Interdisciplinary and relational approaches of inquiry are core to the program and students will be exposed to them via:

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1 The PhD Programme Francophonie et Diversité Francophonie is understood as a relational concept. It encompasses the literatures and cultures of all regions of the Francophone world and the relationships between them. Francophonie is therefore a field that is theoretically complex and necessarily interdisciplinary. The concept of diversité is also understood relationally. It includes the complex relationships between Francophone literatures and other discourses (scientific, linguistic, artistic, and social, as well as that of the media), between canonical and non-canonical genres, between a long-standing language authority and nonhexagonal (metropolitan) usages of the French language, and between local cultures and a global economy. Interdisciplinary and relational approaches of inquiry are core to the program and students will be exposed to them via: the study of literatures in French from the Francophone world (France from the pre-modern era to the 21 st Century, Quebec and Francophone Canada, Francophone Africa, the Caribbean, Belgium, Francophone Vietnam, Lebanon, and India, for example). the study of texts that extend the standard literary canon such as sciencefiction, testimonies, films, comics, graphic novels, and historical, scientific, and medical texts. the study and application of literary theories that use a less traditional, more interdisciplinary approach such as ecocriticism, feminism, intermediality (visual and plastic arts, music, dance), migration studies and theories of the body. field experience and/or research work spent abroad in a designated Francophone university where such research is directly related to the field of study as defined by the candidate and his/her committee (please see the section on program regulations). Permission of the School of Graduate Studies will be sought for time the student will spend abroad (it is normally granted when justifiable). Objectives of the program PhD program: The objective of the program is to prepare candidates for a career in teaching and research, or for a career that requires an in-depth, critical understanding of Francophone languages, cultures, and literatures in an increasingly globalized world. Students will acquire autonomy in conducting research, preparing scholarly publications, and teaching at various levels, skills that are essential to a successful academic career. At the same time, they will be acquiring the skills that are needed in today s corporate world, learning to negotiate social and human relationships in a Francophone environment. Finally, students who have spent time abroad will also be better prepared for careers in international relations, diplomatic service, NGO administration, etc.

2 This program will lead them to new areas of expertise where they will acquire the intellectual agility and adaptability that are essential in a world constantly redefining itself, economically, socially and politically. To achieve these objectives, the program includes: one compulsory half-course on literary and/or linguistic theories and one compulsory half-course on research methods and professional practices; four additional half-courses promoting interdisciplinary perspectives; comprehensive examinations; possibility of spending a period of time (in a francophone setting) abroad (up to one academic year) doing research and/or practical field-work; a doctoral thesis on a topic in Francophone cultures, literatures and/or languages. Program regulations Admission requirements 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, a practice successfully established earlier at the MA level. Students will obtain a minimum B+ average or equivalent at the Master s level to be considered for admission. All students will be required to submit official transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a detailed statement of interest. Students will declare their intended area of specialization in their statement of interest. Note: Applicants to the French Graduate programme are exempted from the TOEFL requirement. Program requirements The program will normally 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 from the Department or from other departments or institutions. Written acceptance of participation in the student s supervisory committee must be obtained from each potential committee member and submitted to the Department s Graduate Chair. 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 PhD programme), will vet supervisory committees. During their third year of the program, students may study or do research abroad, audit classes in other disciplines, at McMaster or at other universities, or participate in field work/internship. To spend a period of time in a Francophone region or country, students will obtain the written approval of their committee and of the School of Graduate Studies. Permission has been granted in the past when the time spent abroad is warranted by the programme of study. In such cases, students may arrange, through the Department and the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, to be fulltime off-campus for periods of up to a year (University Calendar 1.3).

3 The Department of French has established formal ties with four Francophone regions: France, Quebec, Rwanda, and Vietnam. Students preparing theses on Francophone literature will thus have the opportunity to explore both the living culture and the archives of the literature they are investigating. Participation in the host country s professional milieu will teach students to navigate an unfamiliar environment and to develop both confidence and independence. Course work The Ph.D. program includes six half-courses (three units each) of which two are required, if equivalent courses have not already been taken at the Masters Level. Students must maintain a minimum average of B+ in their courses and, if enrolled full-time, will normally finish their course requirements within 12 months of starting the program. The two required half-courses (three units each) are the following: 1) Introduction to Literary Theory: Ecocriticism, feminism, genre poetics, post-colonial studies, pragmatics, narratology, post-structuralism, psychoanalysis, queer studies, reception and reader-response theory, Russian formalism, semiotics, structuralism, sociocritical approach, etc. The course will be team-taught by several professors experts in those theories, and managed by a coordinator. 2) Research Methods and Professional Practices: advanced training in library and online databases in French and English, symposia and seminars on research techniques for interdisciplinary projects, training in writing grant applications, conference abstracts and journal articles, workshop and practical experience in submitting and delivering conference papers in national and international scholarly associations, seminars on professional practices and entering the academy or the civil service as a profession. The course will be coordinated and taught by a faculty member who will also invite experts in the subjects taught (Office of Research Services, Library, Centre in Leadership and Learning,Office of International Affairs, etc) Language Requirement Candidates will successfully pass a proficiency examination in a language other than English or French (conducted in collaboration with the department of Linguistics and Languages). The choice of language should be made by the candidate in consultation with her/his supervisory committee. Successful completion of a three-unit, doctorallevel course in another discipline more relevant to the candidate s research topic may be substituted for the language requirement with the approval of the candidate s supervisory committee. This requirement may be fulfilled at any time before completion of the degree. Comprehensive Field Examinations At the end of the first year, students will be expected to meet with their committee to choose two areas of concentration: the first will be literary and theoretical in nature

4 and the second interdisciplinary. In consultation with their thesis director and supervisory committee, students will submit an extensive bibliography for each area of concentration. Both areas of concentration will be assessed by way of a written examination. Students will be given one week to complete a ten- to fifteen-page paper for each area. Full-time students will normally 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, students will prove their proficiency in the French language and their competence in their selected areas of specialization. They will display indepth knowledge, not only of the primary texts, but also of the existing scholarship in their areas of concentration. Students must obtain a passing grade. In the event of a failing grade, students 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 and will be submitted to the student s committee within the first twenty months of the program. If the student chooses to replace both comprehensive examinations with a publishable article, both articles will be submitted to the student s committee within the first twenty months of the program. 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, will 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 In order for the doctoral degree to be conferred, all candidates will submit an original thesis reflecting extensive research, acquired expertise and competence in the candidate s chosen field or particular area of study. The thesis will be approximately 250 pages in length, including notes and bibliography (School of Graduate Studies Calendar, section 4.4). In accordance with the regulations of the McMaster School of Graduate Studies, the thesis will be defended before a committee consisting of the supervisor and two other members of the candidate s supervisory committee and at least two other examiners (one internal and one external to McMaster University). This oral examination of the thesis will normally be conducted in French. Summary table

5 First Year - Completion of 6 half courses within 12 months of start date - Student research workshops - Selection of thesis supervisor (end of first year). - Two areas of concentration to be determined in conjunction with committee members Second Year - Comprehensive exams or publishable articles to be completed within the first 20 months of the program - A 25-page thesis project to be completed and defended orally within the first 24 months of the program Third Year - Potential study/research/internship abroad - Thesis Fourth Year - Thesis In addition, a language proficiency exam or equivalent will normally be completed before completion of the doctoral program. Part-time studies As a rule, part-time studies will not be an option at the Ph.D. level. However, given the Department s interest in also recruiting atypical students, permission to pursue the doctorate part-time might be granted in exceptional circumstances, provided the student adheres to a rigorously scheduled plan of action for completion of all degree requirements within a reasonably limited timeframe. For example, it would be expected that course work be completed over a two-year period instead of one (required courses are offered every year, while individual faculty members special topics seminars are offered every second year). Students would also be given two years to complete their comprehensive examinations (as opposed to one). Finally, part-time doctoral candidates would be granted four years to submit and defend their theses. The total time allowed for part-time student to complete a PhD program is six years. The School of Graduate Studies does not presently offer funding for part-time students. Financial support of graduate students For the anticipated new PhD students, the Dean of Humanities has guaranteed a teaching assistantship for each incoming PhD student to a maximum of 5 new students per year. Furthermore, under graduate expansion, departments/programs have received $8000 in scholarship funding for each new PhD student. The University has a guaranteed minimum support level for PhD students of $17,500 per year for four years for full-time students. There are also numerous opportunities for graduate students in French to apply for internal scholarships

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