Apr 20, 2024  
School of Graduate Studies Calendar, 2016-2017 
    
School of Graduate Studies Calendar, 2016-2017 [-ARCHIVED CALENDAR-]

French, Ph.D


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Areas of Study

Ph.D. Degree


Admission


The Ph.D. Degree Program will normally be four years in length. Students will be admitted to the Ph.D. program with a completed M.A. in French literature or linguistics, or in a program deemed equivalent. Equivalence will be granted on a case by case basis in consultation with the School of Graduate Studies. Students must obtain a minimum B+ average or equivalent at the Master’s level to be considered for admission. All applicants will be required to submit official transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a detailed statement of interest. As a rule, part-time studies will not be an option at the Ph.D. level. However, in exceptional circumstances, permission to pursue the doctorate part-time might be granted, provided the student adheres to a rigorously scheduled plan of action for completion of all degree requirements within a reasonably limited timeframe.

Note: Applicants to the French Graduate programme are exempted from the TOEFL requirement.

Fields in the program


The Ph.D. program, “Francophonie et diversité”, comprises the following three fields:

  1. Francophone* Theories, Languages and Literatures of the 20th and 21st centuries.
  2. Colonial and Post-Colonial Contexts in the Francophone World.
  3. Discourse and Representation of the Ancien Régime and 19th Century.

Note: ‘Francophone’ includes France and other French-speaking countries and regions.

Program Requirements


The program will be four years in length. By the end of their courses and/or first year of residency, students will select a thesis supervisor who will in turn recommend, for the student’s approval, at least two other colleagues - to a maximum of four - as members of the supervisory committee. The Graduate Studies Committee, normally comprised of the Graduate Chair, the Chair of the department, two faculty members and two students (one from the MA, one from the Ph.D. program), will also vet supervisory committees. During their third year of the program, students may elect to study or do research abroad, audit classes in other disciplines, at McMaster or at other universities, or participate in a field work/internship program in a Francophone region or country. To spend a period of time in a Francophone region or country, students must obtain the written approval of their committee and of the School of Graduate Studies.

Course Work


All PhD students must complete six half-courses (three units each) within the first year of the program. One of them, FRENCH 705 Introduction to Literary and Critical Theory is required. The listing of all courses can be found in the following section of the SGS Calendar: Faculty of Humanities - French - French Courses. Before December 1st of the first year of the program, all graduate students, including part time students, must also complete courses SGS 101  Academic Research Integrity and Ethics and SGS 201  Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
A graduate student may not obtain a graduate degree at McMaster without having passed these courses.

Language Requirement


Candidates will successfully pass a proficiency examination in a language other than English or French. The choice of language should be made by the candidate in consultation with her/his supervisory committee. With the approval of the Department of French Graduate Studies Committee and the candidate’s supervisory committee, this language requirement may be substituted by:
• Successful completion of the course EDU 750/751 Principles and Practices of University Teaching offered by MIIETL (McMaster Institute for Innovation & Excellence in Teaching and Learning). The description of the course may be found in the following section of the SGS Calendar: Faculty of Humanities - French - French Courses.
• Successful completion of a three-unit, doctoral-level course in another discipline relevant to the candidate’s research topic.

This requirement may be fulfilled at any time before completion of the degree.

Comprehensive Field Examinations


Ph.D. candidates in consultation with their supervisory committee will choose two areas of concentration: the first will be literary and theoretical in nature and the second interdisciplinary. Candidates will submit an extensive bibliography for each area of concentration and will be assessed by way of a written examination. Candidates will be given one week to complete a 10- to 15-page paper for each area. Full-time students will write these examinations within the first twenty months of their program, that is, before the end of April of their second year of residency, assuming the student began residency in September of the first year. These exams are intended as opening stages of the doctoral dissertation. For each examination, candidates must prove their proficiency in the French language and their competence in their selected areas of specialization. They must display in-depth knowledge, not only of the primary texts, but also of the existing scholarship in their areas of concentration. Candidates must obtain a passing grade. In the event of a failing grade, candidates will have one opportunity to rewrite their
exams; this second and final attempt should occur within three months of the date of their first examination. In place of a comprehensive examination paper, students will have the choice to write an original article that will be submitted to a recognized, peer-reviewed journal in their field. The article will be a minimum length of 7000 words.

Thesis Project


Students will prepare a 25-page thesis project in consultation with their thesis supervisor. This project will then be presented and examined by the candidate’s supervisory committee. An oral defence of the project, conducted by the supervisory committee, must be successfully completed before the candidate can proceed with research and preparation of the thesis manuscript. This requirement should be completed within the first 24 months of the candidate’s program.

Doctoral Thesis


During the third or fourth year of the program, candidates will write a scholarly thesis of approximately 250 pages (including notes and bibliography), and will defend it at an Oral Examination. The oral examination of the thesis will normally be conducted in French.

Timeline


First Year
• Completion of 6 half courses within 12 months of start date
• Completion of a research methodology workshop
• Selection of thesis supervisor (end of first year)
• Two areas of concentration to be determined in conjunction with committee members
• Submission of the First Year Progress Report (before the 12th month)

Second Year
• Comprehensive exams or publishable articles to be completed within the first 20 months of the program. If the article option is chosen, the article will be submitted to a recognized, peer-review journal in the relevant field.
• A 25-page thesis project to be completed and defended orally within the first 24 months
• Submission of Annual Progress Report (before the 24th month)

Third Year
• Submission of draft chapters of the thesis
• Potential study/research/internship in a Francophone country or in a country related to student’s research
• Submission of Annual Progress Report (before the 36th month)

Fourth Year
Submission of the final draft of the thesis; the thesis defence; uploading of the final, electronic version of the thesis to the MacSphere

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Areas of Study