Academic Progress & Annual Review

Satisfactory Progress

A student shall be deemed in good standing: 

  • When they make satisfactory progress with coursework and towards the degree  by maintaining a 3.0 GPA for all courses, major and minor (the GPA for first-year  students will be calculated at the end of the first year) 
  • When they complete the M.A. examination with its prescribed prerequisites by  the end of the 4th semester; then complete the Ph.D. preliminary examination  (written and oral) by the end of the 5th semester of residence beyond the M.A.; or  by completing the Ph.D. preliminary examination (written and oral) by the end  of the 5th semester of residence when admitted with an MA. Note: the year spent  abroad on exchange TAship is not counted for good standing 
  • When they do not exceed the time limit allowed for resolving incomplete grades, which is documented in the department’s incomplete policy. 
  • When their performance as TA is deemed satisfactory by the DLI and Course  Coordinator

Graduate Instructors who do not complete the M.A. examination within 4 semesters will not receive further support. Exceptions to this rule will be entertained only on the recommendation of the faculty under advisement by the student's Advisory Committee. ​​​​​​​

Annual Review

Timely and satisfactory degree progress in the program (“good standing”) is a condition for continuation in the program and for receipt of promised funding.  Professional conduct, such as attendance to Welcome Week workshops, and to lectures,  conferences, workshops and other activities organized by the department with the  expectation that students will attend, are also conditions for continuation in the program and receipt of promised funding. Each spring semester the DGS, DLI, and the faculty conduct an annual review of each student’s performance for the ongoing academic year.  If, in their judgment, a student is not making satisfactory progress toward a degree or is not displaying professional conduct, the Graduate Studies Committee may recommend to The Graduate School that the student's registration be terminated. 

The annual review process begins in late December/early January when students begin completing their Student Activity Report (SAR), a document sent to them by the GPC. In early February when the student submits their SAR as a PDF to the GPC. The SAR contains: 

  • A list of professional activities for the elapsed year 
  • A list of upcoming activities for spring, summer, and fall of the following year
  • A list of sources of funding from within and without the department to which the student is applying, both for the upcoming summer and the upcoming academic year, including exchange programs

Each student must send their completed SAR form to their advisor, obtain feedback  from them and enter any changes they suggest, prior to turning it into the GPC on the  deadline indicated. The faculty and the DLI will review the SAR forms, and then meet  to discuss the forms as well as the students’ teaching performance, seminar  participation, and departmental responsibilities (including lecture and workshop  attendance). Then, the DGS and DLI will use these discussions as a basis for their annual performance reviews. Every student will receive a written annual performance review from the DGS, DLI, and GPC at the end of spring semester.  


At a follow up meeting, the faculty will nominate students to the summer funding  resources available. These include: summer schools (such as the Cornell School of  Criticism and Theory and the Dartmouth Summer Institute in French Cultural Studies);  summer research fellowships in French and summer grants in French from the  department; graduate research partnership program from the department; Hella Mears  Fellowship from CGES; and summer teaching. Nominations for the department’s year  abroad programs at Paris-Cité and Montpellier-Paul Valéry will also be decided  during that funding meeting. Students will be informed of their summer funding options within a few days after this meeting, which is usually held by mid to late March.

Timelines and Limits

M.A. students are expected to complete the M.A. degree by the end of the second year of full time study.

Ph.D. students are expected to:

  • take the written preliminary examination in their 4th semester of Ph.D. work;
  • pass the oral preliminary examination by the end of the fourth semester;
  • complete 24 thesis credits by the end of the semester they take prelims;
  • finish Ph.D. thesis and the complete the final oral examination by the end of the fourth year of Ph.D. work.

Note: University policy states that students must complete their M.A. within 5 years after entering the program, and complete their Ph.D. within 8 years of entering the program. This is a change from previous policy and that states students must complete their M.A. within 7 years and their Ph.D. within 5 years after completing their preliminary exams. The new policy applies to students entering the program Fall 2013 or later.