Program Overview

PhD Program Requirements

The PhD program in Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in the field, preparing them for a career in academia or related fields. The program consists of three stages: coursework and completion of language requirements, preparation for and taking the Special Field Examination, and the writing of the dissertation.

Coursework

• The minimum course requirement is three full-course equivalents (FCEs) consisting of full- and/or half-courses equivalents (HCEs).
• PhD students may select courses from the annual list of offerings provided they meet any stipulated prerequisites.
• 2.0 FCEs must be in the student’s chosen Major Area, and 1.0 FCE in the Minor Area.
• Major and Minor Areas are defined according to traditional disciplinary domains, and include History, Art History, Languages and Literatures, Manuscript Studies and Textual Cultures, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Theology, and Musicology (Minor only).
• A balanced course selection in the Major and Minor Areas is crucial to building educational paths that are comparable to those of more traditional programs but also interdisciplinary in a manner that provides suitable preparation for the dissertation.
• Students should be mindful of these Guidelines in making their course selections and consult with the PhD Coordinator and their Mentors during the process.

Languages

• A Level One Latin examination pass is a prerequisite to initial registration in the PhD program.
• PhD students should attempt the Level Two Latin exam upon arrival, and take it again if required at the next available date.
• Students who do not pass the Level Two Latin exam on arrival are enrolled in Medieval Latin II.
• Since all medievalists need to be able to read scholarship in French and German, students in CMS must pass reading examinations in those languages during the course of their PhD program.
• French and German exams take place at the same times each year as the Latin exams with additional French and German exams in January.
• Students are urged to integrate their language studies with their course work and research; working through short articles on relevant subjects with the aid of a dictionary is excellent preparation for the exams, which require comprehension only, not a mastery of style.

Supervisor, Advisory Committee, and Annual Meeting

• During Stage 1, students are expected to seek out, in consultation with the PhD Coordinator, a Supervisor for their doctoral dissertation.
• The Advisory Committee shall consist of the Supervisor(s) and two additional faculty members, and must be approved by the PhD Coordinator by the end of the Fall term of Year 2.
• Members of the Advisory Committee must hold SGS appointments and be affiliated with CMS.
• The Advisory Committee will support the student in defining their research topic, producing their Special Field paper proposal, and preparing for their Special Field Examination.
• The Advisory Committee will also conduct the Special Field Examination and judge it on a Pass/Fail basis, and will accompany the student’s progress through the submission, approval, and final defense of the dissertation.

Special Fields

• The Special Field Examination is expected to take place in the third year of registration (P3), and students are urged to take it as soon as possible after having passed the Level Two Latin exam and modern language exams.
• The New Guidelines for the Special Field Proposal and Examination come into effect on 1 September 2021.
• Students who entered Year 2 in may opt into the New Guidelines.
• Students who entered Year 3 or higher in follow the Old Guidelines for the Special Field Exam.

Dissertation

• The dissertation topic normally arises from the special field.
• The advisory committee assembled for the special field will remain available to advise the student on different aspects of the dissertation, though its membership may change in view of the precise topic chosen (a change that needs to be approved by the PhD Coordinator).
• A dissertation must not exceed 90,000 words (i.e., approximately 300 double-spaced pages): students should think of it as the first step in a scholarly career – a demonstration of competence – not the final and exhaustive achievement of a lifetime.
• Students who take more than six years to complete the program need to apply for extensions.

Termination of Registration in the PhD Program

• The advisory committee has the authority to recommend termination of a student’s program if insufficient progress or scholarly achievement is observed.
• The student will be adequately warned of problems and given a chance to correct deficiencies.
• Every effort will be made to identify problems early in a student’s program so as to avoid termination late in the program.
• The final decision on termination of registration rests with the PhD Coordinator in consultation with the centre’s Executive Committee.