Each student's program is expected to achieve the following objectives: an in-depth knowledge of one literature, including the main critical sources for its study; a knowledge of a substantial number of works in a second literature; a knowledge of a large number of master works of world literature (such as those represented in the MA reading list); a concentration in a period, a genre or other area of study encompassing at least two literatures; a good knowledge of the history of criticism and of contemporary literary theory. Highly unusual majors or minors require the approval of the departmental faculty.
Formal admission to the program entails one of the following procedures:
Applicants to the doctoral program should include in their application some samples of their writing (e.g. one or more term papers).
Students are expected to design their own curricula expressing their scholarly interests and their professional goals, and to prepare their own reading lists in consultation with members of the faculty. All PhD students are encouraged to seek the guidance of an adviser at the beginning of their studies to assist them in designing their programs and choosing dissertation topics. Ideally, a student should prepare an initial draft of a dissertation prospectus by the end of the first year of study beyond the MA, and should have a provisional idea for a dissertation topic before taking the comprehensive exams.
Submission of a formal dissertation prospectus for the approval of the department is expected within a few weeks after the student has passed the exams. The minimal course requirement for the PhD is 16 semester courses. Ordinarily, at least eight courses are taken in the major, and approximately the same number of courses is distributed among the minor, literary theory, electives, etc. Graduate courses taken at Binghamton University or elsewhere may be allowed to satisfy these requirements. The minimum residencerequirement for the doctorate is two semesters.
Comparative literature courses at Binghamton are, basically, of two kinds: broadly based seminars covering the evolution of a genre, the history of criticism, etc., or monographic-type courses concentrating on one or more authors, a development in literature or in literary theory, a particular interdisciplinary approach, etc. A student's program should aim at achieving the objectives of the program through a balance among the studies of literary history and theory and the comparative study of specific works and authors. In addition to the courses and seminars offered by the Comparative Literature Department, students are encouraged to take courses offered by other departments in their fields of specialization. It is highly advisable for students to take courses in other disciplines (art history, history, women's studies, philosophy, etc.) when these contribute to broadening the scope of their programs.
PhD candidates must show native or near-native fluency in one foreign language, to be demonstrated through an extensive translation (more than 25 pages). They must also demonstrate a solid reading knowledge in a second idiom. Both languages must directly relate to the student's areas of research, and must be approved by the director of graduate studies (or program director). Philosophy, literature and the theory of criticism (PLC) students are required to demonstrate proficiency in French and German. They are expected to satisfy the language requirements by the fifth semester of study (or if entering with an MA degree, by the end of the third semester). Students with a native language other than English will be considered to have met one foreign language requirement.
The comprehensive examination consists of five parts:
Students choose an examination committee (subject to the approval of the graduate director) with a minimum of three examiners. The field paper is evaluated by a principal examiner and a second reader, and the complete written examination is available to all examiners. Reading lists for parts two, three, and four of the examination should be developed through close collaboration with the examination committee and must be handed in to the graduate director no later than the first week of the semester in which the examination will be taken. After the lists have been approved by the department faculty, the examination is scheduled. The field paper must be submitted no later than March 15 for an examination in the spring semester and October 15 for an examination in the fall semester. The oral examination should take place no later than in the last two weeks of classes.
This dissertation should be comparative in its scope and implications, and demonstrate the student's ability to deal with theoretical problems and to organize and present the research methodically. In general, a dissertation should not be fewer than 200 pages in its final form. At the discretion of the comparative literature faculty, a student may do an extended critical translation as a dissertation. This includes an introductory study equivalent in substance to what is required of the other type of dissertation. The Graduate School requires that the candidate, while working on the dissertation, register for one credit hour of COLI 699.
On the initial approval of the dissertation by its readers, the candidate is expected to defend it at an oral examination lasting from one to two hours.
