For example, a student interested in German romanticism would naturally gravitate toward course work in Rousseau, in Idealist philosophy, in Beethoven and Wagner, in 19th-century French and German history, and so forth. The details of an individual program of study will be worked out with the advisors. Three years beyond the undergraduate degree are the minimum for the Ph.D. Those who arrive with an M.A. already completed will be credited with one year toward residency. At least one, and no more than three, of these courses should be in fields outside the major literature. The course load of eight per year is subject to variation.
Teaching assistants reduce their course load in proportion to their teaching load.
The examining committee will write a letter to the student either giving or denying permission to proceed in the program. Only those students whose first year record is complete and satisfactory will be permitted to present themselves for examination. The student may not postpone them. It occurs twice each year, either in October or in May, and is individually prepared and scheduled for each student. Careful consultation with advisors is essential in preparation for the exam, which consists of three written sections and an oral exam.