Doctoral candidates in French at Rutgers receive rigorous and broad training in various aspects of French language, literature in and outside France, theory, literary and cultural criticism, and cinema. Doctoral candidates complete 16 courses beyond the bachelor's degree or equivalent, at least eleven of these must be taken at Rutgers. The qualifying examination is designed to develop in-depth knowledge of two subject areas and to provide a head start on doctoral research. Preparation for the qualifying examination allows students to choose a field and design a research topic under the close guidance of advisors.