A topic will be chosen in consultation with a faculty comittee and worked out with the Graduate Advisor. It is expected that the comparative project will be completed and approved, and the student advanced to doctoral candidacy, by the end of the third year. See Graduate Program Procedures . By the end of the third year of study the student is expected to select the area of focus for the dissertation. The Department makes every attempt to provide its graduate students with teaching experience at Brown in undergraduate courses suited to the graduate student's interest.
Teaching assistants work under the direct supervision of members of the professorial staff.
The Department will keep students informed of positions as they become available in pertinent departments and at other institutions, and will assist them in presenting their candidacy for such positions. The Department does not admit terminal M.A. candidates, nor does it require a Master's degree as a prerequisite for the doctorate. Alternatively, a student will receive the M.A. upon completion of the comparative project and advancement to doctoral candidacy. Part-time students are allowed to pay according to the number of courses taken. Dean's fellowships, University fellowships and scholarships for the first year of study that cover tuition and a living stipend.