The Ph.D. Minor
The Ph.D. minor requirement is a Graduate School rule that requires students to do substantial work outside their field of specialization. The minor is fulfilled by a minimum of 9 credits. The minor must be completed before dissertator status is granted. The two types of minors are:
Option A
1. Name of Doctoral Minor: Ph.D. with a Minor in French
2. Overview
Our graduate program offers training for teaching and research in all areas of French and Francophone literature and literary history, in critical theory, film, gender and queer studies, romance philology, and foreign language pedagogy.
Learning outcomes:
- Analyze and interpret several theories, research methods, and approaches to inquiry in this discipline
- Demonstrate adequate proficiency in French to lead a well-informed discussion of literature and culture
- Communicate clearly and appropriately in both written and spoken French
3. Requirements
A student must take a minimum of 9 credits in advanced (300-level and above) French literature, culture, language, and film, taught in French, including at least 3 credits at the 500 level or above. Neither French 391 (“French for Reading Knowledge”) nor French 365 (“Topics in French/Francophone Literature and Culture [in translation])” nor any other course taught in English may be counted toward the Ph.D. Minor in French.
Transfer of Credits
Students may be given credit for graduate or advanced undergraduate (300 level or above) courses in French literature taken at other universities, to be determined by the French Instructional Committee. No more than 3 such credits may be transferred.
4. Admissions
To be accepted for graduate work in French toward the Minor, a student should have had the equivalent of not less than 4 semesters of college French, and be capable of taking courses at the 300 level.
Interested students should consult with the graduate coordinator ramer@wisc.edu and have the minor plan approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
Ph.D. with a Minor in French Declaration form: French Minor Option A Form
Option B, or the “Distributed Minor”
In this option, students take 9 or more credits in one or more departments, which may or may not include the major department. Students obtain the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee to complete an Option B minor by writing a description of the courses they wish to include in their minor, a rationale that groups them under a common theme, and reasons why the proposed minor is different from their field of specialization.