VI.C.
From:
C. General Course Requirements
M.A. candidates, except for those in the 4 + 1 B.A. + M.A. program (see below, VI.F), will be required EITHER:
1. To complete a thesis showing mastery of basic research and to defend it in a one-hour oral examination, either in the form of a public presentation of the results of the student’s research or in a private examination by the faculty.
a. Thesis students are advised to complete their other requirements in time to enable them to devote the equivalent of two courses (8 credits) to the writing of their theses. Students writing an M.A. thesis may enroll for up to 8 credit hours under CLAS 8006 M.A. thesis research. Students writing an M.A. thesis as part of the requirements for the Ph.D. (see section VII.F) will register for eight or twelve credit hours of CLAS 8006 (as their other requirements permit) dedicated entirely to the M.A. thesis.
b. There will be a minimum of two faculty members on every M.A. thesis committee (for committee member acceptability see the University Graduate Handbook). Specific guidelines for the style of presentation and page length are to be settled by the student with his/her thesis advisor. The archaeology faculty require Hesperia style.
c. The thesis must be completed no later than the end of the Spring semester of the second year in the program.
d. The thesis defense will not be scheduled until the appropriate Graduate Director is in receipt of written approval from all members of the thesis committee and has inspected the completed thesis.
e. The student is responsible for preparing the thesis document according to Graduate College standards described in the University Graduate Handbook and for submitting the electronic thesis electronically to the Graduate College.
OR
2. To complete a second seminar in any classical subject and to pass a three-hour examination requiring general knowledge of the candidate's concentration and based upon the candidate's course work in the department.
To:
General Course Requirements for students in the M.A. only track
M.A. candidates, except for those in the 4 + 1 B.A. + M.A. program (see below, VI.F), will be required EITHER:
1. To complete a thesis showing mastery of basic research and to defend it in a one-hour oral examination, either in the form of a public presentation of the results of the student’s research or in a private examination by the faculty.
a. Philology and History M.A. students planning to write an M.A. thesis must identify a topic and supervisor by the final week of their second semester so that they can use the summer to begin reading and research. Archaeology M.A. students must identify a topic and supervisor by the final week of the third semester.
b. Thesis students are advised to complete their other requirements in time to enable them to devote the equivalent of two courses (8 credits) to the writing of their theses. Students writing an M.A. thesis may enroll for up to 8 credit hours under CLAS 8006 M.A. thesis research. Students writing an M.A. thesis as part of the requirements for the Ph.D. (see section VII.F) will register for eight or twelve credit hours of CLAS 8006 (as their other requirements permit) dedicated entirely to the M.A. thesis.
c. There will be a minimum of two faculty members on every M.A. thesis committee (for committee member acceptability see the University Graduate Handbook). Specific guidelines for the style of presentation and page length are to be settled by the student with his/her thesis advisor. The archaeology faculty require Hesperia style.
d. The thesis must be completed no later than the end of the Spring semester of the second year in the program.
e. The thesis defense will not be scheduled until the appropriate Graduate Director is in receipt of written approval from all members of the thesis committee and has inspected the completed thesis.
f. The student is responsible for preparing the thesis document according to Graduate College standards described in the University Graduate Handbook and for submitting the electronic thesis electronically to the Graduate College.
OR
2. To complete a second seminar in any classical subject and to pass a three-hour examination requiring general knowledge of the candidate's concentration and based upon the candidate's course work in the department.
VII.E.
From:
E. Qualifying Portfolio
1. By the end of their third semester in the program, students intending to continue in the Ph.D. must submit a portfolio to the faculty in their subdiscipline (Archaeology, Ancient History, or Philology).
2. The portfolio should consist of the following documents, in addition to meeting specific subdiscipline requirements.
a. An internal CV.
b. Three written assignments from coursework completed at UC. Students should choose assignments that best represent sophisticated thinking, analytical skills, and scholarly argumentation. At least two of the three assignments must come from the student’s area of concentration (Ancient History, Archaeology, or Philology).
c. A one-page personal statement in which the student reflects upon their academic progress through the program (including any summer activities).
d. Students who wrote an MA thesis at another institution must include this thesis as an additional item in the portfolio.
e. Students may discuss their choice of submission with the appropriate Graduate Director in the process of their regular advising appointments and/or annual review meeting.
3. Students should upload assignments to their portfolio in a timely fashion, but by no means any later than the end of week 15 of their third semester in the program.
4. The portfolio will be evaluated by the faculty in each subdiscipline according to professional review standards, including but not limited to the quality of the written work and the amount of progress shown by the student.
5. Portfolios will be graded on a four-tier system: 1) Exceeds Expectations; 2) Meets Expectations; 3) Does Not Meet Expectations; 4) Unacceptable.
6. For students in the Ancient History and Philology tracks, the portfolio score determines whether an MA thesis is required to continue in the Ph.D. program. Students who score a 1 or 2 will be permitted to continue in the Ph.D. program; students who score a 3 or 4 will be required to write an MA thesis in order to remain enrolled in the program (See Section VII.F for specific requirements regarding the M.A. thesis).
To:
Ph.D. Qualifying Portfolio and Outcomes
1. Students in the Ph.D. program must submit a portfolio to the faculty in their subdiscipline (Archaeology, Ancient History, or Philology).
a. Students matriculated in the Ph.D. program will submit the portfolio by the end of their third semester in the program.
b. Students who earned an M.A. from the Department in Philology or History, and who applied successfully to the Ph.D. program in Philology or History, may petition the graduate director to submit their portfolio in the second semester as a Ph.D. student instead of waiting until the third semester.
2. The portfolio should consist of the following documents, in addition to any specific subdiscipline requirements.
a. An internal CV.
b. Three written assignments from coursework completed at UC. Students should choose assignments that best represent sophisticated thinking, analytical skills, and scholarly argumentation. At least two of the three assignments must come from the student’s area of concentration (Ancient History, Archaeology, or Philology). Students will upload the original, submitted version of the paper and faculty comments.
c. A one-page personal statement in which the student reflects upon their academic progress through the program (including any summer activities).
d. Students who wrote an M.A. thesis at another institution must include this thesis as an additional item in the portfolio.
e. Students may discuss their choice of submission with the appropriate Graduate Director in the process of their regular advising appointments and/or annual review meeting.
3. Students should upload assignments to their portfolio in a timely fashion, but by no means any later than the end of week 15 of their third semester in the program.
4. The portfolio will be evaluated by the faculty in each subdiscipline according to professional review standards, including but not limited to the quality of the written work and the amount of progress shown by the student.
5. Portfolios will be graded on a four-tier system: 1) Exceeds Expectations; 2) Meets Expectations; 3) Does Not Meet Expectations; 4) Unacceptable.
6. For the Ancient History and Philology tracks, students who score a 1 or 2 will be permitted to continue in the Ph.D. program.
7. All students who score either a 1 or a 2 may, in consultation with the Graduate Director, still petition to write an M.A. thesis.
8. Students who score a 3 or 4 on the Qualifying Portfolio have two options:
a. Earn a terminal M.A. degree by taking an exam in the fourth semester (see VI.C.2)
b. Write a Ph.D.-qualifying M.A. thesis (see VII.F).
i. If the qualifying M.A. thesis earns a score of 1 or 2, the student will be permitted to continue in the Ph.D. program.
ii. If the qualifying M.A. thesis earns a 3, students may elect to resubmit their thesis for re-defense after revisions have been approved by their thesis advisor or take a terminal M.A. by exam.
iii. If the qualifying M.A. thesis earns a 4 or if the re-submission scores a 3 or 4, the student will take a terminal M.A. by exam.
iv. If the student opts to write a qualifying M.A. thesis, but does not complete it, they may still earn an M.A. degree by taking the M.A. exam.
c. Students who earned an M.A. with a thesis in the Department in Philology or History and score a 3 on their portfolio will write a qualifying paper to demonstrate capacity to write a dissertation; a score of 4 on the portfolio will result in dismissal.
9. Students who must write a qualifying M.A. thesis will meet with the relevant Graduate Director and faculty in their area of concentration at the beginning of the fourth semester to set a topic and decide upon a thesis director. The same deadlines and scoring described in VII.F. apply to the qualifying M.A. thesis.
VII.F
From:
M.A. Thesis
1. With the permission of their Graduate Director graduate students in the Ph.D. program may choose to write an M.A. thesis or not. In addition:
a. All students who score either a three or a four on their qualifying portfolio will be required to write an M.A. thesis in order to remain enrolled in the program.
b. The faculty in any subdiscipline may require Ph.D. students in that subdiscipline to write an M.A. thesis in order to remain in good standing, even if they have already written an M.A. thesis at another institution. If Ph.D. students are required to write a second M.A. thesis, the maximum number of years of funding increases for them from six to seven.
c. Ph.D. students in archaeology who were admitted without an M.A. are always required to write an M.A. thesis. Archaeology students who hold an M.A. without a thesis from another institution will be required to write an M.A. thesis.
d. Students with an M.A. thesis from another institution must include this in their qualifying portfolio; see section VII.E.2.d.
e. Archaeology students whose portfolio scores a 1 or a 2 may, in consultation with the Graduate Director, still petition to write an M.A. thesis.
2. Students who are writing an M.A. thesis to remain in the program after scoring a 3 or a 4 on their qualifying portfolio will meet with the relevant Graduate Director and faculty in their area of concentration at the beginning of the fourth semester to set a topic and decide upon a thesis director.
3. During the fourth semester students researching and writing an M.A. thesis should register for eight or twelve units of CLAS 8006 (as their other requirements permit) dedicated entirely to the M.A. thesis. Ph.D. students writing an MA thesis must submit a first full draft to their thesis director at the latest by week 12 of the fourth semester. The M.A. thesis needs to be submitted as ready to be defended and preferably be defended to faculty in the relevant subdiscipline by the end of the fourth semester. Pursuant to faculty availability, a defense may be scheduled within the first two weeks of the fifth semester. When the thesis director releases the final draft of an M.A. thesis for the defense, there will be a reading period of at least two weeks before the defense.
4. The M.A. thesis and defense will be evaluated according to professional review standards on a four-tier system: 1) Pass as submitted; 3) Pass with minor revisions (i.e. editorial matters, illustrations, grammar and syntax, or similar); 3) Return for major revisions and a new defense; 4) Unacceptable. Students who score a 1 on their thesis and defense can submit their thesis electronically without further revisions. Students who score a 2 can submit their thesis electronically after the revisions have been approved by their thesis advisor. Students who score a 3 will be permitted to resubmit their thesis for defense after their revisions have been approved by their thesis advisor. Students who score a 4 will take a terminal M.A. by exam.
5. An M.A. thesis which is defended by the last week of classes of the fourth semester can be electronically submitted in the following semester (excluding summers). An M.A. thesis which is defended in the first two weeks of the fifth semester should be electronically filed in the same semester. In the event of failure to defend an M.A. thesis successfully by the deadline, funding will cease at the start of the following semester (excluding summers).
6. Ancient History and Philology students who score a 3 or a 4 on their qualifying portfolio will be able, upon successful completion and defense of the M.A. thesis, to be readmitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. with the approval of the faculty in their subdiscipline.
7. Upon completion of the M.A. thesis and a successful oral defense, archaeology students will remain in candidacy for the Ph.D. provided their work on the M.A. thesis is deemed to be of acceptable quality by the faculty in their discipline (see VII.F.4). Alternatively, they will be recommended to complete a terminal M.A. (by thesis or exam).
8. For additional information about the requirements for the completion of an M.A. thesis, see section VI.C.
To:
M.A. Thesis for Ph.D. Students
N.B.: This section applies to Ph.D. students writing an M.A. thesis regardless of whether they are being required to write it because of the portfolio score or not. Students writing an M.A. thesis for the M.A. degree should see VI.C.1.
1. In addition to the requirement of an M.A. thesis as an outcome of the portfolio review, the faculty may require Ph.D. students to write an M.A. thesis in other circumstances.
a. The faculty in any subdiscipline may require Ph.D. students in that subdiscipline to write an M.A. thesis in order to remain in good standing, even if they have already written an M.A. thesis at another institution. If Ph.D. students are required to write a second M.A. thesis, the maximum number of years of funding increases for them from six to seven.
b. Regardless of the portfolio score, students in archaeology who were admitted without an M.A. and archaeology students who hold an M.A. without a thesis from another institution will be required to write an M.A. thesis.
2. Archaeology Ph.D. students must identify an M.A. thesis topic and supervisor by the final week of the third semester.
3. Students writing an M.A. thesis as an outcome of the portfolio review will meet with the graduate directly as early as possible in the fourth semester to establish a topic and advisor.
4. During the fourth semester students researching and writing an M.A. thesis should register for eight or twelve units of CLAS 8006 (as their other requirements permit) dedicated entirely to the M.A. thesis. Ph.D. students writing an M.A. thesis must submit a first full draft to their thesis director at the latest by week 12 of the fourth semester. The M.A. thesis needs to be submitted as ready to be defended and preferably be defended to faculty in the relevant subdiscipline by the end of the fourth semester. Pursuant to faculty availability, a defense may be scheduled within the first two weeks of the fifth semester. When the thesis director releases the final draft of an M.A. thesis for the defense, there will be a reading period of at least two weeks before the defense.
5. The M.A. thesis and defense will be evaluated on a four-tier system: 1) Pass as submitted; 2) Pass with minor revisions (i.e., editorial matters, illustrations, grammar and syntax, or similar); 3) Return for major revisions and a new defense; 4) Unacceptable. Students who score a 1 on their thesis and defense can submit their thesis electronically without further revisions. Students who score a 2 can submit their thesis electronically after the revisions have been approved by their thesis advisor. Students who score a 3 will be permitted to resubmit their thesis for re-defense after their revisions have been approved by their thesis advisor. Students who score a 4 will take a terminal M.A. by exam.
6. An M.A. thesis which is defended by the last week of classes of the fourth semester can be electronically submitted for graduation in the summer or the following semester. An M.A. thesis which is defended in the first two weeks of the fifth semester should be electronically filed in the same semester. In the event of failure to defend an M.A. thesis successfully by the deadline, funding will cease at the start of the following semester (excluding summers).
7. For additional information about the requirements for the completion of an M.A. thesis, see section VI.C.1.