Senior Exercise
All departmental majors are required, as part of the Senior Exercise, to pass a language-proficiency exam in the language(s) of their major. These exams are normally administered early in the fall of the senior year. The second language exam for modern language majors is administered on the same day as the exam for minors. In addition, each of the three majors offered by the department requires a written project, the first draft of which is usually due in the third week of the spring semester. An oral exchange in the language of the major, based on the content of the written project, takes place within three weeks of the submission of the final draft. (See the department chair for a detailed description of the expectations and requirements for the Senior Exercises.)
Modern Languages Major
The written portion of the exercise is a research paper of at least fifteen (double-spaced) pages. It must be written in the first foreign language. The advisor(s) and student will agree on a topic for an oral exam to be held in the second foreign language.
French, German, and Spanish Studies Majors
The written portion of the exercise consists of a research paper of twenty to thirty (double-spaced) pages. The paper may be written in English. While students are encouraged to write in the major language, no special credit is given to those who do. It is expected that papers written in the foreign language will demonstrate a reasonable degree of accuracy and fluency.
Literature Major
The written portion of the exercise consists of a research paper of twenty (double-spaced) pages. As with the Areas Studies major, the paper may be written in English. While students are encouraged to write in the major language, no special credit is given to those who do. It is expected that papers written in the foreign language will demonstrate a reasonable degree of accuracy and fluency.