The PhD with a major in modern foreign languages requires advanced training in a major language (French, German, Spanish) and either a second language (French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish), applied linguistics or Latin American Studies.

Concentrations (Required)

• First concentration — French, German, or Spanish
• Second concentration — Applied linguistics, French, German, Italian, Latin American Studies, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Admissions Standards/Procedures

Generally, applicants must have completed a BA in French, German or Spanish to be accepted into this program. 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. 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 3.00. 

First Concentration — French, German or Spanish

The Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures promotes, at the PhD level, an area studies approach (French and Francophone, Germanic, Hispanic) with offerings in literature, film, translation, and gender/ethnic studies.

Credit Hours Required

A minimum of 87 credit hours (a minimum of 63 credit hours of graduate course work beyond the bachelor’s degree in addition to 24 credit hours of doctoral research and dissertation)

Required Courses

• For candidates with French or Spanish as a first concentration, two tracks are available.
  • Track I. The course work for Track I must be distributed as follows: at least 39 credit hours in the first concentration; at least 18 credit hours in the second concentration; and at least 6 credit hours in a cognate field or in either the first or second concentration as approved by the student’s graduate committee.
  • Track II. The course work for Track II must be distributed in this way: at least 45 credit hours in the first concentration; at least 12 credit hours in the second concentration; and at least 6 credit hours in a cognate field or in either the first or second concentration as approved by the student’s graduate committee. Students choosing Latin American Studies as their second concentration will take 6 graduate credit hours in an appropriate language area that is outside their primary concentration (either French, Portuguese, or Spanish), and in addition 12 graduate credit hours in Latin American Studies classes outside of the primary concentration.
    • Track II, please note: Graduate students who select Track II and do not combine their cognate field (6 credit hours) and the field of the second concentration (12 credit hours) will normally not be eligible to teach their field of the second concentration at institutions which follow Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) guidelines for college foreign language teaching. SACSCOC requires a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours for eligibility to teach a given field at the college level. Students who choose to combine the second concentration (Track II) with the 6 credit hours in the cognate field will have a minimum of 18 credit hours in the field of the second concentration, and they will therefore be eligible to teach the field of the second concentration at institutions that follow SACSCOC guidelines.
• The course work for all concentrations must be distributed as follows:
  • First Concentration: German. A minimum of 39 credit hours of German courses beyond the bachelor’s degree, distributed as follows.
    • 400-level – A maximum of 6 graduate credit hours of 400-level classes taken for the MA may be applied.
    • 500-level – A minimum of 21 credit hours must be taken. These must include MFLL 512 , MFLL 584 , GERM 519 , and GERM 595 . Whenever GERM 595  is offered, students must enroll for a minimum of 1 credit hour per semester until the degree is earned. Thesis credit hours are excluded, and a maximum of 3 credit hours of GERM 595  can be counted towards the degree requirements. If MFLL 512  is used as part of a second concentration in applied linguistics, another course must be substituted in the first concentration.
    • 600-level – A minimum of 12 credit hours must be taken, exclusive of dissertation credit hours.
  • First Concentration: French or Spanish. A minimum of either 39 (Track I) or 45 (Track II) credit hours of French or Spanish courses beyond the bachelor’s degree, distributed as follows.
    • 400-level – A maximum of 6 graduate credit hours of 400-level classes taken for the MA may be applied.
    • 500-level – A minimum of 21 (Track I) or 27 (Track II) credit hours must be taken. These must include MFLL 512  and MFLL 584  for students with a first concentration in French, or MFLL 512  for students with a concentration in Spanish. Thesis credit hours are excluded. If MFLL 512  is used as part of a second concentration in applied linguistics, another course must be substituted in the first concentration.
    • 600-level – A minimum of 12 credit hours must be taken, exclusive of dissertation credit hours.
  • FREN 600 , GERM 600 , or SPAN 600 , minimum of 24 credit hours

Additional Course Requirements

• Second Concentration. A minimum of 18 (German or Track I) or 12 (Track II) credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree, taken in the field of Latin American Studies, applied linguistics or in a second language, either French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish. For Track I and German, 12 of these credit hours must be at the 500-level or above. For Track II, 3 of these credit hours must be at the 500-level or above.
• Cognate Field. Six credit hours in graduate courses numbered 400 and above in a field outside the department or language family of the first concentration but related to the student’s principal area of research. Students choosing applied linguistics as a second concentration are strongly urged to take their cognate work in a second language, and students choosing Latin American Studies as a second concentration are required to take 6 graduate credit hours outside their primary concentration in French, Portuguese or Spanish in lieu of the cognate area. Students who select applied linguistics, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish as their area of second concentration may seek the approval of their graduate committee to substitute the 6 credit hours in the cognate field by 6 credit hours in either the first or second concentration.

Non-Course Requirements

See information given below.

Second Concentration

• Applied Linguistics
• French
• German
• Italian
• Latin American Studies
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Spanish

Credit Hours Required

A minimum of 87 graduate credit hours (a minimum of 63 credit hours of graduate course work beyond the bachelor’s degree in addition to 24 credit hours of doctoral research and dissertation)

Required Courses

• A minimum of 18 (German or Track I) or 12 (Track II) credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree, taken in the field of Latin American Studies, applied linguistics or in a second language, either French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish. For Track I and German, 12 of these credit hours must be at the 500-level or above. For Track II, 3 of these credit hours must be at the 500-level or above.
  • French students choosing applied linguistics must take French FREN 421 ; FREN 425 ; MFLL 512 ; and 9 (Track I) or 3 (Track II) credit hours of appropriate electives in English or French. The student’s graduate advisor must approve the electives chosen.
  • German students choosing applied linguistics must take GERM 425 , GERM 435  or GERM 510 , MFLL 512 , 3 credit hours of German linguistics, such as GERM 426 , GERM 631 , or GERM 632 , and 6 credit hours of linguistics electives in English or German. The student’s graduate advisor must approve the electives chosen.
  • Spanish students choosing applied linguistics must take SPAN 425 ; MFLL 512 ; and 9 (Track I) or 3 (Track II) credit hours of appropriate electives in English or Spanish. The student’s graduate advisor must approve the electives chosen.
  • Second concentration in Latin American Studies. The second concentration in Latin American Studies combines the current second concentration of Track II (12 credit hours) and the cognate area (6 credit hours). Students choosing Latin American Studies as their second concentration will take 6 graduate credit hours in an appropriate language area that is outside their primary concentration (either French, Portuguese, or Spanish), and in addition 12 graduate credit hours in Latin American Studies classes outside of the primary concentration. This combination reinforces a student’s first concentration that requires 45 credit hours beyond the BA degree in the primary language and literature area. Although the principal target audience consists of doctoral students in Spanish, and especially those with a Latin American specialization, the second concentration in Latin American Studies is available to all Ph.D. Students in Modern Foreign Languages. The 18 credit hour concentration in Latin American Studies consists of the following requirements:
    • Two courses (6 credit hours) at the 400- or 500-level in French, Portuguese, or Spanish, but outside of the student’s first concentration language. Both classes must be taken in the same language area and need to be conducted in the target language.
    • A graduate course (3 credit hours) with Latin American content offered by a unit outside of MFLL (preferably History). This course must be approved by the student’s graduate advisor.
    • Three additional graduate courses in at least 2 disciplines outside of the student’s primary concentration. (e.g., Anthropology, Cinema Studies, French, History, Political Science, Portuguese, Sociology, Spanish). These courses must be approved by the student’s graduate advisor, and at least one of these three courses (a minimum of three graduate credit hours) must be taken at the 500-level. Consult with the Chair of Latin American Studies for course selection.

Additional Course Requirements

• Cognate Field. Six credit hours in graduate courses numbered 400 and above in a field outside the department or language family of the first concentration but related to the student’s principal area of research. Students choosing applied linguistics as a second concentration are strongly urged to take their cognate work in a second language, and students choosing Latin American Studies as a second concentration are required to take 6 graduate credit hours outside their primary concentration in French, Portuguese or Spanish in lieu of the cognate area. Students who select applied linguistics, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish as their area of second concentration may seek the approval of their graduate committee to substitute the 6 credit hours in the cognate field by 6 credit hours in either the first or second concentration.

Non-Course Requirements

• For any languages taken as a first or second concentration, a student must demonstrate competence by taking a test. The test will include reading, writing, listening, and speaking, and should be completed by the time the student reaches 40 credit hours of study beyond the bachelor’s degree. Standardized examinations that may be used for this purpose include applicable portions of the National Teachers Examination, the MLA Examination for Teachers and Advanced Students, or the proficiency standards of the United States Foreign Service Institute (FSI).
  • 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 (e.g., Fulbright, McClure, Rotary fellowships).