PhD in Comparative Literature
Ph.D. Admission Standards and Application
An M.A. with a minimum average of A- (80), normally in Comparative Literature or a national literature
Proficiency in two languages in addition to English, at a level sufficient to do graduate-level work on texts in those languages
Students judged by the Graduate Committee to be making exceptionally good progress in Western's 2-year M.A. program in Comparative Literature may apply to transfer into the Ph.D. program after completing the first year of the M.A.
Ph.D. Applications
No application will be considered until it is complete. The responsibility rests with the applicant to ensure that all documents (i.e. transcripts, letters of reference, test results) are submitted by the program’s deadline for application.
Completed applications will be evaluated by the program, which makes the admission decision.? The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies sends out offers of admission and handles all administrative aspects of registration.
For admission to the Doctoral program, applicants must possess a Master’s degree or equivalent from an accredited university and provide evidence of research potential. The program requires at least a 80% average in the Master’s degree.? Equivalent qualifications may be considered based on the standards of the discipline.
Although applications are processed centrally, applicants are encouraged to contact individual faculty members to discuss their research interests and possible research projects where applicable. However, individual faculty members do not directly admit students.
If you are interested in visiting the department after submitting your application, please contact us to make arrangements. In many cases, some or all of your travel expenses will be paid for by the program.
- Biographical information
- Contact information
- Statement of academic intent (if applicable)
- Academic background
- Electronic transcripts from Ontario universities/colleges (see below for information on transcripts)
- Professional background (if applicable)
- Referee information (references collected electronically upon receipt of application)
- Proficiency in English Scores (if applicable) (applicant must have testing service send score electronically to Western)
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language www.toefl.org (TOEFL). Western's TOEFL ID is 0984.
- The International English Language Testing Service www.ielts.org (IELTS) of the British Council.
- Application fee of $90.
- Past or current students of The University of Western do not need to provide transcripts for their academic history at Western. This information will be obtained internally.
- If you have attended or are currently enrolled at any Ontario university or college other than The University of Western Ontario you MUST use the electronic application process in order to request transcripts. These transcripts will be delivered electronically to each of the programs to which you are applying.
- All other transcripts must be forwarded in hard copy to Western to complete your application.
*Western considers a transcript official only if it is received in a university envelope that is sealed and signed on the flap by the official person in the office issuing the transcript. If the transcript and degree certificate are not in English, a certified translation?must also be included. (Non-English transcripts from institutions within Canada do not require a translation.)
A complete application consists of the following:
-A complete Application through OUAC
-One copy of official transcripts for all previous undergraduate and graduate studies
-Two letters of recommendation from referees familiar with the applicant's recent academic work (Letter of Recommendation Form)
-Official proof of proficiency in English (TOEFL), for all students whose first language is not English
-A sample of written work in English, such as a recent essay (20 page maximum)
-A one-page statement about scholarly interests and intended areas of specialization during the Ph.D.
-A non-refundable application fee of CDN $90. (Make cheque payable to the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures)
Application package should be addressed to:
The Graduate Chair, Comparative Literature
Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
The University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario, Canada N6A 3K7
The deadline for first consideration applications is January 15, 2013.
All applications submitted after this date may be reviewed but cannot be guaranteed admission for the specified term regardless of your admissibility. Early applications are strongly recommended.
Program Requirements
The PhD program in Comparative Literature is a four-year program requiring course-work, comprehensive examinations, and a dissertation.
Times for the completion of each part of the program are indicated in italics below. Please note that a student who fails to meet these milestones may be required to withdraw from the program.
Courses
Two to three full courses. The number of courses required will be determined by the Graduate Committee based on the student's previous graduate work.
It is expected that students complete their prescribed courses by the end of the third term (i.e. by the end of the first full year) of study in the PhD program.
Comprehensive Examinations
Students are required to pass three examinations before proceeding to the doctoral dissertation. Two of these are written examinations ("area examinations") in areas of literary history or in literary theory to be selected in consultation with the Program Chair. The third examination ("area-of-concentration examination") is an oral examination, based on a written prospectus and bibliography assembled by the candidate, in the area of the candidate's proposed doctoral dissertation. It is expected that this prospectus and bibliography will be prepared in consultation with the proposed dissertation supervisor, who must be identified before work on the area of concentartion can begin. The supervisor must be a member of the core faculty of the Comparative Literature program.
For more information please see the guidelines and regulations pertaining to the comprehensive examinations.
It is expected that students complete their area examinations by the end of the fifth term and their area-of-concentration examination by the end of the sixth term (the second full year) of study in the PhD program.
Doctoral Dissertation
A pass in the area-of-concentration examination implies the program's approval for the student to proceed with the proposed dissertation. Each student will continue to work with the nominated dissertation supervisor, as well as with one or more additional faculty members with expertise in the area of the dissertation. Together, these faculty members form the student's Advisory Committee.
When the committee is satisfied that the thesis is ready for examination, it will be examined by and examining board, including an external examiner, according to the guidelines for examination of PhD theses set by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
It is strongly anticipated that each student will give a formal, public lecture, organized by the Comparative Literature program at UWO, in the area of his or her dissertation during this phase of the degree program.
Finally, it is expected that students complete their doctoral dissertation by the end of the twelfth term (the fourth full year) in the program.
Other Activities
In addition to the course work, comprehensives, and the dissertation, each PhD student is encouraged to participate both in the fall-term Comparative Literature Research Forum, in the winter-term graduate thesis seminars, in which MA students present and discuss their research projects, and in the Annual Graduate Student Conference.
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Visit the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Graduate Calendar
For further information about any aspect of the program, please contact:
The Graduate Chair, Comparative Literature
Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
Phone: (519) 661-2111, ext. 85857/Fax: (519) 661-4093
E-Mail: Prof. David Darby, ddarby@uwo.ca