Graduate
Handbook for Students in the INTRODUCTION
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New as of Fall 2009: With their
application students should submit a sample of their critical
writing no more than 30 pages long. The online application now accepts scanned writing samples and transcripts. Please do not exceed our 30 pp. writing sample limit. You
must first begin the application in order to be prompted for all
scanned materials, letters of recommendation, and the application fee. If you are unable to scan your materials, please mail hard copies to the Comparative Literature and Literary Theory Program, University
of Pennsylvania, 720 Williams Hall, 255 S. 36th Street, Philadelphia,
PA, 19104-6305. |
FELLOWSHIPS
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All applicants will automatically be considered for fellowship awards. No special forms need be submitted. The Program supports all students in good standing for five years. Successful applicants will be awarded either the Benjamin Franklin fellowship or the Fontaine Fellowship (for outstanding minority students). These prestigious fellowships pay tuition and a sizeable stipend ($23,000 for 2011-2012) for five years. Years two and three are teaching fellowship years. First year students without an M.A. normally will not be expected to teach. In subsequent years, support will take the form of a TF in one of the literature departments or the Women's Studies Program. A variable number of research assistantships (RA's) are also available. Both TF's and RA's provide tuition and a stipend. Advanced students will be eligible to be considered for summer teaching in the College of General Studies. A number of agencies in this country and abroad offer financial aid and fellowships for students doing dissertation research in Europe.
ADVISING
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The Chair is principal adviser during the student's first year in the Program. The Chair appoints a second adviser on the basis of the student's interests. At the outset of the second year, the student chooses, in consultation with the Chair, a committee of one principal and two secondary advisers. These may or may not be changed as the student approaches the dissertation stage. Each semester, the student's choice of courses must be discussed with his or her principal adviser, who must indicate approval by signing the student's course record form. Full time students are expected to take four courses per semester. Students receiving a TF or RA take three courses per semester.
TRANSFER OF
CREDIT
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Students may request the transfer of up to four credits toward the M.A. and up to eight credits toward the Ph.D. for work done at another university. After the student has completed at least six courses in the Program, credit transfers are submitted by the Chair to the Dean of the Graduate School for approval.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
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- Master of
Arts Degree - 8 course units required, distributed as follows:
- Four courses from the Comp. Lit. offerings, including 501 and 999.040 Reading for the M.A. Exam.
- Three courses in a national literature, appropriately balanced with regard to periods and genres.
- One course
in an area of special interest.
Of these eight courses, only one may be an independent study (998).
- Doctor of
Philosophy Degree - 12 course units beyond those required for
the M.A., distributed among:
- Comp. Lit. offerings, the 999 courses for the 50-Book Exam, the Field Exam,
and the
Dissertation Proposal. - National literature (at least three courses).
- Area of Special Interest (at least two courses).
Of these twelve courses, one may be a special topic independent study (998). Exceptions to these course requirements should be made only with the approval of the Chair of the Program.
- Comp. Lit. offerings, the 999 courses for the 50-Book Exam, the Field Exam,
and the
M.A.
EXAMINATION
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A 2-hour oral exam must be taken after one year of study, either in late spring or early fall. The exam tests the student's knowledge of a selected list of critical and theoretical texts and his or her understanding of the central topics and issues in the history of Western literary theory. The current lot of texts is always available in the Comp. Lit. office. The examining committee consists of three members, one of whom must be either the Program's Chair or the teacher of Comp. Lit. 501. The other two are selected by the student, subject to the Chair's approval, from the Graduate Group. A satisfactory performance on the examination is a Requirement for an M.A. degree in the Program. A superior performance is a requirement for continuation in the Program as a Ph.D. candidate. The exam is graded Pass/Fail. A student who fails the examination may take it again the following semester but it cannot be taken more than twice.
M.A. PAPER
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In order to fulfill the research requirement of the Graduate School, each student must submit an M.A. paper. This will normally be an approximately 20-page research paper, with bibliography, written in the context of a graduate course and, if necessary, revised for this occasion. The master's paper must be approved by the Chair.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
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To receive an M.A. degree, the student must demonstrate proficiency in at least one non- native language relevant to his or her program and mastery of the language of the national literature specialization. To receive a Ph.D., the student must demonstrate proficiency in at least two non-native languages relevant to his or her program (one of which must be 'modern') and mastery of the language of the national literature specialization. Proficiency is defined as the ability to conduct research on literary and critical texts in that language. Mastery is defined as the ability to teach, as well as to conduct research on, literary and critical texts in that language, and to write in it. Linguistic competence in a foreign language is demonstrated by (a) the level of the student's performance in at least two graduate literature courses taught in that language and/or (b) his or her score (at least 650) on the Princeton ETS examination. In the case of languages for which there is no ETS examination, an examination will be prepared and evaluated by a relevant department of the University. In all unusual cases, the Chair of the Program will determine whether the student is to be considered as having fulfilled the appropriate language requirements.
COMPREHENSIVE
EXAMINATIONS FOR THE PH.D.
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The student is expected to take two comprehensive examinations: (a) one in the national literature in which he or she is specializing and (b) one dealing with the student's area of special interest. The recommended time to schedule the exams is indicated below.
- National
Literature Exam
The 50-book exam in Comparative Literature is an exam in the literary history of a particular linguistic or national tradition. In studying for the exam, students should be concerned with general coverage of a literary history in order to prepare them for their future careers as teachers in a literature department, where they will be expected to have fundamental knowledge of a whole linguistic or national tradition as well as in-depth knowledge of their particular area.
Both students and examiners should keep in mind that the 50-book exam is one of three exams required in the Comparative Literature PhD program: it does not assess the knowledge of the area of specialization (this is the purpose of the Field exam), nor of theory and methodology (this is the purpose of the MA Theory exam).
The 50-book list should include important texts (however the "importance" of a work is to be gauged) representing major developments in the literary history of the relevant linguistic or national tradition. It should offer broad diachronic and formal coverage. It should not be compiled according to thematic threads or rationales. In preparation for the exam, students should familiarize themselves with the entire scope of their chosen tradition, usually by reading standard and up-to-date literary historical references. Students should be prepared to answer rigorous questions concerning the works on the list and their place in literary history.
- Field Exam
A four-hour written examination, graded Pass/Fail, based on a list of 25-30 primary and secondary texts relevant to the likely field of the student's dissertation research. The list is drawn up in consultation with the student's adviser, who normally chairs the 3-person examination committee. Other examiners are chosen by the student in consultation with the Chair. The field list must be accompanied by a 3-page rationale explaining the choice of texts and must be approved by the Chair.In the case of specializations in literatures or areas of study not represented by any member of the Graduate Group, faculty from other relevant graduate groups in the University will be asked to serve on the student's examination committee(s). A student who fails either examination may elect to take it a second time, normally three to four months later. No examination may be taken more than twice. A student who fails either examination more than once cannot continue in the Program.
PROGRAM OF COURSEWORK AND EXAMS
First Year
Fall semester:
Four courses, including Comp. Lit. 501, the basic course in the history of literary theory from ancient sources to contemporary thought.
Spring semester:
Four courses, including Comp. Lit. 999.040, a reading course to prepare for the M.A. exam on literary theory. First-year students form their own reading group to study for this exam, meeting informally once a week to discuss texts on the M.A. reading list. On occasion, faculty members may be asked to join the group to help in the analysis of particular authors and issues.
The M.A. exam is taken in April or May of the first year.This is a two-hour oral exam based on the M.A. reading list. Subject to the Chair’s approval, each student selects three examiners (normally, but not necessarily, from the Graduate Group), one of whom must be the Chair or the teacher of Comp. Lit. 501.
For more information, see above, “M.A. examination.”
The summer following the first year should be used to begin drafting a reading list for the 50-Book exam (taken in the second year; see below), and to commence reading towards the exam.
Second Year
Fall semester:
Three courses and teaching (usually as a TA in a lecture course). One of these three courses will be Comp. Lit. 999, “Independent Readings in National Literature.” The purpose of this independent reading course is for the student to study intensively for the 50-Book exam and establish a broad mastery of the national literature. This study will be undertaken in consultation with an advisor in the student’s selected national literature. The final version of the 50-Book reading list must be approved by the student’s principal advisor and the Chair of the Program, and will be due by October 30. During the fall semester, the student must also assemble a committee for the 50-Book exam, which will consist of the student’s principal 50-Book advisor and two other members of the faculty. The student will sign up with the Chair of the Program for this independent reading, who will assign a grade of “S” (Satisfactory) for the Independent Reading course once the student’s 50-Book reading list has been approved.
Spring semester:
Three courses and teaching (usually as a TA in a lecture course). One of the three courses will be Comp. Lit. 999.041, “Reading for the Fifty-Book Exam.” It is strongly preferred that the 50-Book exam be taken by the end of January in the second year; with permission of the Chair, students may take the exam in May (the end of the spring semester of the second year). Permission to defer the exam until the spring may be given, for instance, to students who need to use the summer after their first year for intensive language study as relevant to their field. As soon as the student passes the 50-Book exam, the Chair of the Program will assign a grade of “S” (Satisfactory) for Comp. Lit. 999.041.
For information about the 50-Book exam list and the exam itself, see above, “Comprehensive Examinations for the Ph.D.”
The two phases of the 50-Book exam, submission of the reading list and taking the exam itself, must be completed according to the above schedule to ensure continued good standing. For information on the Graduate Division’s policies on incompletes, see below. Exceptions to this schedule will be considered in cases of the most compelling reasons, and can be granted by petition to the Chair of the Program and the Executive Committee.
The remainder of the spring semester (once the 50-book exam has been taken) and the summer after the second year should be used to begin drafting a reading list for the Field Exam (taken in the third year; see below), and to commence reading towards the exam. The independent study (COML 999) in which the student is registered in the spring semester will be used towards this purpose.
Third Year
Fall semester:
Three courses and teaching (usually as the sole instructor in a writing or language course). Two of the three courses will be Comp. Lit. 999, “Reading for the Field Exam,” and “Dissertation Prospectus Research.” For “Reading for the Field Exam,” the student will choose a field advisor, in consultation with whom the student will prepare the Field Exam Proposal. The Field Exam Proposal must be approved by the student’s field advisor and the Chair of the Program, and will be due October 30. During the fall semester, the student must also assemble a committee for the Field Exam, which will consist of the student’s field advisor and two other members of the faculty. The student will sign up with the Chair of the Program for both of these independent reading courses. The Chair will assign a grade of “S” (for both of these courses based on approval of the student’s Field Exam Proposal.
Third-year students may form a study group that will meet weekly, to keep themselves on course for the Field Exam by presenting and discussing issues that arise from their readings.
For more information about the Field Exam Proposal, see above, “Comprehensive Examinations for the Ph.D.”
Spring semester:
Three courses and teaching (usually as the sole instructor in a writing or language course). Two of the three courses will be Comp. Lit. 999, “Independent Reading in Special Field,” and “Dissertation Prospectus Research.” The Field Exam must be taken by the end of January in the third year.
The two phases of the Field Exam, approval of the Proposal and taking the exam itself, must be completed according to the above schedule to ensure continued good standing. Exceptions to this schedule will be permitted only for the most compelling reasons, and by petition to the Graduate Chair and the Executive Committee.
After the Field Exam
During the spring semester of the third year, after the Field Exam is completed, students should work on the preliminary research towards the dissertation begun earlier in the year. This research should, at least to some extent, grow out of the Field Exam topic; thus students should be generally familiar with the critical and scholarly field of the dissertation by this point.
Dissertation Committee. During this period, the student should begin to form a dissertation committee, consisting of a dissertation advisor and at least two other faculty members. Normally at least one person on the committee is a member of the Comparative Literature graduate faculty. Typically, the advisor chosen for the Field Exam will be the dissertation advisor; but the student may wish to consult with the Chair of the Program if a change in research emphasis dictates a different person to direct the dissertation.
Dissertation Proposal. By either May of the third year or September of the fourth year, students should present a Dissertation Proposal for approval by the dissertation committee and the Chair of the Program. The dissertation proposal should be at least eight pages long, double spaced, and include a selective bibliography. The student should schedule a formal meeting with the dissertation committee and the Program Chair as soon as possible to discuss the prospectus. This meeting should take place no later than late September of the fourth year.
Suggestions from this meeting should be incorporated into a final draft of the proposal, which must be signed on the first page by the dissertation director. This finished draft must also be approved by the Program Chair.
Proposals ought to set forth, as clearly and concisely as possible, some or all of the following:
1. Any background information pertinent to the subject;
2. A close exposition of the subject and its value within the field of study;
3. The proposed methodology to be adopted and a justification of its relevance to the subject;
4. Some notice of previous scholarship and of its relation of the proposed work;
5. Some ideas as to how the argument will be structured in the dissertation, with a tentative indication of the table of contents;
6. Any special research needs or likely research problems to be faced.
When the Dissertation Proposal has been approved, the student will begin dissertation research in earnest. Normally the first semester of the fourth year should be devoted to dissertation research, followed by further research and the commencement of writing during the second semester of the fourth year.
Students may plan to study abroad during the fourth year, when they are doing research for the project and beginning to write.
PH.D. DISSERTATION (years four through five)
Drafting the Dissertation and Preparing for the Job Market
By the start of the fifth year, students should have drafted at least one substantial chapter of the dissertation. During the fifth year, students should be making steady progress towards a complete draft. It is expected that students should be able to complete the dissertation in two or three years. In the fall of the fifth or sixth year, students will embark on the process of applying for academic jobs. Students should be aware that this process is itself extremely time-consuming. Thus they should plan ahead to have a considerable portion of the dissertation complete before embarking on the job application process.
The program and its requirements have been set up to enable students to complete the dissertation by the summer of year five, that is, within the tenure of the five-year fellowship package. Students who need to take a sixth year to complete the dissertation should be aware that they will have to apply for additional funding, either an internal fellowship from the Graduate School or external funding. Students who secure external fellowship funding at other points in their graduate career (either upon entry or at a later point) will also be able to add this onto their fellowship package, giving them an extra year of support.
Dissertation Length and Advisor Approval
In many cases the completed dissertation need not be longer than 150-200 pages. Three hundred pages should be the greatest anticipated length. The principal academic adviser of a Ph.D. candidate will direct his or her thesis research and supervise the writing of the dissertation. Other members of the dissertation committee may read preliminary drafts and suggest changes. In all cases the dissertation must be read and approved by the candidate's adviser in his or her capacity as first reader, while another member of the dissertation committee must serve as second reader.
Formatting and Submitting the Dissertation
When candidates are ready to produce the final drafts of their dissertations, they should obtain from the office of the Graduate Division a set of University of Pennsylvania rules governing the form in which dissertations are submitted. This is very important, for that office has in the past refused to accept theses with too narrow margins, incorrect pagination, or other flaws, thus delaying the awarding of Ph.D. degrees. Doctoral candidates in the final stages of their dissertation writing should also be sure to consult the calendar published in the Graduate Studies Bulletin in order to know the various deadlines for applying for the degree, submitting finished dissertations to their first and second readers for their approval, and depositing the completed thesis at the Graduate Division. Either the candidate in person or his/her adviser should "deposit" the dissertation since it is not the responsibility of the Chair, of any other faculty member, or of the staff to do this.
The Graduate Division requires students and their advisors to file an Annual Dissertation Progress Report. The Graduate Division sends information about this to students and their advisors in advance of the yearly deadlines.
Further information about timely progress towards the degree may be found in the Graduate Catalogue of the University of Pennsylvania, under Time Limit for Completion of the Ph.D.
The Graduate Division requires a public, oral presentation of the dissertation, including a dissertation defense (see link above, under “evaluations and examinations”). The oral defense can be a public event to which the student invites friends and family, followed by a private conference with just the student and committee members; or it can be simply a private conference with the committee. The defense should be scheduled when the dissertation is close to completion, normally at least several weeks in advance of the filing date for the term in which the student plans to submit the finished dissertation.
GOOD STANDING
RULES
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PROGRAM OF COURSEWORK AND EXAMS
First Year
Fall semester:
Four courses, including Comp. Lit. 501, the basic course in the history of literary theory from ancient sources to contemporary thought.
Spring semester:
Four courses, including Comp. Lit. 999.040, a reading course to prepare for the M.A. exam on literary theory. First-year students form their own reading group to study for this exam, meeting informally once a week to discuss texts on the M.A. reading list. On occasion, faculty members may be asked to join the group to help in the analysis of particular authors and issues.
The M.A. exam is taken in April or May of the first year.This is a two-hour oral exam based on the M.A. reading list. Subject to the Chair’s approval, each student selects three examiners (normally, but not necessarily, from the Graduate Group), one of whom must be the Chair or the teacher of Comp. Lit. 501.
For more information, see above, “M.A. examination.”
The summer following the first year should be used to begin drafting a reading list for the 50-Book exam (taken in the second year; see below), and to commence reading towards the exam.
Second Year
Fall semester:
Three courses and teaching (usually as a TA in a lecture course). One of these three courses will be Comp. Lit. 999, “Independent Readings in National Literature.” The purpose of this independent reading course is for the student to study intensively for the 50-Book exam and establish a broad mastery of the national literature. This study will be undertaken in consultation with an advisor in the student’s selected national literature. The final version of the 50-Book reading list must be approved by the student’s principal advisor and the Chair of the Program, and will be due by October 30. During the fall semester, the student must also assemble a committee for the 50-Book exam, which will consist of the student’s principal 50-Book advisor and two other members of the faculty. The student will sign up with the Chair of the Program for this independent reading, who will assign a grade of “S” (Satisfactory) for the Independent Reading course once the student’s 50-Book reading list has been approved.
Spring semester:
Three courses and teaching (usually as a TA in a lecture course). One of the three courses will be Comp. Lit. 999.041, “Reading for the Fifty-Book Exam.” It is strongly preferred that the 50-Book exam be taken by the end of January in the second year; with permission of the Chair, students may take the exam in May (the end of the spring semester of the second year). Permission to defer the exam until the spring may be given, for instance, to students who need to use the summer after their first year for intensive language study as relevant to their field. As soon as the student passes the 50-Book exam, the Chair of the Program will assign a grade of “S” (Satisfactory) for Comp. Lit. 999.041.
For information about the 50-Book exam list and the exam itself, see above, “Comprehensive Examinations for the Ph.D.”
The two phases of the 50-Book exam, submission of the reading list and taking the exam itself, must be completed according to the above schedule to ensure continued good standing. For information on the Graduate Division’s policies on incompletes, see below. Exceptions to this schedule will be considered in cases of the most compelling reasons, and can be granted by petition to the Chair of the Program and the Executive Committee.
The remainder of the spring semester (once the 50-book exam has been taken) and the summer after the second year should be used to begin drafting a reading list for the Field Exam (taken in the third year; see below), and to commence reading towards the exam. The independent study (COML 999) in which the student is registered in the spring semester will be used towards this purpose.
Third Year
Fall semester:
Three courses and teaching (usually as the sole instructor in a writing or language course). Two of the three courses will be Comp. Lit. 999, “Reading for the Field Exam,” and “Dissertation Prospectus Research.” For “Reading for the Field Exam,” the student will choose a field advisor, in consultation with whom the student will prepare the Field Exam Proposal. The Field Exam Proposal must be approved by the student’s field advisor and the Chair of the Program, and will be due October 30. During the fall semester, the student must also assemble a committee for the Field Exam, which will consist of the student’s field advisor and two other members of the faculty. The student will sign up with the Chair of the Program for both of these independent reading courses. The Chair will assign a grade of “S” (for both of these courses based on approval of the student’s Field Exam Proposal.
Third-year students may form a study group that will meet weekly, to keep themselves on course for the Field Exam by presenting and discussing issues that arise from their readings.
For more information about the Field Exam Proposal, see above, “Comprehensive Examinations for the Ph.D.”
Spring semester:
Three courses and teaching (usually as the sole instructor in a writing or language course). Two of the three courses will be Comp. Lit. 999, “Independent Reading in Special Field,” and “Dissertation Prospectus Research.” The Field Exam must be taken by the end of January in the third year.
The two phases of the Field Exam, approval of the Proposal and taking the exam itself, must be completed according to the above schedule to ensure continued good standing. Exceptions to this schedule will be permitted only for the most compelling reasons, and by petition to the Graduate Chair and the Executive Committee.
After the Field Exam
During the spring semester of the third year, after the Field Exam is completed, students should work on the preliminary research towards the dissertation begun earlier in the year. This research should, at least to some extent, grow out of the Field Exam topic; thus students should be generally familiar with the critical and scholarly field of the dissertation by this point.
Dissertation Committee. During this period, the student should begin to form a dissertation committee, consisting of a dissertation advisor and at least two other faculty members. Normally at least one person on the committee is a member of the Comparative Literature graduate faculty. Typically, the advisor chosen for the Field Exam will be the dissertation advisor; but the student may wish to consult with the Chair of the Program if a change in research emphasis dictates a different person to direct the dissertation.
Dissertation Proposal. By either May of the third year or September of the fourth year, students should present a Dissertation Proposal for approval by the dissertation committee and the Chair of the Program. The dissertation proposal should be at least eight pages long, double spaced, and include a selective bibliography. The student should schedule a formal meeting with the dissertation committee and the Program Chair as soon as possible to discuss the prospectus. This meeting should take place no later than late September of the fourth year.
Suggestions from this meeting should be incorporated into a final draft of the proposal, which must be signed on the first page by the dissertation director. This finished draft must also be approved by the Program Chair.
Proposals ought to set forth, as clearly and concisely as possible, some or all of the following:
1. Any background information pertinent to the subject;
2. A close exposition of the subject and its value within the field of study;
3. The proposed methodology to be adopted and a justification of its relevance to the subject;
4. Some notice of previous scholarship and of its relation of the proposed work;
5. Some ideas as to how the argument will be structured in the dissertation, with a tentative indication of the table of contents;
6. Any special research needs or likely research problems to be faced.
When the Dissertation Proposal has been approved, the student will begin dissertation research in earnest. Normally the first semester of the fourth year should be devoted to dissertation research, followed by further research and the commencement of writing during the second semester of the fourth year.
Students may plan to study abroad during the fourth year, when they are doing research for the project and beginning to write.
PH.D. DISSERTATION (years four through five)
Drafting the Dissertation and Preparing for the Job Market
By the start of the fifth year, students should have drafted at least one substantial chapter of the dissertation. During the fifth year, students should be making steady progress towards a complete draft. It is expected that students should be able to complete the dissertation in two or three years. In the fall of the fifth or sixth year, students will embark on the process of applying for academic jobs. Students should be aware that this process is itself extremely time-consuming. Thus they should plan ahead to have a considerable portion of the dissertation complete before embarking on the job application process.
The program and its requirements have been set up to enable students to complete the dissertation by the summer of year five, that is, within the tenure of the five-year fellowship package. Students who need to take a sixth year to complete the dissertation should be aware that they will have to apply for additional funding, either an internal fellowship from the Graduate School or external funding. Students who secure external fellowship funding at other points in their graduate career (either upon entry or at a later point) will also be able to add this onto their fellowship package, giving them an extra year of support.
Dissertation Length and Advisor Approval
In many cases the completed dissertation need not be longer than 150-200 pages. Three hundred pages should be the greatest anticipated length. The principal academic adviser of a Ph.D. candidate will direct his or her thesis research and supervise the writing of the dissertation. Other members of the dissertation committee may read preliminary drafts and suggest changes. In all cases the dissertation must be read and approved by the candidate's adviser in his or her capacity as first reader, while another member of the dissertation committee must serve as second reader.
Formatting and Submitting the Dissertation
When candidates are ready to produce the final drafts of their dissertations, they should obtain from the office of the Graduate Division a set of University of Pennsylvania rules governing the form in which dissertations are submitted. This is very important, for that office has in the past refused to accept theses with too narrow margins, incorrect pagination, or other flaws, thus delaying the awarding of Ph.D. degrees. Doctoral candidates in the final stages of their dissertation writing should also be sure to consult the calendar published in the Graduate Studies Bulletin in order to know the various deadlines for applying for the degree, submitting finished dissertations to their first and second readers for their approval, and depositing the completed thesis at the Graduate Division. Either the candidate in person or his/her adviser should "deposit" the dissertation since it is not the responsibility of the Chair, of any other faculty member, or of the staff to do this.
The Graduate Division requires students and their advisors to file an Annual Dissertation Progress Report. The Graduate Division sends information about this to students and their advisors in advance of the yearly deadlines.
Further information about timely progress towards the degree may be found in the Graduate Catalogue of the University of Pennsylvania, under Time Limit for Completion of the Ph.D.
The Graduate Division requires a public, oral presentation of the dissertation, including a dissertation defense (see link above, under “evaluations and examinations”). The oral defense can be a public event to which the student invites friends and family, followed by a private conference with just the student and committee members; or it can be simply a private conference with the committee. The defense should be scheduled when the dissertation is close to completion, normally at least several weeks in advance of the filing date for the term in which the student plans to submit the finished dissertation.
In order to stay in good standing and hence be eligible for funding from the Graduate Division of SAS, students must abide by the Graduate Division's policy on incompletes. Incompletes can be carried for only one semester. Course work for incompletes must be completed and submitted to the professor before the beginning of the corresponding semester of the following year. Thus, for example, incompletes from a fall semester must be made up before the start of the following fall semester. Students risk a block on enrollment and the suspension of stipends if incompletes are not removed from the record according to the Graduate Division's timetable.
RELATED INTERDISCIPLINARY
PROGRAMS AND CENTERS
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- African Studies Center
- Center for Africana Studies
- Program in Jewish Studies
- Program in Latin American and Latino Studies
- Program in Medieval Studies
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
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The Program's Executive Committee is made up of the graduate and undergraduate chairs, five other faculty members appointed for a term of three years by the Chair with the approval of the Graduate Group, and two student representatives elected by CLAS (see below) for one year renewable terms. The graduate student representatives on the Executive Committee have the same rights and responsibilities as the faculty members in deliberations on all matters concerning educational policy. They do not participate in deliberations on personnel matters such as admissions and financial aid.
COMPARATIVE
LITERATURE ASSOCIATION OF STUDENTS (CLAS):
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CLAS, which was founded by students in 1980 and is open to all students in the Program, sponsors a colloquium in the spring (COMPLICOL), visiting lecturers, discussion groups, translation workshops, and student readings. The association elects its own officers and delegates two students to represent the group at meetings of the Program's Executive Committee. It also provides advice and assistance to visiting applicants and incoming students and is consulted by the Chair in all matters concerning the Program's policies and regulations.
PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
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Students are encouraged to attend the lectures, symposia, and other activities sponsored by the Program. They should also check regularly for mail and announcements in the Program's office, 720 Williams Hall, where miscellaneous books, journals, reprints and other texts are available for browsing and borrowing, and coffee, tea and conversation are always free for the asking.
STUDY AND RESEARCH
ABROAD
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Especially in the case of students whose major literature is foreign, the Program often recommends a year's study in the relevant country. The Chair will help students find funding agencies to support such study and to subvent the research activities of dissertation students working abroad.
HOUSING
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Housing forms for dormitory housing will be sent upon request to any student entering the Program. The majority of our students prefer to make their own housing arrangements. Good rental apartments are easily available within walking distance of the University at rents that are surprisingly low for a big city.
GRADUATE RULES
AND REGULATIONS
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For more information on university policies regarding graduate studies, including maximum time limits of study, please consult the Office of Graduate Studies's Rules and Regulations.