Department of French and Francophone Studies
Graduate Student Handbook
The Ph.D. Program in French
Program Description
The Department of French offers a Ph.D. degree with specializations
in civilization, literature, and applied linguistics/second language
acquisition, as well as a dual degree in French and Women’s
Studies. Graduate students accepted into the Department's Ph.D. program
are expected to acquire a broad factual and theoretical background
in French Studies, advanced proficiency in oral and writing skills,
and a thorough grasp of research and teaching methodologies. Students
select one specialization and may add other subspecialties.
Admission
Students interested in the Ph.D. program in French may apply for
admission directly into one of the three specializations or under
general status with the specialization to be determined after arrival
at Penn State. No admissions preference is given to either category
of students; all prospective students are judged according to the
admissions criteria outlined in the handbook the student receives
when he or she begins graduate studies in French at Penn State.
Requirements For All Three Specializations
Advising
Students admitted with a declared field of interest are assigned
to a graduate advisor in that specialization. Students who enter under
general status are assigned to the Director of Graduate Studies.
It is the responsibility of students to make contact with their advisor
as quickly as possible after arrival at Penn State, if not before.
The purpose of this first meeting is for the student and advisor to
become acquainted and to discuss the student's general academic goals.
In a subsequent meeting, the advisor and the student determine a
long-range academic plan (see Appendix B for advising forms) that
includes credits transferred from other institutions, course work
to be completed at Penn State, plans for the fulfillment of the foreign
language requirements, projected examination dates, and a projected
date for dissertation completion.
Each student should meet with his or her advisor at least once every
semester. In general, students and their advisors establish academic
plans that permit progress toward the degree in a timely and intellectually
appropriate fashion.
It is the student's responsibility to check all policies, procedures,
and deadlines established by the Graduate School. It is assumed that
students take on the responsibility for their educational progress,
both academic and administrative.
Courses
Students must earn a minimum of 30 to 36 credits (or equivalent)
beyond the Master's degree in
French. Candidates whose prior training does not include courses prerequisite
to one of the doctoral specializations are required to complete such
courses.
A maximum of 12 credits may be earned in teaching methodology (French
581) and in supervised teaching (French 602). Such credits are supplementary
to the 30 to 36 credits required for a doctoral specialization, except
in applied linguistics where FR 581 is required for the specialization.
The Chair of the Committee responsible for the specialization, in
consultation with other members of the Graduate Faculty and the Department
Head, evaluates the graduate training and teaching experience completed
at other institutions. A record of any credit to be transferred or
of course equivalencies is placed in the candidate's file, with a
copy to the candidate. Waiver of any coursework can only be granted
with the approval of the advisor, the instructor of the course being
waived, and the Department Head.
Ph.D. Foreign Language Requirement
The foreign language requirement at the doctoral level is designed
to provide students with a skill that will aid them in research and
in securing employment. When choosing a language or languages to study,
it is recommended that students consult with their advisors about
their potential field of doctoral research. The department feels that
the majority of students would profit most from four-skill proficiency
in another language. However, some students would benefit most from
a reading knowledge of two languages (for example, students planning
to specialize in Medieval literature might choose Latin and German).
All students must demonstrate:
(1) Four-skill proficiency, at the ACTFL Advanced Level, in a second
foreign language. Students with advanced knowledge of an ancient language
that is pertinent to their area of research may be examined through
other means.
Or
(2) A reading proficiency in two foreign languages, ancient or modern,
equivalent to the 12th-credit level (e.g. German 1, 2, and 3). Reading
proficiency may be validated by a transcript of college courses completed
with a grade of A or B at the intermediate level, a statement from
a Penn State foreign language department validating the proficiency,
or a satisfactory score on a standardized test (e.g., a score of 500
or better on the ETS Graduate Reading Exam). Reading knowledge in
one language counted for the M.A. degree may count as one of the languages
for the Ph.D.
A native language (other than English or French) may be used as one
of the languages to fulfill the language requirement for the Ph.D.
when it is pertinent to the area of doctoral research. The bearing
of the native language on the research interests will be determined
by the advisor in consultation with the director of graduate studies
and/or another member of the faculty.
Note: The foreign language requirement must be completed prior to
the scheduling of the Comprehensive Examination.
Ph.D. English Competency Requirement
The Graduate School requires that all students (international and
domestic) demonstrate proficiency in English. English language proficiency
may be demonstrated by presenting a conference paper, or by successful
completion of French 581 or another graduate course taught in English.
Proof of English language proficiency must be provided before the
scheduling of the Comprehensive Examination. Please check with our
Department’s Graduate Staff Assistant to verify completion of
this requirement.
Ph.D. Committee and Examinations
All doctoral students must pass a Candidacy examination and a Comprehensive
examination.
Candidacy Examination
The Candidacy Examination takes place during the second semester
after admission to the Ph.D. program and must be completed at least
four weeks before classes end. If the Candidacy Examination is delayed
beyond the second semester, a provisional one-semester teaching contract
will be issued during the second year of study and the contract will
not be renewed until the examination has been passed.
In the event that a student fails the Candidacy Examination, the
committee may approve the student to retake the examination. Whenever
possible, students taking the Candidacy Exam for the second time will
have the same examination committee as they had for their first exam.
Failure to pass the exam a second time results in the termination
of the student’s French graduate studies at Penn State.
Selection of Exam Committee
At the beginning of the semester of the exam, the candidate chooses
a French faculty member to serve as the Chair of the Ph.D. Candidacy
Exam. With the help of the Chair, two additional members who are knowledgeable
about the student’s field of specialization are selected and
asked to serve on the committee. When appropriate, a fourth committee
member from another department may serve in a consultative capacity.
Scheduling of Exam
See the Graduate Staff Assistant for a candidacy exam request form.
Format of the Exam
Please see the area of your specialty in the handbook for the format.
Comprehensive Examination
After a student's coursework has been completed and the foreign language
and English proficiency requirements have been met, a series of content-intensive
examinations are scheduled (normally after two or two-plus years of
post-Master's study). Candidates may request to see sample questions
of examinations on file in the department office.
The candidate selects a Committee Chair (who may or may not be the
same chair as for the Candidacy Exam Committee) among available faculty
with primary teaching responsibilities in the specialization. A four
or five-member Doctoral Committee will then be constituted, including
one external member (a Penn State Graduate Faculty member from another
department). A Doctoral Committee Signature Page will need to be completed
and approved by the Graduate School. The student will need to complete
and sign the form, ask each of his or her committee members to sign
the form, submit the form to the graduate staff assistant who will
secure the department head’s signature and submit the form to
the Graduate School for approval.
The Comprehensive Examination consists of two parts: 1) a written
examination and, 2) an oral examination. You can find the specific
examination procedures described in the Handbook under the specialization
of your studies. The time frame of the exams may be extended if the
candidate has chosen to take the written examination immediately prior
to a holiday or vacation period.
The student must pass the written examination before proceeding to
the oral examination. In case of failure of the written exams, the
oral exam is cancelled. Written and oral examinations in one specialization
may be repeated only once. Failure to pass either of the exams a second
time results in the termination of the student in the program.
Guidelines for the Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination
Responsibilities of the student
- Prepare reading list drafts several months in advance of the
examination.
- Meet with the committee chair to discuss the list, come to
agreement on what is appropriate for the student's interests and the
expectations of the concentration and the doctoral degree program.
- Arrange dates for the examination after consultation with
the committee chair and the graduate staff assistant.
- Arrange with the graduate staff assistant to check the computer
equipment two days prior to the exam.
- Arrive on time for each exam.
- Alert the graduate staff assistant immediately if there are
any problems with the computer or the room.
Responsibilities of the committee chair
- Circulate the reading list to other members of the committee
and solicit suggestions, either directly or via the graduate staff
assistant.
- In consultation with the student, make the final decision
on the reading list.
- Solicit questions from committee members, either directly
or via the graduate staff assistant.
- Prepare the examination and submit the final version for all
the exams to the graduate staff assistant two days before the first
examination is scheduled to take place. Indicate the order in which
the examinations are to be taken, the title of the exam, and the students’
primary area (when appropriate).
- Arrange with the graduate staff assistant to be on call during
the exam or designate a substitute to be on call to advise on how
to solve any problems that may arise.
- Read and evaluate the answers to the questions as well as
the evaluations of the members of the committee.
- Supervise the oral examination
- Report to the student the results of both the written and
the oral examinations.
Responsibilities of the committee
- Prepare questions no less than two weeks prior to the first
examination date.
- Read the answers to the questions no less than two weeks after
the last examination date and give evaluations of the written exam
to the Chair at least three days before the oral examination.
- Participate in the oral examination.
- Advise the committee chair on whether or not the student has
passed the examination, or should take additional courses, or re-take
part or all of the examination.
Responsibilities of the graduate staff assistant
- Notify the Graduate School of the date for the oral exam.
- Prepare copies of the examination questions in accordance
with what the advisor has submitted.
- Reserve a room for the examination.
- Install or have installed a computer in the room at least
two days in advance of the examination.
- Check to see if the computer is working properly.
- Arrange for the student to check the computer two days before
the first examination.
- Ask the committee chair to approve the final version of the
exam.
- Give the exam questions to the student on the day that each
exam is scheduled.
- Call the committee chair or a previously designated substitute
(graduate director or head of the department) for advice if problems
occur during the administration of the examination.
- Collect and distribute copies of the answers to the committee
and the student.
Responsibilities of the graduate director and/or department head
- Check with the graduate staff assistant each day that an examination
is being administered to see if there are any problems.
- Resolve any problems that may occur during the preparation,
administration, or evaluation of the examination.
Doctoral Thesis Proposal
Following the successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination
(within a few months), candidates will submit a thesis proposal to
the thesis director(s) who will then circulate it along with a thesis
proposal approval form to the rest of the thesis committee. Preparation
of the proposal should take no more than a few months.
The Doctoral Committee approved by the Graduate School will serve
as members of the thesis committee, unless membership changes are
made at the time the student embarks on the thesis proposal. In the
event that the student, in consultation with the advisor, wishes to
change the Doctoral Committee, a new Committee Signature Page will
need to be submitted to the Graduate School (all members would be
listed, but only new committee members would need to sign).
Students and their advisors should keep in mind the possibility of
including a distinguished faculty member from another institution
to serve as a special member of the Doctoral Committee. After the
approval of the Graduate School, the faculty member will be invited
to Penn State, during the fall or spring semester, to participate
in the defense (Final Oral Examination), to give a public lecture,
and/or to give talks in graduate seminars.
Guidelines for Thesis Proposal
Lengths indicated for each section of the dissertation proposal are
suggested, not required.
- Question or Problem. State in a paragraph the question you propose
to answer or the problem you will solve with your dissertation.
- Project. State in a paragraph the project you plan to undertake
to provide those answers.
- Background. What is the broader context for the research question?
What is the significance of this topic? What has been done so far
by others and how is your project going to improve, extend, or controvert
past research? (2-3 pages).
- Approach and methodology. How will you go about the research?
What are the methods and materials that will be central to your project?
What kinds of archival, library, field, or classroom research will
you need to do? What kinds of research authorizations or clearances
will you need to obtain? What problems do you anticipate? (2-3 pages).
- Outcome. What do you expect the outcome of your project to be?
Who will be interested in the results of your research? (1-2 pages).
- Bibliography. List the relevant books and articles (minimum of
two pages).
Optional: If you have a clear idea of the structure of your project,
you may also provide an outline of the chapters.
The thesis proposal may be approved in writing alone or a meeting
may be requested either by the student or by a committee member.
Thesis Defense
The thesis defense is scheduled after the thesis director(s) and
two other readers have approved the manuscript. Other members of the
doctoral committee are expected to have at least two weeks in which
to read the final draft of the manuscript. Although additional editorial
modifications may be needed after the completion of the defense, the
manuscript submitted to all readers must be seen as a "final"
copy ready for submission to the Graduate School. Candidates must
observe manuscript conventions prescribed by the Graduate School (see
"Thesis Information Bulletin"). The Department of French
accepts editing procedures recommended by the Modern Language Association,
by the American Psychological Association, or by the Linguistic Society
of America.
Note that the thesis defense is open to the public. However, the
audience may not participate in the examination of the student.
Submission of Bound Copy of Thesis
Students are required to submit a bound copy of their thesis to the
Department of French. This should be done within three weeks after
their final submission to the Thesis Office.
