- Foreign Language Requirement
- Qualifying Exam
- Dissertation Proposal
- Dissertation Defense, Submission and Approval
- Departmental Approval
Program Requirements
The program requires the completion of 72 credits, and offers a concentration in Medieval and Renaissance Studies. See concentration details below.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| FREN-GA 1012 | Teaching French as a World Language | 2 |
| FREN-GA 1101 | Proseminar / Textual Analysis | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| French Literature Area Electives | 28 | |
| Literary Theory Elective | 4 | |
| PhD Electives | 34 | |
| Total Credits | 72 | |
In consultation with the director of graduate studies, doctoral students may enroll in a limited number of courses outside the department in areas related to their interests, or they may choose a field of study of up to five courses in another discipline: linguistics, art history, cinema studies, performance studies, or comparative literature.
Concentration in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
The concentration in Medieval and Renaissance Studies is interdisciplinary in nature and creates a framework and community for diverse approaches to the study of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. It complements doctoral students’ work in their home departments with interdisciplinary study of the broad range of culture in the medieval and early modern periods, as well as of the theories and methods that attend them. The concentration is designed to train specialists who are firmly based in a traditional discipline but who can work across disciplinary boundaries, making use of varied theoretical approaches and methodological practices. The concentration consists of twenty credits distributed under the following courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | Credits | |
| FREN-GA 1012 | Teaching French as a World Language | 1-4 |
| MEDI-GA 1101 | 4 | |
| MEDI-GA 2000 | Medieval & Renaissance Workshop 1 | 4 |
| MEDI-GA 2100 | 4 | |
| French Literature Area Electives | 28 | |
| Literary Theory Elective | 4 | |
| PhD Electives | 26 | |
| Total Credits | 72 | |
2 credits per semester taken twice in an academic year.
At least one course, not counting either the Proseminar or Workshop, must be taken outside a student’s home department. In addition, students pursuing the concentration will present a paper at least once either in the Workshop or in a conference offered by the Medieval and Renaissance Center.
Additional Program Requirements
Foreign Language Requirement
Knowledge of a second foreign language is required by the French department for the doctorate and must be demonstrated before completion of 60 credits by any of the methods described in the Degree Requirements section of this bulletin or by passing with a grade of B or better a graduate course taught in that language. To have approved a language other than German, Italian, Spanish, or Latin as the second foreign language a student must meet with the Director of Graduate Studies. Decision is taken on the basis of the need of that language for the student’s work.
Qualifying Exam
An examination composed of a two-hour oral portion and a take-home written portion is taken on completion of the required course work. This examination is structured as a series of inquiries selected by the candidate, in consultation with the faculty. As soon as possible, but no later than two semesters after the successful completion of the PhD qualifying examination, the student must submit a dissertation prospectus on which he or she will be orally examined for one hour. When the student has completed at least one year in residence and all course and language requirements, and passed the PhD qualifying examination and the dissertation proposal examination, the student is formally admitted to candidacy for the doctorate. When the dissertation is completed and approved by the adviser and readers, an oral examination is held at which the candidate presents and defends research results to a faculty committee of five.
Dissertation Proposal
Students must submit a dissertation proposal in which they will be orally examined for one hour.
Dissertation Defense, Submission and Approval
Students must successfully defend their dissertation, and submit for approval.
Departmental Approval
All Graduate School of Arts & Science doctoral candidates must be approved for graduation by their department for the degree to be awarded.
Sample Plan of Study
| 1st Semester/Term | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| FREN-GA 1101 | Proseminar / Textual Analysis | 4 |
| French Literature Area Elective | 4 | |
| PhD Elective | 4 | |
| PhD Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| 2nd Semester/Term | ||
| French Literature Area Elective | 4 | |
| French Literature Area Elective | 4 | |
| PhD Elective | 3 | |
| PhD Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| 3rd Semester/Term | ||
| French Literature Area Elective | 4 | |
| PhD Elective | 4 | |
| PhD Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| 4th Semester/Term | ||
| FREN-GA 1012 | Teaching French as a World Language | 1-4 |
| French Literature Area Elective | 4 | |
| PhD Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 10 | |
| 5th Semester/Term | ||
| French Literature Area Elective | 4 | |
| French Literature Area Elective | 4 | |
| PhD Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| 6th Semester/Term | ||
| PhD Elective | 4 | |
| PhD Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 8 | |
| Total Credits | 72 | |
Following completion of the required coursework for the PhD, students are expected to maintain active status at New York University by enrolling in a research/writing course or a Maintain Matriculation ( MAINT-GA 4747 ) course. All non-course requirements must be fulfilled prior to degree conferral, although the specific timing of completion may vary from student-to-student.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will have:
- In-depth understanding of major works of French-language literature from the medieval period to the present.
- Familiarity with diverse approaches to theorizing literature and culture (for example, structuralist, poststructuralist, feminist, postcolonial, ecocritical), and the ability to deploy the methodologies best suited to the object in question.
- Development of one’s own critical style and authority as a commentator on texts, and ability to express oneself in sophisticated English and French in both written and oral forms.
- Energy and commitment to continue contributing to the field (through teaching, conferences, and publications) new ideas, literary discoveries, and fresh approaches which come from continuous reading across disciplines.
- Solid familiarity with the key archives, libraries, research centers and tools, bibliographies, internet sites and digital information that make research possible.
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