Guide to Higher Degrees in French

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This Guide is provided by the Department of French to describe the graduate program in French Literature and the Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures (with an emphasis in French). It serves as a summary of the requirements and regulations (both divisional and departmental) pertaining to the various degrees. Questions about any aspect of the procedures outlined here may be addressed to the Graduate Advisors or the Graduate Assistant in French.

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Admissions
Ph.D. in French Literature
Advancement to Candidacy, the Dissertation Prospectus, Writing the Dissertation
Academic Progress, Advising, Mentoring
Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures
Fellowships for Continuing Students
Graduate Student Instructorship in French

A student may be accepted for graduate study at Berkeley only through action of the Graduate Division. Admissions are recommended by the Graduate Committee of the Department of French to the Dean of the Graduate Division and are subject to a quota allotted to the Department by the Graduate Division. The Dean is ultimately responsible for approving applicants' records and for determining whether they will be admitted.

The application for admission should be accompanied by two sets of official transcripts of all previous college-level work, three letters of recommendation (preferably from previous instructors in French), a Statement of Background in Languages and Literatures, a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) Application, and one writing sample (for application details, click here). Candidates send complete applications directly to:

Graduate Assistant
French Department
University of California, Berkeley
4125 Dwinelle Hall, MC #2580
Berkeley, CA 94720-2580

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all international applicants unless they have completed one year or more of full time course-work at an English speaking university. The GREs are no longer required for the French program, but are required for the Romance Languages and Literatures (RLL) program.

Before embarking on graduate work in French, the student should have completed an undergraduate major in French or the equivalent courses. Some undergraduate deficiencies may, with special approval from the Head Graduate Advisor, be remedied concurrently with work on the advanced degree; consultation with the Head Graduate Advisor will determine the appropriate procedure to be followed in the individual case. Students holding an M.A. degree or equivalent in French from another institution are welcome to apply for admission to the Berkeley Ph.D. program.

All students interested in pursuing higher degrees in French at Berkeley should read carefully Graduate Division's requirements for admission and application procedures. Students are responsible for filing all applications by the announced deadlines.

Students have the option, in conjunction with their Ph.D. program, to complete a Designated Emphasis in Critical Theory, Film Studies or in Women, Gender and Sexuality. French Department students considering this option should consult with the Graduate Assistant at the earliest possible opportunity.

Purpose of the Ph.D. in French literature. To enable students to undertake original research, to engage in scholarly and critical writing in the field, and to prepare for teaching careers at the college and university level. The M.A. is the first phase of the French Department's graduate program. It is thus assumed that students continuing in the Ph.D. program after completing the M.A. phase will have acquired a broad knowledge of the masterworks of French literature from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, including knowledge of Old French. Students arriving with an M.A. degree or equivalent from another institution will be asked to validate the comprehensiveness of their knowledge of French literature and language in ways to be determined in consultation with the Head Graduate Advisor; they may be asked to take the M.A. examination, to undertake additional coursework, or a combination of the two. Students who enter the program with a Master's degree should take their Ph.D. Qualifying Exams before or during their sixth semester in the program (eighth semester for those entering without a Master's degree).

The Ph.D. in French literature. To a large extent, students design their own programs of study, within guidelines set out by the Department and with the advice and assistance of faculty members. The guidelines are meant to ensure the necessary professional specialization in a field within French studies, to point toward the area of an eventual dissertation, and to prepare the student in a general way for research in that area. Each student is asked to define three areas of study within French literature. Each of the areas, while related to the others, obliges the student to view the discipline from a different perspective.

The areas of study for the Ph.D. in French literature are

Study Abroad. Students in the Ph.D. in French literature are encouraged to spend time studying in France, and may apply to participate in the Department's exchange programs with the Ecole Normale Supérieure or the Université de Paris VII. It is expected that during this time they will pursue their program of advanced study or research.

Course requirements. Students are expected to plan, with the aid of their Graduate Advisors and any other appropriate members of the faculty, courses of study which enable them to accomplish the goals and requirements of the Ph.D. All entering graduate students enroll in a 1-unit Proseminar course (French 200) in their first year at Berkeley, regardless of whether or not the student has previously earned an M.A. from another institution. This proseminar is designed to give new graduate students a broad view of the department's faculty, the courses they teach, and their fields of research. In addition, it introduces students to practical aspects of the graduate career, issues that pertain to certain fields of research, and current debates across the profession.

Ph.D. candidates will be expected to complete at least 14 courses apart from the French 200 proseminar --- for a letter grade --- at Berkeley prior to advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D. (Advancement to Candidacy occurs with the constitution of a dissertation committee following the passing of the Ph.D. Qualifying Examinations). At least 10 of the 14 courses are to be taken at the graduate level (above 200), with the student taking at least five graduate courses in the first four semesters of the program (see also Course Requirements for the M.A. phase). This requirement may be modified for students admitted with an M.A. from another university, depending on the Graduate Committee's assessment of the work done elsewhere. In the case of students entering with an M.A. degree, it is department policy to count a maximum of 6 courses from previous work toward the 14-course requirement.

For students entering the program in fall, 2006 and onward, seven of the required 14 courses will be devoted to fulfilling a requirement of historical comprehensiveness. Comprehensive knowledge of French literature will be demonstrated by taking one course at the graduate level (above 200) from the Middle Ages;  three courses at the graduate level from among the following four options:  16th century, 17th century, 18th century, and early modern studies; and three courses at the graduate level from among the following four options:  19th century, 20th century, Francophone studies, and modern studies. A course satisfies the historical comprehensiveness requirement if it dwells centrally on various works of literature falling substantially within the given period. Courses centering on one author's works count for this requirement.

M.A. students must take French 270 as part of the M.A. degree requirements: French 201 is also a degree requirement, and may be completed at any time before the Qualifying exams.

Upper Division or graduate courses in another language may count in satisfaction of the 14 course requirement, whether or not they are also used to fulfill part of the foreign language requirement.

Courses numbered in the 300 or the 600 series will not count toward the total.

Students admitted to the Ph.D. in French literature must fulfill the residence requirement of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate (registration for four semesters, with a minimum of 4 units each semester in a 100- or 200-level course).

M.A. phase of the doctoral program. During the first four semesters (M.A. phase) of the graduate program, students complete a minimum of eight courses -- for a letter grade -- at Berkeley, of which five must be undertaken at the graduate level (above 200). In addition, one of the eight courses must be from the series French 270A and "Critical Works in French Studies" (excluding courses numbered 298). These eight courses all count for the 14 course requirement for the Ph.D.

M.A. Examination. In order to complete the M.A. phase, and for the M.A. degree to be conferred, students must complete the coursework outlined above with at least a 3.5 GPA, and also successfully complete a written M.A. exam by the end of the fourth semester of graduate study (the M.A. is not offered on the Graduate Division's thesis plan).

The M.A. examination emphasizes understanding and analysis of texts from the M.A. reading list. The answers to the M.A. exam should be well written, in good French. In writing their M.A. exams, students are expected to show both a knowledge of the texts on the M.A. reading list and an ability to use that knowledge toward the cogent articulation of a critical perspective on issues raised by the exam questions.

The exam is four hours in length; students answer two out of three questions. M.A. exams are administered during the 9th week of the semester. The M.A. reading list is available in the French Graduate Office and the department's website.

Timing and Repetition of Exams. Students are allowed two attempts at the examination. If the first attempt is unsuccessful, the student may take the exam a second time, but this must be done by the end of the semester immediately following. If a student fails the second attempt at the exam this constitutes failure to pass the requirements for the Master's degree, and the student will not be permitted to continue in the graduate program.

Permission to Proceed to the Ph.D. Invitations to proceed to the Ph.D. program in French are granted by the Graduate Committee at the end of the semester in which the student completes all the requirements of the M.A. phase. The Graduate Committee reviews the student's entire graduate record. Also considered is the written advice of the M.A. Committee, which is based upon timely passing of the M.A. exam and on the student's performance on the examination.

Foreign Language Requirement. The Ph.D. track in French literature also includes the acquisition of certain linguistic skills. The foreign language requirement is satisfied by demonstrating advanced proficiency in one foreign language other than French, though students are encouraged to acquire a reading knowledge of more than one language. These languages will normally be chosen from the major classical or modern European languages (Greek, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish) after consultation with the Head Graduate Advisor, and in view of the student's intended Ph.D. Program Proposal. Instead of one of the above languages, however, students may, with approval of the Head Graduate Advisor, elect another language if it is relevant to the student's Ph.D. program of study (for example Russian, Arabic or Welsh). For students intending to do dissertation work in the Middle Ages or Renaissance, it is advisable to choose Latin.

Advanced proficiency may be demonstrated either by earning a B or better in two upper division or graduate courses at Berkeley in the foreign language, with texts read in the original, or by presenting two semester courses or three quarter courses from another institution, subject to the same stipulations as in the first option.  Advanced proficiency may also be demonstrated by passing a foreign language translation exam.

The foreign language requirement should be completed by the end of the third year in the Ph.D. program (first year, in the case of students entering with an M.A.) and the Graduate Division requires that it be completed before the student may attempt the Ph.D. Qualifying Exams.

Ph.D. Program Proposal. During the first year of study at the Ph.D. level, students submit the Ph.D. Program Proposal for review by the Graduate Committee. At this point, student will also be asked to submit a form indicating preferred committee members and a provisional dissertation director. (Note that a university regulation stipulates that the chair of the Qualifying Exam Committee may not subsequently serve as the student's dissertation director.) In the Proposal, the student specifies choices for the three fields of study for the Ph.D. qualifying examinations (author, period, genre/theme/topic) (see following section for details). The Program Proposal (1) names the author the student has chosen; (2) provides a list of 40-50 titles to be read in the period specified; and (3) includes a brief description of the genre, theme, or carefully-delineated topic extending over a period of three centuries, and provides a reading list of 20-25 works by different authors representing the stages of its historical development.

Before submitting their proposal, the graduate student should:

• Ask a faculty member to serve as their eventual dissertation director. (It is possible to change this subsequently.)
  
  
• Consult with that person concerning members of the exam committee.
  
  
• Consult with that person concerning the proposal statement and whatever exam list that person might be responsible for.
  
  
• Request the participation of the other committee members and consult with them concerning reading lists.


• At least two weeks before the deadline for submission of the proposal to the graduate committee, students should submit the proposal to the anticipated dissertation director and one other faculty member on the committee for approval, as well as to the Head Graduate Advisor. This will leave time for feedback and revisions, if necessary, before final submission.

During the semester in which the exam is to be taken the Graduate Committe will finalize the exam committee according to the requests of the student, unless there is some reason why a change is deemed necessary. In this case, the Graduate Committee will inform the student of this change and the reason for it.

The Proposal is not intended to be a dissertation prospectus, but is a concise explanation of the three fields of study to be prepared for the Ph.D. examinations. Reference copies of previously approved Ph.D. Program Proposals are available in the French Graduate Office. Although changes in the genre/theme/topic description or the reading lists may be approved subsequent to the Graduate Committee's final acceptance of the Program Proposal, it is to students' advantage to consider carefully their options for study while they are working with faculty members on formalizing their Proposals, so as to avoid major shifts of emphasis and consequent delays in preparation for the Ph.D. exams. A certain evolution in the description of the genre/theme/topic can normally be accommodated, although no changes should be made in the Program Proposal later than the semester immediately preceding the one in which the Qualifying Examinations will be taken. Any major change in the Ph.D. Program Proposal must in all cases be approved by the Graduate Committee and by the student's faculty consultant for the Qualifying Examinations (see Qualifying Examination Procedures).

Areas of Study for the Ph.D.

1. The work of a single major author. Students choose an author whose works, in most cases, are to be read in their entirety. If voluminous authors such as Voltaire, Balzac or Hugo are chosen, the student reads an extensive selection of texts representing all important aspects of the author's literary production. While it is occasionally difficult to classify an author as "major" or "minor," the distinction is in most cases clear. In doubtful cases, the student's Graduate Advisor will consult with the entire Graduate Committee, which must in all cases approve the student's choice of author as part of its review of the Ph.D. Program Proposal. It should be noted that the author whose works are read for this part of the Qualifying Examinations need not necessarily be the subject of the future dissertation.


2. A historical period in French literature. The student selects, in consultation with the Graduate Advisor, a coherent period of significance to the understanding of the works of the author chosen for study. Students' knowledge of their historical period should include a knowledge of the general cultural history of the period, including but not limited to knowledge of all literary genres in the period. Students submit, as part of the Ph.D. Program Proposal, a list of 40-50 titles to be read as part of the preparation for the historical period.
   
   The length of the historical period may, in the case of a medieval author, extend for two centuries, or in the case of a contemporary writer, encompass only one or two literary generations. The time span decided upon, and the accompanying reading list, must be approved by the Graduate Committee as part of its review of the Proposal.
   
   The following are examples of periods of study chosen in connection with various authors of specialization:
   
   For Chrétien: literary history of the period 1090-1300
   For Villon: 1300-1500
   For Voltaire: 1727-1778
   For Baudelaire: 1820 (date of Les Méditations poétiques) to 1875 (last revision of Les Illuminations)
   For Sartre: 1920-present
   
   
3. A genre, theme or carefully-delineated topic which lends itself to being studied in its development throughout the periods of French literary history appropriate to the topic. The genre/theme/ topic should cover at least three of the six historical periods. In the Ph.D. Program Proposal the student defines this area of his/her program of study, after consulting with the Graduate Advisor. The description of the genre, theme or topic should be a concise explanation of the issues to be studied. The student also establishes a reading list of 20-25 primary works by different authors representing the stages in the historical development of the chosen genre, theme, or topic as well as at least five critical/theoretical texts relevant to the subject. Recent topics selected for this section of the exam have included "Social, Cultural and Political representations of Paris from the 17th to the 19th century" (major author: Zola); "Sacrifice and Martyrdom in French writing from the 16th to the 20th century" (major author: Corneille); "Querelles des Femmes in Pre-Revolutionary France" (major author: Christine de Pizan); "Poetry and Subjectivity: the Pleiade and the Modern Tradition (19th - 20th centuries)" (major author: Henri Michaux). Works by each author must be specified. Single brief poems cannot be counted as "works"; rather, a group of such texts by a single author may constitute an item on the list.

Ph.D. Qualifying Examination Procedures: Literature Track . Students who enter the program with a Master's degree from another institution should take their Ph.D. Qualifying Exams before or during their fourth semester in the program (eighth semester for those completing the Master's degree in the Berkeley French Department). By the end of the second week of classes of the semester in which students intend to take the Ph.D. Qualifying Examinations, they file the Department's "Application for the Ph.D. Qualifying Examinations" with the French Graduate Office, along with four copies of the Ph.D. Program Proposal. The Graduate Committee reviews all the requests for Qualifying Examination committee that are submitted at the beginning of each semester, and constitutes Ph.D. Qualifying Exam committees early in the term. Ph.D. Examinations are given during the tenth week of the semester, and the student must be registered during any semester in which Ph.D. exams are attempted.

The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination committee is named by the Graduate Committee in accordance with Graduate Division regulations, and consists of five faculty members. Four Qualifying Exam committee members are from the French Department, and examine the candidate on the major author, genre and period of specialization. One is from outside the Department, serving as Graduate Dean's representative.

The Chair and the outside member of the Qualifying Examination committee must be members of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate. The Chair of the Qualifying Exam may not subsequently become the dissertation director. In preparing for their Qualifying Exams, students are encouraged to consult frequently with their provisional dissertation director as well as other proposed members of the committee for the examination.

Ph.D. Qualifying Exams are given in two parts: written and oral. The student must pass all portions of the written exams before proceeding to the oral exam, which is scheduled to occur approximately three weeks after the end of the written exams. The Ph.D. exams test the student's mastery of the three fields of study presented in the Program Proposal chosen for the exams; the Ph.D. exams are not intended as a prospectus exam for a dissertation. The candidate's knowledge of his/her chosen fields of study is expected to be both extensive and intensive. The written portion of the Qualifying Exam takes place over three days, and tests the student's knowledge of the Author and the genre/theme/topic. For each of the three essays, students will have a choice between two questions.

The French Department Qualifying exam is three take-home portions, each allotted 24hrs from when the candidate takes away the question to the return of the answer. The exam is open-book, and students should write as many pages as they need to answer cogently the questions asked while not exhausting themselves or digressing. In some cases, 10 pages (Courier type--around 3000 words) may be sufficient for thorough treatment; in others, 15-16 pages (about 4500 words) are justified; the Department considers 12-13 pages as typical. Much depends on the question itself, as well as on the concision that students are able to bring to their answers. In no case should a student write more than 16 pages.

The two parts of the genre/theme/topic written examination consist of (1) a critical analysis of a passage chosen from a work on the student's genre reading list and (2) an essay on the historical development of the chosen genre/theme/topic. The written exam on the author may also include textual commentary and analysis, as well as other types of questions. The author and the genre/theme/topic portions of the student's program will also be covered on the oral portion of the exam, as will the period of specialization (the latter is tested only at the oral exam).

The oral examination, which covers the student's entire program of study, is (in accordance with Graduate Division directives) addressed primarily to ascertaining the candidate's ability to synthesize the knowledge acquired. All three portions of the student's program of study are examined in the oral exam. The oral exam lasts from two to three hours; it must in all cases be of sufficient length to satisfy the committee members as to the student's mastery of the three areas of study. Since the written exams do not cover the period of specialization, there will generally be somewhat more time devoted at the oral examination to testing knowledge in the period than to the sections of the program covered on the written exams.

Timing and Repetition of Exams. Students are allowed two attempts at any one section of the Qualifying Exam. If the first attempt at the examination is unsuccessful, the student may take the exam a second time, but this must be done in the semester immediately following. If a student fails the second attempt at the exam this constitutes failure to pass the requirements for Doctoral degree, and the student will not be permitted to continue in the graduate program. In the case of a failed oral examination, the committee may elect not to recommend a re-examination. Doctoral students should be Advanced to Candidacy as soon as possible following successful completion of the Qualifying Examinations (see Academic Progress and the Normative Time Program).

Dissertation. See section on Advancement to Candidacy and the Dissertation.

Advancement to Candidacy and the Dissertation

Advancement to Candidacy. After completing the Qualifying Examination the student chooses a dissertation topic and forms the dissertation committee consisting of a director and two other committee members. At this point, the student completes the advancement to candidacy form; Normally, by the end of the semester in which the Qualifying Exam is taken. The "Application for Advancement to Candidacy for the Ph.D.," form is available in the French Graduate Office as well as online. The French Department Ph.D. is under Plan B. The dissertation director must be a Berkeley faculty member; another member must be a Berkeley faculty member from a department other than French. The professor who served as Chair of the Qualifying Exam committee cannot direct the dissertation. Following advancement to candidacy, the dissertation should be completed within four semesters.

The Dissertation Prospectus. The Dissertation Prospectus, introduced effective Fall 1999, consists of an 8-10 page essay, accompanied by a bibliography of approximately 5 pages. It is developed in consultation with the dissertation director, and must be approved by the director prior to submission to the Dissertation Committee. For students who have completed Qualifying Exams in the fall semester, the prospectus is due by the end of the 12 th week of classes in the following semester; for students completing their exams in the spring semester, the prospectus is due by the end of the fourth week of classes in the following semester.

The Prospectus sets forth the nature of the research project, its relation to existing scholarship and criticism on the subject, and its anticipated value. The essay serves as an introductory "working paper" that articulates the issues to be addressed in the dissertation, the approach and methodology the candidate expects to adopt, the relation of that approach to recent knowledge and judgment as expressed in published sources, and an outline indicating how the candidate plans to structure the dissertation. The accompanying bibliography represents a preliminary survey of the pertinent primary and secondary literature.

Once the Dissertation Prospectus has been approved by the director, a one-hour prospectus conference is scheduled with all the members of the dissertation committee, to take place no later than the last week of classes in the same semester. At the prospectus conference, the committee explores with the candidate the issues outlined in the prospectus. This conference enables the candidate to begin work on the dissertation having benefited from a full and detailed discussion with all the dissertation committee members present.

Immediately after the prospectus conference, the candidate writes a memorandum summarizing the discussion and submits copies to each member of the dissertation committee and to the Graduate Advisor. The memorandum serves as a baseline of expectations and will be useful in the next year's meeting between the candidate and at least two members of the dissertation committee. Such meetings are mandated by the Graduate Division, which expects an annual report of progress toward completion of the dissertation.

Writing the Dissertation. The subject of the dissertation normally falls in the general area focused on in the student's Qualifying Examination, although neither the approach nor the scope need be limited by the fields of the Qualifying Examinations. The study should represent a contribution to knowledge of enough importance and originality to warrant publication, at least potentially, either in whole or in part. The members of the dissertation committee can be changed, if necessary, during the course of the student's work on the project; students contemplating a change in committee membership should contact the Graduate Assistant.

The French Department follows the Graduate Division's Plan B for granting of the doctoral degree. The dissertation is considered accepted when the members of the candidate's dissertation committee approve it in its final form. There is no formal oral examination or defense of the dissertation. An original and a copy of the dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate Division and students must be registered in the semester they file their dissertation. Doctoral degrees are awarded in December and May. Well before they plan to file, students should pick up a copy of Guidelines for Submitting a Doctoral Dissertation, a booklet of instructions on preparing and submitting a dissertation, available in the Graduate Degrees Office and on the Graduate Division Web site.

Dissertations in a language other than English. Approval from the Graduate Division, acting for the Graduate Council, is required for submission of a dissertation in a language other than English. If approval is given, an abstract in English must be included with the finished work.

Academic Progress

Length of Time in Candidacy:
Normative Time Program for Ph.D. candidates in French

Academic Progress. The timetable for completion of degree requirements is as follows: the M.A. phase is completed in four semesters or less. Within two semesters after being granted permission to proceed in the doctoral program, or, for students entering with an MA in French, within four semesters after entering the graduate program, students submit the Ph.D. Program Proposal and complete the foreign language requirement. Over the course of the next two semesters, students prepare for and take the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination and apply for advancement to candidacy for the doctoral degree. The dissertation is normally filed within two years after advancement to candidacy, although students may be eligible for an additional two year grace period before candidacy lapses (see Length of Time in Advanced-to-Candidacy Status).

Formal Reviews of Academic Progress and Mentoring. A review of each student's work and progress is conducted by the Graduate Committee during the third semester in each phase of the program (M.A. and doctoral), and each student is informed by the Committee of the results of this review. In addition, a review of students' records is conducted before inviting students to proceed to the Ph.D. program after completion of the M.A. phase (see Permission to Proceed in the Literature track). Students are encouraged to meet regularly with the Head Graduate Advisor to discuss their progress in all phases of the program. In addition to consulting with the Head Graduate Advisor, students will be assigned a faculty mentor upon entry into the graduate program. While program requirements, course choices, and the other official aspects pertaining to satisfactory progress in the program are discussed during regular meetings with the Head Graduate Advisor, the faculty mentor provides a more informal introduction to the department's professional culture by attending to the student's intellectual guidance. As the students' areas of research and eventual dissertation subject take focus, students may change the faculty mentor to the person with whom they will work most closely, such as the eventual dissertation director. Students should keep the Head Graduate Advisor apprised of changes in their mentors.

Length of Time in Advanced-to-Candidacy Status. The University limits graduate degree candidates' time in Advanced-to-Candidacy status for the doctoral degree. French Department students are maintained in candidacy for two years after advancement, and may be eligible for an additional two year grace period before candidacy lapses. In the case of a Ph.D. candidate whose candidacy has been lapsed, a completed, near final draft of the dissertation must be received from the student, and the dissertation committee chair must confirm its impending approval, before the Graduate Division will review a Departmental request that candidacy for the Ph.D. be reinstated. Students may be asked to revalidate the comprehensiveness of their knowledge of French language and literature by examination, by additional coursework, or by a combination of the two. Once Ph.D. candidacy is reinstated, the student pays full registration fees (and non-resident tuition fees, where applicable) in order to file the dissertation. If no request is made for reinstatement within two years of the lapsing of doctoral candidacy status, the student's candidacy is terminated. Graduate Division policy states that, once terminated, a student's candidacy may be reinstated only by the student's retaking the Qualifying examination and being advanced to candidacy again. The Graduate Division places a four year limit on the application of coursework toward M.A. degree requirements. In addition, a lapse of five years since completion of any Ph.D. program requirement, including the Qualifying Examination, can necessitate revalidation of the student's candidacy by the Department before a dissertation can be filed.

Dean's Normative Time Fellowship (DNTF). Although some students take longer, the Graduate Division considers the "normative time" for completion of studies in the Ph.D. program in French to be six years (12 semesters) from the date of entrance to the Graduate Program. Students who are advanced within the Normative time for passing the Qualifying Examination and being advanced to candidacy will receive a $16,000 stipend for the year, plus fees (and non-resident tuition for International students). Students who are advanced to candidacy the following semester will receive a one-semester stipend of $8,000 plus fees (and non-resident tuition for International students). The Dean's Normative Time Fellowships must be used within Normative Time, which is within six years of entering the Doctoral program. (See also: Fellowships for continuing students in French). You may not accept any form of University employment while on the DNTF.

Flexibility in Q.E. deadlines for graduate student parents. According to Graduate Division policy, graduate students who have taken the time to accommodate childbirth or other serious parental demands may receive an extension of up to one extra year for passing the Qualifying Exam. Following the Qualifying Exams, an extension of one extra year toward Normative Time completion may also be granted. The total additional time granted by this policy may not exceed two years, regardless of the number of children involved.

Appeals procedures. The Department's appeals procedure is consistent with that of the Graduate Division, and affords graduate students in the Department an opportunity to resolve complaints about dismissal from graduate standing, placement on probationary status, denial of readmission, joint-authorship matters, and other departmental decisions which terminate or limit participation in the degree program. Questions about the procedure should be addressed to the Graduate Assistant in French.

Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures,
French Emphasis

The Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures (RLL) is a doctorate in three Romance languages and literatures (French, Italian and Spanish, including Spanish-American), prepared with emphasis in the literature or in the linguistics or philological history of one of the three.

Students who would like to apply to the Ph.D. in RLL with an emphasis in French should indicate this on their Graduate Application and submit the required supplemental materials to the Graduate Assistant in French. Click here for application details.

Requirement for Admission, emphasis French:

A) Plan I and II: B.A. degree or equivalent with studies in French approximately equivalent to the undergraduate major at Berkeley.

B) Plan III: B.A. degree or equivalent in French; or in Linguistics, with expertise in French and at least one other major Romance language (Italian or Spanish).

Selection of Plan: Students are admitted for Plan I, II, or III and present a combination of courses and personal study to satisfy the requirements of the particular Plan chosen, developed in consultation with a Graduate Advisor, and designed to prepare the student for the Qualifying Examination. Work beyond the requirements may be added in other Romance fields (such as Catalan, Portuguese, Occitan, or Rumanian).

Plan I:

1. A detailed knowledge of French literature. First Collateral: Knowledge of Spanish and Spanish-American or Italian literature (as prescribed in a supplied reading list of 15 items). Second Collateral: Knowledge of the masterworks of the literature not chosen under the First Collateral (as prescribed in a supplied reading list of 10 items).
2. Familiarity with the linguistic history of the Romance languages, emphasis French (as described below in General Requirements , item 4).

Plan II:

1. A detailed knowledge of French literature. Collateral Studies: A detailed command of one broad, integrated field (period, movement, or genre) in both Spanish (including Spanish-American) and Italian literatures, to be chosen by the student, in consultation with a Graduate Advisor and in accordance with the student's special area of interest in French literature. Individually tailored reading lists for both the collateral literatures (15 and 10 items respectively) are to be developed by the student, as advised and approved by a Faculty member of the department concerned (see General Requirements , item 3).
2. Familiarity with the linguistic history of the Romance languages, emphasis French (see General Requirements, item 4).

Plan III:

1. An in-depth knowledge of the structure and history (internal and external) of French. First collateral: in-depth knowledge of either the history or the structure, depending on whether the student's preferred orientation is diachronic or synchronic, of Spanish or Italian. Second collateral (3-1, 3-2, or 3-3):
   1. Familiarity with the history or structure of the language not chosen as the First Collateral.
   2. Familiarity with the history or structure of a related Romance language (Catalan, Galician, Occitan, Portuguese, Rumanian, or Romance-based Creoles).
   3. A broadly-defined field of linguistics (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics), philology (textual criticism, medieval literature), or the application of linguistics to literature, the field to be chosen by the student in consultation with a Graduate Advisor. An individually tailored reading list for option chosen will be developed by the student, in consultation with and approved by an appropriate Faculty member.
2. The course entitled Linguistic History of Romance Languages, taken as either French C202, Italian C201, or Spanish C202.

General Requirements and Study Program: (all plans)

1. Screening Evaluation. A breadth of knowledge in the major field is expected for entrance to the program. Experience shows, however, that many students enter with gaps in their preparation. Students will therefore meet with the Executive Committee of the degree program during their first semester of enrollment for an evaluation of their previous preparation, familiarization with the program, and to determine an appropriate plan of study for completion of the degree requirements. The Committee then prepares a brief statement of its evaluation for delivery to the student's graduate advisor, indicating any special provisions or studies that must be completed before the student's admission to the Qualifying Examination. The Executive Committee is composed of the Chairs and Head Graduate Advisors of the administering departments.
   
   
2. Foreign Language Requirements. A reading knowledge of Latin, Spanish, and Italian, as attested by passing the Language Reading Examinations offered for the program by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, is required. A reading knowledge of any one of the three languages must be shown by the written examination. For the other two, the requirement may be satisfied either by the written examination, by holding a GSIship in the language in question, or by passing, with a grade of B or better, an upper-division or a graduate level course in the literature of those languages, or, in the case of Latin, by passing Latin 1 and 2.
   
   The requirements should be satisfied as early as possible in the student's doctoral career, following first registration, and must be completed prior to the term proposed for the Qualifying Examination. Reading knowledge of German is also recommended.
   
   
3. Reading Lists.
   Plan I: Standard reading lists established by the RLL program for both the First and Second Collateral Studies are available from the Graduate Assistant.
   
   Plans II and III: Individually tailored Reading Lists for the Collateral Studies are developed by the student, as advised and approved by a Faculty member of the departments concerned. Approved lists must be delivered, at the latest, to the Graduate Assistant of the student's Department, by the beginning of the term PRIOR to that proposed for the Qualifying Examination.
   
   
4. Linguistic History of the Romance Languages. Students in Plans I and II are offered the option of satisfying this requirement either 1) by passing, with a grade of B or better, the Graduate Course entitled Linguistic History of Romance Languages (French C202; Italian C201, or Spanish C202), or, 2) by examination during the Qualifying Examination. Study is guided, in the second case, by a Reading List, available from the Graduate Assistant. The Course is a required part of the program for students in Plan III.


5. Qualifying Examination. When the student and his/her advisor agree that preparation is sufficient for the Qualifying Examination, the advisor will apply, via the Graduate Assistant of the department concerned, to the Chair of the Executive Committee of the RLL program for the formation of the Qualifying Examination Committee.
   
   The Qualifying Examination is oral and normally three hours long. Knowledge of French literature (Plans I and II) or of the structure and history of French (Plan III) is tested in the oral examination. Examination on the collateral materials may, at the student's option, also be tested during that same oral examination, or, by separately scheduled written examination. Note the special disposition (item 4 above) for completion of the Linguistic History requirement for students in Plan I and II.
   
   The Qualifying Examination committee is composed of six members: three representing the main field of focus, a designated "outside" member from the student's secondary language (who may also be a member of the Romance Languages and Literature program) and two other members appropriate to the topics on the exam. The chair and "outside" member (the person who represents the Graduate Dean and Graduate Council) must be Academic Senate members.
   
   
6. Dissertation. Once the Qualifying Examination is successfully completed, the student will arrange with a faculty member to direct the dissertation and, by consultation with him/her, propose the remaining members. The Chair and designated "outside" member (from the student's secondary language) must be members of the Academic Senate. The dissertation will embody the results of original research on a subject chosen in consultation with the director. The Chair of the Qualifying Examination Committee cannot direct the dissertation.
   
   After obtaining the dissertation director's approval of the proposed topic, the student completes the "Application for Advancement to Candidacy for the Ph.D.," available in the French Graduate Office, for approval by the Graduate Division on behalf of the Graduate Council. Doctoral students should bear in mind that it is to their advantage to be "Advanced to Candidacy" as soon as possible following completion of the Qualifying Examination (see Normal Progress Schedule, item 8).
   
   Should the need for a change in membership of the committee arise, students should speak both with their dissertation director and the Head Graduate Advisor in their Department. To effect a change, a form entitled "Request for Change in Higher Degree Committee" must be completed and signed by the Head Graduate Advisor (after having informed all parties involved in the change). This form is then submitted to the Graduate Division for review and approval.
   
   
7. Dissertations in a Language other than English. Special approval from the Graduate Division, acting for the Graduate Council, is required to submit a dissertation in a language other than English. If approval is given, an abstract in English must be included with the finished work.
   
   
8. Normal Progress Schedule. The minimum residence requirement for a Ph.D. degree at Berkeley is two years (four semesters). More time is generally necessary to complete all the requirements; five to six years is a more realistic projection for completion. The Normative Time allowance for the program is six years. The following are guidelines for "normal progress" toward the degree. Some students may complete the requirements at a different pace. Each case is given individual consideration.

NOTE: Depending on previous preparation, the Qualifying Examination should be taken between the fourth and eighth semester.

Fellowships and Grants for Continuing Students

Below is a brief list of fellowship opportunities available to continuing students. For information on more fellowship opportunities, log in to the Department website. Departmental fellowship applications are available in the French Graduate Office. Results of the fellowship competition are finalized in early May. Students can also obtain information on fellowships and grants available to UC Berkeley Ph.D. students (including some extramural fellowships) by visiting the Graduate Division's website.

Dean's Normative Time Fellowship (DNTF). Students who are advanced within the Normative time for passing the Qualifying Examination and being advanced to candidacy will receive a stipend of $16,000 for the year, plus fees (and non-resident tuition for International students). Students who are advanced to candidacy within the following semester will receive a one-semester stipend of $8,000, plus fees (and non-resident tuition for International students). The Dean's Normative Time Fellowships must be used within the Normative Time for the degree, which for the French Department is within six years of entering the Doctoral program. Activation forms are available from the Degrees Office.

Academic Progress Award. The Graduate Division estabilshed this competitive one-semester fellowship for students who are taking or are about to take their Qualifying Exams. Applications are available each fall and are due around the end of September or the beginning of October. Check the Graduate Division website to find out the exact deadline, because it varies from year to year.

Continuing Student Fellowships. Departmental awards are made on the basis of students' overall academic achievement and evidence of substantial progress in their degree programs. Applicants should outline their academic goals and progress in the doctoral program, and describe the importance of fellowship support at this juncture in their studies. In addition, students at the dissertation stage should demonstrate clarity about the direction of the proposed research project, the current state of the project, the progress expected durin gthe fellowship year, and the project's significance within the discipline.

ENS Traveling Fellowships. The graduate student selected for the Department's exchange program with the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS) receives a traveling fellowship to provide support throughout the year abroad.

Nonresident Tuition Scholarships. Awarded on the basis of academic merit to international students only. Domestic students are expected to establish California residency for tuition purposes by the start of their second year in the graduate program. International students who have exceeded the normative time for their degree programs, or have failed Ph.D. Qualifying exams twice, or who are eligible for reclassification as California residents are not normally eligibile.

Graduate Student Instructorship in French

Application and Appointment . A graduate student instructorship (GSI) is a half time appointment for lower division instruction available to qualified, registered graduate students in French or related departments (generally Comparative Literature or Linguistics). These appointments are made by the Graduate Committee of the Department of French, in consultation with the Director of the Lower Division. To be eligible to hold a GSI position, the student must be enrolled in regular graduate status at UC Berkeley. A minimum 3.l grade point average in the preceding two years of studies is required by the Graduate Division for all GSIs, but the Department generally requires a higher GPA and will, of course, select the most qualified applicants for these positions. Appointments of graduate students from related departments are normally limited to three years.

Applications for GSI positions may be obtained from the French Graduate Office. Applicants send duplicate copies of their undergraduate and graduate school transcripts to the Department of French for inclusion with their GSI applications. Three letters of recommendation, including statements concerning the student's ability to handle the French language orally and in writing must also accompany the application. If the applicant has college level teaching experience in French or a related discipline, evidence of that employment should also be submitted in order for the Department to assess the instructor's placement in the GSI title series.

The GSI title series at Berkeley comprises four "steps," with different salary levels. Beginning GSIs normally serve two years as GSI I, and are eligible for advancement to GSI II upon completion of two years' teaching and the M.A. or equivalent. Advancement to GSI III requires completion of a third year of teaching. In accordance with campus regulations, the GSI IV title is reserved for use only when instructors are teaching upper-division courses, have been advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D., and have four years' teaching experience.

GSI positions are covered by a collective bargaining Agreement between the University of California and the UAW. Under the terms of this Agreement, GSIs are entitled to a GSHIP premium remission, an educational and registration fee remission, and other applicable benefits as set forth in the Agreement. The Agreement sets forth the specific eligibility requirements and amount of each remission. The full text of the Agreement is available online. In accordance with the Agreement, GSIs' names and departmental addresses will be released by the University to the UAW in each term of employment in the bargaining unit.

Duties and Stipend. GSIs are assigned by the Director of the French Language Program to teach language courses, which include five hours of classroom instruction, correction (outside the classroom) of all written exercises in the textbook and workbook; correction of written compositions and laboratory exercises (two per week) and daily attendance at a pilot section for new GSIs. Other duties include holding office hours and assisting in the preparation of quizzes and exams. These activities are carried out under the active direction of a regular member of the faculty to whom responsibility for course instruction, students' grades, and the performance of GSIs, is assigned. GSIs are responsible for reporting any absences from campus, and missed work, to the faculty member in charge of the course they are teaching. If the absence is for an extended period of time, a substitute teacher may be assigned. The Standing Orders of the Regents of the University of California state that no compensation shall be paid to those holding University appointments unless they are actively engaged in the service of the University. Teaching duties are complete each term when the instructor's final exams have been graded, course grades computed, and all materials turned in to and reviewed by the course director.

Graduate Student Instructors are paid on the University's monthly payroll schedule beginning September 1 (for the fall semester) and February 1 (for the spring semester). The University requires that all Graduate Student Instructors be registered graduate students, and the Graduate Division verifies instructors' current registration during the course of each semester. GSI salaries are subject to all state and federal taxes.

Academic Progress Requirements for GSIs . Effective Fall 2007, the Graduate Division requires all students, including GSIs, to enroll in at least 12 units per semester. In addition, to retain eligibility for GSI positions, the student must have no more than two incompletes on the record. Appointment as a GSI requires that the student's time be devoted wholly to the pursuit of studies and instruction within the University; no other appointment in the University or elsewhere is permitted.

Review and Reappointment of GSIs. The Department employs as GSIs graduate students who perform well in their courses, show steady and satisfactory progress toward their graduate degrees, and are good teachers, as defined by the Department's published "Guidelines for Excellence in Lower Division Language Instruction." Reappointment as GSI is not automatic. All GSIs seeking reappointment for the following academic year should submit a GSI Application by the announced deadline.

Each spring semester, the Graduate Committe reviews student course evaluations, the reports of classroom visits filed by members of the Department's Lower Division Instructor Visiting Committee, GSI academic records, seminar evaluations and M.A. exam results. The department takes into account the amount of previous teaching support in order to stretch available instructorship as far as possible among eligible graduate students.

Reappointment as GSI may be for a full year, or for one semester, with continued reappointment contingent on the student's fulfilling special requirements (for example, removal of Incomplete grades, completion of M.A. or Ph.D. exam or submission of a Ph.D. Program Proposal, or improvement in teaching performance). A GSI waiting list is established every year, from the applications submitted, and is used when heavy French language program enrollments result in funding for temporary additional positions in the Department. GSI applicants whose names are on the waiting list, but who are not appointed during the year, should reapply for appointment for the following year. They may also submit any new letters of recommendation regarding either their scholarship or their teaching experience which they feel may supplement their applications.

In Service Training of GSIs . Supervised "in service" training for instructors in French consists of a required course in methodology (French 301 or 302) in which a pilot teacher provides GSIs with an analysis of each lesson to be presented the following week, points to be emphasized and ways to present grammatical structures simply and concretely. Enrollment in French 301 or 302, and attendance at its weekly meetings with the Director of Lower Division, are required of GSIs who are teaching French 1 or French 2 for the first time. 3 units of credit are awarded each semester (graded on an S/U basis). New instructors also attend a pilot class the first time they teach French 1 and French 2.

Instructors teaching French 3 and French 4 for the first time enroll in French 303 and attend weekly meetings with the Supervisor of the Second Year Program. In addition, the training programs for all GSIs include frequent visits to teaching assistants' classes by the pilot teacher, the Director of the Lower Division, the Supervisor of the Second Year Program, and other members of the faculty Lower Division Instructor Visiting Committee on an annual basis. Instructors are strongly encouraged to consult each faculty visitor to their classes regarding the visitor's reactions to the class observed. They are also encouraged to review the Department "Guidelines for Excellence in Teaching Lower Division French" issued annually to all instructors and to new instructors at the time of their appointment.

Eligibility for Service as GSI. Appointments as GSI may be made for a maximum of two semesters at a time; University regulations governing the appointment of GSIs state that graduate students may hold these positions for up to four years (eight semesters). However, appointments of French Department GSIs who have completed three years' service may, for budgetary reasons, be made at 25% time. Exceptions to the four year limit on teaching as GSI may, in individual cases, be requested by the Department, and granted by the administration, but are not normally requested by the French Department for students with more than five years of service as GSI. In any case, service in these titles cannot exceed a total of six years under the terms of the University's Academic Personnel Manual 400 17. Service as GSI on another UC campus counts toward this six year total. Reappointment in the GSI titles is governed by the Graduate Division. GSIs must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.1, be enrolled in 12 units in each semester in which they hold this appointment, and have no more than 2 incompletes on the record.

Students who began graduate studies and GSI service with a B.A. degree should normally complete the M.A. phase and receive permission to proceed to the Ph.D. by the end of the fourth semester or eligibility for reappointment as GSI in French will lapse. Within two semesters of their having received Permission to Proceed to the Ph.D. in French, or of their entrance with an M.A. from another institution, students should complete the Ph.D. foreign language requirement. All students should complete their Qualifying Examinations by the end of the fifth semester of enrollment in the Ph.D. phase of the program in order to remain eligible for reappointment as GSI. Students holding University funded or outside fellowships are not normally eligible to hold concurrent GSI appointments in French. The University of California regulations require that Graduate Student Instructors be registered graduate students with all required fees paid during each semester in which they hold this position. Graduate Division verifies students' current registration during the course of each semester.

"Outstanding GSI" annual award program . Under the terms of the Graduate Division GSI Teaching and Resource Center's annual "Outstanding GSI" program, the Department of French can nominate for this honor one GSI for every ten appointed during the current academic year. GSIs in French are considered for nomination after a minimum of two years of teaching, and are eligible to receive Outstanding GSI honors only once. In selecting each year's Outstanding GSI nominee, the Director of the French Language Program and the Supervisor of Second-Year French revieweligible candidates' Lower Division Visiting Committee evaluations, as well as student evaluation ratings for the two most recent semesters taught. The GSI Teaching and Resource Center hosts a reception near the end of the Spring term to honor recipients, and sponsors a Teaching Effectiveness Award program to which recipients may submit applications.

Summer Session Teaching Appointments . The Department operates a small Summer Session program (eight weeks). The Graduate Committee appoints GSIs for this program based on the following criteria: (1) Only French Department graduate student GSIs enrolled during the preceding Spring or following Fall semester are eligible; (2) First year GSIs, and graduate students who will not be continuing in the graduate program in French, are not normally eligible for eight week Summer Session appointments; (3) The candidacies of GSIs who have never taught in Summer Session are given priority over those who already have taught; (4) Successful applicant(s) for Summer Session appointment will (a) possess a record of prior teaching competence, as evidenced in annual classroom visit reports and student evaluations, which will be reviewed by the Committee making the Summer Session appointments and (b) be making reasonable academic progress toward their degrees. Application forms for 8 week Summer Session GSIships are distributed in October every year. Courses offered in the 8 week Summer Session include French 1, 2, 3, and 4, as well as R1A and R1B.

The French Department also offers an intensive elementary French workshop in the 10 week Summer Session. As a special enterprise, the Workshop may involve appointment of instructors from outside the Department, at the discretion of the Director of the Lower Division, who makes staffing recommendations for the Summer Workshop to the Department Chair. The pool of instructors for the French Summer Workshop thus includes, but is not limited to, interested French Department GSIs. GSIs may apply for teaching appointments in the Summer Workshop along with their applications for 8 week Summer Session positions.

Document Version Information: Spring 2008
University of California Policies Applying to the Disclosure of Information from Student Records state that name, date of birth, dates of attendance, major, degrees from Berkeley and dates, degrees from undergraduate institution and date are matters of public record once you have become a registered student. A copy of this policy is posted in the Graduate Division and in the Department of French. Such public information is not released if students request in writing that it not be disclosed. Students may file a form in the Graduate Division if they wish public information withheld.

For questions regarding the graduate program in French,
please contact the Graduate Assistant.
Email: frenchga@berkeley.edu
Phone: (510) 642-2714
Office: 4207 Dwinelle Hall