The Ph.D. in Slavic Languages (track in Czech, Polish, South Slavic, or Ukrainian Literature with a Certificate in Comparative Literature)

Prerequisites for this degree are the M.A. in the relevant track of Slavic Languages (or two Residence Units in transfer credit) and formal approval by the Slavic Department and the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society.

The current program allows students to complete the M.Phil. program before the end of their sixth semester of graduate study.  Those who enter the program with two RUs in transfer credit and proceed directly to the M.Phil. can complete all M.Phil. requirements before the end of their fourth semester in the program. If necessary, changes to this timetable can be worked out with the approval of the DGS and chair, but all students must meet the GSAS deadline for completion of the M.Phil., which is the end of the fourth year [third year for those with Advanced Standing).

For the duration of the M. Phil. program, each student works closely with a faculty mentor who, as a rule, is distinct from the student's M.A. adviser.

Students work in their major field as well as toward a Certificate in Comparative Literature and Society.

Note that four Residence Units beyond the M.A. (for a total of six) are required for the M.Phil. degree.

Requirements

Coursework:  Students should take those of the required courses below that were not taken at the MA level:

• four courses for a letter grade in the primary field (Czech, Polish, South Slavic, or Ukrainian), including one advanced language course;
• All courses (minimum of six) required for the Certificate in Comparative Literature and Society for a total of 20-24 points (12 of which must be taken for a letter grade) at the graduate level (4000 and higher), including: 
  • (1) Introduction to Comparative Literature and Society (CPLS GR6100) for a letter grade, preferably during the first year of graduate study;
  • (2) two doctoral seminars in comparative topics with CPLS designation (one for a letter grade);
  • (3) two courses (one for a letter grade) in a language other than Russian, reading texts in their original language (even when class is conducted in English);
  • (4) one seminar on literature and/or literary theory with a CPLS designation.
• Directed research (2 points) in fall of third year to develop bibliography in field[s] of study for the ICLS Certificate, at least one of which should be relevant to the prospective dissertation. Leads to the Colloquium in the Major and Two Minor Fields (see below).
• Directed research (2 points) in spring of third year with sponsor to prepare the dissertation prospectus/brief. Leads to the defense of the Dissertation brief (see below).

Students should work closely with the DGS of both Slavic and Comparative Literature and Society in choosing their courses and in determining which courses taken to fulfill the requirements for the primary field may also count toward the requirements for the certificate, as well as which of the certificate courses may be used to satisfy requirements for the M.Phil. in Slavic.

Languages: As required for the Certificate in Comparative Literature.

Teaching requirement: Participation in the Slavic Department's instructional activities.  Students gain exposure to teaching by participating in the Department's language and literature programs during the second, third, and fourth years of study.

Colloquium in the Major and Two Minor Fields:The student prepares for the Colloquium under the guidance of the instructor of the Directed Research course taken in the fall of the third year (in the fall of the second year for students with advanced standing); the student develops bibliography in the fields of study, including that of the prospective dissertation, and writes literature reviews; this culminates in a 2-hour colloquium with three faculty members, chosen in consultation with the DGS of both Slavic and ICLS to correspond to the student’s three fields (the major and the two minors).  At least one member of the committee must be ICLS affiliated faculty.

Prerequisites for this degree are an M.Phil. degree in the corresponding track and formal approval by the Slavic Department.

GSAS expects all students to complete the Ph.D. program before the end of their seventh year of graduate study (eligibility for housing in Columbia Residential and for additional funding from GSAS or Arts and Sciences runs out then); the maximum time allowed for the satisfaction of all requirements is nine years of continuous registration.  On this GSAS policy, please see: https://www.gsas.columbia.edu/content/nine-year-policy-time-doctoral-degree

Students granted two RUs of advanced standing are expected to finish by the end of their sixth year (eligibility for housing and additional GSAS or Arts and Sciences funding runs out then); for these students the maximum allowable time for completing the degree is eight years of continuous registration. 

Students should take note of the GSAS rules on eligibility for funding beyond their funding packages.  See: https://www.gsas.columbia.edu/content/five-year-funding-guarantee-and-seven-year-funding-eligibility

The Slavic program is designed so that students are able to finish in five or six years, and the Department encourages students to do so. 

A student writing a dissertation works closely with a faculty sponsor and two other faculty members, who serve as second and third readers on the student's dissertation committee. Either the sponsor or second reader must be ICLS-affiliated faculty.

Requirements

Dissertation brief

Students are advised to review the ICLS guidelines for developing a dissertation project that is in some sense comparative: https://icls.columbia.edu/graduate-program/dissertation-prospectus-review/

The dissertation brief should:

• articulate the core idea of the dissertation (the questions and insights that drive it, the argument that is emerging)
• identify the material to be drawn upon in the analysis
• characterize any methodological or theoretical perspectives that will be brought to bear on the material
• establish the scholarly significance of the study, situating it in the field(s) to which it aspires to belong.
• outline the dissertation’s projected structure

Approximate length: 12-15 pages, exclusive of bibliography. For further specifications see Dissertation Brief guidelines.

The candidate defends the brief before a committee consisting of the sponsor and two other faculty members whose expertise is relevant to the dissertation topic The defended brief must then be submitted to ICLS for the dissertation prospectus review. Note that ICLS has specific formatting requirements for the submission of the prospectus. Please review the detailed instructions on the ICLS website: http://icls.columbia.edu/programs/dissertation-prospectus-review-and-defenseconcentration-certificate/

Students should defend the brief before the end of the third year of graduate studies; those who enter with advanced standing should do so before the end of the second year in the program.  For GSAS policy and deadlines on the Defense of the Prospectus, please see: https://www.gsas.columbia.edu/content/dissertation-prospectus

Dissertation

Beginning in the semester after defending their brief, students will meet once each semester with their sponsor and at least one other member of their Dissertation committee to review and discuss a dissertation progress.   For this process and the timetable, see:

https://www.gsas.columbia.edu/content/dissertation-progress-meetings

Every year, students also present their work at a Dissertation Workshop in the department. 

Students should complete, distribute, defend, and deposit their dissertation according to the deadlines and regulations of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, as set forth here:

https://www.gsas.columbia.edu/content/distribution-defense-and-deposit-dissertation

and here: https://gsas.columbia.edu/student-guide/dissertation/defending-your-dissertation

For guidance on all aspects of the Dissertation, students should use the GSAS Dissertation Tool Kit:  https://www.gsas.columbia.edu/content/dissertation