PhD candidates’ foreign language capability must reach the second broad division of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) before they can study for doctoral degrees, the Ministry of Education and Training said in a circular issued Wednesday.
The central education body added that a PhD candidate would be allowed to defend his thesis only when his foreign language proficiency is equal to level B2 of the framework (equivalent to a 5.5 IELTS or 600 TOEFL score).
It noted that candidates must have their command of the language certified by locally or internationally accredited agencies.
This regulation will not apply to those candidates who already have a bachelor degree in a foreign language or have graduated from an overseas university.
CEFR is a guideline used to describe achievements of learners of foreign languages across Europe, and is becoming widely accepted as the European standard for grading an individual's language proficiency in other countries.
It has three broad divisions, which can be divided into six ascending levels, including A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2.