Program Overview

PhD Program in French Studies

The PhD program in French Studies at the University of British Columbia offers students the opportunity to gain specialized knowledge of French literature or linguistics. The program is designed to prepare students for a career in academia or other fields where advanced knowledge of French is required.

Degree Requirements

The first 24 months of the PhD program are devoted to coursework, preparing and taking the Comprehensive Examination, and obtaining approval of the Thesis Proposal. The following years are devoted to the writing and defence of the thesis. In the first 16 months of the program, a minimum of 18 credits of coursework numbered above 500 must be completed, three of which may be taken in another department (six exceptionally). A first-class average is required in these courses. Additional coursework may be required for candidates who have deficiencies in certain areas.

Program Overview

The PhD program in French Studies is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in French literature and linguistics. The program includes coursework, a comprehensive examination, and the writing and defence of a thesis. Students who are primarily interested in Linguistics may write a thesis on an aspect of French Linguistics. After consulting with the Graduate Advisor, they may also be permitted to supplement the Linguistics courses offered in the Department itself by taking courses elsewhere at UBC (in the Department of Linguistics or the Faculty of Education, for example), or at other universities under the Western Deans’ Agreement.

Comprehensive Examination

The candidate will take the comprehensive examination in April of the second year (if your graduate program started in September) or August/September of the second year (if your graduate program started in January).

PhD Thesis Proposal Defence

The candidate will defend the PhD thesis proposal in September of the third year (if your graduate program started in September) or January of the third year (if your graduate program started in January).

Supervisory Committee Approval

The candidate will fill out the Supervisory Committee approval form after passing the PhD thesis proposal defence.

Final Doctoral Examination

The final doctoral examination is the culmination of years of research and writing. It is the last step toward the conferral of the doctoral degree.

Annual Progress Report

An Annual Progress Report must be submitted by March 1st for every year that the student is enrolled in the program.

PhD Co-op (Optional)

The Arts Co-op Program offers students enriched educational experiences for personal and professional growth. Co-op is a high-impact educational program that allows you to alternate dissertation-writing terms with work terms, during which you gain meaningful paid work experience.

What is Co-op?

The Arts Co-op Program offers students enriched educational experiences for personal and professional growth. Co-op is a high-impact educational program that allows you to alternate dissertation-writing terms with work terms, during which you gain meaningful paid work experience.

Why PhD Co-op in French Studies?

The program goals are:

• to extend secure graduate funding into the fifth and possibly sixth years of the PhD program
• to give graduate students well-paid, relevant work experience divided across their dissertation years
• to reduce the financial and academic strain often faced by students who run out of money after year four and must work nearly full-time, often substantially delaying completion of their degrees
• to provide insight and experience into alt-ac careers for graduate students who may choose not to work in academia after graduation.

Types of Work

Employers hire UBC PhD co-op students based on their specialized skills and potential career interests. You can expect to work in areas such as:

• Academic Administration
• Applied Research
• Communications
• Curriculum Development
• Instruction and Training
• Project Management
• Writing and Editing

Admissions

Review the program requirements and application process for our Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree program in French Studies. The application window for UBC PhD Co-op is open once per year, and usually closes in the first week of October. You are eligible to apply to the UBC PhD Co-op Program if you have achieved candidacy (or are expecting to achieve candidacy by the time you begin your co-op term, typically in January of your third year in the PhD program). You also must have two years of PhD study left, in which to schedule three, 4-month work terms. You cannot enrol in the Co-op Program without advancing to candidacy first: that is, Co-op students must be ABD (all but dissertation). SSHRC-holders and international students are both eligible to apply and go through the same application process.