Ph.D. in Comparative Literature

Students are admitted to the Ph.D. program with either a Bachelor's degree or a Master's degree in an appropriate subject.

Residency

The University requires that students receiving a Ph.D. must take at least two consecutive semesters of full-time graduate study. For those entering without prior graduate study or with fewer than 24 graduate credits, this usually means 12 credits per semester; for those entering with more than 24 graduate credits or with advanced standing provided by prior graduate work, this would mean 9 credits per semester.

First-Year Evaluation

In the middle of the student's second semester of graduate work, the Director of Graduate Studies prepares a file for the student's first-year evaluation. The contents of this file are the same for both M.A. and Ph.D. students and are listed above in the M.A. chapter. The Graduate Studies Committee will evaluate the dossier and decide whether the student should continue in the program.

Course Requirements

Minimum of forty-eight credits of graduate work are required for the Ph.D. Students who hold an M.A. in Comparative Literature or a related discipline can request that their transcript be evaluated by the Graduate Studies Committee and may receive a maximum of 30 credits toward their Ph.D. All students seeking the Ph.D. must take the required courses listed for the M.A., unless the Graduate Studies Committee accepts comparable courses taken previously, in which case other courses may be substituted. In addition, all Ph.D. students must acquire a minimum of one semester of formal teaching experience (even if they are unsupported or are on a fellowship requiring no teaching duties) and must take the formal teaching practicum, CLT 698 during their first year in the program.

Students must take the required courses when they are offered, and cannot replace them by Independent Study courses, except in the most unusual circumstances and by petition to the Director of Graduate Studies at the beginning of the term the course is offered. The petition has to be signed by the person directing the Independent Study and must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.

Students taking any Independent Study or Directed Reading course will do so under the departmental rubrics, CLT 599 and CLT 699. Under exceptional circumstances, the Director of Graduate Studies may approve Independent Study under another department's designator, contingent on proper Comparative Literature procedures being followed. A maximum of six credits of Independent Study courses is applicable to the degree requirements. All such courses must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies before the end of the add/drop period of the semester during which they are to be taken. All students taking Independent Study or Directed Reading courses must file a detailed description, for which forms are available in the Department office. Failure to have these courses approved in a timely fashion will result in de-registration or in denial of credit for the courses.

Language Requirement

Entering graduate students are expected to have a good command of at least one, and preferably two, foreign languages. Candidates for the Ph.D. will eventually demonstrate competence in two or three foreign languages, depending on which of the two options outlined below the student chooses. All language requirements must be met three months before students sit for the comprehensive examination.

Non-native speakers of English may choose English (but not their native language) as one of their foreign languages. All students are of course required to demonstrate full command of written and spoken English, the language of instruction in most Comparative Literature courses.

Whenever possible, language exams for CLT students will be given by core or affiliated faculty in CLT. Each exam will be read by two faculty members.

The options for fulfilling the language requirement are as follows:

Option A: The student offers two principal foreign languages. A principal language is defined by the student's demonstrating a high degree of competence in the language, i.e., the ability to understand lectures given in the language and to read it with facility.

Students may demonstrate this degree of competence by taking for credit, and by earning a grade of B or better in, at least one graduate or advanced undergraduate literature course conducted in the language. Final papers may be written in English. In special cases, students may substitute an advanced language examination of three hours in lieu of course work.

The examination consists of three sections: a) oral comprehension, defined as the ability to understand and summarize in English the contents of two graduate level lectures conducted in the foreign language; b) written comprehension, defined as the ability to understand and answer questions on a moderately long (approximately ten pages) theoretical, critical, or scholarly article; c) translation skills, shown through translating into English an advanced-level literary passage. The student is permitted to use a dictionary for part c but not for part b. If the principal foreign language being examined is a Classical language (e.g., Classical Chinese, Sanskrit, Greek), the three-hour test will consist of translations at an appropriately advanced level.

Option B: The student offers one principal language and two secondary languages. Demonstration and competence in the principal language will be the same as outlined for Option A.

Competence in the secondary languages can be demonstrated in either of the following ways:

1. By earning a grade of B or better in a graduate translation course taught by one of the foreign language departments at Stony Brook. Credits for a graduate translation course do not count toward the total credits required for the Master's or the Ph.D. degree in Comparative Literature;

2. By passing a departmental examination consisting of two parts, each one hour long, to be taken with a dictionary: a) a short theoretical, critical, or scholarly article that the student is required to summarize and discuss in English; b) a translation of a short literary prose passage of medium difficulty.

Advancement to Candidacy

Advancement to candidacy is granted by the Graduate School upon recommendation of the Director of Graduate Studies after a successful Comprehensive Examination. Again, all other requirements must have been met before the student sits for the Comprehensive Examination. Advancement must be 1 year prior to defense. Students who have passed their Ph.D. oral comprehensive exams in the fall of 1995 or after that date will be deemed to have passed the equivalent of the master's exam and be granted an M.A. degree unless they already have a master's degree in Copmparative Literature from another institution. The student must file appropriate papers with the department.

Leave of Absence

A student unable to continue graduate studies in a given semester must file a Leave of Absence form that requires the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate School. Students may not use a Leave of Absence to study for the comprehensive examination or to write the dissertation without maintaining residence. While preparing for the comprehensive examination or writing the dissertation, students must maintain residence by registering appropriately.

The Ph.D. dissertation

The dissertation represents the culmination of the student's degree program and should be a serious contribution to scholarship. In consultation with the Dissertation Director, who must be a member of the Comparative Literature faculty, students choose their Dissertation Committee, which is then subject to the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. The Dissertation Committee is usually composed of four members, three of whom (including the Director) are members of the Comparative Literature graduate faculty. In accordance with Graduate School regulations, one member must be outside the Comparative Literature graduate faculty.