PhD Program

Minimum Admission Requirements

• Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of French Language and Literature's additional admission requirements stated below.

• An appropriate master's degree in French linguistics with high academic standing from a recognized university, with an average grade of at least an A– in the applicant's overall program.

• An A– average does not automatically lead to admission.

• A formal application and a sample of written work in French completed as part of the applicant's bachelor's or master's program in French linguistics as appropriate. This written work should be a copy of the MA thesis if available.

• Applicants holding a master's degree must submit a statement of purpose (maximum 500 words) in French that clearly outlines the area in which the applicant intends to pursue research in French linguistics.

• Applicants must satisfy the department that they are capable of independent research in French linguistics at an advanced level.

• Admission to all programs for post-graduate degrees is based on the evidence of the supporting letters and the applicant's academic record.

Completion Requirements

• Coursework. Students must successfully complete a total of 3.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) including:

  • FRE1103H Séminaire de linguistique I : Phonétique et phonologie;

  • FRE1104H Séminaire de linguistique II : Syntaxe; and

  • FRE1141H Séminaire de linguistique III : Linguistique expérimentale et linguistique de corpus (unless already completed); and

  • FRE1201H Méthodes de recherche.

• Students must maintain an average grade of at least an A– during Year 1 to remain in good academic standing and to continue in the PhD program. With the department's permission, students may take 1.0 FCE outside the department.

• Constitution of thesis committee. Students must submit a form indicating the members of their thesis committee and the provisional title of the thesis. This form must be signed by the faculty member who has agreed to direct the thesis and by the two faculty members who will serve on the student's supervisory committee. Deadline to submit: June 15 of Year 1.

• Thesis topic. Students must register a thesis topic with the department. The proposal must be signed by the faculty member who has agreed to direct the thesis and by the two faculty members who will serve on the student's supervisory committee. Deadline to register the topic: September 15 of Year 2.

• Thesis proposal. A written thesis proposal, of 15 to 20 pages plus bibliography, must be submitted one week before the date of the oral field examination in April (see below).

• Language requirements. Students must demonstrate a reading knowledge of Old French or of another language (excluding French or English), as approved by the department by the end of Year 1.

• Field examination (written and oral components).

  • Students must pass the field examination in Year 2.

  • By November 15 of Year 2, students will submit a text of 20 to 25 pages (double-spaced) in article or thesis chapter format, which outlines the state of current research in the primary domain of the dissertation. This text will form the basis of the short article (to be submitted by March 1) and will be assessed as Pass/Fail.

  • By March 1 of Year 2, students must successfully complete a document in the format of a short article which represents a pilot study or a theoretical puzzle in the field of study driven by data gathered by the student.

  • A student may not proceed to the oral part of the field examination until the written part has been successfully completed. In the case of a failure, the full supervisory committee will meet with the student in order to discuss the weaknesses that caused the failure and to make specific recommendations concerning the student's program. The committee may recommend that the written part of the field examination be retaken in whole or in part within a specific period of time; it may also recommend termination of the student's program.

  • The oral part of the field examination is to be taken by April 30 of Year 2. It is based on a 15- to 20-page (double-spaced) "thesis proposal" accompanied by an appropriate bibliography. In the case of a failure, the supervisory committee will meet with the student to discuss the weaknesses that caused the failure and to make specific recommendations concerning the student's program. The committee may recommend that the examination be retaken within a specific period of time; it may also recommend termination of the student's program. If the recommendation is to retake the exam, the student may retake the oral part of the examination once only.

• Meet with supervisory committee. Between the completion of the written field examination, oral field examination, and the Doctoral Final Oral Examination on the thesis, students will meet with the supervisory committee at least once a year and more frequently if required.

• Thesis and Doctoral Final Oral Examination on the thesis.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 4 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 6 years full-time

 

PhD Program (Direct-Entry)

Minimum Admission Requirements

• Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of French Language and Literature's additional admission requirements stated below.

• An appropriate bachelor's degree with high academic standing from a recognized university that includes at least 7.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) in French language and linguistics, with an average grade of at least an A– in the overall program. A minimum of five of the seven full courses, or equivalent, should be in the proposed area of study (i.e., linguistics). Applicants may request that up to 2.0 FCEs of the 5.0 FCEs in the discipline come from cognate disciplines upon the department's approval. Admission is limited to exceptionally qualified applicants.

• An A– average does not automatically lead to admission.

• A formal application and a sample of written work in French completed as part of the applicant's bachelor's program in French linguistics as appropriate.

• Applicants must satisfy the department that they are capable of independent research in French linguistics at an advanced level.

• Admission to all programs for post-graduate degrees is based on the evidence of the supporting letters and the applicant's academic record.

Completion Requirements

• Coursework. Students must successfully complete a total of 7.5 FCEs as follows:

  • In Year 1, complete 4.0 FCEs. In Year 2, complete 3.5 FCEs. These include:

    • FRE1103H Séminaire de linguistique I : Phonétique et phonologie;

    • FRE1104H Séminaire de linguistique II : Syntaxe;

    • FRE1141H Séminaire de linguistique III : Linguistique expérimentale et linguistique de corpus;

    • FRE1201H Méthodes de recherche.

• Students must maintain an average grade of at least an A– in Year 1 and Year 2 to remain in good academic standing and to continue in the PhD program. With the department's permission, students may take up to 1.0 FCE outside the department in each of Year 1 and Year 2.

• Constitution of thesis committee. Students must submit a form indicating the members of their thesis committee and the provisional title of the thesis. This form must be signed by the faculty member who has agreed to direct the thesis and by the two faculty members who will serve on the student's supervisory committee. Deadline to submit: June 15 of Year 2.

• Thesis topic. Students must register a thesis topic with the department. The proposal must be signed by the faculty member who has agreed to direct the thesis and by the two faculty members who will serve on the student's supervisory committee. Deadline to register the topic: September 15 of Year 3.

• Thesis proposal. A written thesis proposal, of 15 to 20 pages plus bibliography, must be submitted one week before the date of the oral field examination in April (see below).

• Language requirements. Students must demonstrate a reading knowledge of Old French or of another language (excluding French or English), as approved by the department by the end of Year 2.

• Field examination (written and oral components).

  • Students must pass the field examination in Year 3.

  • By November 15 of Year 3, students will submit a text of 20 to 25 pages (double-spaced) in article or thesis chapter format, which outlines the state of current research in the primary domain of the dissertation. This text will form the basis of the short article (to be submitted by March 1) and will be assessed as Pass/Fail.

  • By March 1 of Year 3, students must successfully complete a document in the format of a short article which represents a pilot study or a theoretical puzzle in the field of study driven by data gathered by the student.

  • A student may not proceed to the oral part of the field examination until the written part has been successfully completed. In the case of a failure, the supervisory committee will meet with the student in order to discuss the weaknesses that caused the failure and to make specific recommendations concerning the student's program. The committee may recommend that the written part of the field examination be retaken in whole or in part within a specific period of time; it may also recommend termination of the student's program.

  • The oral part of the field examination is to be taken by April 30 of Year 3. It is based on a 15- to 20-page (double-spaced) "thesis proposal" accompanied by an appropriate bibliography. In the case of a failure, the supervisory committee will meet with the student to discuss the weaknesses that caused the failure and to make specific recommendations concerning the student's program. The committee may recommend that the examination be retaken within a specific period of time; it may also recommend termination of the student's program. If the recommendation is to retake the exam, the student may retake the oral part of the examination once only.

• Meet with supervisory committee. Between the completion of the written field examination, oral field examination, and the Doctoral Final Oral Examination on the thesis, students will meet with the supervisory committee at least once a year and more frequently if required.

• Thesis and Doctoral Final Oral Examination on the thesis.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 5 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 7 years full-time