ÌÇÐÄVlog

A) CST 7309 Theory and Criticism (6 credits, 2 sections with different content)

B) CST 7936 Interdisciplinary Perspectives (6 credits, 2 sections with different content)

C) 24 additional credits, divided into two concentrations

       1. A primary concentration, comprised of 15 credits (typically 5 courses)

       2. A secondary concentration, comprised of 9 credits (typically 3 courses)

These 24 credits may be at the 5000, 6000, or 7000 levels, with no more than 12 credits being completed at the 5000 level. These credits may be CST classes, but more frequently will be selected from graduate programs within the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters (and/or our partners at Shenkar College), including, but not limited to, the School of Architecture, the Department of Visual Art and Art History, the Department of Theatre, the Department of Music and Dance, the Department of Philosophy, and Shenkar’s Unit for History and Philosophy of Art, Design, and Technology. Students will choose two discrete areas (often but not always explicitly disciplinary) for interdisciplinary study.

D) 1-9 credits of CST 7910: Advanced Research and Study, to be taken while compiling the exam portfolio and completing the oral exams.

E) 12 dissertation credits

Because of the unique nature of this program, the dissertation may be traditional scholarship but will more likely be something more innovative. This will comprise of theoretical or empirical research, as well as innovative/experimental research.

The proposed output for such a PhD endeavor will feature:

       1. Strong written element (either proto-monograph, 3 essays or combination) as well as

       2. Audio-visual, interactive, spatial or performative element

Collaborative PhD work will be allowed in special cases (with academic peers, unique professionals or high-profile experts, as deemed appropriate by PhD committee).

Qualifying Exams
After completing 18 credits (one year) of coursework in the distribution requirements, students will submit an Application for Qualification to the Ph.D. Executive Committee.  This committee will review the applicant's current progress to date through the program, their skills as a scholar/researcher and their progress in planning for the Comprehensive Examination and grant them continuing status in the program.

Comprehensive Exams
Students will take the comprehensive exams at the beginning of their third year of study. The exams consist of a written and oral component. The written exam is based on a reading list that includes, but is not limited to, course assignments. It will consist of a series of written essays. The successful completion of these written assignments will be followed by an oral exam within two weeks.

Satisfactory Completion of a Dissertation
The student will defend his/her Dissertation Prospectus at the beginning of Spring in Year 3. The dissertation will contain original research and will be defended before the student’s committee and others. Only the committee will vote on approval.

• M.A., M.S., M.A.T. or M.F.A. in a relevant discipline.
• Minimum 3.5 GPA in previous graduate courses
• For international applicants, a competitive TOEFL score is also required.
• Applicants must submit an academic paper, approximately 20 pages in length and with scholarly documentation, that demonstrates the applicant’s analytical and explanatory skills and command of the discipline in the area of the master’s degree. Candidates who plan to work in lingua are required to submit an additional academic paper in that language, too.
• A statement of intent that outlines the applicant's field(s) of study and describes how your academic background has prepared you for this interdisciplinary program.
• Three (3) letters of recommendation, including at least two from professors whose course(s) the applicant has taken. These letters should be current and should attest to the applicant's intellectual qualifications for the Ph.D. in Comparative Studies.
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) recommended, but not required.
• The deadline for Fall admission is January 15.  For candidates not seeking Ph.D. fellowships, the deadline is March 1.

Applications may be downloaded from the . All application materials, including the letter of intent, three letters of reference, and writing sample, should be uploaded into the graduate admission application prior to submission.

Applicants who have completed all or part of their education outside of the United States are required to have their foreign credentials evaluated course by course by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (). For a list of member evaluation services, please visit the .

ÌÇÐÄVlog evaluates foreign credentials internally. However, the applicant may choose to use a NACES member company. If an internal evaluation was requested through the ÌÇÐÄVlog application, the following documents must be received 30 business days prior to the ÌÇÐÄVlog deadline by the Graduate College.

The Ph.D. in Comparative Studies Program only accepts applications for the Fall semester of each academic year. The deadline for Fall admission is January 15. For candidates not seeking funding for the program, the deadline is March 1.

Transcripts should be sent to:

ÌÇÐÄVlog
Graduate College
SU-80, Room 101
777 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431

Graduate Teaching Assistantships are primarily available in English, French, Italian and Spanish. GTAs gain valuable experience teaching and/or assisting in undergraduate courses in their disciplines. The teaching assistantship includes a $19,500.00 stipend as well as a full tuition waiver. Students awarded GTAs are automatically entered into competition for Presidential Fellowships, which add $5,000.00 to the annual stipend.

Special fellowships for students concentrating their studies in certain areas are also available on a competitive basis.

If you are interested in competing for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship, please include in your statement of purpose this request and indicate any prior teaching experience you may have had in your M.A. program or elsewhere. Be sure to indicate in which areas you feel qualified to work (English, Spanish, French, Italian, Communication, etc.)

For additional grant opportunities, click here.

Duties associated with Graduate Teaching Assistantships vary by department.

 

GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS IN ENGLISH
Students in the Comparative Studies program who work as Graduate Teaching Assistants for the English department will typically teach first year writing courses (ENC 1101/ENC 1102) for the first two years in the program. Beginning in their second year, they may submit a proposal  to teach an ENC 1102 equivalent, ENC 1939, of their own design and centered around their research interests. Beginning in the third year,  Ph.D. GTAs will be assigned to at least some 2000-level literature classes. On occasion, depending on departmental needs and GTA expertise, they may teach even further up in the curriculum in their 3rd and/or 4th years.

GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS IN WOMEN, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES
Students in the Comparative Studies program who work as Graduate Teaching Assistants for the Center for Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies will teach one of the program’s core courses, WST 2010 Introduction to Women’s Studies, WST 2608 Introduction to Sexuality and Gender, or our forthcoming Introduction to LGBTQ Studies. Students may also teach WST 2101 Women and Gender in the Global South. Students may also propose a special topics section of WST 3930 to reflect their research interests, beginning in their second year.

GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
Students in the Comparative Studies program who work as Graduate Teaching Assistants for the Political Science department will typically assist a professor in the teaching of lower division large lecture courses in political science such as American National Government (POS 2041), International relations (INR 2002) and Comparative Politics (CPO 3003) for the first two years in the program. Beginning in their third year, they may submit a proposal to teach a smaller section of these lower division classes, or a class of their own design and centered around their research interests. On occasion, depending on departmental needs and GTA expertise, they may teach even further up in the curriculum in their 3rd and/or 4th years.

ABOUT THE AMERICAS INITIATIVE
The Study of the Americas Initiative takes full advantage of ÌÇÐÄVlog’s location at the nexus of South, North and Central America and the Caribbean to bring different spaces of the western hemisphere into conversation by providing fora for discussion for scholars in all disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. The Initiative supports interdisciplinary research and creative efforts engaging in the comparative analysis of culture, history, society, politics, music, art, media, language and literature of the Americas, and exploring the interconnections between North, South and Central America and the Caribbean.

Recent faculty hires in this area demonstrate the diversity, breadth and significance of these concerns. They include:

• · Study of Africana/Lantinx cultural productions
• · Social, political cultural and economic conditions of diasporic peoples
• · Immigration, migration and civil rights law
• · Transnational political movements and cultural
• · Economic dislocations, commerce and entrepreneurship
• · Sports and cultural policy
• · Decolonial and Critical race theory
• · Intercultural, transnational and intersectional communication
• · Emerging technologies, new media, and diasporic networking
• · Gender and sexuality studies

More details on the Americas Initiative can be found here, or contact Dr. William Trapani, Director of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies.