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Degree Requirements

The requirements listed below are special to this department and should be read in conjunction with the general requirements of the Graduate School.

For the M.A. Degree and the Free-Standing M.A. Degree

Course requirements: Ten courses, of which seven must be taken for a letter grade. These seven must include Stylistics (French G6005), M.A. Essay Direction (French G8092), a course on Literary Theory (see DGS for list of approved courses), three century surveys, and one 6000- or 8000-level seminar. The three remaining courses are the M.A. Proseminar I (French G8091, to be taken Pass/Fail) and two 6000- or 8000-level seminars (to be taken for R credit). Up to two 6000- or 8000-level seminars may be taken outside the department with prior approval of the DGS.

Examinations: In lieu of each of the century surveys, students may elect to take a three-hour qualifying examination. The passing grade for this examination is B. Candidates graded lower than B on a qualifying examination may take that examination a second time but not a third.

Essay: Required. Candidates must defend an essay of approximately fifty pages before a committee of two, one of whom is the director of the essay. The use of French is strongly recommended for the M.A. essay.

Applicants to the part-time M.A. program must meet the same admission requirements as the regular M.A. applicants. The time limit for the part-time program is four years. Course requirements and M.A. essay are the same as in the full-time M.A. program. Part-time M.A. students have the opportunity to continue full time in the M.Phil. program.

For the M.Phil. Degree

Continuation of study beyond the master’s degree must be authorized by the departmental Committee on Higher Degrees.

Course requirements: Ten courses beyond those taken for the M.A., of which eight must be taken for a letter grade. These eight must include History and Structure of the French Language (G6001); a course on literary theory (see the DGS for list of approved courses); a course on Francophone literature (see the DGS 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 one 6000- or 8000-level seminar. 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 DGS, 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 a letter grade; a grade based on research progress is given by the student’s advisor, 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 in his or her area of specialization. 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. Students may only apply to be a preceptor if they have or expect to have the M.Phil. by the May prior to being appointed as a preceptor, and if they are not past their sixth year of registration during the first year of the preceptorship. Students may not hold instructional appointments after year seven.

Examinations: (1) In lieu of each of the century surveys, students may elect to take a three-hour qualifying examination. The passing grade for this examination is B. Candidates graded lower than B on a qualifying examination may take that examination a second time but not a third. (2) An oral explication de texte: candidates may elect to take this examination at any time during the academic year, either before or after obtaining the M.A. degree. This one-hour examination is conducted in French. Students have one week to prepare the text selected by the examiners. (3) An oral examination in the candidate’s area of specialization, administered by three members of the faculty, one of whom is a tenured member of the department. The examination may be taken at any time during the academic year, whenever the candidate is ready.

Study at other universities: Candidates who expect to earn the M.A., M.Phil, and Ph.D. degrees in this department may take up to 15 points of course work at other universities. Approval of the department chair, the DGS, the Dean of the Arts and Sciences Graduate School, and the Subcommittee on Curriculum is required before credit is applied for such work.

For the Ph.D. Degree

Continuation of study beyond the M.Phil. degree must be authorized by the departmental Committee on Higher Degrees.

Dissertation: After award of the M.Phil. degree, candidates must prepare for departmental approval a detailed dissertation proposal dealing with a subject within the area of specialization previously elected. A dissertation, written and defended in English, is required. The advisable length of the dissertation is 250–300 pages.

Financial Aid

A comprehensive program of financial aid, including fellowships and appointments in teaching, is available to Ph.D. students. After the first year, all Ph.D. students admitted to the program receive full funding, which includes the prevailing stipend and appropriate tuition and health fees through the fifth year, provided that they remain in good academic standing. If students receive a year of advanced standing, they are entitled to only four years of fellowship funding.