Joint Degree: SAST and Comparative Literature
Applicants should apply to only one program within Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GAS). If you are interested in another department within GAS, you may include this in your personal statement. Upon review, our faculty will decide if the candidate is a good fit for our department or if another program is more suited to their academic interests.
Though the PhD process is broadly the same as that of the SAST PhD, there are some specific requirements for the joint degrees.
I. Course Requirements
- 10 CUs in disciplinary courses (4 COML, 6SAST)
- 1 CU COML 501.401 (COML's methods course)
- 1 CU COML 981.001 M.A. Exam Prep
- 1 CU COML 999.041 Reading for the Qualifying Examination
- 1 CU COML 999.051 Dissertation Prospectus Workshop
II. Languages:
Students must demonstrate proficiency in at least two non-English languages relevant to his or her program, as well as mastery of the languages of all "major" literary and cultural traditions. One of these languages must be a South Asian language (defined as a non-European language spoken primarily in South Asia).
III. Colloquium Presentations:
Students are expected to make research related presentations at the weekly South Asia Colloquium at least twice during the course of their study. The first presentation should be presented in the second or third year of study, and may take the form of either a Candidacy piece of research-related writing on the candidate’s dissertation topic or a draft of the dissertation proposal. The second presentation will normally be in the post-fieldwork stage and is typically the presentation of a chapter draft, conference paper, or job talk. The idea of these presentations is that the student may benefit from the feedback of faculty and fellow students. It also helps students prepare for the dissemination of their research in the wider field.
IV. Examinations:
M.A. Exam: to be taken at the end of the second semester. Will follow COML model: tests knowledge of a 35-item reading list, plus two additional modules of ten items each. Student will be examined by a committee of three, one of whom is either COML grad chair or instructor of COML 501.
SAST Candidacy Examination: This exam, to be taken by the end of the 5th semester, will consist of three fields, of 40 to 60 works each, which will be examined by a committee of which two members must be drawn from members of the SA group. These lists must be approved no later than the end of the 4th semester. COML 999.041 will be taken during this time.
Dissertation Prospectus Examination: The format for this examination should follow that of Comparative Literature. COML 999.051 should be taken during this time. The student must prepare a pre-dissertation committee, and schedule a meeting in the 6thsemester to discuss their prospectus. A pre-dissertation bibliography should be prepared in the 5thsemester, which will include 30-35 works and must be approved by October. The student must prepare a pre-dissertation committee, and schedule a meeting in the 6thsemester to discuss their prospectus. The committee and graduate chair of both COML and SAST must approve the prospectus by the end of the 6th semester.
V. Dissertation:
The dissertation committee will be composed of at least two members of the South Asia group, and at least two members of the COML group.