Cultural Studies Graduate Program: Ph.D.

Course Requirements

1. CLT 501: Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies Methodology.

2. CST 609: Introduction to Cultural Studies; normally taken in the student's first Fall semester.

3. CST 680: Cultural Studies Research Seminar; normally taken in the student's first Spring semester. An in-depth continuation of CST 609, with focus on students developing individual or collaborative research projects to be submitted as qualifying papers.

4. CST 698: Teaching Practicum; a two-semester teaching workshop taken during the student's first year. The practicum meets about half as often as a standard seminar. Please note that, altough students take the course for two semesters, normally they register only for one semester (either Fall or Spring, as desired). Students who enter without an MA (and who are thus required by Graduate School policy to take 12 credits per semester during their first year) may register for both semesters if they wish.

5. Twelve additional courses numbered 500 or higher, including at least three 600 or higher.

To ensure disciplinary fluency in a more traditional sense, students are strongly recommended to take at least three of these courses in a single discipline (outside the core Cultural Studies sequence), and to include at least one faculty member from that field on the Ph.D. oral exam and dissertation committees.

A minimum of 48 credits of graduate work to be completed before the comprehensive exam-- is required for the Ph.D. Students who hold an M.A. in a related discipline can request that their transcripts be evaluated by the graduate program committee and may receive a maximum of 18 credits toward their Ph.D. All students seeking the Ph.D. must take the required courses listed above, unless the graduate program committee accepts comparable courses taken previously. 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 concurrently take the formal teaching practicum, CST 698.

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 before 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 Cultural Studies Steering Committee.

Students taking any Independent Study or Directed Reading course will do so under the CLCS rubric, CLT 699. Under exceptional circumstances, the Director may approve Independent Study under another department's designator. A maximum of six credits of Independent Study courses is applicable to the degree requirements. All such courses must be approved by the Director 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 CLCS office. Failure to have these courses approved in a timely fashion will result in de-registration or in denial of credit for the courses.

First-Year Evaluation

Following the student's second semester of graduate work, the program director will prepare a file for the student's first-year evaluation. It consists of: 1) a qualifying paper, usually the paper produced for the Research Seminar; 2) the student's grades, 3) letters from the professors in each of the student's classes, and, if the student is a teaching assistant, 4) a letter of evaluation from appropriate faculty, and 5) student evaluations. The Steering Committee will evaluate the dossier and decide whether the student should be encouraged to continue in the program.

Foreign Language Requirement

Ph.D. students may choose to demonstrate competence in either one principal foreign language (that is, any language that is of principal importance to the student's course of study) or two secondary languages.

To demonstrate competence in the single (principal) foreign language, students must take for credit and earn 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).

Competence in the two secondary languages can be demonstrated by: 1) earning a grade of B or better in a graduate translation course or 2) passing a translation examination to be taken with a dictionary. Because of the vital importance of cross-cultural studies, students are strongly encouraged in any case to build substantial competence in two foreign languages, and such additional competence will be expected in cases where the student's interests or prospective project require it, as determined by the student and advisor.

Satisfactory Progress Toward the Ph.D.

In addition to requirements listed above, Ph.D. students must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Maintain at least a 3.5 average, with no course below B-, in each semester of graduate study. There is a one year maximum limit on incompletes. A student may accumulate no more than two incomplete grades in any one semester or he/she will no longer be considered a Student in Good Standing, a prerequisite to continue in the program. As a result, the student may lose his or her T.A. line and face possible dismissal from the program;

2. Receive a satisfactory first-year evaluation in the spring semester of the first year of study;

3. Satisfy the foreign language requirement at least three months before the comprehensive examination;

4. Complete all core courses in the first two years of full-time study and all 48 credits for the Ph.D. in three years;

5. Take the comprehensive examination no later than one year after completion of coursework;

6. Submit a dissertation proposal in the semester following satisfactory completion of the comprehensive examination.

By rules of the Graduate School, students must satisfy all requirements for the Ph.D. within seven years after completing 24 credits of graduate work in the Stony Brook department in which they are registered. In rare instances, the Graduate School will entertain a petition to extend this time limit, provided it bears the endorsement of the department. The program may require evidence that the student is still properly prepared for completion of the degree. In particular, the student may be required to pass the comprehensive examination again in order to be permitted to continue work.

Comprehensive Examination in Cultural Studies

For details, please check here.

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.

Advancement to Candidacy

Advancement to candidacy is granted by the Graduate School upon recommendation of the Director after a successful Comprehensive Examination. Again, all other requirements must have been met before the student sits for the Comprehensive Examination.

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.

Dissertation

The dissertation represents the culmination of the student's degree program and should be a serious contribution to scholarship. Candidates choose their dissertation director and dissertation committee in consultation with the program director. The dissertation committee should include four members, including an outside member (that is, someone not affiliated with the Cultural Studies Program at Stony Brook). The draft of a Ph.D. dissertation proposal should be presented to the dissertation director within three months after completion of the comprehensive examination, and the candidate should meet with the entire dissertation committee (ideally as a group, or if necessary, individually) in the process of producing a final proposal, to be approved by the committee and submitted for the candidate's file. Early involvement of all members of the committee in the ongoing research and writing is strongly recommended. The student¡¯s formal defense of the dissertation is open to all members of the University community.

Teaching Assistantships

For Ph.D. students awarded teaching assistantships, four years of full support is the Department's norm. Awards are renewable annually, provided the student maintains satisfactory academic progress towards the degree and performs teaching duties appropriately (see above, Satisfactory Progress). Students (other than Turner fellows) should not count on assistantship resources beyond the fourth year of study.

During their first year, Ph.D. students will normally be placed as teaching assistants in CLT and HUM lecture courses. During their second and third years, students will most commonly teach as instructors in the Writing Program or in the Department of Asian and Asian American Studies, and during their fourth year, as independent instructors of CLT courses. Admitted students who would prefer a Writing Program or AAAS placement during their first year should notify the department immediately upon admission into the Ph.D. program. While placements will vary according to student and program needs and constraints, every effort will be made to provide each student with the available range of teaching experiences.