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

VII. Preliminary Examinations/Achieving Candidacy

Advancement to Candidacy (and writing the PhD dissertation) follows the successful completion of four preliminary examinations. Preliminary examinations are generally taken during the third or fourth year of study. The examinations consist of a combination of take-home and sit-down examinations. At least one and usually two of the preliminary examinations are language tests in which critical understanding of texts and their contexts is demonstrated. A minimum of two preliminary examinations assess the student’s preparation in history, literature, theory, or another appropriate subject. These are usually drawn from fields within the department but can also be in a cognate field.

A. Curriculum/Program of Study for Pre-Candidates

Having received the MA, students form a Preliminary Examinations committee (prelim committee), for which see below B 2. In consultation with the chair of the prelim committee (who is normally also the PhD advisor, see VIII PhD program) and the other members of the committee, students determine a series of advanced language, literature, history, culture, and other courses and seminars designed to prepare them for the prelims. Dissertation subjects are often chosen on the basis of essays written for these advanced courses and seminars. Consequently, a student’s program of study is individually tailored as a result of close consultation with the student’s prelim exam chair/PhD advisor.

B. Guidelines for Preliminary Written Examinations

1. General Information

The preliminary examinations consist of a combination of 2-3 hour sit-down examinations and take-home tests of one week’s duration. The total number of examinations is four. The usual distribution of exams is 2 sit-downs and 2 take-homes. All four must be completed within a month. The examinations as a whole will be evaluated as either pass or fail. In case of a pass, the student is admitted to candidacy. In the event of failure, the student may be allowed to retake the exam once as a whole or in one or more parts at the discretion of the preliminary examination committee.

The prelim exams must be taken in a semester in which the student is enrolled. Thus, exams taken in the Spring or Summer require enrollment in those terms.

2. Preliminary Examination Committee

The prelim committee may consist of as few as 3 faculty members, all from NES, and of not more than 4 faculty members, 3 of whom must be from the department. Each prelim exam is graded by two readers. The members of the prelim committee are chosen by the student with the advice of the student’s PhD advisor. The prelim committee will ordinarily inform the student about the result of the examinations within 10 days of the completion of the exams.

3. Near Eastern Studies Requirements for eligibility to take the Preliminary Examinations

NOTE: THESE ARE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.
PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR ADVISOR IN PLANNING YOUR PROGRAM OF STUDY

• The candidate must demonstrate advanced proficiency in the Near Eastern language of his/her specialization. This is determined by the prelim committee.
• The candidate must demonstrate reading proficiency in a second Near Eastern/Middle Eastern language. This requirement is met by a student having completed the fourth semester in a language sequence with a grade of B or higher. The student meets with the prelim chair/PhD advisor to determine the second NES language.

Example 1:  Mesopotamian studies—Akkadian, Sumerian
Example 2:  Egyptology—Middle Egyptian, Akkadian (Hebrew, Coptic, Greek)
Example 3:  Biblical studies—Hebrew, (and Ugaritic, Akkadian)
Example 4:  Second Temple Judaism/early Christianity—Hebrew, Aramaic (Coptic, Greek)
Example 5:  Arabic Studies, Islamic Studies—Modern Arabic, Classical Arabic (another Middle Eastern language in lieu of one European Language of Scholarship)
Example 6:  Armenian studies—Armenian [2 dialects, Classical Armenian], and one AAPTIS language
Example 7:  Persian studies—Persian, Arabic (or another Iranian language or Turkish or Armenian)
Example 8:  Turkish studies—Modern Turkish, Ottoman Turkish (or Arabic or Persian)
Example 9:  Hebrew literature—Hebrew, Aramaic (Yiddish, Arabic)
Example 10:  Rabbinics—Hebrew, Rabbinic Aramaic (Greek, Latin)
Example 11:  Jewish Mysticism—Hebrew, Yiddish

• Special requirement for candidates in Egyptian Archaeology: In place of a second language, the student must demonstrate competence in Modern Standard or Egyptian colloquial Arabic. This may be done by passing a departmental language exam or by passing the fourth semester of the relevant sequence with a grade of B or higher.
• The second language of scholarship (see MA program) must be completed before taking the prelims.
• The second cognate course must be fulfilled.

4. Student Responsibilities for Taking the

Preliminary Examinations

• The student meets with the prelim committee to discuss the subjects and format (distribution of sit-down exams and take-home exams) of the examinations and to set a date for the exams.
• The student must submit the “Meeting to Discuss Preliminary Examination” form to the Student Services Assistant and DGS. A form for each subject/topic for the exams must be completely filled out and each professor who will read his/her preliminary examination listed with the signatures of each.
• After completing each of the exams, the student must turn in the examinations to the Graduate Student Services Coordinator.

5. Guidelines for Take-home Examination

• The student has 1 week to complete the examination. There will usually be a number of questions, from which the student will have a choice.
• The examiners will specify in advance whether the essay requires full footnoting and bibliographic sections.
• The student must turn in a typed copy of the take-home examination to the Graduate Student Services Coordinator.
• In the case of a take-home language exam, the faculty members will specify which lexical and other reference books can be used.

6. Guidelines for Sit-down Examinations

• Three hours are the standard time period to take the examination. The sit-down examination is typically taken in a professor’s unoccupied office or another vacant room. In the case of the student being required to write an essay, a computer—not the student’s own—will be supplied for the purpose.
• There should be no more than 3 questions given during a 3-hour examination.
• In the case of a language exam, the examiners will specify in advance which lexical and other reference material may be used.