Course Requirements



A minimum of forty-eight credits of graduate work are required for the Ph.D. Students who hold an M.A. in Comparative Literature or a related discipline can request that their transcript be evaluated by the Graduate Studies Committee and may receive a maximum of 30 credits toward their Ph.D. All students seeking the Ph.D. must take the required courses listed for the M.A., unless the Graduate Studies Committee accepts comparable courses taken previously, in which case other courses may be substituted. In addition, 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 take the formal teaching practicum, CLT 698 during their first year in the program.

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 of Graduate Studies at 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 Graduate Studies Committee.

Students taking any Independent Study or Directed Reading course will do so under the departmental rubrics, CLT 599 and CLT 699. Under exceptional circumstances, the Director of Graduate Studies may approve Independent Study under another department's designator, contingent on proper Comparative Literature procedures being followed. A maximum of six credits of Independent Study courses is applicable to the degree requirements. All such courses must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies 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 Department office. Failure to have these courses approved in a timely fashion will result in de-registration or in denial of credit for the courses.


Back to:
PhD Program