language, or the student passes a one-semester, zero-credit reading course in the language. Only one of these options is required; it is not necessary for a student who passes the reading course to then take the language exam.

The language exams may be scheduled at any time and are administered in the University Counseling Center. These are standardized, multiple-choice exams that test one’s knowledge of grammar and reading comprehension in the language. For more information and to schedule an appointment to take the exam, contact Morgan McDonald at 202-319-5765.

The language courses are offered regularly throughout the school year and during summer sessions. It is also possible to fulfill the language requirement by taking an equivalent language course at another school in the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Click here for information about registering for courses through the Consortium.