Calendar of Progress Through the Ph.D. Program in Chinese or Japanese Literature

This is a descriptive rather than prescriptive calendar. It should be read as a gloss on the information found elsewhere on the department’s web page and in the current Yale University Graduate School Policies and Procedures.  Each student’s career in the Ph.D. program will differ somewhat from that of other students, depending upon prior preparation, the nature of the student’s particular area of specialization, and other factors. On the other hand, both the Graduate School and the Department have certain regulations and expectations with which all students must comply, and exceptions are only rarely made. Consult the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) regarding any questions about the regulations set forth in Programs and Policies or about this calendar.

Please note well that this is a guide to your six years of funded residence at Yale. It is normal for most graduate students to interrupt and supplement their studies at Yale with one or two years of research in East Asia underwritten with a grant obtained from such agencies as Fulbright, Fulbright-Hays, CSCC, Harvard-Yenching Dissertation Fellowship, Japan Foundation, Monbukagakusho, etc. Students typically apply to these agencies for support in the summer of their third year, if not sooner, using the opportunity of the application process to develop an early draft of the dissertation prospectus which is submitted to the Department the following term. Students should be aware that some of these agencies have early deadlines for applications. Please confer early and closely with your adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies in planning your schedule for study abroad.

Applications for grants from the Graduate School and the Council on East Asian Studies for summer language study and research travel are solicited late in the fall term and early in the spring term. Students should make their summer plans as early as possible and should be prepared to apply for these grants when they are announced. Students should be aware that application deadlines for grants for dissertation study abroad typically fall in the later summer or early fall of the year before the supported year.

Every Year

Around the middle of the spring term, perhaps most conveniently just before or after the spring break, each student should set up a meeting with the DGS and with all faculty members teaching in his or her area (Chinese or Japanese or both, if appropriate) to discuss his or her progress and performance, and plans for the coming year(s). This meeting should take place each year until the term in which the student takes his or her qualifying exam (see Calendar of Progress - Third Year). Students in residence who are working on their dissertations should organize a similar meeting, at least once a term, to discuss their progress with the DGS, their adviser, their committee and other interested faculty members.

Career Placement and Advising

The McDougal Graduate Student Center and the Office of Career Strategy offer many workshops and advising services to assist students in their search for employment upon completion of their degrees, including teaching appointments, post-doctoral fellowships, and other kinds of employment and career planning. All graduate students are urged to avail themselves of these services, which include dossier services. In addition, students should seek advice from the DGS, the EALL Placement Officer, and their adviser about the job search process. Both the McDougal Center and your DGS and adviser can offer suggestions and guidance on the preparation of your resumé and cover letter, how to prepare for a “job talk” or interview, etc. All students nearing the end of the dissertation-writing process and preparing to search for jobs are urged to present a “work in progress” talk to interested members of the department and others (this often can serve as a rehearsal of the “job talk”); contact the DGS to arrange this.

 

ARCHAIA Qualification

The qualification offered by the ARCHAIA Program for the Study of Premodern Languages and Societies provides intellectual opportunities to graduate students with wide-ranging interests in the ancient and premodern worlds, extending their studies beyond departmental lines and incorporating new methods both from the social sciences and the humanities.