Critical European Culture Studies, PhD

Credit Requirement:

The requirements for the PhD are at least 72 graduate-level credits, including language courses, elective courses in a single discipline and five required core courses. The core required courses are an Introduction to Literary and Theory Course, a Theory of Europe Course, a EU Studies Core Course, a Pedagogy Course and a research methodology course (ethnography, digital humanities, oral history, translation studies, or any other suitable methodology course that serves the students research interests and goals).

PhD Qualifying Examination:

Students take the PhD qualification exam during their 3rd semester in the program. They provide a reading list composed of all the texts read in the graduate courses up to this point. In addition to that they also submit two papers, one written in English and the other in their chosen primary European language.

Supervised Teaching Experience:

Supervised teaching experience is an integral part of the doctoral program. All PhD students will be given an opportunity to teach either a language, European history or a European culture course in their second and third years of the PhD program for a total of four semesters. This experience will serve as preparation for scholarly and professional careers. Students will be supported by a pedagogy seminar to prepare and aid them.

Comprehensive Examination:

Supervised teaching experience is an integral part of the doctoral program. All PhD students will be given an opportunity to teach either a language, European history or a European culture course in their second and third years of the PhD program for a total of four semesters. This experience will serve as preparation for scholarly and professional careers. Students will be supported by a pedagogy seminar to prepare and aid them.

Dissertation Overview:

Upon completion of the comprehensive examination and all other requirements, during the 5th semester, the student files an application for admission to candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy. In consultation with a dissertation advisor the student presents a prospectus of a dissertation to a doctoral committee. The dissertation prospectus (10-15 pages) completed by the student gives a brief introduction to the topic, previous and related research done on the topic, and the specific lines of inquiry, including methodologies and specific skills used, that the dissertation will pursue. In addition, students should address how work on the dissertation will embed them in academic and non-academic networks. Students should also address how the outcome of their dissertation will address non-academic audiences? (for example, Cultural institutions, NGOs, Governmental institutions, the creative and cultural industry). After the advisor approves this prospectus, the student will defend the prospectus to the doctoral committee. Faculty members affiliated with CECS from at least three different departments should constitute the members of the doctoral committee.

Language Requirement:

By the time they defend their dissertation overviews, the students must also demonstrate an intermediate-level proficiency in a third language (in addition to English and the other, primary research language) on one of the following ways:

• passing an intermediate-level language sequence with a grade of “B” or better;
• take a nationally recognized exam such as the OPI, verifying intermediate proficiency;
• or take a departmental exam verifying such proficiency.

Dissertation Defense:

The final oral examination in defense of the doctoral dissertation is conducted by the doctoral committee and is open to the University community.  The dissertation should engage a European-related question and include ethnographic, oral historical, digital, or other methodological approaches relevant to the chosen problematic of the research project. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the program and the dissertation committees, the dissertation must be written in English.