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Degree Requirements
Source: Graduate
Center Bulletin, 2007-09
Requirements for the Master of Arts
The Graduate Center offers the M.A. degree in Classics, Comparative
Literature, Liberal Studies, Linguistics, Middle Eastern Studies,
Philosophy, and Political Science only. See
the appropriate program listing.
Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy
The degree of Doctor of Philosophy is awarded for mastery of subject matter and
demonstration of research ability. It is given in recognition of the candidate’s
superior attainments and ability in his or her major field. A student must maintain
high academic standards to retain matriculated status in a doctoral program.
Normally three or more years of full-time study and research beyond the bachelor’s
degree are needed to complete a doctoral program. See section on time limits
for degree. The requirements for the Ph.D. vary from program to program. For
the requirements for the Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.), the Doctor of Audiology
(Au.D.), the Doctor of Nursing Science (DNS), the Doctor of Physical Therapy
(DPT), and the Doctor of Public Health (DPH), see the program
listing. Listed below are general University Ph.D. requirements;
special requirements are indicated under the specific program listings.
Residency
At least 30 of the credits required for the degree must be taken in
residence at the City University. Doctoral students are expected to spend at
least one year as full-time students at the City University. Full-time consists
of a schedule of no fewer than 12 credits or the equivalent for each of two consecutive
semesters.
Credits
At least 60 credits of approved graduate work, including the course requirements
in the field of specialization, are required for the degree. Specific credit
requirements vary and should be discussed with the Executive Officer of the individual
program.
First Examination
Each student must pass a First Examination in his or her field.
Depending on individual doctoral program procedures, the examination shall be
oral and/or written and may be administered within a narrow time period or may
be administered in parts over a more extended time period. A student may continue
in the doctoral program after completing 45 credits only if he or she has passed
this examination.
Foreign Languages
In any discipline in which research depends significantly on
direct access to materials in a language other than English, students are required
to demonstrate a working knowledge of at least one foreign language relevant
to the conduct of research in that discipline. See the
CUNY Graduate Center Language Reading Program and the Latin/Greek Institute.
Tools of Research
Each program may require its students to qualify in such tool
subjects (computer languages, statistics, etc.) as are necessary to conduct research
in its field.
Second Examination
A student must pass a Second Examination within ten (10) registered
semesters of enrollment in a doctoral program. The Second Examination shall be
of at least two hours duration and is usually taken after the completion of course
requirements. A student may be admitted to the Second Examination only upon recommendation
of a sponsor.
Advancement to Candidacy
Before a student can be certified as a candidate for
a doctoral degree (advancement to Level III of the process of earning the doctoral
degree), he or she must have completed the following requirements: all required
course work (of which at least 30 credits must be taken at the City University)
with at least an overall B average; any language requirements; the First and
Second Examinations; and any special program requirements for certification.
Human Subjects Certification
The Graduate Center has an ethical and legal commitment
to the protection of human subjects in research. All research with human subjects,
whether it is for the dissertation or for any other activity, must be reviewed
and approved by the Committee on the Protection of Human Subjects prior to the
initiation of the research.
All doctoral students advanced to Level III after September 1, 1999, need to
submit a “Dissertation Proposal Clearance: Human Participants” form,
which is sent to all students by the Registrar when they advance to Level III.
Students are required to submit this form to the Office of Research and Sponsored
Programs after the dissertation topic and methodology are approved by their committees
and before research begins. If human participants are involved in a student’s
research, a human subjects application must be submitted to a CUNY Institutional
Review Board in accord with the CUNY Principal Investigator’s Manual for
Submitting Proposals for Review by the CUNY Institutional Review Boards. (Available
from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs: Room 8309 or at http://web.gc.cuny.edu/orup.)
The Graduate Center Committee on the Protection of Human Subjects or other CUNY
campus institutional review boards must approve the application prior to beginning
the research and issue an approval letter that must be submitted to the Office
of Research and Sponsored Programs with the Dissertation Proposal Clearance
form. If human participants are not involved in a student’s research, the
completed Dissertation Proposal Clearance form is submitted with the dissertation
project abstract and methodology to the Graduate Center’s Office of Research
and Sponsored Programs (Room 8309, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10016).
Dissertation
The student must complete a dissertation that embodies original
research. The dissertation must be defended at an oral Final Examination and
be deposited in the Graduate Center’s Mina Rees Library before the degree
is granted. To defend the dissertation, the student must have been advanced to
candidacy. The dissertation must be microfilmed or published. Instructions for
preparing the dissertation may be secured from the Registrar’s Office at
the Graduate Center.
The preparation of a dissertation and a defense of it form the final evaluation
of a candidate’s qualification for the doctoral degree within the academic
program. Approval by the program is typically confirmed by action of the Graduate
Council and the City University’s Board of Trustees. Dissertation committees
consist of at least three members of the CUNY doctoral faculty and are approved
according to procedures detailed in the governance document of each program.
The program will announce to the Provost, and, by posting and/or other means,
to the general public and the members of the committee, the time and the date
of the defense.
Time Limit for Degrees Doctoral Degree
All requirements for the degree must
be completed no later than eight years after matriculation. A student who matriculates
after the completion of 30 credits of acceptable work must complete all requirements
within seven years.
Master’s Degree. All requirements for the degree must
be completed no later than four years after matriculation.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Students must be making satisfactory progress
toward the degree in order to maintain status at the Graduate Center and to be
eligible for any student financial assistance. A student is deemed not to be
making satisfactory progress if he or she has a grade point average below 3.00,
has accumulated more than two open grades (INC, INP, NGR, ABS and ABP), has completed
45 credits without having passed the First Examination, has completed 10 semesters
without having passed the Second Examination, has received two “NRP” grades
in succession, or has exceeded the time limit for the degree.
The Graduate Center reviews each student’s record every semester. If formal
standards have not been met, a student may register (and receive financial aid,
if otherwise eligible) only upon petition of the student’s Executive Officer
to the Vice President for Student Affairs. Students whose petitions are approved
are considered to be making satisfactory progress toward the degree and are eligible
to receive financial aid.
Teaching, Research, or Fieldwork
Teaching, research, or fieldwork is required
as part of the student’s training toward the degree.
Special Requirements
Additional requirements or variations may be specified in
the individual programs.
Waiver of Requirements
A student may petition the Associate Provost and Dean
for Academic Affairs to waive any specific requirement for the degree.
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"It's not unusual for the scholars at The Graduate Center to cause a stir. A whole bunch of us are here because we don't think the same way as other people. We present data in a different manner and therefore students come here to learn how we see things." |
William Cross, Jr.
Professor of Psychology and Urban Education |
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