Graduate Programs

Doctor of Philosophy

We offer a five-year funding package, including summers, to all admitted Ph.D. students with competitive funding available for a sixth year. Funding covers tuition fees, Stanford Cardinal Card health insurance, and a living stipend or salary. Students are paid based on a combination of fellowships and assistantships during their time in the program.

In the first year of the program, students focus on coursework, departmental exams, and preparing to teach. In year two, students continue coursework while also teaching with the Stanford Language Center. Most students advance to candidacy at the end of year two. In years three and four, students finish core coursework and departmental exams, complete the University Oral Exam, and begin work on the dissertation. In the final years of the program, students finish the teaching requirement, apply for fellowships, and complete the dissertation.

Students are required to teach five courses by the end of year five in the program. Courses may be a combination of language and literature courses, as well as a combination of teaching assistantships, co-instructorships, and/or solo instructor positions.

Throughout the program, we encourage our students to participate in the Research Unit, Focal Groups, and other extracurricular opportunities, such as conferences, fellowships, and more. Most students complete the program in approximately six years.

Coterminal Masters

The coterminal degree program allows undergraduates to study for a Master of Arts (M.A.) or Master of Science (M.S.) degree while completing their bachelor's degree(s) in the same or a different department. To qualify for both degrees, a student must complete requirements for both the bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree with no reduction in units for either degree.

Graduate Programs Offered in the Division

The doctorate and masters degrees offered in each department at the Division of Literatures and Cultures are listed below.