Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Romance Studies

The Field of Romance Studies includes faculty members from the Departments of Romance Studies, Comparative Literature, English, History, Linguistics, and Modern Languages, and from the Africana Studies and Research Center. It offers interdisciplinary programs in Romance languages, and literatures. Students in Romance Studies select a major in an area of literature (French, Italian, or Spanish literature) and choose a minor in one or two other areas from any field. French, Hispanic, or Italian literature: The field offers a full complement of courses in French, Hispanic, or Italian literatures. It seeks to incorporate current, speculative, theoretical views of literature, often reflected in the review Diacritics, which since 1971 has been edited and published by faculty members and students in the Field of Romance Studies. Students choose one national literature as their major concentration. They are expected to acquire a working knowledge of the general history of that literature, to become conversant with the social and intellectual history, and to speak and write their major language fluently. They are trained in bibliographical, linguistic, and analytical skills basic to teaching and research in the interpretation of literature. Students are encouraged to study foreign languages other than the language of the major concentration, but such study is not required unless special linguistic competence is necessary for the student's research. Such need is determined by the student's Special Committee. Students with a major in French, Hispanic, or Italian literature usually teach at least one year of literature and one year of language as part of their professional training; numerous teaching assistantships are available. A summer course in language teaching allows beginning assistants to observe and participate in classroom teaching and to attend lectures and discussion on theory and practice. An orientation program on the teaching of literature is held shortly before the semester begins.