Graduate Programs: MA and PhD in Classics (2011 revision)

M.A. Requirements

The Master of Arts degree in Classics, a Plan II degree (24 units and a comprehensive examination), is taken with either Greek or Latin emphasis. Students are admitted for the M.A. only as a step toward the Ph.D. Students are expected to have completed before admission at least the equivalent of the undergraduate major in Classical Languages and are strongly urged to supplement these minimum requirements with two or three additional senior reading courses in Greek or Latin and with courses in Intermediate or Advanced Prose Composition. It is also recommended that students acquire an adequate reading knowledge of German and/or French or Italian before admission if possible.

1. Unit and course requirements: 24 units distributed as follows:

1.1. (4 units) either the Proseminar (Classics 200) or Approaches to Literature (Classics 203). Exemption from this requirement may be authorized by the Graduate Advisor (GA) only when a student has taken a course equivalent to either Classics 200 or Classics 203 elsewhere. If exemption is granted, then 4 additional units are required under 1.2 or 1.3.

1.2. (4 units) a seminar in the Classics Department, in a Greek subject for the Greek emphasis or in a Latin subject for the Latin emphasis.

1.3. (4 units) an additional seminar in Classics or a closely-related field.

1.4. 12 units in upper division courses in Greek, Latin, or closely-related fields or in graduate courses in Classics or in closely-related fields.

1.5. DEFINITION: “Graduate course” includes all courses numbered in the 200-series; “seminar” includes graduate courses other than those numbered 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 250, 260, 298, 299. Courses in the 300-series do not count as “graduate courses” or “seminars” for the purposes of these requirements.

1.6. Students should note that Classics 200 and Classics 203 are both required for the Ph.D. (see Ph.D. regulations 7.2.2), and it is recommended that these courses be taken as early in one’s graduate career as possible.

2. Demonstration of competence in specific disciplines

2.1. Translation, literature, and history:

2.1.1. EITHER for the Greek emphasis:
a. Greek translation: 3-hour exam.
b. Greek literature: 3-hour exam.
c. Greek history: 3-hour exam.

2.1.2. OR for the Latin emphasis:
a. Latin translation: 3-hour exam.
b. Latin literature: 3-hour exam.
c. Roman history: 3-hour exam.

2.1.3. The comprehensive examination consists of the set of exams in translation, literature, and history. In the interest of rapid progress through the program, students may take individual exams as soon as they feel ready to do so. In the event that any of the exams are failed only the failed exams have to be retaken.

2.1.4. At the beginning of the semester in which the student intends to complete the last of these exams (or equivalent coursework), the student must notify the GA of impending completion of M.A. requirements; the GA will then notify Graduate Division of the student’s advancement to candidacy for the M.A.

2.1.5. Substitution of coursework for history exam: any student may satisfy the M.A. requirement in history by coursework substitution, namely by taking History 105 (or equivalent) and one seminar in Greek history, or two seminars in Greek history (for the M.A. with Greek emphasis), or History 106 (or equivalent) and one seminar in Roman history, or two seminars in Roman history (for the M.A. with Latin emphasis). The qualifying seminars must be given in the Classics Department or (with approval of the GA) the History Department, and the student must submit research reports on historical topics. The student must earn a grade of at least A- in any course applied to this substitution. Where the emphasis of a seminar is ambiguous the course must be approved for substitution by the GA in consultation with the instructor.

2.2. Composition: Competence must be demonstrated either

2.2.1. by passing a take-home exam in prose composition in Greek (for the M.A. with Greek emphasis) or in Latin (for the M.A. with Latin emphasis), with a proficiency equivalent to the standard of the grade B (composition exams are administered by the Ph.D. committee), or

2.2.2. by completing with at least a grade of B Classics 250 (for the M.A. with Greek emphasis) or 260 (for the M.A. with Latin emphasis).

2.3 German or French or Italian: One-hour-fifteen-minute exam to test reading ability (a passage of 500 words with the use of a dictionary or of 300 words without a dictionary). This exam must be attempted by the end of the third semester in the M.A. program and if not passed at that time must be repeated in every subsequent semester until passed. (It is strongly recommended that students who enter the program without knowledge of any of the three languages attempt to achieve competency in German first.)

3. Timing and Review

3.1. The M.A. requirements in coursework and exams should normally be fulfilled by the end of the second year (four semesters). Failure to complete the M.A. by the end of the third year will be considered evidence of inadequate progress and is likely to lead to academic probation or denial of permission to proceed to the Ph.D.

3.2. Reviews. Provisions for review of students at regular intervals during their M.A. program are described in the section “Advising and Reviews” (17 below).

4. Advising.

Each student receives guidance from the Graduate Advisor and also from a Personal Advisor. See the section “Advising and Reviews” (16 below).

5. Advancement to the Ph.D.

Admission to the M.A. program does not guarantee advancement to the Ph.D. program (see Ph.D. regulations 6.3 and 17.3 below). A student who earns an M.A. with Greek or Latin emphasis cannot be advanced to the Ph.D. program unless competence has been demonstrated in the non-emphasized language at least equivalent to that required to complete the undergraduate major in Classical Languages. The student has the right to demonstrate such competence by taking an exam (e.g. the M.A. translation exam in the non-emphasized language).

Ph.D. Requirements

The program of studies which leads to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Classics at Berkeley is designed to give a thorough preparation in the fundamentals of classical scholarship while encouraging the pursuit of intellectual enquiry and the development of original research according to the capacity and interests of the individual student. The examination and course requirements which every student must satisfy before being advanced to candidacy to write a dissertation are intended to ensure attainment, up to at least the minimum level essential for a Classical scholar, of specific skills and all-round competence in the languages (ancient and modern), in the history, literature, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome, in the fundamental techniques of scholarship, and in the ability to sustain informed and penetrating discussion; the dissertation is intended to demonstrate the student’s ability to make a successfully independent and original contribution to research.

In addition the program has a practical professional aim. The holder of a Berkeley Ph.D. in Classics should be able to teach any lower division course in Greek or Latin, any upper division course in the language of special emphasis, and graduate courses in at least one area in the language of special emphasis and/or in an area common to both languages. This is the minimal aim, but all will be encouraged to go beyond it.

Students are expected to complete their oral qualifying examination and advance to candidacy by the 10th semester and complete their degree within 14 semesters or seven years.

6. Entry into the Program

6.1 Students new to UC Berkeley who have an M.A. in Greek, Latin or Classics or equivalent preparation may be admitted to the Ph.D. program by the departmental admissions committee.

6.2. Enrolled Berkeley graduate students wishing to transfer to Classics from another major are required to present their request to the same committee, which will consider the candidate in the context of the pool of new applicants evaluated each January.

6.3. Students in the UC Berkeley M.A. program will be reviewed, upon completion of their M.A. examinations and course requirements, to determine whether or not they may proceed to the Ph.D. For details, see 17.3 below under “Advising and Reviews.”

7. Unit and Course Requirements

7.1. Unit Requirement

The doctoral degree program will ordinarily involve completion, with a satisfactory grade (“B” or higher), of at least 64 units of course work between the beginning of the M.A. program and advancement to candidacy (for new students entering the program directly the GA may grant credit for equivalent courses completed satisfactorily elsewhere). The following paragraphs specify requirements that ensure a requisite degree of breath and range in the student’s preparation.

7.2. Graduate seminars

7.2.1. DEFINITION: Most Classics seminars (and some seminars in related departments) may be taken in one of two different ways:

1) as “P” seminars, with the requirement of a final paper (or an equivalent workload, such as a final examination, as designated by the instructor) to be presented to the instructor and assessed as part of the final grade. P-seminars carry 4 units, with a regular letter grade.

2) as “X” seminars, requiring full participation in the course but no paper (or equivalent as described under 1) above). X-seminars carry 2 units, and are normally taken for an S/U grade only, except that arrangement may be made with the instructor beforehand, at the instructor’s discretion, for a letter grade to be given. Where the regulations below refer to “P-seminars, or the equivalent number of X-seminars,” one P-seminar = two X-seminars.

7.2.2. Proseminars. Every student must complete satisfactorily Classics 200, the Proseminar, and Classics 203, Approaches to Literature. Exemption from either of these may be authorized by the GA only when a student has taken an equivalent course elsewhere; instead of Classics 203, a student may take an equivalent course in another department, but such equivalent shall not count toward the seminar requirement under 7.2.3 below. Classics 200 and Classics 203 will be offered in alternate years and students are encouraged to take each course the first time they have the opportunity (during the M.A. years, if applicable).

7.2.3. Total seminar units. Every student must complete satisfactorily at least 40 units (10 graduate level P-seminars, or an equivalent mixture of P- and X-seminars), in Classics (or, occasionally, in an approved related field) in the 200 series. Courses numbered 200, 250, 260, 298, 299 do not count for this purpose; the survey courses (Classics 201 and 202) and Classics 203 [but not a non-Classics equivalent of 203] do count toward this total but not toward any of the following requirements.

7.2.4. at least 5 P-seminars must be completed with a grade of A- or higher.

7.2.5. Language distribution. At least 16 units shall be completed satisfactorily in Greek subjects, and at least 16 units shall be completed satisfactorily in Latin subjects: of these one P-seminar in a Greek subject (4 units) and one P-seminar in a Latin subject (4 units) must be taken in the Classics Dept.; for the remaining 12 units in each area any combination of P- and X- seminars is permitted, and any one course (4 units) chosen from among 201A, 201B or 250 may be counted toward the Greek total, and any one course (4 units) chosen from among 202A, 202B or 260 may be counted toward the Latin total.

7.2.6. Breadth. At least five P-seminars shall be completed satisfactorily in at least three of the following six fields, with at least two in a single field: (1) archaeology/art history, (2) history, (3) linguistics, (4) literature, (5) papyrology/epigraphy/ paleography, and (6) philosophy.

7.2.7. NOTE: Units in 300-level courses and in 601 and 602 do not count toward residency or degree requirements; there is no limit on the total number of the 600 level units, but no more than 8 such units are allowed in any one semester.

8. Demonstration of competence in specific disciplines

8.1. Greek translation exam. The examination is in two parts:
1) a 2-hour exam of unseen passages;
2) a 3-hour exam of prescribed texts. The passages are taken from a selection of texts comprising the Common List (as drawn up and published by the Department from time to time: see Appendix).

8.2. Latin translation exam. The examination is in two parts:
1) a 2-hour exam of unseen passages;
2) a 3-hour exam of prescribed texts. The passages are taken from a selection of texts comprising the Common List (see Appendix).

8.3. NOTE: The four parts of the above translation examinations are separable and may be attempted in any order or combination.

8.4. Greek and Latin Prose Composition. Competence must be demonstrated in each language, either 1) by passing the take-home exam set by the Ph.D. Committee, or 2) by completing the Advanced Prose Composition Course (250 or 260) with a grade of at least A-. NOTE: Continuing Berkeley students may already have satisfied this requirement in one language in earning the M.A.

8.5. German and either French or Italian reading ability. One-hour-fifteen-minute translation examinations are set in each language (a passage of 500 words for translation with the use of a dictionary, or 300 words without a dictionary). NOTES: 1) These examinations are set and judged by the M.A. Committee. 2) Continuing Berkeley students will already have satisfied this requirement in at least one language in earning the M.A.

8.6. Time-table for completing exams

8.6.1. It is strongly recommended that students attempt the language exams in one ancient language during the first year after advancement or admission to the Ph.D. program, and the exams in the other language the following year.

8.6.2. New students entering the Ph.D. program directly must attempt the examination in their first modern language no later than the second enrolled semester in the Ph.D. program. For all students, the examination in the second modern foreign language must be attempted for the first time no later than the third enrolled semester in the Ph.D. program.

8.6.3 Failure to pass any one or more of the required exams by the end of the sixth enrolled semester following advancement from the M.A. to the Ph.D. program, or by the end of the eighth semester for those who enter with an M.A., will normally be interpreted as inadequate progress and may result in a warning, with the possibility that the student may later be placed on academic probation.

9. Individual Reading List and Statement of Intended Research

9.1. By the beginning of the third semester after completion of the M.A. (or after admission for those admitted with an M.A.), students must have constructed an Individual Reading List in consultation either with their Personal Advisor or with another suitable faculty member. The List must total not less than 300 pages of Oxford Text (or equivalent). (1000 lines of verse is to be taken as the equivalent of 33 pages of prose.) For the sake of individual flexibility, however, no restriction is imposed on the number of authors covered, nor on the proportion of Greek to Latin. After approval by the GA, the List will form part of the student’s file, and progress on completing it will be monitored by the GA and by the faculty member originally consulted. The List will be presented to the student’s Oral Examination Committee when the committee is constituted. Changes to the list may be made up until that time. The list will be taken into account by the Committee in their conduct of the examination.

9.2. Every student will submit, not later than the beginning of the third semester after completing the M.A. (or after admission for those admitted with an M.A.), a short “Statement of Intended Research” [SIR] of no more than 5 pages (including bibliography), outlining the general topic, approach and main primary and secondary readings that the student has in mind for the dissertation. This SIR will normally be submitted in conjunction with the student’s Individual Reading List. The student shall choose a committee of three faculty (at least two of them members of the Classics Department) to review and approve the SIR: this process of review shall include a meeting (no longer than one hour) to discuss the SIR and the student’s plans. This meeting should normally take place before the sixth week of the semester in which the SIR was submitted. The SIR may be subsequently modified—even quite radically—in the following months and years, with the approval of the faculty committee. (In the event that the topic or approach evolves into something significantly different from the original SIR, the student may wish to reconstitute the faculty membership of their committee.) The SIR will eventually be used as the basis for discussion of the student’s Special Field in the PhD oral qualifying exam.

10. Submission of Papers

10.1. Every student is required to submit to the orals committee (see 11.2) at least three papers in various fields of classical study demonstrating competence in methods of research, in the preparation of bibliographies, and in expository writing. One paper must include a close reading of a selected piece or pieces of Greek or Latin prose or poetry. One paper must be in the area of the proposed dissertation; or as an alternative to such a paper, the student may submit in its place a brief statement of interest concerning the probable area of dissertation research (3-10 pages in length, with an added bibliography of 2 or more pages)

Papers are to be written in an acceptable scholarly form, with documentation provided in footnotes or endnotes; a consistent scholarly style, such as would be acceptable in a scholarly periodical or other publication, should be maintained (the standard of style of Classical Antiquity is recommended but not required). Seminar papers may be submitted in unchanged form if the name of the professor as well as his/her comments on the paper (in their entirety) are included.

10.2. Papers (including the alternative statement of interest) may be submitted to the GA at any time, but all three items must be in the student’s file no later than two weeks after notification that the final written examination has been passed and the requisite courses and units completed.

10.3. The orals committee will review the items submitted and approve them before the oral examination takes place, and will notify the GA before the oral examination of any deficiencies found in them. If an item is judged not to be in suitable form, or not to be of sufficient quality, the committee may require it to be rewritten and resubmitted before proceeding with the oral examination.

11. Oral Qualifying Examination

11.1. The oral examination and advancement to candidacy should take place no later than the tenth semester. (A student taking the oral examination and advancing in the 11th semester or later will not be eligible for the Doctoral Completion Fellowship.) It should be scheduled as soon as possible after completion of all the written examinations and unit and course requirements: a student completing the requirements in the Fall Semester must take the oral no later than the 12th week of the following Spring Semester; a student completing the requirements in the Spring Semester must take the oral no later than the 5th week of the following Fall Semester.

11.2. The orals committee. After consultation with the student, and taking cognizance of the distribution of the student’s work among the six fields listed in 7.2.6 above and the relative degree of concentration on Greek and Latin, the GA will recommend to the Graduate Division a committee of 4 members (3 of whom are Academic Senate faculty of the Classics Dept., one of whom is an Academic Senate member in another department) to conduct the oral exam. The chair of the oral examination cannot serve as the chair of the student’s dissertation committee. The committee will normally be selected within two weeks after notification that the final written examination has been passed and course and unit requirements met, and will be advised at once to review the items submitted by the student and to notify the GA as promptly as possible of any deficiencies found in them.

11.3. Emphasis and scope of examination. In accordance with Graduate Council policy, at least three distinct areas are to be covered in this examination. For the purposes of the oral examination, each of the six fields listed in 7.2.6 is divided into two parts, Greek and Roman (or Latin). Students choose to be examined either in two parts of one field and one of a different field, or in three parts of three different fields (e.g. Greek literature or Roman history or Greek archaeology or Latin linguistics), with the proviso that no candidate may focus for the entire exam on areas that involve only Greek texts or only Latin texts. Papyrology/ epigraphy/ paleography is divided for this purpose into four sub-sections, any two of which are held to constitute one part of the field: papyrology, Greek epigraphy, Roman epigraphy, paleography. Philosophy is divided for this purpose into four sub-sections, any two of which are held to constitute one part of the field: Presocratics, Plato, Aristotle, post-Aristotelian philosophy. The student will also be examined in a special field connected to the probable area of his or her dissertation, as delineated in the Statement of Intended Research (9.2 above). This special field will usually be part of one of the broader fields just specified, and the designation of the special field is to be developed in consultation with the GA. The inclusion of the special field in the oral examination is intended to allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory plans and preparation in the proposed area of the dissertation topic. In their conduct of the examination, the examiners will also take into account the contents of the student’s Individual Reading List (9.1 above).

11.4. Judging of the oral examination shall conform to the rules set forth by the Graduate Council.

11.5. Upon successful completion of this examination the student shall be eligible for award of the degree of Candidate in Philosophy (see 12.2.).

12. The Dissertation

12.1. Nature and scope. A dissertation is expected to be a full and original exposition of some aspect of classical study that has not previously been treated with the same fullness or from the same standpoint, and to demonstrate the ability to use the full range of methods and materials of classical scholarship in an enterprise of considerable scope, largely on the student’s own initiative.

12.2. Selection of topic and supervising committee. As soon as possible after passing the oral qualifying examination, the student must file with the Graduate Division an Application for Advancement to Candidacy for Doctor of Philosophy. The application must contain a statement of the title of the proposed dissertation and nominate for approval a supervising committee consisting of three Academic Senate members, one of whom is from a department other than Classics. The function of the committee is to guide the candidate in research and judge the merits of the dissertation. It is the policy of the Graduate Division that the chair of this supervising committee not be the same as the chair of the oral qualifying examination committee (11.2 above). Selection of the chair and the other two members of the dissertation committee is made by the student in consultation with the GA, but is subject to the approval of the Graduate Division, which is formally responsible for the appointment of the dissertation committee on behalf of the Graduate Council. Following appointment of the supervising committee the student is required to confer with all three members before undertaking the work of a dissertation. The frequency with which the student confers with the three members of the committee is at the discretion of the student and the committee chair; however, members of the committee must be kept informed of the student’s progress and must be consulted before any major changes of scope, direction or approach are made in the dissertation. Advanced candidates are reviewed annually (see “Advising and Reviews,” 18.2 below). Should it become necessary, in the opinion of the GA and the student, to replace a member of the supervising committee (e.g. because the member has left the University, or because of irreconcilable disagreement among the committee members and the student about the direction which the dissertation should take), the GA, after consultation with all three members of the committee, will apply to the Graduate Division for reconstitution of the committee, suggesting a replacement member. If at any stage in the writing of the dissertation the student and the GA are unable to agree on the constitution of the committee, the student has the right to appeal to the Department chair, or finally to the Dean of the Graduate Division.

12.3. Disssertation Colloquium. Each year the Graduate Advisor or a designated faculty member will supervise a year-long colloquium for those beginning to work on their dissertations. This colloquium will provide presentations intended to help the students proceed quickly and effectively to writing, covering such issues as how to define a topic (narrowing or expanding), how to structure a dissertation, effective research practices, effective writing practices and strategies. In addition, the students will present their work in progress. Every student will be required to participate in this colloquium in the year after advancement to candidacy. (Exceptions or postponements for those not in Berkeley or for those wishing to avail themselves of alternative dissertation-writing workshops are to be approved in advance by the GA and the dissertation supervisor.)

12.4. Satisfactory progress. Provisions for review of students advanced to candidacy and details about probation and lapsing of candidacy in cases of unsatisfactory progress are contained in the separate section “Advising and Reviews” (see 18.2 below).

12.5. Final approval. When the student, after consultation with the chair of the dissertation committee, considers that the dissertation has been completed satisfactorily, a final version shall be submitted to the committee for approval. Responsibility for placing the completed dissertation in the hands of the committee members rests with the student. If all three members of the committee approve the dissertation, they sign the official title page. The student is responsible for submitting an official version of the dissertation and any required ancillary documents in accordance with Graduate Division rules and requirements. (Consult the Policies and Procedures area of the Graduate Division web site for Dissertation Filing Guidelines.) For the procedure to be followed in the rare event that the committee members find, upon submission of a near final draft of the dissertation, that the work is not likely to be accepted without major alterations in either the research or the written presentation (i.e. more than minor revisions or editorial changes), consult the Policies and Procedures section of the Graduate Division web site (Guide to Graduate Policy, Appendix A, §8).

13. Normative Time and Funding Limits

13.1. Normative Time (NT), recommended by the Department and approved by the Graduate Council, serves as the Graduate Division’s basis for determining eligibility for the Dean’s Normative Time Fellowship (DNTF) or (for cohorts beginning from Fall 2010 onward) the Doctoral Completion Fellowship (DCF). For Classics graduate students, Normative Time is as follows:

Time to Qualifying Exam/Advancement to Candidacy 10 semesters Time to complete dissertation 4 semesters Total 14 semesters

13.2. The DCF program contains the provision that students who receive DCF may not receive any further support from any campus unit (fellowship, GSIship, GSRship, or other campus employment) after NT + 1 (that is, after 8 years or 16 semesters for Classics).

13.3 Students who do not qualify for (or do not accept) DCF are governed by the departmental funding policy, which is to support all students who are making normal progress for up to 6 semesters after advancement to candidacy, or through year 8 in the program (whichever comes first). Extensions will be granted by the GA in consultation with the Chair only in exceptional circumstances and only on the basis of a petition signed by the student’s dissertation director. (This policy takes effect for students entering Fall 2011 or later, or given permission to proceed from the MA to the PhD as of Fall 2011 or later.)

14. Teaching Experience

Every student is required to teach at least two semesters before receiving the Ph.D. A student who completes the M.A. requirements at U.C. Berkeley and is allowed to proceed into the Ph.D. program will normally teach for two semesters in the academic year following the post-M.A. review, subject to approval by the Committee on GSIships. (If such approval is denied the student may normally expect to teach for two semesters in the following academic year.) A student who enters the Ph.D. program with an M.A. or equivalent from another university will normally teach for two semesters either in the third year (if the student has a fellowship package covering both the first two years) or in the second year (if the student does not have two years of fellowship awarded on admission), subject to approval by the Committee on GSIships.

15. Advising and Reviews and Personal Advisor

Each student will have a Personal Advisor and will be subject to annual review. For details see the section “Advising and Reviews” (see 16 and 18 below).

Classics MA Requirements | Classics PhD Requirements | PhD Reading Lists and Exam Format | Classics Advising and Reviews | Appeals Procedures

Advising and Reviews (for Classics M.A. and Ph.D. students)

16. The Graduate Advisor and the Personal Advisor.

For students who are not yet advanced to candidacy, the Graduate Advisor (GA) is the main source of advising regarding academic matters. Students should expect to meet with the GA immediately upon arrival in the program and at least once per semester until advancement to candidacy to discuss choice of courses and planning for completing exams and other requirements. The GA has signature authority for forms and petitions related to graduate students and has the authority to decide (or share in deciding) which courses (including courses in other departments and graduate courses taken elsewhere) are to be counted for particular requirements.

In addition to regular consultation with the Graduate Advisor, each student will have a Personal Advisor, that is, a member of the faculty to whom the student can turn for help and advice concerning the course of study, general reading, development of research interests etc. The student will meet with his/her PA at least once per semester.

New students will be advised initially by the GA, but after the student has had the opportunity to become acquainted with members of the faculty (ideally by the beginning of the second semester in the program, and in any case by the end thereof), he/she will choose a more permanent PA in consultation with the GA.

The GA may serve as PA. A student may change Advisor at any time (this may in any case be necessitated by faculty leaves or induced by the student’s advancement in the program or some change of interest).

The PA will attend (in a non-voting capacity unless already a member of the relevant Committee) any formal review of the student by the M.A. Committee or the Ph.D. Committee. The PA may attend (in a non-voting capacity, unless already a member of the Committee) the student’s Oral Qualifying Examination. The PA will have some obligation to represent the student’s best interests and point of view at these meetings (though the extent and nature of advocacy on behalf of the advisee will naturally vary with the circumstances).

17. Students working toward the M.A.

17.1. Mid-year review: Early in the student’s second semester, the GA and the chair of the M.A. Committee will review each student’s grades and course evaluations submitted by instructors and will prepare a brief statement of evaluation to be communicated to the student in writing. The statement should indicate whether the student’s performance has been exceptionally good, fully adequate, or deficient; if deficient, specifics should be given and suggestions made for improvement.

17.2. Third-semester review: The student’s progress in the first full year of study will be evaluated by the GA and the M.A. Committee not later than the seventh week of the student’s third semester. The review will again be based on grades and course evaluations and will include an interview with the reviewing committee and the GA; the Personal Advisor will attend the interview. Minutes of the review will be taken and, after being agreed upon by all those present at the meeting, kept as part of the permanent record in the student’s file.

17.3. Review for advancement to the Ph.D.: Upon completion of all requirements for the M.A., the student is again reviewed: this review will normally take place near the end of the fourth semester. This review is conducted by a committee consisting of the M.A. Committee and the Graduate Advisor. (The Personal Advisor will normally attend this review, as a non-voting member unless already a member of the review committee.) The Committee will determine, on the basis of the student’s performance in the M.A. examinations and course work, and the written evaluations of instructors, whether or not the student should be admitted to the Ph.D. program. In cases of doubt the committee may specify the student’s deficiencies and set a timetable for rectification and further review. The decision of the review committee may be referred to a vote of the full department if (1) the student appeals the decision, or (2) there is a split vote in the committee, or (3) the committee is of the opinion that it needs the guidance of a full department meeting. The Committee may waive the interview with the student if all the following conditions have been met: (1) the student has already met with the Committee earlier in the same semester or in the immediately preceding semester; (2) the Committee at that time indicated that no problems were foreseen in the student’s progress through the program; (3) the student’s performance since that meeting has maintained the foreseen quality.

17.4. Students who take more than four semesters to complete the M.A. continue to be subject to annual review by the M.A. Committee until the completion of the M.A and to a review for advancement to the Ph.D. at the completion of the M.A. exams and requirements. As stated in the M.A. regulations §3.1, failure to complete the M.A. by the end of the third year will be considered evidence of inadequate progress and is likely to lead to academic probation or denial of permission to proceed to the Ph.D.

18. Students in the Ph.D. program.

18.1. Prior to Advancement to Candidacy: Every Ph.D. student, both those advanced from the M.A. program and those admitted with an M.A. from another institution, will have a formal review meeting every year (generally every second semester) until Advancement to Candidacy with two members of the Ph.D. Committee (designated by the Ph.D. Committee Chair), for the purpose of discussing the student’s overall progress in the program and giving guidance on the student’s pursuit of his/her interests and long-term career; the student’s PA may also attend these reviews. Minutes of the reviews will be taken and, after being agreed upon by all those present at the meeting, kept as part of the permanent record in the student’s file.

18.2. After Advancement to Candidacy: For students advanced to candidacy, the dissertation committee has the authority and responsibility to review the student’s progress and to advise him/her of its satisfaction. The committee may set reasonable deadlines for the student’s demonstrating adequate written progress in completing the dissertation: if deadlines are not met, the committee may instruct the GA to recommend to the Dean of the Graduate Division that the student’s candidacy be lapsed, which is a probationary status. A reasonable deadline in regard to jeopardy for being lapsed is a period of not less than one academic year. (Students in probationary status may not hold an academic appointment, nor receive a graduate fellowship, nor be eligible to receive an advanced degree.)

The Graduate Council mandates annual review of the progress of students advanced to candidacy. A “Report on Progress” form is to be filled out by each student once per year (during Spring Semester), submitted to the dissertation chair, who will discuss the report with at least one other member of the dissertation committee and record their comments. If possible, the reporting members of the committee should meet in person with the student. The form is retained in the student’s file. In any case, if the dissertation is not completed within four years of advancement to candidacy, the student’s candidacy may be lapsed by the Dean of the Graduate Division (though in special circumstances the dissertation committee, through the GA, may recommend to the Dean continuance of a student whose candidacy has passed four years). A candidate whose candidacy has lapsed may be reinstated upon recommendation of the GA only if a complete draft of the dissertation has been submitted and judged by the committee to be acceptable with no more than minor revisions, and if the GA has advised the Dean that the qualifying examination and course work was not taken so long ago as to be invalid. Failure to achieve reinstatement of candidacy within a reasonable period of time after lapsing may result in the student’s candidacy for the degree being terminated or the student being dismissed from the program. Unless otherwise specified in the Graduate Division’s formal notice of lapsing, termination will normally take place at the end of the regular academic term in effect two years after the date of notification.

19. Academic standing and probation

For a full explanation of academic standing, see the Policies and Procedures section of the Graduate Division web site (Guide to Graduate Policy, section Course Work, Grading, Probation, and Dismissal; or more fully in Appendix A of the same Guide).

In brief, a student is either in good standing or on some form of probation or subject to dismissal. Lapsing of candidacy and termination of candidacy are forms of probation. A student is subject to dismissal only if he or she has been given adequate written warning and a reasonable opportunity to correct any deficiencies. The written warning must include (a) the nature of the problem or deficiency; (b) steps that should be taken to correct the deficiency; (c) a reasonable period of time in which the student is expected to correct the problem or show improvement acceptable to program faculty; and (d) the approximate date at which the student’s record will next be reviewed.

Students in probationary status may not be admitted to examinations (Masters’ comprehensive or Doctoral qualifying), nor be advanced to candidacy, nor hold an academic appointment, nor receive a graduate fellowship, nor be eligible to receive an advanced degree.

The following examples of justifications for probation should be noted, as stated in the Policies and Procedures section of the Graduate Division web site (Guide to Graduate Policy, Appendix A, §9.B (this list is not exhaustive):

(1) Failure to maintain an adequate level of performance (e.g., as measured by GPA or the quality of written work) in courses central to the student’s program of study;
(2) Failure on departmental “preliminary” or “permission to proceed” examinations, or failure to stand for such examinations in a timely manner;
(3) Failure to proceed to the comprehensive or qualifying examination within a reasonable period of time;
(4) Failure to make adequate progress in meeting other stated program requirements (e.g., submission of an acceptable dissertation prospectus, passage of required languages examinations, etc.);
(5) Failure to make adequate progress in thesis or dissertation research and/or writing.