Question on East Asian PHD language requirements

[zerophyr]

Hello! My apologies if this question sounds a little silly but it's been puzzling me... When a university lists a "Language Requirement" on their website, say the following from Harvard's EALC PHD...

 

Fourth-year level in modern Japanese; first-year level in classical Japanese; second-year level in literary Chinese for students of pre-modern Japan; first-year level in literary Chinese for students of modern Japan. Note: In exceptional cases, a second year of classical Japanese may be substituted for the fourth year of modern Japanese.

 

 

 

...does that mean that the above language requirements are to be completed by the time you finish your PHD, or are they required for admission itself? Also, what is meant by "literary Chinese" as opposed to "modern Chinese"?

 

Thanks!

[yatto]

Completed by the time you finish your two years of coursework; and by literary Chinese, they mean Classical Chinese. 

(I'm actually in this program, so feel free to message me if you have more questions.) 

[zerophyr]

Thanks for your reply!

In that case, would having only second year Japanese plus a year in Japan studying the language plus around two and a half years of modern Mandarin make me a seemingly less competitive applicant?

Thanks again!