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The Ph.D. in French and Romance Philology
The PhD program in French at Columbia has consistently ranked among the top five in national surveys. It is designed for a career in productive scholarship. Students undergo rigorous and comprehensive training in literary history and theory before specializing in one area of research
First-year students must complete the M.A. in French. Once approved
by the departmental Committee on Higher Degrees to continue beyond the M.A., graduate students must fufill the M.Phil. requirements. The M.Phil. encompasses the first series of steps towards the completion of a Ph.D. in French or a Ph.D. in French and Comparative Literature.
Listed below is a summary of the requirements for the degrees. Further details are available on the G.S.A.S. web site.
Course requirements: Ten courses beyond the M.A. level, of which eight must be taken for E credit. These eight must include History and Structure of the French Language (G6001), a course on literary theory (see Director of Graduate Studies for list of approved courses), three century surveys (covering the centuries not studied for the M.A.), the Practicum in French Language Pedagogy (G4025), and two 6000- or 8000-level seminars. The remaining courses are two 6000- or 8000-level seminars, to be taken for R credit. Preparation for the oral examination in the area of specialization (see below) and/or research for the dissertation is ordinarily undertaken in the third year.
Languages: a reading knowledge of Latin, sufficient to enable one to understand the workings of the language and some of the implications of Latin rhetoric, is required. Candidates are expected to demonstrate proficiency, by means of college-level courses or by passing a Latin reading examination, or by passing a Latin course at a level set by the department. A reading knowledge of a second language (in addition to Latin) is required. Candidates may select, with the approval of the director of graduate studies, German, Russian, or a Romance language other than French; another language may be chosen if it seems appropriate to the candidate’s research. Proficiency in a second language may be demonstrated by passing a written examination, by passing a sufficiently advanced language course, or by passing a third-year literature course with a grade of B or better.
Area of specialization: during their second or third year, candidates elect an area of specialization and register for the corresponding 9000-level course. Such registration is for E credit; a grade based on research progress is given by the student’s adviser, who is the chief examiner in the oral examination and who most likely sponsors the dissertation. A student should register for a 9000-level course in any term when working with faculty help on his or her specialty. The final 9000-level course is taken in the term during which the candidate takes the oral examination.
Teaching requirement: Participation in the instructional activities of the department for three years. As a rule, in the second, third and fourth years of study, students gain exposure to teaching through participation in the language program. Students who are interested in broadening their teaching apprenticeships are eligible to teach in the Core Program once they have received the M.Phil
Continuation of study beyond the M.Phil. degree must be authorized by the departmental Committee on Higher Degrees.
Dissertation: a dissertation, written and defended in English, is required. The advisable length of the dissertation is 250-300 pages. After award of the M.Phil. degree, candidates must prepare for departmental approval a detailed proposal dealing with a subject within the area of specialization previously elected.
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