Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in French Studies

The program information below was valid for the spring 2023 term (May 1, 2023 - August 31, 2023). This is the archived version; the most up-to-date program information is available through the current Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

The Graduate Studies Academic Calendar is updated 3 times per year, at the start of each academic term (January 1, May 1, September 1). Graduate Studies Academic Calendars from previous terms can be found in the archives.

• Admit term(s) 
  • Fall
  • Winter
• Delivery mode 
  • On-campus
• Length of program 
  • The program is designed to take 4 years for completion.
• Program type 
  • Doctoral
  • Research
• Registration option(s) 
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
• Study option(s) 
  • Thesis

• Minimum requirements 
  • Students must have a Master of Arts (MA) degree in French Studies (or in a closely related field) and must have achieved an overall average of at least 80% in their MA program.
  • Students are required to submit a plan of study.
• Application materials 
  • Résumé
  • Supplementary information form
  • Transcript(s)
  • Writing sample (written in French)
• References 
  • Number of references:  3
  • Type of references: 

    at least 2 academic

• English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Thesis option:

Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)

Courses 

• During their first year of study, students are required to complete 6 one-term courses (0.50 unit weight) in the Department of French Studies, 1 of which shall be the compulsory FR 600 Research Methods and Professional Communication in French Studies if it was not taken during previous MA studies. Students may take 1 course in another department, upon approval of the Associate Chair, Graduate Studies.

Link(s) to courses

• French Studies (FR) courses

PhD Language Requirement

• Students must demonstrate reading competence in one language other than French or English.

PhD Comprehensive Examination I and PhD Comprehensive Examination II

• Students are required to meet the University-level PhD Comprehensive Examination minimum requirements outlined in the “Minimum requirements for the PhD degree” section of the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar (GSAC), with certain noted exceptions that are specific to the Faculty of Arts Comprehensive Examination minimum requirements:
  • Comprehensive examination purpose: Consistent with University-level minimum requirements.
  • Timing: Consistent with University-level minimum requirements. 
  • Committee: Consistent with University-level minimum requirements with the exception that in the Faculty of Arts, the Graduate Chair can approve the committee for comprehensive examinations.
  • Who Chairs an examination: Consistent with University-level minimum requirements.
  • Format / Content: Consistent with University-level minimum requirements.
  • Academic integrity: Consistent with University-level minimum requirements.

• In addition to the University-level and Faculty-level PhD Comprehensive Examination minimum requirements, students in the PhD in French Studies program are also required to meet the following requirements:
  • During their second year of study, students are required to complete a set of comprehensive examinations.
  • Prepared under the direction of the thesis supervisor, the comprehensive examinations entail both written and oral components, and are intended to ensure breadth, to assess competence in the field of French Studies, and to prepare students for the writing of the PhD thesis. The following components are required:
    • Students prepare and read, under the supervision of their thesis advisor, a selection of primary texts, and develop a broad critical and theoretical bibliography in areas relevant to the selected thesis topic; this first component is followed by an oral examination with all three members of their Thesis Committee (thesis advisor and two internal readers).
    • Students then write a field exam that is submitted to two members of the Thesis Committee for approval.

Thesis Proposal

• Students must submit, under the supervision of their thesis advisor, a proposal and outline of the proposed thesis. The  proposal and outline are defended orally before their Thesis Committee. Students must successfully complete the PhD Comprehensive Examinations and the Thesis Proposal in order to proceed to the writing of the thesis.

PhD Thesis

• During their third and fourth years of study, students conduct research and write the PhD thesis. The thesis will normally run 250 to 400 pages of typescript. The thesis will be evaluated by a committee comprising the thesis supervisor, two additional members of the Department of French Studies, and one external reader. The student must also successfully defend the thesis at an oral examination open to the public. The Associate Chair, Graduate Studies, is responsible for the selection of the readers, in consultation with the student and the supervisor.