Current PhD Students

• Coursework (3 courses in fall; 4 courses in spring)
• Fulfill 1st language requirement
• Old French required in either year 1 or 2
• Earn a grade of Honors in 2 courses taught by French department graduate faculty (at minimum, this is required for continued progress in the program)

Supported by University Fellowship 

• Coursework (7 courses total), including FREN 6700 (pedagogical methods) during spring
• Fulfill second language requirement by the end of year 2
• Those who already have an MA should submit petition in the fall term to request course reduction in the spring 
• Earn grade of Honors in two courses taught by French core graduate faculty
• In early spring, draft oral exam lists and confirm committee members
• Hold the pre-oral meeting with committee at end of spring semester to prepare for summer reading and fall exams

Supported by University Fellowship

• Prepare for, schedule, and complete oral exams, normally by the end of fall semester or at the very beginning of spring semester
• Draft prospectus, hold ad-hoc prospectus meeting, and submit prospectus to the graduate faculty before the end of spring semester
• First year of teaching (normally, by teaching a first-year French language course over two semesters)

Supported by Teaching Fellowship

• Begin dissertation research and complete research fellowship applications
• If the prospectus was accepted at the end of Year 3, some students may decide to conduct research abroad during the 4th year 
• In certain cases, students may submit the prospectus to the graduate faculty for approval during the beginning of fall semester
• There are several different possibilities for teaching this year, depending on teaching availability and student research plans. For instance:
  • Teach a second language course
  • TF for a large lecture course
  • TF for an undergraduate seminar

  • Associates in teaching program (design and team teach a course with a professor; this is a competitive process)

Funding sources for this year may vary depending on your plans. Students conducting research abroad rely on outside fellowships and departmental top-up funds. Students who are teaching may rely on Teaching Fellowship, while students who commit to full time dissertation writing may rely on a University Fellowship. Consult with your advisers and DGS to decide which options will be best for your research.

• Conduct dissertation research abroad (many students go to ENS Paris, to other locations in France, or to a different Francophone country relevant to their research)
• Teach at Yale
• Work full-time on dissertation to be ready to begin the job application process in Year 6

Funding sources for this year will vary depending on your plans. Students conducting research abroad rely on outside fellowships and departmental top-up funds. Students who are teaching may rely on Teaching Fellowship, while students who commit to full time dissertation writing may rely on a University Fellowship. Consult with your advisers and DGS to decide which options will be best for your research.

• Prepare for professional life beyond the PhD. For many graduate students, this will mean going on the academic job market and thus participating in the intensive professional workshop led by the DGS
• Complete and submit dissertation OR
• Plan ahead to prepare for a seventh year of dissertation completion (funding and teaching are not guaranteed for this)

Support from either a University Fellowship or from additional Teaching Fellowship, depending on what you used during Year 5.