The Ph.D. in Cultural Studies is designed as an integrated and intensive 4-year program that focuses on reading, discussion, writing, and, simultaneously, both the ongoing construction of the research projects that constitute the dissertation, and the identification of the special field(s) and areas of scholarship to which the students are contributing.
Courses
In their first year, students take CUST-6100 Intellectual Traditions in Cultural Studies and CUST-6110 Practice of Theory in Cultural Studies. With weekly seminars led by faculty members and chaired by the Graduate Director, CUST-6100 engages students in discussions about the various traditions that have contributed to the development of cultural studies as an interdisciplinary field at Trent and other institutions. CUST-6110 complements these exchanges by exploring the many conceptual and methodological approaches that scholars of cultural studies engage with. Together, these courses prepare students to take the Comprehensive Examination at the end of the first year (CUST-6125). Upon successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination, students will work on finalizing their Special Field Bibliography (CUST-6225) in their own area of competence to which their dissertation project will contribute. Students will submit a draft of their Bibliography by the end of August of the first year.
In the second year, students participate in the Dissertation Seminar (CUST-6200), a forum in which students present their work to each other and to members of faculty as they develop their project and refine the area of scholarship that will support their Special Field of study. All students are required to participate in the Dissertation Seminar where they are invited to develop their research by completing a chapter of their dissertation. At the end of second year, students participate in the annual Symposium, a public event featuring work they completed in the dissertation seminar. Students are further expected to complete their Special Field Examination (CUST-6250) before third year; and they also normally complete a required 0.5 elective.
In third and four years, students turn to writing their dissertation, starting with committee approval of their Dissertation Proposal (CUST-6275). Beyond that, there are no further courses required in the second half of the degree.
Dissertation
The dissertation is intended to showcase a significant and original contribution to scholarly research within a student’s chosen field. Through rigorous investigation, critical analysis, and engagement with existing literature, the dissertation aims to advance knowledge in a specific area by introducing new perspectives, theories, or findings. Doctoral candidates are expected to present their work at academic conferences and submit their research for publication in peer-reviewed journals, demonstrating the dissertation’s significance and impact within the wider academic community. Each completed dissertation must be approved by a supervisory committee prior to the student’s oral defence.
Research-creation
The Cultural Studies Graduate Program defines research-creation as a process of inquiry where researchers employ nonconventional creative practices to pose and answer research questions. The result of a research-creation process at this level must be different from an illustration, or making public, of research findings developed through other means. In their Dissertation Proposal (CUST-6275), a student pursuing research-creation should explain the appropriateness of their practice/media of choice for their project in relation to the larger research questions of their dissertation, explaining how this choice will productively inform their inquiry. The project should be completed to the professional standards of the supervisory community and align with the rigorous expectations of conventional graduate research. Students and committee members are encouraged to identify specific model cases in the student’s chosen field of creative practice at the dissertation proposal stage, ensuring that there are shared expectations for the outcome of the project and the wider creative fields in which they seek to be in conversation. The committee may request that the research-creation component of the dissertation be accompanied by an artist statement that analyzes the formal and theoretical dimensions of the project and, if appropriate, its public reception. This component should forward an argument and include references to concepts and texts in relevant literatures. The supervisory committee for research-creation projects should ideally include at least one member with relevant experience as a practitioner or critic in the student’s general field of creative practice. Students should expect that, like other aspects of their doctoral study, their research-creation project(s) will be developed over time, responding to constructive feedback from their committees and broader communities.
Exams
Students take four sets of examinations during their four-year PhD degree program: (1) in Year One, the Comprehensive Examination; (2) in Year Two, the Special Field Examination; and (3) in Year Four, the Dissertation examination and oral defence.
Supervision
An interim supervisor is assigned to each student on arrival in the first year. The interim supervisor and student may agree to continue the relationship after first year, or the student may find another faculty member to serve as permanent supervisor, who will take primary responsibility for the student’s progress through the degree at any one time. The student must also form a supervisory committee normally comprised of two additional faculty members. These committees are formed around second year and are in place for the remainder of the student’s degree, overseeing milestones such as the Special Field Examination (CUST-6250), Dissertation Proposal (CUST-6275), and serving on the dissertation oral defence. If disagreements arise on a supervisory committee, first the primary supervisor, and then the Graduate Director will seek to establish consensus. Failing consensus, status decisions about a student’s progress will be made by the Director, in consultation with the primary supervisor, and subject to oversight from the Program Committee.
Grading
Satisfactory completion of each program requirement requires a passing grade (PASS). In all cases of program requirements, the grade awarded will be PASS or FAIL, or INC (“incomplete”), in accordance with the University’s grading system. Each INC grade alerts the student to a problem in progressing toward the degree and requires consultation with the supervisory committee. Any combination of two INC grades will elicit a letter of warning from the Director and will require an interview with the Director where the student will have to show cause why he/she should not be asked to withdraw from the Program. Each FAIL grade indicates unsatisfactory work and, except in the case of exams where a later rewrite may be possible, the student is asked to withdraw from the Program.