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There are three ways of satisfying the language requirement: 

• Language Exam - For those who are fluent but whose proficiency is not reflected in formal course preparation. Students can meet the requirement in one of two ways:
  1. Take a written foreign language exam to demonstrate reading knowledge of a language other than English. This requirement is met by passing a translation test, to be written with the aid of a dictionary, set by the Director. Test languages are limited to the expertise and availability of faculty.
  2. The language department administers an online, computerized test to determine students' proficiency. Once completed, the results should be sent to the Director of the Centre for evaluation. 

• Course Work - Satisfactory completion (70% or above) in a full year undergraduate language course beyond the level of senior matriculation (numbered 1900 - 4999) will be regarded as meeting the language requirement. 
  *Note* enrolling in an undergraduate course requires the submission of an Add Undergraduate Course form.

• Previous Studies - students who have already satisfied the language requirement through previous post-secondary language studies may apply those course credits toward the degree requirement in Theory and Criticism. Students should consult with the Director at the beginning of the year. 

Note: Students enrolling in language courses through the Department of Modern Languages may take the course Pass/Fail. You must indicate that you wish to take the course Pass/Fail at the time of enrollment and cannot be changed retroactively.

Ph.D. candidates are required to pass the Core Examination and Field Study before proceeding to the doctoral dissertation. These are to be completed during the second year of study.

The Core Examination is to be taken during the second year of the Ph.D. There are two annual options for sitting the Core Examination: the first in September, and the second in February. It consists of a written examination based on a reading list of 50 books or equivalents (chapters/articles). The exam is assigned both a Pass/Fail and a numeric grade, the latter to be recorded only internally within CSTC. The student is notified of the results of the exam by the Chair of the examining committee. A candidate may fail and retake the Core Examination once. A candidate who fails the Core Examination a second time will be required to withdraw from the program.

The Field Study is an opportunity to define an area of interdisciplinary theory related to the student’s dissertation project.  It involves submission of a written text followed by an oral hearing in which this text is discussed with the student by a committee. Candidates have until May 15 of their second year to submit the written components, with the oral hearing to occur within 2-3 weeks of submission. Working with his/her supervisor and any other potential members of the advisory committee, the student will submit a 20 to 25-page text, including bibliography and synopsis. This text will be examined as part of the Field Study and is assigned a Pass/Fail. A candidate may fail and retake the Field Study once. A candidate who passes the Core Examination but fails the Field Study twice will be required to withdraw from the program.

A short, 4-5-page Thesis Proposal will be due 2 weeks after the Field Study Hearing. The Thesis Proposal, in the form of a chapter outline, will be the subject of a meeting between the candidate, his/her supervisor, and second reader. Final approval of the Thesis Proposal by the Graduate Studies Committee will be understood as the Program's approval for the candidate to proceed with the proposed dissertation project.

Summary of Schedule - Core Exam:

• May 31 (Term 3) Date by which candidate must declare intention to take examination
• November 15 (Term 4) Date by which the candidate must meet with chair of examining committee
• September (Term 4) or February (Term 5) Examination to be taken during designated week 
  Core Qualifying Examination Reading List

Summary of Schedule - Field Study:

• May 31 (Term 3) Date by which candidate must declare intention to take examination
• May 15 (Term 6) Date by which candidate must submit the written components of the Field Study. The hearing date to be determined by the candidate, in consultation with supervisor and second reader. Candidate must communicate hearing date to Program Coordinator at least six (6) weeks beforehand.

Year II, Fall term (September - December)

During the first term of the second year of the program, the student, with the help of the Graduate Studies Committee, must choose an area of study for dissertation research and an appropriate supervisor. Although every effort will be made to accommodate a student's research preferences, the program cannot guarantee a particular supervisor. The supervisor must be a core faculty member of the Centre with the appropriate level of supervisory membership for overseeing Doctoral thesis research. .

Year II, February & May

Qualifying examinations are to be completed between the beginning of Term 4 and the end of Term 6. The thesis proposal will be due 2 weeks after the Field Study, and will be the subject of a meeting between the candidate, his/her supervisor, and second reader.

Year II, June

A short, 4-5-page Thesis Proposal will be due 2 weeks after the Field Study Hearing. The Thesis Proposal, in the form of a chapter outline, will be the subject of a meeting between the candidate, his/her supervisor, and second reader. Final approval of the Thesis Proposal by the Graduate Studies Committee will be understood as the Program's approval for the candidate to proceed with the proposed dissertation project.

Dissertation 

Each Ph.D. student is required to write a dissertation on an approved topic, which is expected to be an original contribution to knowledge and which will be presented in . The dissertation must be no fewer than 60,000 words, excluding bibliography and appendices, and must not exceed 100,000 words. The document should be submitted to the program 48 hours in advance to undergo a word count.

When the thesis is thought to meet recognized scholarly standards for the discipline and degree and is ready for examination, the Centre arranges a Thesis Examination by setting a proposed date and obtaining provisional consent from the potential members of the Thesis Examination Board, according to the set by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies' (SGPS).

Normally the entire process, from the Centre's request for a Thesis Examination to the placement of the candidate's name on the convocation list, requires approximately 8 weeks.

*Note* all program requirements (including language requirement) must be completed before submission of a thesis for oral examination

In order to continue receiving funding, Doctoral students are expected to make satisfactory progress toward timely completion of all program requirements. The term “satisfactory progress” pertains to completion of the language requirement, completion of course work, completion of qualifying examinations, and progress on work for the thesis. All students in Year III and beyond must complete an annual Pathfinder Report with their supervisory committee and the Director.

All cases of “unsatisfactory progress” will be considered by the Graduate Studies Committee and may result in withdrawal of funding as well as withdrawal from the program.

"Satisfactory progress" constitutes the timely completion of each course with a grade of 78% or above.

A student may request an incomplete (INC) without penalty on compassionate or medical grounds. In such cases, the student must make a written request to the instructor and the Director no later than the last day of classes, and must include a) the date by which the remaining work will be completed, and b) (where relevant) a certificate from a physician. This request will be forwarded to the GSC for approval. Permission from the instructor is not a guarantee that the INC request will be granted. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, the student will not be allowed to carry more than one INC in a semester. The INC will be changed to a grade only if the work is completed by the grade submission deadline for the term following. If a grade is not submitted by this deadline, the INC becomes a Failure. An 'F' grade resulting from an INC is final. The SGPS will not consider a revision of the grade except on documented medical or compassionate grounds.

All students in Year III and beyond must complete an annual Pathfinder report with their supervisory committee. For the progress report the student must also submit a draft portion of the thesis. The student will discuss the draft material with his or her committee and complete the required portions of the report, to be submitted to the program Director. 

Submitting the Pathfinder portfolio is considered a degree requirement, and to maintain good standing in a program it must be completed by the assigned due date.