PhD Guidelines
The PhD program in French at the ²ÊÃñ±¦µä consists of:
- Coursework
- PhD Comprehensive Examination
- Doctoral Dissertation
- Oral Defense of the Dissertation
Requirements for Admission
- An MA or an equivalent degree in French or a related field with a GPA of at least 3.0 in all French courses
- Unofficial transcripts of all post-secondary work
- Submit official GRE score if you would like to be considered for a fellowship nomination. The GRE scores are not mandatory for admission. For international students, submit proof of English Proficiency. Please see the Graduate School's English Proficiency Requirements explanation. Minimum score requirements are as follows: TOEFL - 75, IELTS - 6.0, Duolingo - 120.
- THREE letters of recommendations from former professors and advisors
- A two to three page Personal Statement describing aptitude and motivation for graduate studies in French written in English or French
- A 10-15 page writing sample written in French on any author or aspect of French literature and culture
- A diversity statement - optional - written in English or French
- Good pronunciation in French as evidenced by uploading two separate audio files within the online application. One file should consist of the applicant reading one or two very short selections of prose or poetry, and the second file should consist of the applicant reading a short autobiographical passage composed in French by the applicant him/herself. Please keep each audio file to three minutes in length or less. *Note, if French is your native language, please submit these audio files in English.
- To be considered for admission, all credentials must be received in the department by January 15. (*Note: * Students who have earned their MA in French at the University of Colorado and who wish to work toward the PhD here must apply for admission to the PhD program directly through the departmental Graduate Program Coordinator; continuation after the MA is not guaranteed.)
Financial Aid
Financial aid for qualified PhD students is available in the form of Teaching Assistantships, Graduate Part-Time Instructorships, and Graduate School Fellowships. Teaching Assistantships and Graduate Part-Time Instructorships normally include responsibility for lower-level language classes. The average stipend for this is approximately $26,000, and it carries with it a waiver of tuition costs. The exact stipend is based on the number of hours the student is teaching. Students with an excellent academic record and strong recommendations will be nominated by the department to the university-wide competition for Graduate School fellowships. If successful, such students may receive a stipend of up to $20,000 plus a waiver of tuition costs.
To be considered for these various forms of financial aid, the student must see to it that all credentials are received by January 15. Credentials are considered complete when the student has submitted: the Graduate School application, two official copies of transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended, three recommendations, a copy of the student’s critical work, the recordings, and the application fee. All students receiving financial aid must register for a minimum of two graduate courses per semester in the program or their equivalent until they have completed course requirements and passed the doctoral comprehensive examination.
To qualify for continued aid, students must maintain their full-time status. This means that they must have completed at least 5 credit hours of graduate-level course work or 8 credit hours of combined graduate- and undergraduate-level course work at the end of each semester; or if they have completed course requirements and the comprehensive examination, they must be registered for a minimum of 5 dissertation hours. PhD students continuing in the program usually receive a maximum of four years of financial support and are expected to complete the requirements for the degree during that time. PhD students entering from outside programs usually receive a maximum of five years of financial support.
Students are encouraged to visit the financial aid website for additional information and requirements in obtaining aid.
Language Requirement
Early in their first semester in the PhD program, each student should meet individually with the Director of Graduate Studies to discuss their overall plan of study, including the ways in which they will satisfy the language requirement. A sound reading knowledge of one modern language other than English and French is required. Such reading knowledge must be certified by the student passing a reading examination in the language or by passing coursework either at CU or prior to arrival on campus equivalent to a fourth semester (2120 at CU) college course. The examination normally consists of a timed translation of a literary text or a text dealing with literature (e.g., literary criticism). A dictionary is permitted. This language should be relevant to the student's academic program.
Course Requirements for the PhD in French
The following summary of minimum requirements is expressed in terms of courses. Additional coursework may be required by the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.
Students and their administrators are equally responsible for making certain that their graduate curriculum satisfies all graduation requirements, both those of the department and those of the Graduate School. Every student should accordingly become thoroughly familiar with the section of the catalog.
- A total of fifteen courses at the 5000 level or above, consisting of: At least eleven courses at the 5000 level or above in French literature and culture. Up to four courses at the 5000 level or above in a related field (e.g., Comparative Literature, English, Spanish, Classics, Linguistics, Romance Linguistics, Film Studies, History, Fine Arts, Education) to be determined in consultation with the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. - 45 credit hours
- 30 hours of Dissertation Guidance (Graduate School Requirement) - 30 credit hours
Provided that such courses are taught, students are encouraged to take courses at the 5000 level or above covering many of the major periods of French literature: Middle Ages, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st centuries, Francophone literature and cultures.
PhD students are normally allowed to take two independent studies courses, subject to the approval of the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. However, they may not take more than two (including any taken at the master’s level) except in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. Independent Study Registration Form located here.
PhD students are normally allowed to take up to four courses at the 5000 level or above outside of the department. In exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, a student may request to take a fifth course outside of the department and only ten courses within the department.
PhD students who completed their MA at ²ÊÃñ±¦µä can apply up to ten courses at the 5000 level or above (30 credit hours of coursework) toward their PhD degree within the above parameters. They must take at least five courses during the first two years of candidacy.
Students entering the PhD program with an MA in French or equivalent from another university can transfer up to five of their previous MA courses (15 credit hours of graduate-level coursework) and apply them toward the fifteen-course requirement within the above parameters. They must take ten courses during the first two years of candidacy.
Students entering the PhD program without an MA in French must consult with the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.
Examination /PhD Comprehensive Examination
As students are finishing their required coursework, they should have a clear sense of how their courses and ideas are coalescing around a given general field and a specific problem within that field. Courses taken outside the department, as well as work in the related field, should fit into this pattern. As this specification of interest toward the area of the dissertation takes place, the student should constitute a Doctoral Committee consisting of five graduate faculty members (one of whom must come from outside the student's department) who will guide the student's work. One of these faculty members will serve as the Director and take responsibility for co-coordinating the work of this ad hoc Doctoral Committee. Once the Doctoral Committee is formed and approved by the Graduate School, the student will begin to prepare for the PhD Comprehensive Examination. Working in consultation with the Director and other members of the Doctoral Committee, the student will formulate a dissertation topic. The student will prepare a list of primary texts pertaining to that topic, and a further list of secondary materials composed of critical and theoretical texts intended to inform the student's approach to the dissertation topic. Those two lists will be circulated to the Doctoral Committee before the Comprehensive Examination. The examination itself will consist of one substantial essay followed by an oral examination. The essay will focus on the dissertation topic. The student will have two weeks to write the essay. Once that essay is written, the Doctoral Committee will conduct the oral part of the examination as a discussion of material covered in the essay, material on the two reading lists, as well as matters pertaining to the general direction of the dissertation and the approach that the student propose to take therein. Normally the Comprehensive Examination should be taken by the end of the student's second year in the PhD program (for students continuing from CU's MA program) or by the end of the third year in the program (for students entering from other MA programs). Upon successful completion of the PhD exams, students normally spend the next two years writing a dissertation.
PhD Dissertation
The PhD dissertation must be based upon original scholarship and demonstrate mature scholarship and critical judgment as well as familiarity with the tools and methods of research. It should make a worthwhile contribution to knowledge in the student's special field. Students are advised to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the various Graduate School rules governing the format and deadlines for the dissertation. The dissertation is normally written in English, but it is also possible to write in French; the language of the dissertation should be approved by the student's committee.
Oral Defense of the Dissertation
After the dissertation has been accepted, a final oral examination on the dissertation and related topics will be held. The examination will be conducted by a five-member Doctoral Committee, appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School, which will consist of representatives of areas in which the student has worked. At least one member of the committee will be from outside the student’s field of study (e.g., department). The committee should be approved by the Graduate School at least two weeks prior to the oral defense. More than one negative vote will disqualify the candidate in the oral defense.
Typical Five-Year PhD Structure for Students Who Hold an MA in French from ²ÊÃñ±¦µä
*Apply nine to ten courses (27-30 credit hours) at the 5000 level or above from MA studies.
Year One
- FALL SEMESTER: Two seminars
- SPRING SEMESTER: Two seminars
Year Two
- FALL SEMESTER: Two seminars
- SPRING SEMESTER: 1 dissertation hour or additional coursework; PhD Comprehensive Examination
Year Three
- FALL SEMESTER: 5 dissertation hours
- SPRING SEMESTER: 5 dissertation hours
Year Four
- FALL SEMESTER: 5 dissertation hours
- SPRING SEMESTER: 5 dissertation hours
Year Five
- FALL SEMESTER: 5 dissertation hours
- SPRING SEMESTER: 5 dissertation hours; Dissertation Submission and Oral Defense of Dissertation
Typical Five-Year PhD Structure for Students Who Hold an MA in French from Another Institution
Year One
- FALL SEMESTER: Three seminars
- SPRING SEMESTER: Two seminars; *Transfer five courses (15 credit hours) at the 5000 level or above from MA studies.
Year Two
- FALL SEMESTER: Three seminars
- SPRING SEMESTER: Two seminars
Year Three
- FALL SEMESTER: 5 dissertation hours
- SPRING SEMESTER: 5 dissertation hours; PhD Comprehensive Exam
Year Four
- FALL SEMESTER: 5 dissertation hours
- SPRING SEMESTER: 5 dissertation hours
Year Five
- FALL SEMESTER: 5 dissertation hours
- SPRING SEMESTER: 5 dissertation hours; Dissertation Submission and Oral Defense of Dissertation
Criteria for Satisfactory Progress
All renewals of Fellowships, Teaching Assistantships, and Graduate Part-Time Instructorships depend upon the student’s making satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree and upon satisfactory teaching. Satisfactory progress is defined is staying on the schedule illustrated above and performing satisfactorily as a TA or GPTI in the classroom.
Students should note that Teaching Assistantships and Graduate Part-Time Instructorships also depend in part on enrollments and may be affected in the unlikely event that expected enrollments fail to materialize.
Graduate School Requirements
- Transfer of Credit: A candidate who has done graduate work in French at another institution may, after one semester’s residence, apply for a transfer of graduate credit. Doctoral students may transfer up to 21 semester hours. The courses must be graduate level, and students must have obtained a grade of "B" or better on all work being considered for transfer.
- Residence Requirement: All candidates for the PhD degree must spend a minimum of six full semesters in residence at the University of Colorado, Boulder as full-time students. A maximum of two semesters residence credit may be allowed for master’s degree from another institution of approved standing.
- Grades and Grade Average: For the PhD a course mark below "B-" is unsatisfactory and will not be counted toward fulfilling the requirements for the degree.
- Application for Admission to Candidacy for the PhD Degree: This form, obtained from the departmental office, must be completed and submitted to the Graduate School at least two weeks prior to taking the PhD Comprehensive Exam.
- Continuous Registration: A PhD student is required to register continuously for a minimum of 5 dissertation hours in the fall and spring semesters of each year, beginning with the semester following the passing of the comprehensive examination and extending through the semester in which the dissertation is successfully defended (final examination). Students will be so registered only if they are making satisfactory progress toward the completion of their degree and are in good standing. Students away from campus (off-campus status) may petition each fall and spring to take only 3 dissertation hours. The petition for this reduced number of hours must be submitted each semester and must be received by the Associate Dean of the Graduate School *by December 15 for Spring and August 15 for Fall*. In any event, by the time they graduate, students must have a total of at least 30 hours of doctoral thesis credit.
Grievance Procedures
The department naturally hopes that students will proceed through the program without undue difficulty, but problems may arise and procedures exist for resolving them. Questions or grievances should of course always be directed in the first instance to the faculty member or (in the case of teaching assignments) to the language coordinator involved. However, if this yields no solution, the student should refer problems to the Director of Graduate Studies, who will mediate between the parties and, where necessary, will help the student prepare a written record explaining her/his grievance, to be filed with the department. Should the student be unable to obtain satisfaction with the help of the Director of Graduate Studies, the grievance will be put in writing and the matter will be referred to the department Chair. Should this yield no solution, the student may appeal either to the Ombuds Office or to the Associate Dean in the Graduate School.