Upon entering the graduate program, each new student will be assigned a faculty advisor who will supervise the student's program until the Comprehensive
Examinations for the Ph.D. have been completed (a student's developing interests may sometimes recommend a change of advisor). Students should consult this advisor
as often as may be necessary, but certainly at least once per semester and before registering for classes for the following semester.
A review by the Graduate Group of each student's work will be held toward the end of each academic year. The results of this review will help determine whether the
student is qualified to continue on toward the Ph.D. degree.
Research Language Requirement
Pedagogical Internship
Comprehensive Examinations
Progress Reports
Dissertation Procedures
RESEARCH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
In addition to mastering the Near Eastern languages in which the primary sources of NELC's programs are written, students are required to pass examinations
demonstrating competence to read scholarly research in their fields in two modern languages. Competence is defined as the ability to sight-translate a previously
unseen passage(s), with the help of a dictionary, into acceptable English within a specified time. The length of the passage and the time limit may vary according
to the language involved. The languages are typically French and German, but the specific languages required are determined by each program within NELC. The
examinations must be administered at the University of Pennsylvania by the graduate group (as in the case of German, French, and modern scholarly Hebrew) or, for
certain languages, under other auspices approved by the graduate group (e.g., Spanish).
The timetable for passing these examinations is as follows:
· Students in Cuneiform Studies, Egyptology, Bible, Hebrew & Judaica must pass one examination no later then the start of the second year of
graduate study and the second examination no later than the start of the third year. Students who have not met this timetable for each exam may not register for
courses until they pass the required exam.
· Students in Arabic & Islamic Studies must pass one examination no later than the conclusion of coursework for the MA and the other no later than
the conclusion of coursework for the PhD. Students who have not met this timetable for each exam may not take their comprehensive exams for either until they pass
the required exam.
Incoming students who do not yet know both of the languages required by their program are encouraged to use the summer before matriculating at Penn to study at
least one of them. For PhD students who have already completed a year of graduate study at Penn, courses in reading French, German, and Spanish are offered, at no
cost, by the Graduate Division of Arts and Sciences during the first summer session (students must sign up by a deadline in the spring, and enrollment is limited).
However, it is NELC's exam, not the final exam in those courses, that determines whether the student has met the requirement.
PEDAGOGICAL INTERNSHIP
A pedagogical internship is a required component of the program for every Ph.D, student. It takes the form of a four-semester sequence during which students
are required to undertake supervised activity which will provide them with training and practice in pedagogy. This four semester sequence will normally be co-terminous
with the second and third years of the fellowship; however, the sequence may, with permission, be interrupted or shifted if students need, for example, to go abroad for
fieldwork or programs of language-study.
The requirement envisages that students will go through a process of training, as part of which they will attend workshops. The Graduate Group will do its best to
provide different types of pedagogical and support activities intended to give students experience in a variety of different pedagogical methods. In some cases students
may serve as research assistants for one, or a maximum of two, semesters in lieu of teaching.
Valuable essays about pedagogy maybe found in the Almanac's "Talk About Teaching Archive".
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATIONS
Upon completion of all required courses students must pass comprehensive examinations in the major and minor fields and such other fields as may be determined by
the faculty of the major field. In these examinations candidates must show knowledge of the languages, history, literature and cultural significance of their fields of
study. Work taken in courses can only partially meet these requirements. The procedures and requirements for these examinations are determined by the faculty of the major
field.
Students should meet with their advisors and instructors to determine the subjects in which they will be examined and the date when the exams will be taken. Once these
are determined they must apply in writing to take the exams. For the application form, please click here.
PROGRESS REPORTS
In order for the graduate group to keep abreast of students' progress once they have completed their coursework, students are required to submit annual progress reports
as follows:
· Students in their first four semesters on dissertation
registration must submit progress reports to the Graduate Group
by March 30 of each year. For the report form, please click here.
· After the fourth semester of dissertation registration,
students are required to submit an annual dissertation progress
report to the Graduate Division of Arts & Sciences. The Graduate
Division records the report and returns it to the Graduate Group
for evaluation.
DISSERTATION PROCEDURES
1. Dissertation Proposal
Upon the successful completion of one's Ph.D. qualifying comprehensive examinations, the graduate student becomes a candidate for the doctoral degree and may then
officially embark upon dissertation research. Toward this end, the candidate, on his or her own initiative, is to seek a dissertation supervisor from the NELC Graduate
Group faculty who will guide the interest of the student to specific areas of research. After the supervisor has agreed to sponsor the candidate and a clearly defined
topic has been identified, the candidate will begin to research the subject matter. Usually after a three- month period of initial research but no later than six months
after passing one's examinations, the candidate shall draw up and submit a formal dissertation proposal to the NELC Graduate Group faculty.
The dissertation proposal, usually 2,000 words in length, plus a bibliography of the most relevant works (not to exceed 3 pages), shall include the following matters:
- Statement of the problem
a) This statement should set forth the problem to be investigated, or the argument to be pursued. It should include a brief description and evaluation of
the present state of scholarship with regard to the chosen topic, and a bibliography of the chief works of previous scholarship.
b) This statement also should explicate what the student regards as the main issues to be examined and should justify the undertaking of the inquiry with an understanding
of the candidate's proposed original contribution to the field.
- Statement of methodology
a) This statement should include a brief description of how the student will conduct the inquiry, indicating the primary sources to be used, their availability,
and the methodology to be followed.
b) This statement also should include the major topics to be investigated and may suggest the proposed content of the dissertation in outline form.
- Statement of relevance
a) This statement should place the problem to be studied within a broad intellectual and cultural context to help focus the relevancy of the proposed topic for
humanistic study.
Note: Samples of accepted proposals are available in the AMES office.
Note: The NELC Graduate Group believes that, for the purposes of a dissertation, translations and editions of texts are not normally sufficient proof of scholarly ability
and originality. However, in some fields and under special circumstances, editions and translations are necessary for the progress of the field and in the case of
extraordinarily difficult texts they can offer proof of fine scholarly abilities. In such cases, the Ph.D. candidate should make a detailed statement in the dissertation
proposal explaining why a text edition or translation is necessary and how the dissertation in question will offer proof of scholarly originality and acumen. In addition,
the text edition and translation must contain an important introductory essay that places the text within a broader intellectual historical and cultural context.
Dissertation proposals often go through several drafts. After a semi-final draft of the proposal has been written, the supervisor, in consultation with the student,
will invite two (or when deemed necessary, three) other advisors to serve on the student's dissertation committee. They will be involved in the writing of the student's
final draft, by helping the student examine the issues from several perspectives. (When deemed appropriate by the student's supervisor, the other advisors may be brought
into the process at an earlier stage.) Committee members are normally members of the NELC graduate group faculty but, if appropriate, they may be drawn from other graduate
groups or from other universities, with the approval of the graduate chair.
All members of the candidate's dissertation committee shall review the proposal and offer appropriate comments. A final draft of the proposal will then be submitted to
the graduate chair, who will circulate the proposal to the rest of the graduate group faculty for their comments and suggestions, which might require certain revisions of
the proposal. Once the proposal has been approved formally by the NELC graduate faculty at a faculty meeting, the candidate will be so informed and may proceed officially
with his or her doctoral research on that specific topic. Minor changes may be made in the proposal with permission of the supervisor but the candidate may not deviate
significantly from the approved proposal without submitting a new proposal for approval.
NOTE: NELC faculty meetings are held only during the normal academic year, from September through early May. Dissertation proposals should be submitted sufficiently in
advance to be added to the agenda and reviewed by the faculty prior to the meetings.
2. Writing the Dissertation
It is expected that, from the very onset (including the writing of the proposal), all written submissions will be lucid and will follow a style manual appropriate to
the discipline. Students may ask their advisors to recommend a style manual. Distinct from style manuals are dissertation manuals, which deal with issues specific to
dissertations and give advice on research, writing, and various other steps in the dissertation process. The library's Franklin Catalogue lists several under the
subject-heading "Dissertations, Academic Handbooks, manuals, etc." Manuals that some faculty members have found helpful are the old standby, Kate Turabian, A Manual for
Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th edition (University of Chicago Press, 1996), Eviatar Zerubavel, The Clockwork Muse: A Practical Guide to Writing
Theses, Dissertations and Books (Harvard University Press, 1999) and Joan Bolker, Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day (Henry Holt, Owl Books, 1998). However,
students are advised to ask their advisors if they have a preference for a particular dissertation manual. Students who experience difficulties in clearly expressing their
thoughts in English must consult with Penn's Writing Center before submitting any written drafts to any faculty member. The candidate is also responsible for obtaining from
the Graduate School and from his dissertation supervisor detailed instructions concerning the proper format for the dissertation and these should be followed in any draft
presented to the supervisor or dissertation committee (the final form of the dissertation must comply with the regulations stated in the University of Pennsylvania Doctoral
Dissertation Manual issued by the Vice Provost for Graduate Education for the Graduate Council of the Faculties; an online version, revised as of January 2003, is available
at www.upenn.edu/VPGE/DissManual.html). During this period in the candidate's graduate career, the student remains
responsible for keeping informed of all changes in regulations and schedules issued by the Graduate School and NELC Graduate Group.
No one procedure is suggested or recommended for successful dissertation writing. Usually drafts of chapters or sections are submitted first to the supervisor, who then
often suggests substantial additional research or rewriting of each section. A complete draft of a section of the dissertation is normally given to the other members of
the dissertation committee only after the supervisor is satisfied with such a draft that has incorporated his or her suggestions. It is usual for each committee member to
make additional suggestions or raise issues that must be incorporated or addressed by the candidate. Should a conflict arise between members of the dissertation committee
regarding certain research issues, it is the responsibility of the supervisor to mediate the conflict and give direction to the candidate. If conflict persists, the entire
graduate group faculty will be responsible for the resolution of the conflict. Although partial drafts usually are read only by the supervisor, the candidate should feel
free to submit partial drafts to other appropriate faculty members both within and outside of the dissertation committee for feedback and advice. In all cases, the candidate
is responsible for maintaining close contact with his or her supervisor throughout the research and writing process so that the supervisor may adequately oversee the
candidate's progress. At the very least, the candidate must submit annually, by September 1, to the student's supervisor a written report detailing his or her progress,
which will be shared with the candidate's dissertation committee and the graduate chair.
3. Oral Presentation
After completing a year of doctoral research, subsequent to the acceptance of one's proposal, a candidate shall have an opportunity to present an oral presentation on
certain aspects of his or her doctoral thesis to members of the graduate group faculty and fellow graduate students. This public presentation will enable the student to
receive feedback and advice on handling particular problems, to inform the faculty of the rationale for any changes and departures from the original proposal, and to explore
the broader relevance of one's research in preparation for job interviews and the writing of grant proposals. After consulting with his or her supervisor, the student should
request the graduate chair to schedule a forum for this oral presentation.
4. Submission of Thesis and Defense
Within the first two weeks of the semester in which the candidate expects to graduate, the candidate shall submit the final draft of the dissertation to the supervisor
and to the other members of the dissertation committee. This draft must be in proper order and complete except for the indices, which need not be supplied until after a
successful defense. At the same time the candidate shall apply to the Graduate School for a degree and make certain that he or she has fulfilled all the requirements of the
Graduate School.
After the members of the dissertation committee have read and approved the final draft, the supervisor will request from the graduate chair that a dissertation defense be
scheduled. Defenses are held only during the fall and spring semesters. Two copies of the draft must be submitted to the department office at least three weeks prior to the
scheduled defense, so that there is ample time for the dissertation to be read by the rest of the NELC faculty. Keep in mind, however that, in order to ensure faculty
availability, the date of the defense must be agreed upon well in advance of this three-week period. The defense is held before the entire NELC graduate group and such
invited guests or other members of the university community as the graduate chair may invite, including graduate students. If the defense is successful, the dissertation may
be accepted as submitted or it may be accepted subject to certain minor corrections or major revisions. The needed corrections and revisions shall be completed to the
satisfaction of the candidate's supervisor without necessitating a review by the entire graduate group. On rare occasions, the dissertation may be accepted with distinction.
If the defense is not successful, the candidate will be informed either that the dissertation may be resubmitted for another defense after major revisions are made or that the
rejection is final.
If the defense is successful, the Graduate Group chair will designate a second date for submission to the candidate's dissertation supervisor of two copies of the final
version of the dissertation together with indices. After the final version is checked by the supervisor to see that it is in proper form, it will be signed by the
dissertation supervisor and the Graduate Group chair and then returned to the candidate for submission to the Graduate School.
Once the dissertation is submitted in final form, it is customary for the student to give copies to the members of the dissertation committee.
(a) PH.D. DISSERTATION TIME LINE
For the university's time limitations for the completion of the dissertation, see the regulations published by the Office of Graduate Studies,
"Graduate Rules and Regulations".
THE FOLLOWING DATES REPRESENT THE LATEST TIMES BY WHICH EACH GOAL SHOULD BE ACCOMPLISHED
· Comps + 3 months: submission of proposal draft to supervisor
· Comps + 4 months: selection of dissertation committee
· Comps + 6 months: proposal circulated to graduate group for formal approval
Following the approval of the proposal, students must submit annually a written progress report to their supervisor by September 1.
· Comps + 16 months: request forum for oral presentation of one's doctoral thesis.
Final Semester:
· 2nd week of semester: submit final draft of the dissertation to supervisor and all members of the dissertation committee
· 3 weeks prior to defense: submit 2 copies of the final draft to the Department office
· Prior to submission date: submit final version with indices to supervisor to be reviewed and signed at least 2 weeks before the Graduate School submission deadline
