Graduate FAQ: Graduate Program in
Romance Languages and Literatures
Q. What are the entrance requirements?
A. Other than taking the Graduate Record Exam (and TOEFL if applicable) are no formal entrance requirements. The Department evaluates each application on the basis of the candidate’s general knowledge of the canon of the literature of the language in which he or she is applying. With this in mind, applicants typically have a reasonably solid background in the literature of their specialty. This need not consist of graduate courses. Rather, the candidate’s transcripts, as well as recommendation letters and the personal statement, should reflect strong performance in course work. The candidate should be competent in addressing topics in the literature as evidenced in the writing sample.
Q. How long does it take to get the Ph.D.?
A. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences encourages students to obtain their doctorates within a six or seven year period. After the seventh year, funding for completing the dissertation is no longer guaranteed.
Q. How will my graduate study be funded?
A. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences provides full financial support to candidates offered admission, and application review is need-blind. A standard offer consists of full tuition, fees and living stipend for the first two years; full tuition and fees and Teaching Fellow stipend for the third and fourth years; and full tuition, fees and living stipend in the completion year. In addition, students are awarded $3800 for use in the summer following years one through four of study.
In the fifth year, financial aid is available through continued teaching or the many competitions for grants offered through the Graduate School and other institutions for dissertation research, and/or travel, or through loans.
Q. If I have a Master’s degree already will those credits transfer?
A. All graduate students begin the program in Romance Languages at the same starting point. No credits for graduate work are transferred prior to enrollment. At the end of the first year of studies and upon successful completion of the first-year exam, a student may apply for up to four semester-long courses taken elsewhere at the graduate level.
Q. Can I apply for admission in the spring ?
A. No. Newly admitted graduate students enter the program in Romance Languages and Literatures in September only. However, those who wish to take one to four courses in the spring term, prior to applying for acceptance into the Ph.D. program, may contact the Graduate School through the Special Students' Office. Decisions to accept a Special Student is made by the section to which he or she is applying. Should a Special Student be admitted through separate application into the Ph.D. program, his or her graduate course credits will be applied against the course requirements for the doctorate.
Q. Can I specialize in the literature of more than one language?
A. Yes. On your application, you should indicate very clearly your reason for doing this, and your goals as a graduate student. If admitted, you will be required to take additional courses to adequately cover both literatures. Your general examination will be longer. Your dissertation must address topics relevant to both literatures.
Q. Can I combine disciplines?
A. Yes. You may do this in two different ways. Most commonly, students apply with an interest in, for example, 20th century French Literature with an emphasis on film studies. A degree in this specialty requires specific courses in both French Literature and Visual and Environmental Studies.
If one of your specialties is outside of Romance Languages -- Medieval Literature and Early World Religions, for example -- you might want to consider applying as an ad hoc degree candidate. This program was established for students whose work extends beyond the discipline of one department. First, you would need to be accepted into a single department's graduate program, and maintain an outstanding academic record during your first year, in order to present your proposal for an ad hoc degree program to the Administrative Board. Upon approval of the proposal, you would transfer to the new program with your original department remaining financially responsible for you.
Q. What if my previous degree is in an unrelated field?
A. Our applicants are from a wide range of backgrounds. Some of our current students hold undergraduate degrees in Music, Art, English, or even in fields outside the humanities. All of them, however, have taken a fairly substantial number of courses in the Romance Literature of their choice, performed well in them, and demonstrated a general working knowledge of the canon in their literature.
Q. May I visit the Department?
A. Those who wish to make an individual appointment with a professor or visit his or her class should contact the professor individually well in advance. Questions of an administrative nature may be addressed by email to Frannie Lindsay, the Graduate Coordinator. We want to help you get acquainted with us. However, we are unable to set up formal visits with the department as a whole prior to a candidate’s admission. Once you are admitted, the Department will welcome your visit and will schedule classes, appointments with faculty, informal meetings with students, meals, and other activities during your stay.
Q. What are the strongest factors considered in evaluating an application?
A. While admission is extraordinarily competitive, the committees review each dossier overall: is the candidate’s profile promising? Is he or she a right fit for our program?
Q. I keep reading about half-courses at Harvard. What are these?
A. A half-course refers to a course that is completed within half an academic year, or one term. In other words, it is usually the credit equivalent of a course taken at another institution within a semester. Harvard refers to this as a half-course to distinguish it from a full-course, which is begun in the fall and completed at the end of the spring term.
Q. Can I enroll with the intention of applying ony for a Master’s degree?
A. No. As a Ph.D. student, you will fulfill the requirements for a Harvard Master of Arts degree, ordinarily during your first year of studies. However, in Romance Languages and Literatures, this is not considered a terminal degree. Therefore, the admissions committees cannot evaluate applicants who do not wish to pursue a Ph.D.
Last updated on August 27, 2008