qmul phd comparative literature

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PhD Comparative Literature

Queen mary university of london, different course options.

• Key information

Course Summary

Tuition fees, entry requirements, university information, similar courses at this uni, key information data source : idp connect, qualification type.

PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy

Subject areas

Comparative Literature

Course type

Queen Mary has an active and flourishing research culture with staff working across disciplines to shape the dynamic field of comparative literature. Established in 2012, the PhD Programme in Comparative Literature has since grown to include supervision capacity in European Literatures, the literatures of China and the Indian subcontinent, as well as in world literature, postcolonialism, cosmopolitanism, and transnationalism.

The Department is one of the leading centres for research and study in Comparative Literature in London and benefits from its close collaborative links with the institutions of the University of London, such as University College London (UCL), King's College London, Goldsmiths, SOAS, etc. The Department also has a thriving MA in Comparative Literature, and hosts the highly prestigious annual George Steiner Lecture in Comparative Literature, most recently delivered by David Damrosch (Harvard), Susan Bassnett (Warwick), Haun Saussy (UChicago), and Emily Apter (NYU).

The PhD community in the Department of Comparative Literature is truly international, with its research supported by competitive fellowships and awards of academic institutions in the UK and abroad. Members of the Department have organized major international conferences and symposia; they are also actively involved in the British Comparative Literature Association (BCLA), the International Comparative Literature Association (ICLA), and the American Comparative Literature Association (ACLA). Department members also serve in advisory roles on editorial boards of journals and publications series in Comparative Literature worldwide.

UK fees Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

The normal minimum entry requirement for admission to the programme is an upper second class honours degree in a relevant subject and a postgraduate degree (MA, MRes) from a UK university, or overseas qualifications of an equivalent standard. At its discretion, Queen Mary may accept candidates with alternative qualifications or an appropriate level of research experience gained in the workplace or similar environment.

Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) is an internationally regarded public research institution based in London. It has a long history, dating back over 230 years, and is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of universities. Queen Mary has five campuses in the city of London and an international network of satellite campuses in China, Malta, Paris and Singapore. There is a population of around 16,000 students at the London campuses and... more

English Literature MA

Full time | 1 year | 16-SEP-24

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Find out more about the foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees we offer in all subjects

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Discover the research activity our academics are involved in.

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Thank you for considering an application.

To apply you’ll need to:

• Make note of the Queen Mary institution code: Q50
• F100 — BSc (Hons)
• FFX2 — BSc (Hons) Chemical Sciences with Foundation
• 9A32 — BSc (Hons) with Year in Industry/Research
• F10Y — BSc (Hons) with Year Abroad
• F103 — MSci (Hons)
• F13Y — MSci (Hons) with Year Abroad
• Click on the link below: Apply on UCAS

Have further questions? How to apply | Entry requirements

6 study options

Chemistry bsc (hons), key information, chemical sciences with foundation bsc (hons), chemistry with year in industry/research bsc (hons), chemistry with year abroad bsc (hons), year abroad cost.

Finances for studying abroad on exchange

Chemistry MSci (Hons)

Chemistry with year abroad msci (hons), entry requirements, about the school.

Chemistry is often called the central science, connecting mathematics, physics, biology and medicine.

Alfred Nobel invented dynamite. Marie Curie pioneered research on radioactivity. And Alice Ball developed the first successful treatment for leprosy. What will you discover?  

Minimising the environmental impact of chemical processes and creating long-lasting materials for medicine are just a few of the exciting developments in recent chemistry. On BSc Chemistry, you’ll join like-minded students who are keen to tackle global challenges and make a valuable contribution to society.  

Spectroscopy, quantum chemistry, and organic synthesis – these are just some of the modules you can study. You’ll thrive as you put knowledge into action in our modern facilities. Including our state-of-the-art laboratory and analytical suite.  

We’re at the forefront of research and teaching. Globally recognised and multi award-winning. Our course is also accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, giving you the confidence that your education is high quality.  

Employability is important to us. We work closely with the careers team and regularly invite successful industry speakers. We also offer the opportunity for you to become a school rep, outreach ambassador, and join our chemistry society.   

Choose your own pathway through this degree — add a year in industry or studying abroad, or carry out an additional year of advanced study to graduate with an MSci.

Professional recognition

You can complete your Chemistry degree in three, four or five years. If you are a BSc student and choose to do a year in industry or study abroad, this will take place in Year 3, and the Year 3 modules will instead be studied in Year 4. If you are an MSci student and choose to study abroad, this will take place in Year 4, and the Year 4 modules will be studied in Year 5.

• Communication in Science and Technology 

Year-long modules

• Science and Engineering Success
• Foundations of Chemical Science
• Foundations of Physical Science
• Foundations of Engineering
• Foundations of Biological Science
• Mathematics A

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

• Essential Skills for Chemists
• Foundations of Practical Chemistry
• Fundamentals of Inorganic Chemistry
• Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry Semester A
• Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry Semester B
• Fundamentals of Physical Chemistry
• Fundamentals of Spectroscopy
• States of Matter and Analytical Chemistry
• Applied Spectroscopy
• Essential Skills for Chemists II
• Introductory Programming for Chemists
• Structure & Reactivity in Organic Chemistry Semester A
• Structure & Reactivity in Organic Chemistry Semester B
• Solid State & Inorganic Chemistry Semester A
• Solid State & Inorganic Chemistry Semester B
• Physical & Quantum Chemistry Semester A
• Physical & Quantum Chemistry Semester B
• Practical Chemistry
• Organic Synthesis
• Professional Skills in Chemistry
• Topics in Inorganic Chemistry
• Topics in Physical Chemistry

Choose one from. *Compulsory for those on the Msci programmes

• Chemistry Investigative Project
• Chemistry Research Project*

Choose two from

• Advanced Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy
• Bioorganic Chemistry 
• Computational Chemistry 
• Topics in Biological Chemistry 

MSci students only

• Chemistry MSci Research Project (90 credits)
• Advanced Topics in Chemistry
• Nanomaterials

Study options

Apply for this degree with any of the following options. Take care to use the correct UCAS code - it may not be possible to change your selection later.

Year in industry

Want to pick up some solid work experience while practising your skills in a real-world laboratory? Apply for our Chemistry BSc with a Year in Industry/Research. Some of our students have been awarded prestigious work placements with UK and international pharmaceutical companies.

During your second year, you will identify and apply for a placement opportunity, with one on one support provided by your adviser. If successful, you'll spend your third year working in the pharmaceutical industry or carrying out an extended research project.

Please note that placements are highly competitive and awarded based on your application, academic track record and performance at the interview. Should you not succeed in securing a placement, you'll transfer onto our BSc programme and complete your third year at Queen Mary.

Apply for our Chemistry MSci to spend an extra year undertaking an extended research project and studying advanced modules. Consider this option if you’re interested in a career in academic or industrial research.

Year abroad

Go global and study abroad as part of your degree – apply for our Chemistry BSc or MSci with a Year Abroad. Queen Mary has links with universities in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia (partnerships vary for each degree programme).

Find out more about study abroad opportunities at Queen Mary  and what the progression requirements are.

You can do either a year in industry or a year abroad  – you cannot combine these options.

My Chemistry degree helps me expand my knowledge not just in the Chemistry field but also explore the physical and mathematical side. It causes me to push myself as an individual due to the diverse nature of the course itself. Nishma Thakor, Chemistry with a Year in Industry (2020)

Teaching and learning

We use a mixture of teaching styles – lectures, tutorials, classroom activities and laboratory work. 

Outside of classes, you’ll need to spend 18 to 20 hours per week preparing, writing up and reading.

Each module is assessed through theory examinations and coursework.

Resources and facilities

The School offers excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:

• newly refurbished lecture theatres
• up-to-date IT facilities
• modern, well-equipped labs.

View tour of Joseph Priestley Building

A tour of the Jospeh Priestley lab where our undergraduates are taught.

Chemistry - BSc (Hons)

Chemical Sciences with Foundation - BSc (Hons)

Chemistry with Year in Industry/Research - BSc (Hons)

Chemistry with Year Abroad - BSc (Hons)

Chemistry - MSci (Hons)

Chemistry with Year Abroad - MSci (Hons)

Non-UK students

We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.

English language

Find out more about our English language entry requirements , including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.

You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.

Further information

See our general undergraduate entry requirements .

Loans and grants

UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.

Scholarships and bursaries

Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.

Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.

Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.

Support from Queen Mary

We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.

Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:

• additional sources of funding
• planning your budget and cutting costs
• part-time and vacation work
• money for lone parents.

As well as being equipped for a career in the chemical industry – one of the UK’s largest – chemistry graduates are highly rated by business and finance employers for their data-handling and analytical skills. 

93 per cent of our graduates are in work or further study within six months of graduation (HESA GOS 2017/18).

Recent Chemistry graduates have been hired by:

• Hammersmith Medicines Research
• GlaxoSmithKline

Career support

The School of Physical and Chemical Sciences has a careers consultant, who can offer specialist advice and organise subject-specific events. We also have a dedicated internships coordinator.

The Queen Mary careers team can also offer:

• specialist advice on choosing a career path
• support with finding work experience, internships and graduate jobs
• feedback on CVs, cover letters and application forms
• interview coaching.

Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.

Data for these courses

The Discover Uni dataset (formerly Unistats)

The School of Physical and Chemical Sciences (SPCS) at Queen Mary combines the academic rigour of a Russell Group institution with a friendly and supportive atmosphere.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy’s teaching academics work on high-profile international collaborations, including experiments at CERN. Our researchers are searching for new planets around distant stars, developing and applying quantum technologies and theoretical concepts. Our PsiStar Physics and Astronomy Society is extremely active with around 200 members. Our academics use cutting edge experimental and theoretical techniques, alongside modern data science, to push the boundaries of their research areas.

The Department is proud to have played a role in some of the most exciting discoveries of the past 100 years, including the discovery of the W, Z, and Higgs bosons, the discovery of the closest Earth-like exoplanet to us, Proxima B, and the first ‘superstring revolution’.

We have recently recruited new staff in key areas such as particle physics, quantum technology, and space weather. We have state of the art laboratories, computing facilities, and a rooftop observatory, offering high-quality support for Physics and Astronomy teaching and research.

The Department of Chemistry enjoys an outstanding research and teaching quality reputation. We are a vibrant department, carrying out internationally leading research in fields such as Functional Materials and Nano Science, Synthesis, Catalysis, and Physical and Computational Chemistry. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, Chemistry ranked 8th in the United Kingdom for Research Impact and 9th in the UK for Research Output.

We have recently recruited new staff in key areas such as Carbon Nanotechnology, Organic Electronics, and Catalysis. The £5.2m refurbishment and modernisation of our Chemistry Lab facilities have secured the highest quality standard for Chemistry teaching and research.

School of Physical and Chemical Sciences

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Comparative Literature

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Harvard’s Department of Comparative Literature is one of the most dynamic and diverse in the country. Its impressive faculty has included such scholars as Harry Levine, Claudio Guillén, and Barbara Johnson. You will study literatures from a wide range of historical periods and cultures while learning to conduct cutting-edge research through an exhilarating scope of methods and approaches.

Your dissertation research is well supported by Harvard’s unparalleled library system, the largest university collection in the world, comprising 70 libraries with combined holdings of over 16 million items.

Recent student dissertations include “Imagined Mothers: The Construction of Italy, Ancient Greece, and Anglo-American Hegemony,” “The Untimely Avant-Garde: Literature, Politics and Transculturation in the Sinosphere (1909-2020),” and “Artificial Humanities: A Literary Perspective on Creating and Enhancing Humans from Pygmalion to Cyborgs.”

In addition to securing faculty positions at academic institutions such as Princeton University, Emory University, and Tufts University, graduates have gone on to careers in contiguous fields including the visual arts, music, anthropology, philosophy, and medicine.  Others have chosen alternative careers in film production, administration, journalism, and law.

 Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Comparative Literature and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Admissions Requirements

Please review admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Comparative Literature .

Writing Sample

The writing sample is supposed to demonstrate your ability to engage in literary criticism and/or theory. It can be a paper written for a course or a section of a senior thesis or essay. It is usually between 10 and 20 pages. Do not send longer papers with instructions to read an excerpt; you should edit the sample so that it is not more than 20 pages. Writing samples should be in English, although candidates are permitted to submit an additional writing sample written in a different language.

Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should give the admissions committee a clear sense of your individual interests and strengths. Applicants are not required to indicate a precise field of specialization, but it is helpful to tell us about your aspirations and how the Department of Comparative Literature might help in attaining these goals. The statement of purpose should be one to four pages in length.

Standardized Tests

GRE General: Not Accepted

Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Comparative Literature

See list of Comparative Literature faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

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Queen mary academy.

The Queen Mary Academy delivers university-wide support for the development of education and research. We work with staff and students to develop and enhance their practice in teaching, learning, scholarship, research, and academic leadership.

About the Queen Mary Academy

Learn more about our mission, how we work and how to collaborate with us.

For educators

Explore our range of resources, workshops and training to enhance your practice and support excellence in The Queen Mary Education Approach .

For postdocs

Discover our continuing professional development opportunities to help Queen Mary research staff excel in their careers.

For academic staff

Delve into our offer of academic leadership development, support for how to manage researchers to progress, and find out how to achieve recognition in your academic practice.

For students

Find out about opportunities to help shape education and student experience at Queen Mary and learn new skills.

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Forthcoming workshops

School / institute, country of origin, dialogic a/fhea writing retreat.

• Date: Wednesday 27 March 2024
• Time: 2:00 PM

Description: Have you decided to apply for Advance HE Associate Fellowship or Fellowship through the dialogue (verbal) application route? This interactive workshop will provide guidance on how to approach your application.You will have the opportunity to explore how best to present evidence against the UPSF criteria and develop the various components of your application including the commentary, case studies, supporting evidence and narrated presentation. Book this course

10 Days to Change the World (for You)

• Date: Tuesday 9 April 2024
• Time: 11:00 AM

Description: What if someone gave you two working weeks to enhance your career? What would you do? What should you do? In this interactive session, we will dive into: Why your 10 days CPD is so important Look at creative ways to spend them (and fund them) Discover if you have hit peak postdoc Find out about the only metric that matters for postdocs Book this course

Designing Effective Group Work

• Date: Tuesday 16 April 2024
• Time: 10:00 AM

Description: Group work is a key component of Queen Mary’s Education Approach, supports learner engagement, and for many sectors is an essential employability skill.  Working in diverse groups fosters creativity and innovation and can help learners develop intercultural competence. Despite these benefits, for many learners, working in groups can be a stressful experience. In this practical workshop, you will learn strategies and techniques to help you plan and run group work effectively. Book this course

Flip to Engage: Designing Flipped Learning to Engage Learners

• Date: Thursday 18 April 2024

Description: This interactive workshop will introduce you to the key principles of flipped learning and how they can be used in practice. A flipped learning approach can be used to enhance student-paced learning, interactive large group teaching and small active learning groups.   Book this course

Associate/Fellowship Accelerator for Professional Services

• Date: Thursday 25 April 2024
• Time: 10:00 PM

Description: Are you a member of Professional Services staff who supports learning at Queen Mary? Would you like to find out more about applying for Advance HE Associate Fellowship or Fellowship?Our full day Accelerator workshops are designed to help you draft your application. The day includes workshops on reflective practice and evidencing your practice using literature with time for writing with one to one mentoring from members of the Academy team. Book this course

SFHEA Writing Retreat

• Date: Tuesday 30 April 2024

Description: Have you decided to apply for Advance HE Senior Fellowship through the dialogue (verbal) or written route? This interactive workshop will provide guidance on how to approach your application. Book this course

Enhancing Programme and Module Design

• Date: Tuesday 7 May 2024

Description: This workshop guides you through into a hands-on activity that embeds the Principles Academic Degree Programme Design, QM Active Curriculum for Excellence (ACE), Queen Mary Graduate Attributes and promotes constructive alignment with assessment and feedback.  Book this course

Associate Fellowship & Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy Workshop

• Date: Wednesday 8 May 2024

Description: A workshop for those seeking to apply for Associate Fellowship / Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. Book this course

Summative and Formative Feedback Cafe

• Date: Thursday 9 May 2024
• Time: 1:00 PM

Description: Come together to share your ideas, experiences, challenges, questions, knowledge and feedback practices, in the creation of possibilities for learning about and identifying action that you can go on to apply in your own contexts.   Book this course

Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy Workshop

• Date: Wednesday 15 May 2024

Description: A workshop for staff seeking to apply for Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy Book this course

Embedding Sustainability in the Curriculum

• Date: Thursday 16 May 2024

Description: This workshop offers an introduction to ways in which you can integrate sustainability into the curriculum. We will explore the relevance of sustainability to your specific disciplinary area, working with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We will discuss examples and case studies and generate, share and discuss ideas for integrating sustainability within your own course. Book this course

Embedding Queen Mary Graduate Attributes

• Date: Wednesday 22 May 2024

Description: This interactive session will introduce you to Queen Mary’s updated Graduate Attributes. Book this course

Developing Inclusive Education For Neurodivergent Learners

• Date: Thursday 30 May 2024

Description: This course offers a brief introduction to neurodiversity and will explain some of the challenges neurodivergent learners face in HE. Book this course

• Date: Tuesday 4 June 2024

Assessment Design for Academic Integrity

• Date: Wednesday 5 June 2024

Description: This interactive workshop explores assessment through the lens of academic integrity and helps you identify ways in which you can use assessment design to minimise the risk of academic misconduct while maximising student engagement. Book this course

Mapping and Reviewing Assessment and Feedback

• Date: Wednesday 12 June 2024

Description: Mapping and Reviewing Assessment and Feedback guides you as you explore how students are assessed and engage in feedback in your module and/or programme, and helps you identify and address what needs attention. This hands-on session is supported by additional resources. Book this course

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• Arts & Sciences
• Graduate Studies in A&S

Comparative Literature Ph.D. Dissertation Guidelines

Guide for Comparative Literature Ph.D. dissertation, defense, and electronic submission.

Overview (Ph.D.)

• Present completed Title, Scope, and Procedure (TSP) Ph.D. form^  to the faculty advisor and Research Advisory Commitee (RAC) for approval and signatures for submission to the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) before beginning the fifth year of full-time enrollment in the Graduate School. 
• File the Intent to Graduate (ITG) for the Ph.D. 
• Create an Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCiD).
• Form a Dissertation Defense Commitee and complete the Dissertation Defense Committee form.
• Confer with the Dissertation Director about procedures for submission of chapters and revisions during the dissertation writing process.
• Review the OGS Dissertation and Thesis Template and consult it for answers to all formatting questions.
• Consult with Dissertation Defense Committee and schedule the oral defense, and complete the Dissertation Defense Notification form.
• Submit complete dissertation manuscript upon approval by the Dissertation Director to the Dissertation Committee, no less than 4 weeks in advance of the scheduled defense.
• Pass the oral defense.
• Complete Survey of Earned Doctorates.
• Create ProQuest Online Account.
• Submit the dissertation to the OGS electronically via ProQuest.
• Forward email from OGS of approval of dissertation to Coordinator along with .pdf of dissertation to order copies from Thesis on Demand.
• Request Degree Certification (optional).
• RSVP to Ceremony

Reserve Regalia

The Student is responsible for punctually completing and providing all of the necessary materials(^) for submission to the OGS, and for formatting the dissertation in accordance with its guidelines. 

The Dissertation Director is responsible for assisting The Student in assembling the full five member Dissertation Defense Committee for the defense, for assisting in arranging a defense date and location, as well as submitting all required signed paperwork and forms(^) to the The Coordinator for submission to the OGS via Portal(*), including the Dissertation Defense Committee  and  Examination Approval forms . 

The OGS provides a comprehensive Doctoral Dissertation Guide for all Ph.D. candidates. 

Preliminary Paperwork

• Title, Scope, and Procedure (TSP)

Intent to Graduate (ITG)

Open researcher and contributor id (orcid), title, scope, and procedure (tsp) ph.d..

Completed by The Student, Submitted by The Coordinator

By the time of completion of the Comprehensive Exams, students should have formulated a dissertation topic and selected a Dissertation Director, as well as two additional readers. The Student submits a  Title, Scope and Procedure Ph.D. form^  (TSP) for approval; this form requires the signatures of the Dissertation Director and two additional readers (collectively known as the Research Advisory Committee or RAC), as well as the Program Director. The RAC normally consists of three tenured or tenur-track Washington University faculty members.

The TSP form includes and initial outline or model to research the dissertation topic, which must be comparative. TSP form outlines the preliminary dissertation title, a brief abstract, and methodology. 

• "Scope" defines the dissertation limits (what is intended to be covered and not covered), and
• "Procedure" describes the manner intended to conduct research. 

The Academic and Administrative Coordinator must receive the completed and signed TSP form to submit to the Office of Graduate Studies on behalf of the student.  The TSP form must be completed and submitted to the OGS before beginning the fifth year of full-time enrollment in the Office of Graduate Studies. The TSP may change in the course of research: contact the Academic and Administrative Coordinator with requirements for an amended form if this occurs.

Completed by The Student

The Student must file an Intent to Graduate (ITG) form for the semester in which they intend to graduate. Deadlines for filing the Intent to Graduate form for each semester are listed on the Office of Graduate Studies’s online calendar. Complete this form by logging onto  WebSTAC and clicking on “Intent to Graduate” from the menu . Take note of the diploma pick-up and mailing dates that are included in the form because the diploma will be mailed to the address entered.

If the graduation semester changes, a new form must be filed for the term the Student intends to graduate.

Ph.D. students are encouraged to establish an Open Researcher and contributor ID (ORCiD) , a free, personal digital identifier. Many scholars will want to establish their ORCiD profile and maintain it throughout their careers. For more information, visit https://libguides.wustl.edu/orcid.

Dissertation Defense

The Student should work with the Dissertation Director to establish an effective and efficient calendar for submission of work, allowing time for revisions. Once the Dissertation Director has approved a chapter, the student should submit it to the other two readers.  The Student is expected to respect the suggestions for revision from all three of their readers for each chapter as they go along. This process ensures that the dissertation is sound from their different perspectives before the Student submits the completed dissertation to the larger Dissertation Committee for the "defense."

Dissertation Defense Committee

Completed by The Student and The Dissertation Director, submitted by The Coordinator to OGS

The Defense Committee consists of at least five members, who normally meet two independent criteria:

• Four of the five must be tenured or tenure-track Washington University faculty; one of these four may be a member of the Emeritus faculty. The fifth member must have a doctoral degree and an active research program, whether at Washington University, at another university, in government, or in industry.
• Three of the five must come from the student's degree program; at least one of the five must not.

All Dissertation Committees must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School or by their designee, regardless of whether they meet the normal criteria. Approval requires completion of the Dissertation Defense Committee form^ . The Coordinator must receive the completed and DGS signed Dissertation Defense Committeee form to submit to OGS on behalf of The Student via Portal.

This form and Defense Committee must be approved by the Graduate School before the scheduling of the dissertation defense can occur; this MUST be completed and approved at least 3 weeks ahead of your desired defense date. 

Dissertation Defense Notification

Completed by The Student, submitted by The Coordinator to OGS

Once the Defense Committee is approved via an email from the OGS, The Coordinator can help The Student in securing a time and location for the defense. After approval of the Defense Committee and at least 15 days before the defense, The Coordinator will submit a Defense Notification* to the OGS via Portal stating the time, date, and location of the defense, as well as attach an updated CV of The Student^. The Student is required to provide the Coordinator with the Dissertation Defense Information   (date and location of defense, title of dissertation) and a copy of the Student CV in a .pdf format for submission.

Distribution of Dissertation

Once the Dissertation Director has approved the content and the style of the entire dissertation, The Student must distribute copies of the full document to all members of the Defense Committee, including external readers, in preparation for the oral defense. The Student should allow a minimum of three (3) weeks for the Defense Committee members to read the thesis. The Student is responsible for giving copies of the dissertation to the Defense Committee. According to the OGS, the Defense Committee members may request rescheduling of the defense if the dissertation is not made available at least 1 week in advance.

While certain critiques and suggestions from the larger Defense Committee during the defense are to be expected, indeed encouraged, The Dissertation Director, by signaling approval of The Student's submission of the dissertation to the Defense Committee, is indicating the support of the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) members, i.e., that they stand by the work and are prepared to support its content and form at the defense.

OGS provides a Dissertation and Thesis Template for all Ph.D. candidates.

Defense of Dissertation

Completed by The Student and The Defense Committee, 

From Graduate School Information on Defense of the Dissertation :

"Attendance by a minimum of four members of the Dissertation Defense Committee, including the committee chair and an outside member, is required for the defense to take place. This provision is designed to permit your defense to proceed in case of a situation that unexpectedly prevents one of the five members from attending. Do not plan in advance to have only four members in attendance; if one of those four cannot attend, your defense must be rescheduled. Note that the absence of all outside members or of the committee chair would necessitate rescheduling the defense.

"Members of the Dissertation Defense Committee normally attend in person, but one of the five (or, in case of an emergency, one of the four) members may attend virtually instead.

“Faculty and graduate students who are interested in the subject of the dissertation are normally welcome to attend all or part of the defense but may ask questions only at the discretion of the committee members. Though there is some variation among degree programs, the defense ordinarily focuses on the dissertation itself and its relation to the student’s field of expertise.”

Examination Approval Form

Signed by The Defense Committee, delivered to The Coordinator by The Dissertation Director, submitted by The Coordinator to OGS

The Dissertation Director is responsible for gathering signatures of the committee on the Examination Approval Form ^*. The Coordinator will then submit it on behalf of The Student via Portal.

Preparing for Electronic Submission

Visit the OGS calendar for the Dissertation/Thesis Final Submission deadline. The following items must be completed by this deadline or Graduation and degree dates will need to be delayed. It is encouraged to submit the dissertation before the deadline in the event fomatting changes are needed.

Consult the Comparative Literature subject librarian regarding copyright permissions for any copyrighted work included in the dissertation. 

Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)

Students are encouraged to complete their Survey of Earned Doctorates  prior to the dissertation deadline. Do this as soon as possible so that OGS has a record of its arrival in time for graduation requirements to be met. OGS will be notified automatically once the survey is complete. 

The electronic submission of the dissertation will not be processed or approved until this email arrives to OGS. 

Creating ProQuest Online Account

After successful defense of the dissertation and completion of any committee requested changes, OGS requires that The Student create an online account at ProQuest ( http://www.etdadmin.com/wustl ) to submit the final approved text. ProQuest is this country’s most widely used commercial archiving service for dissertations and theses.

Electronic Submission of Dissertation

Visit the OGS calendar for the Dissertation/Thesis Final Submission deadline. The following items must be completed by this deadline or Graduation and degree dates will need to be delayed. It is encouraged to submit the dissertation before the deadlin in the event fomatting changes are needed.

Checklist for Electronic Submission

The Student must have completed all items below before the electronic submission of the dissertation to ProQuest.

The OGS is notified when you submit your dissertation to ProQuest. When reviewing submission, they ensure that the Examination Approval Form and Survey of Earned Doctorates have been completed and check the submitted PDF to ensure that all formatting requirements have been followed. The amount of time needed to review the manuscript, and the number and nature of any changes that may be required to make, are generally determined by how carefully the work has been prepared. Do not wait until the deadline day to submit the dissertation! Work must be formatted correctly and approved by the OGS in order for graduation. Once the OGS review is complete, they will send you an email through ProQuest saying one of the following:

• Submission has no revisions and is being accepted.
• Submission has no revisions, but there is missing required paperwork.
• Submission has a few revisions that must be made before accepting.

Ordering Bound Copies and Degree Certification

After the dissertation has been approved by the OGS, The Student should forward The Coordinator the OGS dissertation approval email for ordering of bound copies from Thesis On Demand.

The Student may need to present proof of completion of degree to a prospective employer before receiving a diploma. In that case, only after notification that submission has been approved, The Student may request a Degree Certification on the Graduate School website , on the Forms page.

Commencement and Hooding

Once the dissertation has been approved, The Student should contact The Dissertation Director for confirmation of the Hooding Ceremony for Commencement. Traditionally, The Dissertation Director will be present to present The Student with the Ph.D. hood during the Ph.D. Hooding Ceremony. 

Reservation to Ceremony

Registration for the Commencement ceremony is required and is separate from the ITG and ordering of regalia. Please register by the deadline online via the Wash U Commencement site .

Please note that the deadline and process for ordering regalia will be announced on the Wash U Commencement regalia  site and is taken care of by the Wash U Bookstore and NOT the Comparative Literature program. 

Questions from students may be addressed to the current Comparative Literature Academic and Administrative Coordinator  (aka Graduate Program Assistant, or GPA) or the Comparative Literature program at:  [email protected] .

PhD in Comparative Literature

International students: Check out the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)  office for useful resources.

Questions? Contact [email protected] .

Comparative Literature at the University of Minnesota has the distinction of being the first department to introduce continental European as well as Latin American and other non-European cultural and theoretical writings to English-speaking readers in the United States and abroad. Under the auspices of the University of Minnesota Press, our department launched the Theory and History of Literature series (1981–1998). We changed the landscape of comparative literary study via critical editions and translated writings of major figures such as Tzvetan Todorov, Vladimir Propp, Mikhail Bakhtin, Hélène Cixous, José Antonio Maravall, Malek Alloula, Gilles Deleuze, Jean-Luc Nancy, and Theodor W. Adorno (among others).

Today the department is a preeminent site for integrating conceptual, historical, literary, and philosophical scholarship. We engage literature, culture, and thought across Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Our PhD program in comparative literature emphasizes the importance of reading tradition against the grain—of national boundaries, textual practices, and intellectual production in the humanities. We conceive literature broadly—as a field of interrelation between word, image, and sound—and comparatism as a polycentric enterprise. Over the years, graduates of our program have been very successful at carrying forward our department’s critical comparatism and signature stress on word, image, and sound in their own scholarship. (View our  recent dissertations and job placement and achievements .) Our faculty teach seminars that explore a wide range of literary and cultural problems, embedding the understanding of texts within their material and discursive conditions of possibility. We regard comparatism as the heart and soul of cross-cultural inquiry and understanding and encourage students to pursue interdisciplinary projects that are at the same time disciplined and critical. 

Our PhD program admits a small cohort of students each year; we foster a close-knit and collaborative research and teaching community. As a graduate student in our program, you will work closely with departmental faculty (as well as affiliated faculty from across the university) who are committed to grasping the complexity and diversity of our contemporary world via engagements with forms of aesthetic, cultural, and philosophical expression from across the global North and South.

Our curriculum emphasizes seminars and independent studies that explore:

• Conceptual thought from a variety of perspectives—such as literary theory, feminist approaches, gender and sexuality studies, Marxism, psychoanalytic criticism, empire studies and postcolonial theory, critical translation studies, semiotic theory, intellectual history, visuality, and the sociology of literature and culture
• The politics and practices of comparatism
• Archival methods
• The analysis of form
• Disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity
• Historiography
• Translation and the circulation of intelligibility
• Geopolitics

Proficiency in two languages (other than English) is required for the degree. Students whose first language is not English may waive one of the two required languages; no other waivers are possible. For more information, see the Graduate Language Examination Policies .

• See further guidelines on committee composition .
• Enter your committee through our online system.
• If need be, you may  change your advisor or committee of record . 
• For guidelines on the written and oral preliminary examinations themselves, see Section IV of Doctoral Degree: Performance Standards and Progress .

College Resources for Graduate Students

Visit CLA’s website for graduate students to learn about collegiate funding opportunities, student support, career services, and more.

Student Services      Career Services     Funding & Support

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• Queen Mary University of London
• News stories

Queen Mary partners with the London Medical Exchange to broaden access to its postgraduate education offerings across China

On Sunday, 24 March, Queen Mary University of London formally signed an agreement with the London Medical Exchange (LME) to bring postgraduate medical education to healthcare professionals across China.

The signing ceremony was f acilitated by the Department for Business and Trade ; the new partnership aims to broaden access to Queen Mary’s innovative medical training offerings delivered by the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry .  

Using advanced technology to deliver classes and real-life experiences has helped reach more students from marginalised groups, lower socio-economic backgrounds, and remote geographical areas over recent years and make healthcare education more accessible.  

London Medical Exchange is a UK-based healthcare development training company focused on improving the skills and knowledge of hospital executives, doctors, and nurses through professional courses across China. Its programmes and courses have been designed to meet the ever-changing medical environment, from problem solving to real-world examples.  

During the signing ceremony in Shanghai, Queen Mary’s Dean for Digital Education at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Professor Chie Adachi, said:   

“We are delighted to join forces with the London Medical Exchange to open the doors to digital education for all. London Medical Exchange’s extensive network of hospitals and healthcare providers will help us deliver a cutting edge, online learning experience for healthcare transformation.”    

LME’s Managing Director, Craig Dookie, said:  

“London Medical Exchange has always strived to introduce the best of the UK’s medical teachings and this signing with Queen Mary University London truly represents this and our immense support to develop talented medical professionals across China.”   

Professor Sir Mark Caulfield, Vice Principal for Health for Queen Mary’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, said:  

“This exciting new partnership with LME will enable us to reach even more healthcare professionals across China with world-class medical education from this autumn”   

It is expected to see more clinicians and learners joining our PGT DL programmes from China through this partnership in September.

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• 4. PhD Milestones
• 1. The COMPLIT Office
• 3. Coursework
• 6. Graduate Funding
• 7. Grad. Student Instructors

Built into the PhD program in Comparative Literature is a number of Milestones each student must complete. The Third Term Review is designed to allow students to share their experiences in the graduate program, receive feedback on their coursework and skills, and plan next steps. The Preliminary Examination is the first step in defining a field for research and consists of a reading list and rationale submitted by the student to a committee which may form the basis for the student’s doctoral dissertation committee. The Topics Paper expands on a topic that is relevant to the student’s research interests.  The Preliminary Exam and the Topics Paper are designed to provide opportunities for the student to synthesize course work, to acquire knowledge in areas that may not be studied in courses, and to begin formulating a dissertation topic. A Prospectus detailing the dissertation project is the final step before writing the dissertation itself.  The Dissertation Defense is scheduled through Rackham when the student has completed the dissertation.  

4.1 Scheduling Milestone Meetings

Milestone meetings are usually held in the Comparative Literature Library in 2021C Tisch Hall, which can be reserved through the SSvC once all the faculty have agreed to exact dates. The SSvC will also help students submit relevant paperwork. While the DGS and the SSvC will help send reminders of upcoming milestones, and help students interpret expectations of the department and the graduate school, it is primarily the student’s responsibility to maintain reasonable and regular contact with faculty members on their committees and to give sufficient advance notice to their committee about scheduling dates. If such contact is not maintained, or if difficulties of any other kind arise, the student and/or the committee members should alert the DGS.  Students should keep the DGS informed of their plans to schedule meetings for the Preliminary Examination, Topics Paper, Prospectus, and the Dissertation Defense.  

4.2 Third Term Review

Timing :  The third term review is scheduled in October of the second year of graduate study.

Format :  The review is a 45-minute conversation with the student, during which the committee gathers information about the student’s goals, assesses those goals, and provides guidance about the best steps to achieve them. The committee may offer an assessment of the student’s adjustment to graduate school and give advice about combining scholarship and teaching. The primary goal of the review is to provide general academic counseling to students and broaden the acquaintance of faculty and students with each other.  Rather than giving detailed feedback on specific areas of research, the committee’s role is to suggest resources and strategies for students to develop their interests before forming more specialized faculty committees for the Preliminary Examination. 

Procedures :

The Committee : The committee consists of the DGS and two faculty members in Comparative Literature, appointed by the Department Chair. The DGS chairs the committee.

Submission: Students are asked to provide the committee with a small sample of their best work (one or two unrevised papers from the first year of course work). They also submit a 2-page statement outlining their interests and future goals. Students submit their written materials to the Student Services Coordinator in mid-September. The committee reviews these materials along with the student’s transcript and the evaluations submitted by the student’s instructors.

Evaluation: At the conclusion of the review, the committee goes over next steps with respect to the process for preliminary examination preparation using the prelim guidelines as a reference; suggestions and procedures for future milestones are then discussed in detail in COMPLIT601/698.  Within two weeks of the Third Term Review, the DGS provides written feedback to each student, detailing the findings of the committee and their advice. The review is not meant to replace either one-on-one mentoring or individual faculty evaluations.  

4.3 Preliminary Examination

Timing:   This exam is taken in early September of the fall term of the student’s third year of graduate school, before Rackham’s deadline for candidacy.  To begin preparation, students must take COMPLIT 601/COMPLIT 698 in the second year. The program requirement of two foreign languages at the advanced level must be met before a student takes the exam.

Click HERE for complete Preliminary Guidelines . 

4.4 Topics Paper

Timing:   Following up on the Preliminary Examination in September, students will develop ideas for the Topics Paper and participate in a brownbag coordinated by the DGS in November to discuss plans for researching and drafting the Topics Paper.  The paper is completed during the term following the Preliminary Examination and must be scheduled for discussion by the committee no later than the end of the student’s third year of graduate studies. 

The student, in close consultation with members of the committee, submits a paper of not less than 35 pages. The focus should be on researching a topic and/or exploring a methodology that will lead to the formulation of a dissertation project. The paper is scheduled for oral discussion in a one-hour meeting with the student’s committee.

Procedures:

The Committee:   The student forms a committee of three faculty members (one of whom is the chair).  At least one of the three faculty members of the committee shall hold an appointment in Comparative Literature. The committee may or may not be the same as the student’s Preliminary Examination Committee. 

Scheduling:   Students should confer with their committee chair no later than February to discuss the timeline for submitting the Topics Paper.  Students obtain approval from their committee chair and the DGS to schedule the committee meeting to discuss the Topics Paper.  Students then contact the Student Services Coordinator, to confirm the date and time for the Topics Paper meeting and to reserve the Comp Lit Library. 

Submission: The student should obtain approval from the committee chair to circulate a draft of the Topics Paper for feedback from the rest of the committee, before making final revisions and scheduling the official meeting to discuss the Topics Paper. At least two weeks before the scheduled discussion , the student must submit one copy of the Topics Paper to each committee member, the DGS and an electronic copy to the SSvC.

Evaluation: The Topics Paper is graded as High Pass, Pass, or Fail. The objective of the committee meeting to discuss the Topics Paper is to explore issues arising from the paper and to help the student define a dissertation topic. Within one week after the meeting, the chair of the committee will give the Student Services Coordinator a one-page summary of the committee’s comments.  The SSvC will send a copy of the comments to the DGS and place a copy of the approved Topics Paper in the student’s file. If the paper and/or the discussion fail to meet these objectives, the student may be asked to revise the paper and to schedule a second discussion.

Responsibilities of the student and the Topics Paper Committee:

After passing the Preliminary Examination, it is important for the student to stay in regular contact (at least monthly) with the Chair of the Topics Paper Committee and to keep the entire committee informed of the process and timeline for completing the Topics Paper, to be submitted by April or (with permission of the committee chair) no later than the end of the third year of graduate studies.

The committee meeting may be arranged to accommodate the schedule of faculty members.  In most cases, faculty members on leave should be willing to participate in the meeting.  If faculty members are on leave locally, they should expect to attend the meeting in person; if they are away from campus, participation remotely may be arranged.  It is the responsibility of the student to coordinate the time and place of the committee meeting to discuss the Topics Paper and inform the SSvC of the date. The student must also plan and make arrangements for any remote participation by a committee member.

If conflicts arise between the student and members of his or her committee, or if the student is having difficulty garnering consistent participation from any member or advisor, the student is encouraged to address these concerns to the DGS, who will help resolve the issue.

The Chair of the Topics Paper Committee takes responsibility for the following:

• Meet as needed with the student to discuss drafts of the Topics Paper
• Advise the student when the paper is ready for submission to the committee
• Keep the DGS informed of problems or changes in the student’s progress
• Resolve difficulties that may arise when, for instance, a student receives conflicting advice from different committee members
• Guide an hour-long oral discussion about the paper with the student and the committee
• Submit a written report to the student and the DGS within one week after the meeting
• Represent the committee in its official communications with the DGS concerning the student’s performance
• Meet individually with the student after the approval of the Topics Paper to discuss next steps toward the Prospectus

The responsibilities of other members of the Topics Paper committee are as follows:

• Confer as needed with the student to discuss drafts of the Topics Paper
• Read the final version of the Topics Paper before the committee meeting  
• Participate in the hour-long discussion with the student and the committee
• Approve the written summary of the meeting composed by the committee chair
• Give the student written comments on the paper either before the meeting or within one week after the meeting

Timeline for the Topics Paper

October: After successful completion of your Preliminary Examination in September, consult individually with members of your Prelim Committee and/or other faculty members to follow up on ideas for the Topics Paper.

November: Attend informational meeting on the Topics Paper.  This Brownbag is coordinated by the DGS, who will review various approaches to writing the Topics Paper, and invite several Comp Lit students who have completed the Topics Paper to share their experiences. 

December: Notify the DGS about the configuration of your Topics Paper committee, no later than the last day of classes in the fall term. You will need to identify a committee chair and two faculty members (at least one from Comparative Literature) and confirm via email that they are willing and able to serve in this capacity during the next semester. 

January: Submit a proposal for the Topics Paper to your committee chair for approval by the end of this month.  The proposal should (at the very least) consist of a 1-page description of your topic and a preliminary bibliography.

February and March: Meet regularly with your committee chair to discuss your progress on the Topics Paper and to decide when you are ready to circulate a draft to the rest of the committee. Set up individual meetings with other committee members as needed, and coordinate with the whole committee about scheduling a date for the Topics Paper Meeting. 

April: Notify the SSvC no later than April 1 that you have scheduled a date and reserved the Comp Lit library for the Topics Paper Meeting. Confirm with your committee chair that your final Topics Paper is ready to circulate to the rest of the committee, at least two weeks before the date of the Topics Paper Meeting.

4.5 Prospectus

Timing: The Prospectus should be completed at the beginning of the fourth year of graduate study and defended before the entire Dissertation Committee by December 15. A student who fails to submit and defend the Prospectus within one year of the Topics Paper Defense will no longer be considered to be making satisfactory academic progress.

Format:  The Prospectus is a document between 10-20 double-spaced pages, defining the subject, central questions, and methodological approach proposed for the dissertation, within the context of a survey of previous work on that question. The Prospectus provides a clear sense of how the dissertation will make an original contribution to scholarship, should include a chapter breakdown with paragraph-length summaries of each chapter, includes a selected bibliography of theoretical materials and primary and secondary sources. The Prospectus is scheduled for oral discussion in a one-hour meeting with the committee.

Committee :  The student forms a committee of four or five faculty members from Comparative Literature and/or any other department at the University of Michigan.  One faculty member will be designated dissertation chair (under special circumstances it is possible to designate co-chairs). Requirements and guidelines for the formation of the dissertation committee, including circumstances in which designating co-chairs may be appropriate, can be found on the Rackham website .  Please note: at least one of the faculty members of the committee shall hold an appointment in Comparative Literature, though the chair(s) of the committee need not. Questions about the formation of the committee can be addressed to the DGS. The student completes the Dissertation Committee Worksheet  , submits the worksheet to the SSvC for filing the committee with Rackham, and obtains approval from the DGS prior to scheduling a committee meeting for discussion of the Prospectus.

Scheduling: The student works in close consultation with the committee chair, who will determine when a draft of the Prospectus is ready to circulate to the rest of the committee for individual feedback, and when the student is ready to schedule a one-hour committee meeting to approve the final Prospectus. Students then contact the SSvC to confirm the date and time of the Prospectus meeting and reserve the CompLit Library.

Submission: At least two weeks before the scheduled discussion, the student must submit the prospectus in its final form to all committee members and the DGS, as well as an electronic copy to the SSvC. Students must confirm the date/time of the Prospectus meeting and reserve the Comp. Lit. Library with the SSvC.  After the meeting, a copy of the approved prospectus will be placed in the student’s file.

Evaluation: The Prospectus gives the structure for beginning the dissertation and helps make this project concrete in terms of ideas, form, and time. The objective of the Prospectus discussion is to confirm that the student has formulated a coherent topic and outlined a viable plan for dissertation research. If either the Prospectus or the discussion fails to meet these objectives, the student may be asked to revise the Prospectus and schedule a second discussion with the committee.  Within one week after the Prospectus defense, the chair of the committee will give the SSvC a brief summary of the committee’s comments. The student receives a copy of the report, a copy is sent to the DGS, and a copy remains in the student’s file.

Responsibilities of the student and the Prospectus Committee:

The student should stay in regular contact (at least monthly) with the committee chair and confer with the chair about the role of other members on the committee. “Contact” can be written correspondence, over the telephone, or in person, and it is the student’s responsibility to maintain consistent contact with the committee chair and keep him or her apprised of progress or setbacks. In the event that a committee chair proves unavailable or unresponsive, the student should address the issue to the DGS, who will contact the committee chair directly and assess whether adjustments to the Prospectus Committee may be necessary. It is also the responsibility of the student to coordinate the time and place of the committee meeting to discuss the Prospectus. The Prospectus meeting may be arranged to accommodate the schedule of faculty members who are away from campus.  In most cases, faculty members on leave should be willing to participate in the meeting. If faculty members are on leave locally, they should expect to attend the meeting in person; if faculty are out of town, it is the student’s responsibility to arrange for their remote participation via Blue Jeans through Instructional Support Services (ISS).

Drafting the Prospectus:   The Prospectus should include a statement of the major arguments and materials the student will deal with, an effort to delineate the project in relation to recent theoretical and critical developments in relevant fields, and a chapter plan with paragraph-length summaries of each chapter. Also, a selected bibliography should be attached (including what was already read and what is intended to be read) with full citational apparatus. Samples of the Prospectus can be accessed on U-M Box.

Many students find it hard to be decisive about the shape of a dissertation until they are well into the writing; you may need to resign yourself to speculating about some aspects of the project. You should see whatever difficulties you have in writing your prospectus as diagnostic of the work you have yet to do in planning your dissertation: if you are having trouble articulating the topic, you probably need to think it through more thoroughly; if you are uncomfortable with your rationale for the project, perhaps you need to do more research on previous approaches; if you have trouble summarizing your chapters, perhaps you need to spend some time on the organization of the dissertation or the content of individual chapters.

Always talk with your dissertation director about what he/she is looking for in a prospectus.  A prospectus differs from discipline to discipline, and within a discipline, from professor to professor. Since committee members for dissertations in Comparative Literature often have different areas of expertise, it is important for your prospectus to be as clear as possible without assuming that your reader will be familiar with highly specialized scholarly debates or unusual terminology.  Your prospectus should explain why your project is important, interesting, and relevant to broad concerns.  Here are seven general questions to ask yourself as you are drafting your prospectus:

What is my title? The title (which may change throughout the writing process) should accurately reflect what your dissertation is about, not just in terms of topic but in terms of a research problem.  Think of the title as a road map, for yourself as you write the prospectus and then the dissertation, as well as for committees considering you for a fellowship or employment.

What is my problem? Define the research problem to which your dissertation is a response. This is not the same as a “topic.”  A topic is a broad field, a theme. A problem is a precise issue within that topic area.

So what?   What is at stake in your research problem?  What are the implications of this problem?  Why is this something important to study? Do not think of you dissertation as “exploring” a problem or, worse, a topic. Preliminary research explores. A dissertation asserts and argues.

What is my method? How will you approach this problem and try to solve it?  It will help if you mention other scholars’ work on which you are building, and, if applicable, to which your own project is a response.

What is my structure? It is very important to have a mini-chapter outline with a brief statement of the work you think each chapter will do in the big picture of the dissertation.  This is different from simply describing the content of the chapter.  Think of the structure as a trajectory, a narrative that gives a feeling of connection between one chapter and the next, a connection controlled by your argument.

What have I read? Consider the books and articles you have learned from or consulted in order to construct this project.  Include a selected bibliography, not only of works cited in your prospectus but of other readings that have been useful to you so far.

What is my schedule? Make a timeline for your dissertation, break it down by semester, and review it with your committee during the discussion of the prospectus.  For your own purposes, the ability to break it down month-by-month will help a lot as well. 

4.6 Dissertation Defense

Timing : The doctoral dissertation is usually completed during the sixth year.  The student confers with the committee chair about the timeline for scheduling a defense, and the chair will confirm with the committee when the student is ready to schedule a date for a two-hour oral defense. The defense should be scheduled during the final term of enrollment, leaving enough time for recommended or required revisions of the dissertation and abstract and final submission of the approved dissertation in accordance with Rackham’s Doctoral Degree Deadlines  .

Format: The student defends the dissertation in a two-hour oral defense.  The dissertation must be formatted to meet the standards of Rackham Academic Records and Dissertations.  Rackham’s Abstract and Dissertation Formatting Guidelines are available online.

Students are also urged to consult with the staff of the Scholarspace  at the Graduate Library, which offers tutorials, template assistance, guides, and resources for dissertation preparation.  Rackham Doctoral Degree Resources will also give you valuable information.

Committee. The Department requires a committee composed of five faculty members, at least one of whom must be a faculty member with a joint appointment in Comparative Literature.  The final Dissertation Committee Form must be filed at Rackham at least six months before the dissertation defense.

Scheduling: The student works in close consultation with the committee chair, who will determine when dissertation chapters are ready to circulate to other members of the committee for feedback and approval.  The chair will also confirm with the committee when the student is ready to schedule a dissertation defense.  During the final six months when you are completing your dissertation, it is especially important to stay in regular contact with all committee members to keep them informed about your projected timeline, making sure you give them enough time to respond to your work and to agree on an acceptable date and time for you to defend your dissertation. Please note that all students preparing to defend must either register online to attend a group pre-defense meeting at Rackham or choose the remote option. Students must also contact the SSvC to confirm the date and time for scheduling the final defense and to reserve the CompLit Library.

Submission and Evaluation .  A complete copy of the dissertation (with abstract) must be submitted to all committee members at least 10 business days before the day of the oral defense.  Procedures for the dissertation defense are coordinated through the Rackham Graduate School. Rackham Doctoral Degree Resources is helpful in navigating the Rackham requirements.  For more information about preparing the dissertation (including responsibilities of committee members and final steps after the dissertation defense), see Rackham’s Dissertation Handbook .

Dissertation Printing/Binding . Upon completion of revisions, a final electronic copy of the dissertation should be delivered to the SSvC via email or U-M Box upload. The dissertation will then be sent out to be printed, bound and returned to the department for reserve in the Complit Library.

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