Ph.D. Program in Ibero-Romance Philology and Linguistics
(Students entering before 2007)
Course Requirements
5 courses in main area (Spanish or Portuguese linguistics) covering both synchronic and diachronic dimensions in phonetics/ phonology, syntax/semantics, history of the language/old Spanish, medieval dialectology
3 or 4 courses in a second area of concentration (sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, theoretical linguistics, second language acquisition, etc.)
3 or 4 courses in supporting work related to the major areas of concentration
2 graduate-level courses in Hispanic or Luso-Brazilian literature and/or culture in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese relevant to the candidate's area of study unless already taken for the M.A. degree. The courses should be taught in Spanish or Portuguese.
The total minimum number of combined courses in the second area of concentration and supporting work is seven. Students may either take three courses in the second area of concentration and four courses in supporting work, or four courses in a second area of concentration and three courses in supporting work. This coursework is usually fulfilled with offerings from within the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and offerings from other departments depending on the student's second area of concentration. For those students in areas in which statistics are frequently used in research, one of the courses for supporting work should be a course in statistics, unless the students can show evidence that they have already taken such a course.
Ph.D. Language Requirement for Ibero-Romance Philology and Linguistics Students
Before filing for candidacy in the Doctoral Program, a student in Ibero-Romance Philology and Linguistics must have:
An advanced proficiency in Portuguese. Students may substitute another language for Portuguese in accordance with the needs of their specialization.
"Advanced proficiency" means the completion of POR 508 and POR 516, or the respective equivalents, with a grade of B or better, and the ability to express ideas orally and in writing with clarity and sophistication, which must be demonstrated with the satisfactory completion of two graduate-level courses given in the respective language. (With the consent of the Graduate Adviser, one advanced undergraduate course may replace a graduate course).
For the linguistics program, language requirement courses must be taught in the target language, not in English, in order for them to count toward the language requirement.
Latin is required for those students specializing in Historical Linguistics (currently the Latin sequence LAT 506-507, or LAT 508, in Classics).
Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination in Ibero-Romance Philology and Linguistics
By the end of the first year of doctoral work, the student, in consultation with the ad hoc adviser in linguistics, should select a Ph.D. examining committee. The committee should consist of at least three members (one member as chair) from the Department of Spanish and Portuguese covering the various areas, and one member from outside the department covering the student's second area of specialization. The ad hoc adviser in linguistics will inform the Graduate Adviser of the proposed committee. However, it is the responsibility of the student to request the participation of the faculty members prior to formalizing the exam committee with the Graduate Adviser. The exam committee will be officially appointed by the Graduate Adviser in Spanish and Portuguese. The student should then consult with each committee member about the reading list he/she is responsible for and revisions (deletions and/or additions) to the Ph.D. reading list. In addition, the student must obtain from the outside member of the committee a reading list covering the specialized area of the examination. The student should submit a copy of the lists to the committee chair and to the department's Graduate Office.
Usually within a year of completing course requirements all doctoral students will take the Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination. Students who fail the exam may take it a second time the following long semester. Students who fail the exam a second time cannot continue in the program.
The exam is written; there is no oral exam. At least one question must be answered in Spanish. The Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination for students in linguistics is given twice a year; normally it is scheduled for the last Saturday in October and the last Saturday in March. The examination consists of five one-hour questions with two choices in each section distributed as follows:
Spanish phonology/phonetics (including contrastive analysis, the Spanish of the Americas);
Spanish syntax, semantics, morphology;
Spanish diachronic linguistics (historical linguistics, old Spanish, medieval dialectology);
A question of a theoretical nature dealing with the candidate's second area of specialization;
A question dealing with the candidate's second area of specialization as it relates specifically to Spanish.
Sample examinations are on file in the department's Graduate Office.
Candidacy in the Doctoral Program
Applying for Doctoral Candidacy: When a student has passed the Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam, the next step toward doctoral candidacy is to submit a dissertation proposal and the "Application for Doctoral Candidacy" to the EC of the GSC for approval. Deadline dates to submit the proposal are December 1 (fall exams) and May 1 (spring exams). After approval by the EC of the GSC, the Application for Doctoral Candidacy is confirmed by the Office of Graduate Studies, and the student is then officially designated as a doctoral candidate.
Dissertation Committee Selection: The "Application for Doctoral Candidacy" requires the naming of a dissertation committee. The student must choose a dissertation supervisor plus a committee of four other faculty members with one of the members being from outside the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. The student must present a dissertation proposal to the selected committee for its consideration and recommendations.
Program of Work Requirements: The Graduate Adviser and the EC of the GSC must confirm that the student has completed the foreign language requirement and all course work required in the degree plan. Courses included in the program of work must have been taken within six years prior to the date of candidacy application. This confirmation accompanies the "Application for Doctoral Candidacy" for final approval by the Office of Graduate Studies.
Language of the Dissertation: The dissertation is normally written in English. Petitions to write in another language pertinent to the research must accompany the Application for Doctoral Candidacy.
Review of Progress
Time Limit for Completion: The dissertation may be completed within three years from the date of admission to candidacy. If it is not, the GSC of the department must petition the Graduate School for an extension, explaining unusual extenuating circumstances. The GSC thereafter reviews each student's progress annually. In case of unsatisfactory dissertation progress, the GSC may recommend that the student take additional courses, or pass other examinations, or that the candidacy be terminated. Annual reviews must follow the first review, and all annual recommendations are forwarded to the Office of Graduate Studies.
Continuous Enrollment Requirement: A student cannot enroll in dissertation courses until officially admitted to candidacy by the Graduate School. Once admitted to candidacy, a student must register continuously each fall and spring semester for dissertation courses until the dissertation is completed. Any student admitted to candidacy will be charged tuition for dissertation courses each semester whether enrolled or not unless an official Leave of Absence has been granted by the Office of Graduate Studies. A Leave of Absence must be petitioned to the Office of Graduate Studies, which gives permission for special circumstances only. Enrollment in summer is not required unless the student is appointed as an Assistant Instructor. If a student is appointed as an AI in the summer, he/she must register for a minimum of three credit hours in either summer session.
Final Dissertation Defense
A final oral exam, the dissertation defense, is the last requirement for graduation. Written copies of the dissertation must be submitted to the dissertation committee at least six weeks in advance of the tentative defense date and the committee must decide unanimously that the candidate is ready for the defense. When the committee has decided on an exact date, a written request for the final oral exam to the Office of Graduate Studies is required two weeks in advance. If the defense is successful and all committee members have signed the cover sheet, the student must submit the final dissertation volume to the Office of Graduate Studies by the last class day of the semester.
