Summary of requirements

1. Seventy-two (72) hours of graduate work, 48 of which must be taken in residence at Washington University.
2. A comprehensive knowledge of French literature (including theory) and language, to be shown by superior performance in course work, the writing of papers, and the successful completion of the written and oral examinations.
3. Written Exam: The written exam is given twice a year in October and March. It covers all six periods from the Middle Ages through the twentieth century. The eighteen-hour examination, written in French, is divided into three parts of six- hours each: 1) Medieval and 16th Century; 2) 17th and 18th Centuries; 3) 19th and 20th Centuries. The three six-hour parts should be taken within a seven-day period. The department expects essays to be focused, knowledgeable, and penetrating. In his/her general preparation, the student should be guided by the Ph.D. Reading List.
4. Oral Exam: Successful completion of the written exam is the prerequisite for the oral exam. The major part of the oral exam consists of questions on all periods of French literature, as exemplified by the texts on the reading lists. Questioners may pursue subjects covered by the written exams but will by no means limit themselves to such subjects. During the second part of the exam, candidates will present their dissertation proposal to the faculty. The oral exam usually takes place about two weeks after the completion of the written exam.
5. Language Requirements:
   • Option A: Reading knowledge of German (unless an exception is made by the department) and of one other foreign language other than English which pertains to the student's proposed area of dissertation research. To demonstrate competence, the student may 1) take the ETS examination administered through the Graduate School office, obtaining a score of 650 or better; 2) take an examination prepared by a Washington University language departments with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies in French (customarily, the student is asked to select a text relevant to his or her field and to translate without a dictionary an 800-word passage from this text); or 3) complete with grades of B+ or better the two-semester course sequence on reading/translation offered to graduate students by Washington University.
   • Option B: Competence in one language other than French or English may be demonstrated by taking two 400-level literature courses in that language (courses will count toward the 72 units).

The Dissertation

During the semester prior to the semester in which the student takes the Ph.D. exam, he/she will be asked: 1) to select a Dissertation topic; 2) after consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and by March 20, if he/she is taking the exam in the fall, or October 20, if he/she is taking the exam in the spring, to form a Dissertation committee composed of a director and two readers; 3) to work with the director and the other committee members to construct a bibliography of 10-15 works, including both primary and secondary materials, that relate to the Dissertation proposal.

1. Selecting a topic The topic, to be worked out with dissertation director and committee members, requires approval of graduate faculty at the time of oral portion of Ph.D. exam. The exam incorporates a discussion of the dissertation proposal and an analysis or relevant bibliographical material. The subject should be compelling. Minor authors on whose works little bibliography exists do not generally hold the same weight professionally as works on major authors. The French section therefore encourages students to select topics involving multiple works of an established author or authors, or, in the case of minor or less known authors and works, a topic of sufficient breadth to rely on a significant body of primary and secondary sources (for example, in the case of a newly discovered woman author, the body of works relating to the long tradition of women's writing of which this author's works form part). Student's translations and creative writing do not fall within the purview of the dissertation. Dissertation topics normally relate to one of six fields (medieval, Renaissance, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries) but may combine two of these if the topic lends itself to doing so. Students need to adopt a theoretical frame, whether that of literary history, new historicism, cultural studies, psychoanalysis, feminism, etc. Dissertations may have an interdisciplinary focus (literature and art, philosophy, science, law, or other field). A dissertation is above all an argument, an interpretation of a body of works. The student attempts to persuade his or her readers (committee and all eventual readers) that if they fail to interpret the events in the way he or she explains them they will miss something important.
2. Selecting a department committee (director, second reader, third reader) The Director should be specialist in field (typically century, but on occasion theory) Second and third readers may also be specialists in the same field, or may be specialists in fields that contribute to the dissertation in other ways. For example, a student working on Butor's treatment of women would select a dissertation director who is a twentieth-century specialist, but may select one or both of the other readers from any other century. This student may pick Prof. X, who specializes in an early period because of her particular emphasis on women's studies and Prof. Y, a nineteenth-century specialist, because of his work on theory. A student may select a second or third reader from another field because he or she has been an important mentor. Students should consult with the professor asked to serve as Director about selecting other committee members who can provide the proper balance to the committee. The selection, however, is ultimately, the student's, and he or she is responsible for asking faculty to serve as second and third readers. The second reader will read chapters before the third reader, and should be selected with this order in mind (i.e. a student should not plan to submit chapters to the third reader before submitting them to the second reader).
3. Writing the dissertation: Students should write in their native language when it is either English or French; students whose native language is other than English or French should select to write in whichever of the two languages she or he is more proficient. Style: Department recommends MLA Style for all theses written in English. Those written in French may use either this style or any accepted French style. Students should work closely with director of dissertation to establish not only outline for dissertation but also calendar for completion. Chapters should be submitted one at a time to the dissertation director. The dissertation director will suggest revisions. When the revisions are approved, or nearly so (lacking only minor changes), the student should submit dissertation to second reader. The second reader will read and evaluate the dissertation, making recommendations for revisions. When these revisions are complete, the second reader will review the revisions. When the second reader gives provisional approval for the chapter,* the student will submit it to the third reader. The third reader will similarly read and make editorial revisions. When the chapter is approved by the third reader, the student should return it to the director for final comments. *In many cases readers will need to see how future chapters develop before being able to give final approval on early chapters. Provisional approval, though, signals the professor's general acceptance of the chapter.

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