Graduate Programs

Programs of Study

The School of Languages and Cultures offers graduate study leading to the M.A. degree and the Ph.D. degree in French, German, and Spanish literature. The M.A. degree in Second Language Acquisition and Pedagogy is available for Japanese. In addition, the School of Languages and Cultures participates in curriculum for the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees granted by the Program in Comparative Literature.

Applied linguistics and linguistic graduate programs are available at the School of Interdisciplinary Studies within the College of Liberal Arts.

A minimum of 30 hours of graduate-level course work is required for the M.A. (24 hours for the M.A. thesis option). For the Ph.D., 60 hours of course work beyond the B.A. are required, along with a dissertation (30 credit hours of research). For full-time students, the M.A. program normally takes four semesters to complete. Graduate students receive college-level teaching experience while pursuing their degrees. Because of the favorable faculty-student ratio, individual guidance of student programs of study is possible, and graduate classes and seminars are small.

Graduate Studies in Languages and Cultures

Purdue's School of Languages and Cultures offers coursework in a number of interdisciplinary focal points. Click HERE for more information.

Research Facilities 

The Purdue University libraries hold book and periodical collections of more than two million volumes, housed in fourteen school and departmental libraries. The Humanities, Social Science, and Education Research Library maintains a continuing acquisitions program and is equipped for research at the master's and doctoral levels. These resources are supplemented by the three million items of research materials held by the Center for Research Libraries in Chicago. Purdue is within easy driving distance of three major research libraries at the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois, and Indiana University, and Purdue faculty members and graduate students have browsing and borrowing privileges at all three. Further, Purdue’s inter-library loan system connects with hundreds of other universities.

The University 

Founded in 1869, Purdue University West Lafayette is the system’s flagship campus, and according to The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, a top-five U.S. public university with the fourth-highest international student enrollment. As Indiana’s land-grant university, Purdue offers more than 200 undergraduate programs and more than 80 graduate programs.  

The University fosters an environment based on building community. Students can find and participate in a wide variety of activities, such as athletics and recreation, graduate student-oriented clubs and organizations, as well as arts and entertainment.

Find out more about graduate student life HERE!

Explore and learn more about Lafayette and West Lafayette HERE!

Applying

Applications are accepted throughout the year.

International applicants whose native language is not English, are required to provide proof of English proficiency. The results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) must be submitted to the Purdue University Graduate School.

All degree-seeking international applicants are required to have a minimum TOEFL score of 80 (with a minimum of 18 on writing, 18 on speaking, 14 on listening and 19 on reading) on the internet-based test. The minimum paper-delivered section requirements are Writing, 18; Listening, 14; Reading, 19. (An overall score is not reported).  We also accept the IELTS test with a minimum band score of 6.5.

Our application deadline for Fall semester is December 12.

Admission to these programs is granted through the Purdue Graduate School. Online application: https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/index.html

Note: Literature and Culture programs will be listed under the School of Languages and Cultures, while Linguistics programs will be listed under the School of Interdisciplinary Studies.