GRADUATE  HANDBOOK

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Introduction
Admissions
Coursework
Financial Aid
The MA Program
Pre-Candidacy
Preliminary Examinations
The PhD Program
Appendix 1 Calendar
Appendix 2 List of Courses
Appendix 3 Forms
Near Eastern Studies

II. Admissions

A. Application Deadline

Domestic and International Applicants – December 15, 2008

The deadline for applying to the Department of Near Eastern Studies is December 15, 2008. For the most efficient application handling, applications should arrive at the department by December 1.

We do not offer rolling admissions. Applicants should apply for Fall enrollment. Angela Beskow is the departmental contact person and can answer any questions about the admissions process. Please feel free to contact her by phone (1-734-763-4539) or email (lsa-nes-admissions@umich.edu).

All applications for departmental funding and GSI positions in the Department of Near Eastern Studies must be made on the application form included with the Rackham online application. A copy can be downloaded from the Department's Website: http://www.umich.edu/~neareast/fellowships.html. A completed departmental funding application must include a statement of purpose. The deadline for new students to submit an application for departmental funding is December 15, 2008.

B. Admission Procedures

Admission Application Checklist

Deadline: December 15, 2008

1. Near Eastern Studies Department

A complete application to the Department of Near Eastern Studies for either the MA or the PhD program must include the following:
• Rackham online admissions application: https://apply.embark.com/Grad/UMich/Rackham/ProgramA/36/
• Statement of purpose
• Writing sample (usually an essay relevant to the applicant’s graduate specialty/interest)
• 3 letters of recommendation
• Official transcripts from all institutions attended
• CV
• Personal Statement
• Copy of the GRE (general) scores, if applicable
• Departmental funding application
• Description of Interests form
• Copy of TOEFL or MELAB scores, if applicable
• FLAS coupon, if applicable

2. Rackham School of Graduate Studies

A complete application to the Department of Near Eastern Studies for either the MA or the PhD program must also include the following submissions to the Rackham School of Graduate Studies:
• Rackham page of the application (available online at https://apply.embark.com/Grad/UMich/Rackham/ProgramA/36/)
• Application fee
• Official transcripts from all institutions attended
• Official GRE scores, if applicable
• Official TOEFL or MELAB scores, if applicable

3. Degrees from Non-U.S. Institutions

A student must provide the following if he or she has received a degree from a non-U.S. institution:
• Official documentation of all courses taken and grades received (transcripts/records) from each undergraduate or postgraduate institution attended.
• Official certification of degrees and dates awarded, issued in English and the original language.

4. Basis of Application Analysis

Applications are evaluated on the basis of the following materials:
• Statement of Purpose. The Statement of Purpose is the single most important item in the application. The purpose of this essay is to give the faculty a clear idea of a) why the applicant wants to pursue a career in Near Eastern Studies; b) what Near Eastern questions or problems interest the applicant; c) how the applicant wants to address these questions; d) why the applicant wants to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan. The applicant’s statement should be approximately 2 pages in length.

• Letters of Recommendation. Three letters of recommendation are required for a complete application. While the department prefers letters from faculty or advisors who are familiar with the applicant’s potential for graduate study, letters from employers are acceptable. The applicant may duplicate the enclosed recommendation form as needed. However, letters without the form are acceptable. Please have letters of recommendation delivered directly to the applicant in a sealed envelope with the signature of the referee across the seal.

• Academic Record. An applicant for admission to the Department of Near Eastern Studies is expected to have at least a grade average of B+ in his/her undergraduate course work and some preparation in Near Eastern Studies. Although it is important, the academic record is not the exclusive criterion for admission and other factors in the applicant's academic record are taken into consideration, e.g., a trend towards better grades or outstanding work or experience in the applicant’s area of academic interest.

• Writing Sample. The applicant’s writing sample should be a good representation of his/her academic work. It should be about 10-15 pages long. The majority of applicants submit a term paper on the subject in which they are applying to do graduate work.

• GRE / TOEFL / MELAB Scores. Successful applicants normally have a combined score of at least 1800 on the GRE exam. The test should be taken by October to insure that we receive your scores by the first of January. When filling out the form, note that the institution code is R1839, and the major field should be listed as Near Eastern Studies, code 2607. All U.S. Citizens, U.S. Permanent Residents, and International students who have received a degree from a U.S. institution and all native English speakers are required to submit Graduate Record Examination scores. International students should have a total of 560 TOEFL (paper exam), 220 TOEFL (computer exam) or 85 on the MELAB exam. If you have received your scores, please send a copy of it along with your application materials. GRE, TOEFL or MELAB scores can only be judged in conjunction with the student's statement of purpose, academic record, experience and background.

The applicant is responsible for the completed application. Supporting materials (statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, personal statement, CV, transcripts and writing sample) should be uploaded electronically to the Rackham online application. Please note that electronically submitted transcripts are acceptable for file review. Rackham does require that an official set of transcripts (sent directly by the issuing institution) be sent to their admissions office. Applicants may contact the department if further questions arise; however, the office staff is not authorized to inform applicants of admission decisions.

Application information is available at http://www.umich.edu/~neareast/.

C. Structure of Programs in Near Eastern Studies

Normally the Department admits students without a strong and relevant MA degree to its own MA program. A student making normal progress will be advanced to the PhD program during the fifth semester of enrollment. The student usually sits for the more formal battery of individualized preliminary doctoral examinations at the end of the third or the beginning of the fourth year of study.

D. Admission Requirements for the MA Program

Courses taken toward the MA degree receive credit for the PhD program. No additional time is taken by students in the MA program who change their status to the PhD program after having received the MA. See Section VI.A for Change of Status.

A relevant BA degree in the applicant's field of specialization is preferred. Occasionally, however, students are admitted to an MA program on the basis of superior academic achievement in another discipline. Such students should expect to take more time to earn the MA degree.
Students should have an advanced reading knowledge of either French or German, equivalent to four semesters of undergraduate course work.

E. Admission Requirements for the PhD Program

Students who have completed the specific departmental course requirements and satisfy the foreign language requirement for the degree Master of Arts from the University of Michigan must ordinarily have a GPA of B+ in their graduate work. Students must apply in writing to the PhD program. Criteria for admission include a statement of academic progress, a current transcript, a research paper and a letter of support from the potential dissertation advisor.

Applicants holding a relevant MA from other institutions may apply directly to the PhD program. Applicants must submit a complete Rackham Graduate School Application, official transcripts of all previous academic records, three letters of recommendation (preferably from faculty familiar with their most recent work), statement of purpose, CV, personal statement, previous publications or a sample of written work. All U.S. Citizens, U.S. Permanent Residents, and International students who have received a degree from a U.S. institution and native speakers of English are required to submit the scores from the Graduate Record Examination test.

Applicants whose native language is not English must submit one of the following test scores: Michigan English Proficiency Test (minimum score of 85) or Test of English as a Foreign Language (minimum score of 560 for written exam, 220 for computerized exam or 84 for internet exam).
The department may consider granting a terminal MA degree to students in the PhD program whose performance falls below the department's standard for the PhD or who decide to pursue a different career after meeting the MA requirements.