BOSTON UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF CLASSICAL STUDIES
GRADUATE HANDBOOK
(Updated September 2018)
Contents
1. Introduction
This Handbook summarizes the philosophy, requirements, policies, and procedures of the MA and PhD programs in the Department of Classical Studies. It supplements but does not supersede the policies and procedures of the Graduate School as published in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Bulletin. For further information students are encouraged to consult both the online publications of the department and the Graduate School and (especially) faculty members and fellow graduate students.
This Handbook is reviewed annually and revised as appropriate. Corrections and suggestions, always welcome, should be referred to the Director of Graduate Studies.
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2. Abbreviations
ABD (All But Degree) A student who has satisfied all PhD requirements except defense of the dissertation.
SCS The Society for Classical Studies
DF Dean’s Fellowship
DGS Director of Graduate Studies
GRS The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
RA Research Assistant(ship)
TF Teaching Fellow(ship)
3. Philosophy
In concert with other departments and programs (particularly Archaeology, Art History, Philosophy, and Religion), the department follows the mission of GRS for “the advancement of knowledge through research and scholarship, and the preparation of future researchers, scholars, college and university teachers, and other professionals.” The department’s low graduate-student-to-faculty ratio allows highly personalized instruction and mentoring. We aim to admit students whose interests align with those of our faculty, but we also encourage our students to pursue their particular interests and goals in their own ways. The development of good habits of collegiality and professionalism is a priority alongside the cultivation of expertise in scholarship and teaching.
The department regards graduate students as professionals as well as students. As teachers, mentors, readers, and evaluators the faculty can provide training and guidance, but for their part graduate students are expected to show independence and initiative in developing their own intellectual and professional identities. Students are accordingly expected to familiarize themselves with the profession they plan to enter by observing and talking with faculty members and advanced graduate students in the program and elsewhere; keeping track of current scholarship in their areas of interest (books, journals, talks and colloquia, online resources); regularly consulting the websites and publications of professional organizations (particularly the SCS); and participating fully in the academic and collegial life of the department.
While the program is designed to prepare students for college and university careers, the faculty also respects the teaching of classics at the secondary level or the choice to pursue a career outside academia, and so tries to help each student find the path that best suits their particular interests and strengths.
4. Advising
The DGS is responsible for the operation of the department’s graduate program in conformity with the policies of GRS and the department. During the registration period preceding the first semester of study, the DGS will counsel each incoming graduate student and facilitate course selection, and thereafter will be the student’s principal resource for all matters involving program regulations and requirements.
Each incoming graduate student is assigned an initial mentor, whose role is to help the student adapt to the department and, in conjunction with the DGS, to discuss and formulate long-term goals. The mentor should provide advice about the course of study and the development of research interests, as well as alert the mentee to conferences, workshops, and other opportunities for professional development. The mentor can be a go-to person for advice about conducting research, studying for qualifying exams, and teaching methods. During the round-up at the end of the student’s first year, there will be discussion about changing the mentor to align more closely with the student’s interests. A student may change a mentor at any time as her or his interests mature. The development of working relationships with additional faculty members is also highly encouraged.
A PhD student who has advanced to candidacy is primarily advised by their first reader and dissertation committee both in writing the dissertation and in searching for academic employment.
5. Time to PhD Degree
GRS allows PhD students accepted into the program seven years to complete the PhD. If the degree is not finished within this period, a petition for extension must be filed.
Since financial support from the department cannot be guaranteed for more than five years, and other forms of support cannot be counted on, students are urged to satisfy their degree requirements as expeditiously as possible.
6. Course and Examination Requirements
The design and direction of a student’s own program, in conformity with the standard requirements of GRS and the department, need to be planned as early as possible and regularly reviewed in consultation with the DGS and mentor.
Each student is required to complete a Program of Study form in consultation with the DGS. In developing a Program of Study, the student will need to outline the courses they plan to take and a tentative schedule of comprehensive (MA) or qualifying (PhD) exams. The DGS must sign off on each semester’s course selection.
Directed study
A directed study course may be arranged with any faculty member who agrees to offer it, with a syllabus and number of credits approved by the DGS. Since interaction with fellow students in courses is desirable, a directed study needs special justification. They are typically reserved for students near the end of their course requirements as they prepare for their Special Topic exam and prospectus. Whenever possible, they should include more than one student.
Graduate students may take an undergraduate language seminar as a graduate directed study with instructor approval. For this directed study there will be additional reading and longer papers required, at the instructor’s discretion.
Students are encouraged to inform the DGS of course topics that they think would be of general interest to their cadre so that the faculty can consider scheduling them as regular courses. Faculty and graduate students will meet in April to review the upcoming year’s course offerings.
MA REQUIREMENTS
Learning Objectives
- Demonstrate the ability to read standard texts in ancient Greek and Latin with an understanding of idiom, nuance, and complex levels of meaning
- Demonstrate mastery of a corpus of important texts in ancient Greek and Latin, and of modern critical approaches to those texts
- Conduct scholarly activities at a high level and in a professional and ethical manner
- Teach classical subjects effectively at the undergraduate level
A minimum of eight courses (32 credits) are required for an MA in Classical Studies.
Course Requirements
- CL 563 Greek Prose Composition or CL 530 Latin Prose Composition
- Seven additional courses at or above the 500 level offered in the Department of Classical Studies or related departments (with advisor approval)
Students typically concentrate in either Latin or Greek. One course in Greek or Roman art or archaeology is recommended. Students who wish to take more than two courses from related departments must receive approval from the director of graduate studies.
Students must satisfy an area requirement in either Greek or Roman history. This may be fulfilled in the following ways:
- Taking one graduate-level course in Greek or Roman history
- Taking an undergraduate history course as a graduate directed study (2 credits)
- Receiving a grade of Pass on an exam set by two evaluators appointed by the DGS
Modern Language Requirement
All students pursuing an MA in Classical Studies are required to demonstrate graduate-level reading proficiency in one modern language, typically German or French, prior to completion of the degree. Language proficiency can be demonstrated either through a language examination, successful completion of a non-credit graduate-level foreign language reading course offered by Boston University, or the equivalent of two years of undergraduate study of the language at Boston University. With the consent of the department, another modern foreign language may be substituted for those named above.
Comprehensive Exams
Candidates must demonstrate, by written examination, proficiency in the following:
- The translation of passages from either Greek or Latin
- The history of either Greek or Latin literature
Comprehensive exams are typically taken at the end of the student’s first year of study. At the student’s request and with the approval of the student’s advisor and the director of graduate studies, the history of literature exam may be taken as an oral examination.
PhD REQUIREMENTS
Learning Objectives
- Demonstrate the ability to read standard texts in ancient Greek and Latin with an understanding of idiom, nuance, and complex levels of meaning.
- Demonstrate mastery of a corpus of important texts in ancient Greek and Latin, and of modern critical approaches to those texts.
- Conduct scholarly activities at a high level and in a professional and ethical manner.
- Teach classical subjects effectively at the undergraduate level.
- Produce and defend a dissertation that constitutes an original and significant contribution to knowledge in our field.
Students admitted directly to the PhD program without previous graduate study must take a minimum of sixteen courses (64 credits), preferably over a period of five or six semesters, for a PhD in Classical Studies. Students entering with an MA or the equivalent in Classics may be admitted with advanced standing to the Post-Master’s PhD Program. Candidates admitted to this program are required to take between eight and fourteen courses (32 – 56 credits), preferably within five semesters. The exact number of courses depends on how closely the student’s prior work parallels the PhD course requirements; a decision about how many prior credits the program will accept is made at the end of the student’s first full year of study.
Course Requirements
Students admitted to the PhD program without previous graduate study must take a minimum of 16 courses (64 credits), preferably over a period of five or six semesters.
Course requirements are as follows:
- CAS CL 530 Latin Prose Composition
- CAS CL 563 Greek Prose Composition
- (The prose composition requirement may also be satisfied by a grade of Pass on a take-home exam set by two evaluators appointed by the director of graduate studies [DGS].)
- An additional 14 courses at or above the 500 level offered by the department or, with DGS approval, related departments, including one course in Greek or Roman art or archaeology
Proseminar Requirement
Students are required to attend two semesters of proseminars, which offer introductions to various aspects of research, writing, and teaching in the field, during their first two years of academic study as follows:
- GRS CL 993 Proseminar 1 (non-matriculating, 2-credits)
- GRS CL 994 Proseminar 2 (non-matriculating, 2-credits)
Students enrolled in the PhD program who decide to leave the program with only the MA degree must choose to focus on either Greek or Latin, and must fulfill all of the MA course, language, and exam requirements for the chosen language as listed above. The PhD translation and history of literature qualifying examinations may be used to fulfill the MA Comprehensive Exam requirements if the student successfully passed these exams in the chosen language.
Students must also satisfy an area requirement in both Greek and Roman history, which may be fulfilled in the following ways:
- Taking a graduate course in Greek or Roman history
- Serving as a teaching fellow in a history course
- Taking an undergraduate history course as a graduate directed study (2 credits)
- Receiving a grade of Pass on an exam set by two evaluators appointed by the DGS
Under special circumstances and with the approval of the DGS, a student may substitute another course in a related field to fulfill one of the two history requirements.
Language Requirements—Modern
All students pursuing a PhD in Classical Studies are required to demonstrate graduate-level reading proficiency in two modern languages, typically German and French, prior to the completion of the degree. Language proficiency can be demonstrated either through a language examination, successful completion of a non-credit graduate-level foreign language reading course offered by Boston University, or the equivalent of two years of undergraduate study of the language at Boston University. With the consent of the department, another modern foreign language may be substituted for either German or French.
Qualifying Examinations
Candidates must demonstrate, by written examination, proficiency in the following:
- Translation of passages from Greek authors
- Translation of passages from Latin authors
- The history of Greek literature
- The history of Latin literature.
- A special topic concentrating in the other language from that of the doctoral thesis. If the thesis covers both Greek and Latin, then the special should be in an area of study different from that chosen for the doctoral thesis.
Normally all examinations are written. With the approval of the DGS and the mentor, the History of Literature and Special Topic examinations may be oral. PhD students are expected to pass both of their translation examinations no later than the end of their fourth semester (at least one must be attempted no later than the beginning of the third semester) and to pass the History of Literature examinations no later than the end of their sixth semester (at least one must be attempted no later than the beginning of the fifth semester). The PhD Special Topic cannot be approved until all other qualifying exams are passed.
Requirements for the joint Classics-Philosophy PhD program can be found on the department website.
Information about Graduate Certificates, including those in Museum Studies, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Teaching Writing, are available on the Bulletin website.
Dissertation and Final Oral Examination
Candidates shall demonstrate their abilities for independent study in a dissertation representing original research or creative scholarship. A prospectus for the dissertation must be completed and approved via an oral defense by the readers, the director of graduate studies, and the department chair/program director. Candidates must undergo a final oral examination in which they defend their dissertation as a valuable contribution to knowledge in their field and demonstrate a mastery of their field of specialization in relation to their dissertation. All portions of the dissertation and final oral examination must be completed as outlined in the GRS General Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree.
Further details of the preparation of the prospectus and dissertation are contained in the GRS Bulletin Policies page under degree requirements and are available on the department’s website. See also sections 10 and 11, below.
7. Examination Schedule and Sequence
Students must sign up for scheduled exams by notifying the DGS no later than two weeks in advance. Translation and Literature examinations are offered in the late summer/fall, winter (usually late January/ early February), and spring (usually May). Special Topic exams are scheduled at a time agreed upon by the student and their evaluators. Modern Language exams are offered at any time, upon request to the DGS.
Students are urged to take the modern language exam(s) early in their course of study since reading in modern languages is a prerequisite for scholarly research in classical studies. MA students are expected to pass the modern foreign language examination within the first two semesters of study. PhD students are expected to have passed both modern foreign language exams by the end of the fourth semester of study.
The best preparation for the exams is broad and careful reading of (and beyond) the Reading List and of current scholarship in the modern languages. The Department’s courses in the History of Greek and Latin Literature are good preparation for the History of Literature exams, together with such modern surveys as The Cambridge History of Greek Literature and Conte’s History of Latin Literature.
8. Examination Format
Normally all examinations are written. With the approval of the DGS and the mentor the History of Literature and Special Topic examinations may be oral. Sample recent exams are available in the Department office.
Modern Foreign Language. Two Hours. A passage of typical scholarly writing in the field of classics. Dictionaries permitted.
Translation. Designed to test basic competence in the main styles of Greek and Latin literature. Passages are drawn from the texts on the pertinent Reading List. No dictionaries are allowed, but unusual words and syntax may be glossed. MA: Three Hours. Two passages of prose (about 20 lines each) and two of verse (about 25 lines), from which the student may choose any three passages. PhD: Four Hours. Three passages of prose (about 25 lines each) and three of verse (about 30 lines), from which the student must choose two from each category.
History of Literature. Three Hours. Designed to test, in a well-balanced way, students’ general grasp of the whole course of Greek / Roman literary history and their ability to identify the styles, and discuss the significance, of the major writers and genres. Short-answer questions (including ID-by-style and scansion) and a choice of essay topics designed more to elicit specific knowledge (e.g. development of genres, comparison of authors/genres, characteristics of given eras/movements) than to invite interpretation. The MA and PhD exams differ in scope and in the depth of the IDs and essays. The oral version of the exam is Two Hours but covers the same ground; the DGS joins the two examiners as moderator and record-keeper.
Special Topic. Having passed all other qualifying exams, the student recruits a faculty member as supervisor, and a second faculty member as reader, to assist in the study of an author or field (e.g. a period, genre, or methodology) of a scope sufficient to be represented as a scholarly and teaching specialty on the student’s CV. In order to broaden the student’s expertise, under most circumstances, the topic should not be drawn from the same language as that of the student’s dissertation. A student may make a request to the DGS to do a Special Topic in the same language if they have reason to do so. With faculty assistance, the student should generate and master the bibliography, become conversant in the current scholarly trends, and be able to suggest future scholarly agenda pertaining to the topic. As soon as the student, supervisor, and reader have agreed on the topic, a preliminary set of questions should be set and an exam date determined (usually within three months of commencing the project). At this time, the DGS and the department Chair must approve the topic, exam format, and exam date.
9. Examination Evaluation
Each exam is set and evaluated by two faculty members chosen by the DGS (or, in the case of the special topic exam, is evaluated by the special topic director and reader). Exams are evaluated High Pass, Pass, Low Pass, or Fail. In case of disagreement, the DGS will designate a third faculty member to evaluate the exam. Exams are evaluated within two weeks of the exam date, and the DGS will notify the student of the results in writing, together with comments made by the evaluators. Students with a Low Pass or Fail will be expected to review the exam with the DGS and the examiners. A copy of this written notification and a copy of the exam will be placed in each student’s examination file. Students are encouraged to review the exam with their mentors.
A student who fails any qualifying examination twice will be evaluated for good standing in the program.
When a student’s course and examination requirements are satisfied, the department will notify GRS of the student’s advancement to candidacy.
10. Candidacy: Dissertation Prospectus
As soon as possible after advancement to candidacy, each PhD candidate should determine a dissertation topic in consultation with a member of the faculty who will serve as the first reader of the dissertation. The second reader (normally a faculty member of the Department of Classical Studies) may, but need not, be determined at this time, as well. The candidate will submit the topic and the name of the reader(s) to the DGS for approval by the department faculty.
The dissertation must demonstrate the student’s ability to conduct original research and creative scholarship on a substantial synthetic topic, and must contribute significant new knowledge and/or methodology to the field. Seminar papers are a student’s most important preparation. Given the program’s 5-year limit for assured support and the profession’s tendency to regard timely completion as an indicator of scholarly promise and future productivity, students should develop dissertation topics that are likely to be finished in two years or less. Length (typically 150-300 pages) is not statutory but governed by the requirements of the topic. Quality trumps quantity.
In identifying a dissertation topic students should align their scholarly interests with their career objectives. In the profession, the dissertation establishes the student’s initial scholarly identity: Latinist, Hellenist, prose/poetry, historian, etc. For students aiming for a career at the college or university level, the dissertation forms the basis for the published monograph and/or substantial refereed articles required for advancement in or to the tenure track; in this scenario, the dissertation should be written so as to be convertible to monograph form within three years after degree. Recently published monographs of similar character are useful guides.
Upon approval of the topic and reader(s), the candidate, in consultation with the reader(s), will develop and draft a dissertation prospectus that demonstrates the viability of the proposed topic and the candidate’s ability to complete the dissertation within a specified schedule. The prospectus must be defended before the main phases of dissertation research are begun. The prospectus should include a statement of the thesis and its scholarly importance, the principal problems to be addressed, the methodologies to be employed, tentative subdivisions or chapters, and a bibliography of significant previous work on and relevant to the topic. The prospectus generally does not exceed twenty double-spaced (or ten single-spaced) pages of 12-point font, not including bibliography (i.e., about 8,500 words).
When the candidate and reader(s) are satisfied with the draft prospectus, they submit it to the DGS, who will circulate copies to all faculty, make copies available to interested graduate students upon request, and schedule an oral defense that is open to all members of the Department. For the candidate and reader(s), the defense is an opportunity for collegial discussion of the prospectus, for eliciting advice and suggestions, and for identifying and clearing up potential problems. For the faculty, the oral presentation is an opportunity to participate in the planning of the candidate’s research and to determine its soundness and likely success as a dissertation. The DGS will discuss with the candidate and reader(s) the outcome of the defense and supervise whatever changes are recommended; these may range from minor revisions to abandonment of the topic. The final version of the prospectus is then submitted to the Department and, through the Department, to GRS on or before the date specified in the Graduate School Graduation Calendar. Soon after the defense, a second reader (if not already identified) and a third reader will be identified and supported to the DGS for approval. These readers will normally be faculty members of the Department of Classical Studies.
11. Candidacy: Dissertation
In writing the dissertation, the candidate should follow the plan contained in their approved prospectus, work closely with the readers, and submit sections of the work in progress to them regularly for review and revision. It is understood that the dissertation will evolve over the course of writing and not follow in all respects the plan contained in the prospectus, but significant changes must be approved by the DGS in consultation with the faculty, and may require a revised prospectus and defense.
The candidate must conduct an oral defense of the dissertation in final draft before an examining committee and demonstrate a mastery of the subject with which the research is concerned. The examining committee is composed of at least five GRS faculty members, at least two of whom are from the Department of Classical Studies. One examiner may be from outside the University. The membership of the committee is nominated by the first reader in consultation with the student and must be approved by the department Chair or DGS. The department Chair appoints a faculty member who is not a member of the committee to chair the defense. It is at the examination chair’s discretion whether or not to participate in asking questions of the dissertation candidate. The defense is open to anyone who wishes to attend, but attendees other than the examiners may speak only if invited by the chair of the examining committee.
Timetable.
At least six weeks before the tentative date of the defense the candidate must:
- give the readers and the committee the final draft of the dissertation.
At least three weeks before the defense the candidate must:
- obtain approval of the final draft from the readers and from all members of the examining committee;
- obtain initial approval of the dissertation abstract from the readers, the DGS, and the department Chair (the abstract is a summary of the dissertation, not exceeding 350 words, that describes its thesis, methods, general content, and conclusions);
- submit the approved abstract, along with the official GRS form for the defense (prepared by the first reader), to GRS;
- submit the schedule of the defense to GRS.
GRS determines the deadlines for registering the candidate’s thesis topic, for presentation of the official draft of the dissertation to the members of the examining committee, for delivery of the fair copy of the dissertation, and for the awarding of the degree. GRS also controls the format of the dissertation which is to be submitted digitally. For current deadlines and requirements the candidate should consult the GRS Records Coordinator at 705 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 112. In addition, GRS provides a Guide to the Writing of Dissertations and Theses, and Mugar Library provides a pamphlet on dissertation-writing.
12. Fellowships and Financial Support
Except for students applying to the dual-degree program MA in Classical Studies and PhD in Philosophy, MA students are ineligible for department financial support.
Dean’s Fellowships and Teaching Fellowships
All students accepted into the MA/PhD program are awarded five years of financial support, assuming that the student is in good standing and proceeding through the program in a timely manner. In the first and fifth years this support takes the form of a Dean’s Fellowship (DF), free from teaching duties. In years two through four, it is converted to a Teaching Fellowship (TF). TFs are expected to teach one course per semester, and their teaching activity cannot exceed 20 hours per week. In their initial semesters a TF usually assists in, and/or teaches one or two sections of, a lecture course; later they may be assigned a stand-alone course in the undergraduate Greek or Latin language sequence. All TFs must enroll in GRS CL 699, a 2-credit course (graded and counted for tuition remission but not as credits toward degree), which is staffed by the instructor of record of the course to which the TF is assigned for the purposes of mentoring and evaluating teaching.
Both DFs and TFs include an academic-year stipend, health insurance, and tuition remission for courses required for degree credit.
Advanced students may be appointed as Senior TFs in semesters when the faculty cannot fully staff the curriculum.
Ineligible for appointment or renewal as DFs or TFs are students not in good standing with either GRS or the department; students whose teaching competence is inadequate in the view of the department; or students whom the department for any other reason considers to be not in good standing.
Extradepartmental Teaching
Advanced graduate students (typically after they have passed their qualifying translation exams) apply to the DGS to teach first and second-year Greek and Latin language courses, or Classical Civilization courses in Boston University’s two-session Summer Program. Appointments are made in October, eight months prior to the teaching.
For sixth-year funding, students may apply for a Teaching Fellowship in the CAS Writing Program. Writing Program TFs are for a minimum of one year and require that a student enroll in a teacher-training course the semester before instruction begins. The seminars are valuable preparation for teaching, and established WP instructors are preferred for renewal in subsequent years. Other possible (though not guaranteed) sources of sixth year funding include Teaching Fellowships in the Core and the Hellenic Fund (managed through Philosophy).
In semesters when faculty members teach in the University Honors College they receive funding for one TF in addition to the department’s allotment.
The BU Academy, a private high school on campus, occasionally has openings for graduate students to teach Latin and Greek.
In the Boston area numerous private high schools and colleges regularly have part-time or full-time openings for ABD classicists.
Research Assistantships
The department has limited funds to support students during the summer months, either to attend the American School of Classical Studies in Athens or the American Academy Summer Program in Rome, or to study for exams and do research.
Faculty members both within and outside the department often have funding to appoint personal RAs on a term or hourly basis (the hourly rate is usually $20).
Students may apply to the Graduate School for short- and long-term Graduate Research Abroad Fellowships (awarded competitively each year), and to the DGS for department funding (a letter should state the nature and purpose of the activity together with an itemized budget).
Students are also eligible to apply to a BU Hellenic Study Fund for Greek-related projects.
Professional Development
Graduate students are encouraged to take opportunities (e.g. special programs in their field of expertise), acquire resources (e.g. materials, permissions, travel to collections), attend or submit papers to conferences and national or regional professional meetings, publish papers, and otherwise enhance their scholarly and professional development. Through pro-seminars, Brown Bag talks, and faculty support, students are guided in the process of preparing articles for publication. External funding for such professional-development activities is scarce, but, as indicated above, internally students can apply to GRS for short- and long-term Graduate Research Abroad Fellowships (awarded competitively each year), and to the DGS for department funding (a letter should state the nature and purpose of the activity together with an itemized budget). Students can also apply to the Boston University Center for the Humanities for funding for what has become our annual Graduate Student Conference in Classical Studies. Funding for travel is also available through GRS’ Graduate Student Organization. Students are also encouraged to apply to the summer programs at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens or at the American Academy in Rome. The department usually funds one student a summer to attend one of those programs. Scholarships are also available to those who are members of the Classical Association of New England (CANE) or the Classical Association of the Mid-western States (CAMWS).
13. Evaluation and Standing
Evaluation
Not everyone succeeds as a graduate student in classics, and those who do face intense competition to secure and retain professional positions. Graduate students are therefore advised that they are competing as scholars, teachers, and colleagues and must do their very best not merely in fulfilling program requirements but also in developing independently as professionals. The department faculty regularly reviews the progress of each graduate student on these criteria and works with the DGS and mentors to articulate program expectations, to guide the student’s pursuit of their interests and career objectives, and to formulate strategies for success.
At the end of each academic year, in mid-May, the DGS and members of the graduate faculty meet formally with each PhD student and their mentor at the Graduate End-of-Year Review to review the student’s general progress and performance, and to make recommendations for goals and emphases going forward. Students are asked to submit in advance a paper completed for a course during the previous semester, and are invited to provide feedback and suggestions to the faculty. The DGS then chairs a department faculty meeting to discuss the review and sends each student a written summary of their review.
For a PhD student who has advanced to candidacy, the dissertation committee (readers) are primarily responsible for defining and reviewing progress toward defense of the dissertation. First readers regularly report on their candidates’ progress to the DGS and the faculty.
Standing
Standing in the program is determined by the department faculty. According to GRS policy, the department faculty may deem students not in good standing “for reasons of scholarship, aptitude, or conduct.” Such students will be notified in writing by the DGS or Chair, with an explanation of the reasons. Except in unusual circumstances the following are automatic reasons for loss of good standing:
- a grade of I or C+ or lower in more than two semester courses or more than a total of 8 credit hours;
- two failures on any qualifying examination;
- failure to complete qualifying examinations within the specified schedule;
- failure to defend a dissertation prospectus within the advised period of time;
- academic or serious collegial misconduct.
Students not in good standing are ineligible for (continued) financial support and may also be referred to GRS for termination.
Warnings
Students whom the faculty considers to be making inadequate progress in scholarship or in development as professionals will be given adequate written warning that they may lose their good standing or not be supported should they request an extension of time to degree; in the case of teaching inadequacy, students will be warned that they may lose their (continued) eligibility for TF support. The warning will include the nature of the perceived problems or deficiencies; recommendations for correcting them; and a reasonable period of time for the student to correct them or show improvement acceptable to the faculty.
14. Appeals Procedures
Scope of Appeals
The department appeals procedures afford graduate students the opportunity to resolve complaints about administrative or academic actions that affect their standing or progress toward academic or professional degree goals. The procedure does not cover disputes about grades, exam evaluations, or any other department action based solely on faculty evaluation of a student’s academic achievement or progress.
Appeals are limited to department actions involving:
- procedural error or violation of department, GRS, or university policies;
- inappropriate application of non-academic criteria;
- failure to abide by the terms of a written agreement;
- lack of proper consideration for mitigating circumstances beyond the student’s control
Procedures
A student may explore paths to informal resolution with the DGS, the department Chair, or the mentor. This process should be initiated within 30 calendar days of the contested action.
If informal resolution is not pursued or cannot be achieved, the student may initiate a formal appeal by writing a letter to the DGS or (if the appeal involves actions by the DGS) to the department Chair within 30 calendar days of the contested action or the abandonment of informal resolution. The letter must include the action being contested, the student’s grounds for appeal, and the relief requested. The DGS or Chair will undertake an investigation if and as appropriate and will notify the student of the decision in writing within 60 days.
If the student is not satisfied with the department’s decision, they may consult the Associate Dean of the Graduate School on further steps.
15. MA and PhD Reading Lists
Please visit our reading lists page for more information