4.4 Languages Requirement
All students entering the PhD in Biblical Studies program must have successfully completed studies in Master’s level biblical Hebrew and Greek with a grade of “B” or higher or made arrangements with the Program Director to complete leveling work. Students who are required to perform leveling work must complete the equivalent studies with a grade of “B” or higher.
Students will be required to complete non-credit coursework in two research languages, French and German, in order to be able to perform doctoral level biblical studies research, with an immediate view to the dissertation. BIB907 Reading French and BIB908 Reading German are included in the coursework of the PhD in Biblical Studies program.
Students who have already completed coursework in French and German may be exempted from taking BIB907 Reading French and/or BIB908 Reading German by demonstrating competence through transcript evidence or by passing the proficiency exam(s). If the acquisition of these languages took place more than five years prior to entering the program, the proficiency exam(s) will be required for exemption.
Students who wish to complete dissertation work that would require research in another language, such as Latin or Spanish, may request permission from the Program Director to study that language in place of either French or German. With permission from the Program Director, coursework in these languages may be completed at another institution. Permission must be secured prior to completing the coursework. Students must present transcript evidence to verify their studies at another institution immediately following successful completion of their coursework. These studies should be completed by the end of the second year of the PhD in Biblical Studies program. Any exceptions to this policy will be made at the discretion of the Program Director.
Students who have already studied the substitute research language must demonstrate their proficiency in that language through transcript evidence or by taking a proficiency exam. If the acquisition of these languages took place more than five years prior to entering the program, the proficiency exam(s) will be required for exemption. The language substitution must be approved by the Program Director.
Permission to substitute a language or to be exempted from BIB907 Reading French and/or BIB908 Reading German must be requested and secured by the end of the first year of the PhD in Biblical Studies program. Alternate language studies must be completed by the end of the second year of the program. Any exceptions to this policy will be made at the discretion of the Program Director.