Degree Timeline
Literature Program Degree Timeline
By the end of the 1st year
- have at least a tentative proposal of the teaching field
- begin planning what six courses will count for the teaching field
- begin thinking about which professors to ask to be on the exam committee
- have completed or have a plan for completing the matrix requirements and language requirements
By the end of the 2nd year
- have a clear idea of the teaching field
- have completed or have a plan for completing the six courses in the teaching field
- have at least a tentative list of four professors to ask to serve on exam committee
- have completed or have a plan for completing the matrix requirements and language requirements
By the end of the 3rd year
- have completed all coursework for the degree, including the matrix requirements, language requirements, and six courses in the teaching field. Many students will complete this by the end of the Fall semester
- have reached agreement with four professors to serve on exam committee, one as chair
- have begun to formulate reading lists for the two fields of the exam: teaching field and dissertation field
By the end of the 4th year
- have completed the exams. Most students should aim to take the exams in the Fall semester, but they must be completed by the end of the Spring semester
- if the exams are completed in the Fall semester, the student should aim to pass the Chapter Workshop in the Spring, presenting a sample chapter and a prospectus for the dissertation to the committee
By the end of the 5th year
- all students should have completed the Chapter Workshop and should have spent the remainder of the year writing the dissertation
By the end of the 6th year
- students should aim to have at least two chapters of the dissertation written by the middle of the Fall semester, allowing them to apply for jobs at that time
- students should aim to complete the dissertation by the end of the year