Ph.D. in Spanish

PhD Paper (Area A), Written Qualifying Exams and Defense of Dissertation Proposal (Areas B and C)

The PhD exams require completion of three areas: a research paper (Area A), written qualifying examinations (Areas B and C), and an oral defense of the dissertation proposal. All areas must be completed after having passed or registered for the 24 hours of required coursework in the department (typically the third year of the program). The DGS and the COGA’s GPC will make sure that the qualifying exams adhere to the University Academic Support Centers (former AAAC) rules, https://academicsupport.ku.edu/.

General Timeline:

First two semesters/Completion of coursework Period

The student works closely with their Doctoral advisor in all matters related to course selection and program planning. By the end of the second semester of course work at KU, the student will meet with their Doctoral advisor to plan their exam areas and select two additional Advisory Committee members. Once formed, the student will meet with the Advisory Committee to ensure the fulfillment of all required coursework, supporting languages, and the Doctoral minor (see Advisory Committee form. Appendix A, p. 48). In addition, the Advisory Committee and the student will decide on the topics for the written paper (A) and two examinations (B and C):

1. Paper (Area A): the student will submit a paper that shows critical engagement with a genre (novel, poetry, essay, drama, etc.) or critical/theoretical area (e.g., poetics; performance studies; narrative and narratology; cultural studies; romanticism). This paper can be the continuation/finished form of a project initiated in any of the PhD seminars.
2. Examination (Area B): Based on a bibliography put together by the student on a specific field, understood as a focus on a specific region (i.e., Caribbean literature) and temporal framework (i.e., Colonial Latin America).
3. Examination (Area C): Based on a bibliography put together by the student on a theoretical framework as it relates to a specific corpus of literary and cultural expression from the Latin American and Peninsular contexts (i.e., transatlantic studies, circum- Caribbean studies, border studies, reading and readership, etc.).

The committee will ensure that these three areas are complementary but not redundant, and that neither of them is too broad, nor too narrow. The materials from Areas A, B, and C will confirm the ‘academic profile’ of the student as an up-and-coming scholar and are the foundations for the dissertation work. Thus, it is imperative that the student can articulate how each area complements the others, and how these areas altogether shape the process of inquiry in the fields of literary and cultural studies.

PhD students are required to seek feedback on their paper (Area A) and to work with their principal advisor on preliminary drafts prior to turning the final paper to the full Advisory Committee no later than their last semester of coursework. Students must turn in a draft to the full PhD Advisory Committee by November 1 prior to the Spring Semester exam or by April 1 prior to the Fall Semester exam. Faculty are not expected to provide feedback on PhD papers after the end of the semester prior to the Exam.

Immediately AFTER last semester of coursework

Both the paper AND examinations are due at the exam period immediately following the last semester of coursework or no later than two weeks after if recommended by the PhD Advisor.

Note:

• Students completing coursework in May will be examined and turn in their paper in the second full week of the following Fall semester.
• Students completing coursework in December will be examined and turn in their paper the second full week of the Spring semester.
• Students will turn in the final version of their paper (Area A) on the date that the first PhD written exam is administered.

Area A: PhD Paper

The student will write one substantive, and potentially publishable research essay (10,000- 12,000 words) under the supervision of the Doctoral advisor and additional members of the Advisory Committee. Ideally, the paper for area A will constitute the basis for a dissertation proposal and possibly even a chapter in the dissertation.

To be accepted toward fulfillment of the PhD requirement, the essay must demonstrate breadth and depth of understanding of the topic in question and a mastery of the relevant critical corpus, in addition to the ability to formulate an original inquiry and offer a strong thesis. The expectation is that students undergo multiple revisions of their work prior to the final submission. The Advisory Committee will have sole responsibility for determining whether the paper is a pass or a fail. In addition, if the student fails to turn in the paper at the set timeline, they will receive an F on this Area of the PhD Qualifying exams.

Areas B and C: Written Examinations

These areas include two three-hour written examinations (in Spanish), followed by the oral defense of the Dissertation Proposal.

Written examinations for areas B and C are based on reading lists agreed upon in advance by the student and the Advisory Committee. The examinations will be given twice a year, to be scheduled for the second full week of classes in the Spring and Fall semesters. The dates for these exams will be announced at least four weeks before they are to take place. The Graduate Program Coordinator and Director of Graduate Studies will ensure that the exam adheres to any individual accommodations communicated through the University Academic Support Centers, former AAAC, https://academicsupport.ku.edu/. 

Students who do not pass Areas B and/or C will be able to retake either one or both during the semester immediately following the first attempt. A student may not take any part of the comprehensive written examination for areas B or C more than three times.

Examination questions will be written for the student by at least two Advisory Committee members, who may solicit input from other faculty members with expertise in a specific area. The student’s advisor will provide the Graduate Studies Committee with the questions for the exam during the first week of the semester. All members of the Advisory Committee will proof-read and approve the questions. Once the written exam is completed, the Advisory Committee will have sole responsibility for its assessment. The chair of the Advisory Committee must communicate in writing the results of each examination process to the Director of Graduate Studies, who will in turn communicate in writing with the student; these letters constitute a record of the written examination process and are placed in the student’s academic file as evidence of progress toward the degree.

Policy on Postponement of the Written PhD Written Examinations

If a student signs up for the PhD Examination for a subsequent semester and does not take the Examinations on the scheduled dates, and/or fails to present the Examination paper, the student will fail the relevant portions of the Examination. Students are encouraged to work with their committees to set realistic exam dates. In strenuous circumstances, students may petition for an alternate date. If such a petition is granted, the student will be allowed to postpone the Examination with no penalty. Unusual circumstances include serious medical conditions, family emergencies, and sudden changes in the composition of the Department faculty.

Although students retain their legal right to petition for any reason, failure to make sufficient progress on a paper in the months prior to a scheduled exam does not in itself qualify as an “unusual circumstance.” A petition should explain the justification for postponement in detail and be accompanied by appropriate documentation, including a letter of endorsement from the Chair of the student’s examination committee. Since unusual circumstances can arise quite suddenly, the Graduate Studies Committee cannot set a firm deadline for petitions. A student should act expeditiously, however, if considering such a request, to allow sufficient time for the Advisor and the Committee to consider it. If a student has petitioned to postpone the examination once and is unprepared to take it the following semester, it is recommended that they take a leave of absence from the PhD program.

Oral Defense of the Dissertation Prospectus

After the student has passed all three written components of the examination (Areas A, B, and C), the Director of Graduate Studies will request the KU Office of Graduate Affairs to schedule the defense of the dissertation prospectus. This requirement must take place during the same semester as the written portions of the Comprehensive Examination, and at least two weeks following notification to the Office of Graduate Affairs. Failure to complete the oral defense within that time period could require repetition and successful completion of all components of the written examination.

Oral Defense of Dissertation Prospectus Committee

The examination committee will consist of five members, including the members of the student's Graduate Advisory Committee, an additional faculty representative from the Department, and one faculty member from outside the Department. The expected dissertation director chairs this committee.

Content and Assessment

For the oral examination, students must prepare a dissertation prospectus (approximately 12-15 pages). This narrative should:

• Outline the central question toward the formulation of a solid thesis.
• Explain the choice of primary sources (literary works, cultural expression) under analysis.
• Offer a theoretical framework and reflection on methodology.
• Situate the proposed research within previous scholarship.
• Provide a general outline of the dissertation.
• Include a bibliography that further shows the candidate’s dialogue with other theoretical and critical works on the subject.

The members of the oral examination committee will receive copies of the dissertation prospectus at least ten days prior to the scheduled examination date. The oral examination will focus on the proposal, but its larger purpose is to assure that the candidate has adequate control of the general field of the dissertation. Thus, the committee may wish to follow up in some of the weaker areas of the written examinations, or probe further aspects related to the dissertation not covered in the written examinations. The candidates will be expected to consult with their committees to ascertain if there are any specific areas needing special attention.

At the oral examination, questions may be asked by any member of the senior staff, but the decision to pass or fail the candidate is made by the oral exam committee (consisting of five graduate faculty; one is an external member to the department). According to the regulations of the KU Office of Graduate Affairs, if the student fails the comprehensive examination in any of its areas (written -areas A, B, C- and/or oral) it may be repeated on the recommendation of the department, but under no circumstances may it be taken more than three times. And it may not be repeated until at least ninety days have elapsed since the last unsuccessful attempt. Normally, a student would repeat the oral examination before the end of the semester following the semester in which the previous oral examination was given. After the student passes this examination, their status, as far as the KU Office of Graduate Affairs is concerned, is changed from that of a PhD aspirant to that of a candidate for the PhD.

If the student changes the dissertation topic after this examination has been successfully completed, a new dissertation proposal must be prepared and approved by the student's dissertation committee and by the department's Graduate Studies Committee.

After passing all areas of the Qualifying exams, the Office of Graduate Studies requires that doctoral candidates be continuously enrolled in at least six hours each fall or spring semester, including at least one dissertation hour, until 18 hours have been completed or until graduation, whichever comes first.  After the 18 hours are completed, the student must enroll in at least one dissertation hour per semester until all requirements of the degree are met. Enrollment during this period may include the semester in which the exam was passed provided that it was taken  before the first day of the term’s final exam period.

Students who have completed their qualifying exams are not required by the Office of Graduate Studies to enroll during summer session. Doctoral students should consult with their advisors and departmental graduate staff to determine whether any other policies require them to enroll during the summer.

Prior to beginning work on the dissertation, students are asked to consult carefully the ‘Guidelines for Dissertations’ appended to this document (see Graduate Student Handbook Appendix A (.pdf)).

Dissertation Committee

Membership on the dissertation committee is designated by the KU Office of Graduate Affairs on the basis of recommendations by the Department. The dissertation committee shall consist of five members. One of them must be from outside the Department, particularly if the dissertation topic engages with other disciplines. The chair of the candidate’s committee is the director of the dissertation.

The three-person Graduate Advisory Committee may become the core of the student’s Dissertation Committee. Yet, the student can change the composition of their committee after the Ph.D. examination process is complete, and in consultation with their doctoral advisor and Director of Graduate Studies.

Final Oral Defense

As stipulated by KU’s Office of Graduate Affairs, each member of the committee must read and approve the dissertation before the degree can be awarded. Each member should, thereof, have the opportunity to read the dissertation and to make suggestions before it is typed in its final version.

During the last semester of writing the dissertation, the student should contact the Graduate Academic Advisor to begin the defense scheduling process. The Graduate Academic Advisor will communicate on behalf of the student to schedule the defense, reserve a room, and complete pre-approval work prior to the exam. The dissertation defense scheduling process should begin no later than two months prior to the earliest possible defense date.

The student should send the final draft of their dissertation to each committee member via email (or in hard copy by request) at least four weeks prior to the scheduled date of the dissertation defense to enable committee members to examine it fully. The grade (satisfactory, honors, or unsatisfactory) for the defense is determined by majority vote of the five-member dissertation committee.

After the final oral defense, the dissertation, prepared in accord with KU Office of Graduate Affairs and departmental guidelines, must be submitted electronically to the KU Office of Graduate Affairs. In addition, one bound and signed copy of the dissertation must be turned in to the Department for permanent filing. The KU Graduate Catalogue states that students who do not complete the dissertation within the eight-year time limit, must petition for an extension of the deadline.

To request a leave of absence from the Ph.D. program a student must submit a written petition to the Graduate Committee. Leaves normally are for a maximum of one year. Such leaves are intended to accommodate students for personal reasons, i.e. illness, family crises, etc., and in special cases for full-time professional activities related to the student’s doctoral program and long-range career goals. The Committee normally will not endorse any professional activities request submitted after May 15 for a leave beginning in the fall semester, or after November 1 for a leave beginning in the spring semester. Normally the graduate committee will recommend approval for single one-year extension to complete a dissertation, and to qualify for such an extension the candidate will be expected to have submitted to his or her committee a minimum of one half of the dissertation prior to the request. Dissertation directors are urged to remind students approaching the eight-year limit of this policy. Retroactive requests will not be considered.