Graduate Handbook
I. Graduate College Requirements
Two types of requirements must be met: Those established by the faculty
of the Graduate College, and those established by the faculty of the
History of Science Department.
The Graduate College requirements are set forth in the Bulletin
of that College and cannot be superseded, altered, or waived by
the action of the faculty or any individual. It is the student's
responsibility to be familiar with and meet Department the College
requirements.
See Section XIII (Implementation)
for information on steps that may be necessary for adaptation of
requirements stated herein to the programs of students enrolled
in 1996 or earlier.
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II. Advisement of Students
The Graduate Advisor has the main responsibility for supervising and
coordinating faculty advisement of graduate students. The student
has primary responsibility for seeking faculty consultation and advice
in a timely fashion.
At the beginning of the program of study, the student consults
with the Graduate Advisor. In this consultation a specific program
for the first semester is determined, and a general program of studies
may be sketched out. All students without advanced degrees in History
of Science will be required to take a two-semester graduate survey
course (HSCI 5990) in History of Science in their first year. This
course is strongly recommended, but not required, for incoming students
with advanced degrees in the History of Science. Additionally, students
in their first year will enroll in the department seminar, HSCI
5970, in both fall and spring semesters. Students also should expect
to enroll in a 5000-level Advanced Studies course (see Part
VI below). In consultation with the Graduate Advisor, the student
should also plan to devote time to foreign language study consistent
with projected specialization in the program.
During the first semester in the program, each student will confer
with a committee of two department faculty members, the Provisional
Advisory Committee (PAC), to develop a general plan of study, define
study objectives, and receive enrollment advice. One member of the
PAC will be the Graduate Advisor, the other a faculty member of
the student's choosing.
Once the student's program objectives have begun to develop (usually
following the student's completion of one semester in the program,
but in any case no later than the end of the second semester of
enrollment), with the assistance of the Graduate Advisor the student
should take steps to identify a formal Graduate Committee. Regular
Master's Degree Committees usually consist of three department faculty
members; regular Doctoral Committees usually consist of four department
faculty members and one member from another department. The critical
step is the student's reaching agreement with a department faculty
member to chair the Committee and thus to supervise the student's
work toward the degree in question. The student should confer with
the Committee chair at the beginning of each semester; although
meetings with the entire committee will be less frequent, such comprehensive
consultations should take place at least once each year.
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III. Rate of Course Work
A full-time graduate student with no employment obligations should
think of three graduate-level courses (plus language study) as a
full load. Students who hold Graduate Assistantships or who have
other employment obligations will usually view a full load as consisting
of two or three graduate-level courses plus language study. This
will permit the student to complete the Master’s Program within
two years. All students holding assistantships are full-time students.
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IV. Outline of Master's Program Requirements
The major steps toward the M.A. degree are:
A. Completion of the course distribution requirements. The course
distribution requirements for the Master’s degree for all
options below are as follows:
1. A two-semester-long graduate survey course in the history of
science (HSCI 5990) is required for all first-year students without
advanced degrees in the History of Science.
a. Students are expected to enroll in this course during both
the fall and spring semesters. This is a team-taught course, involving
the entire faculty.
b. As a part of this course, students must audit a concurrent
section of the relevant undergraduate survey, HSCI 3013 or 3023.
Auditors are expected to do all the reading assignments and attend
all lectures; examination requirements are generally excused, but
this will be determined by the instructor of the 3013/3023 course.
c. A teaching assistantship in HSCI 3013/3023 during the semester
in which 5990 is taken will substitute for auditing.
2. A two-semester-long historiography and methods course (HSCI
5970) is required for all first-year students.
3. One course each from the sequence HSCI 5513, 5523, and 5533
is required.
B. Fulfillment of the requirements of either the Thesis or Non-Thesis
Option for the Master’s degree, or fulfillment of the requirements
of the dual-Master’s program.
1. There are two options for earning an MA in History of Science.
The student may choose either the Thesis Option or the Non-Thesis
Option for the MA. Students intending to apply for admission to
the PhD program are expected to select the Thesis Option.
2. The requirements for earning a MA degree in History of Science
by the Thesis Option are as follows:
- a. Completion of an approved course of study comprising at
least 30 approved credit hours of graduate course work;
-
- b. Demonstrated competence in one approved foreign language;
-
- c. Completion and oral defense of a Masters thesis, with
that thesis being a single, sustained piece of writing modeled
on a scholarly journal article as regards length and quality;
-
-
- i. It is expected that this thesis will be presented to the
department (as a pre-circulated paper) and discussed as a part
of the colloquium series.
-
-
- ii. At the discretion of the students MA committee, this
presentation may take the place of the oral defense of the thesis.
-
- d. For full-time students, all three of these requirements
are to be satisfied by the end of the students fourth semester
in the program. If special circumstances warrant an exception,
the Department may extend this deadline.
-
- 3. The requirements for earning a MA degree in History of
Science by the Non-Thesis Option are as follows:
-
- a. Completion of an approved course of study comprising at
least 32 approved credit hours of graduate course work;
-
- b. Demonstrated competence in one approved foreign language;
-
- c. Submission to the student’s Master’s Committee
of a portfolio of three research papers prepared as part of
their regular graduate course work;
-
- d. Satisfactory performance on a comprehensive examination,
to be evaluated by the student’s Master’s Committee;
-
- e. For full-time students, all four of these requirements
are to be satisfied by the end of the student’s fourth
semester in the program. If special circumstances warrant an
exception, the Department may extend this deadline.
-
- 4. The requirements for earning a MA degree in History of
Science as part of the dual-Master’s program in partnership
with the School of Library and Information Science are as follows:
-
- a. Satisfaction of the course distribution requirements above;
-
- b. Satisfactory completion of either the Thesis or the Non-Thesis
Option above, with two alterations:
-
-
- i. The total hours required will be 27 hours credited towards
the History of Science MA if the Thesis Option is selected or
29 hours if the Non-Thesis Option is selected (a three-hour
reduction for each option from the standard);
-
-
- ii. The timetable for completion of the dual-Master’s
program will be set by the student’s MA committee, subject
to departmental approval.
-
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V. Outline of Doctoral Program Requirements
The major steps toward the Ph.D. degree are:
A. Satisfaction of course requirements:
1. Completion of an approved course of post-baccalaureate study
comprising at least 48 credit hours of graduate course work, not
counting hours for dissertation research. Usually, more than 48
hours of formal course work are necessary. The Ph.D. degree calls
for a total of 90 approved credit hours beyond the baccalaureate
degree, or 60 hours beyond the Master’s degree, including
dissertation hours.
2. Students admitted to the doctoral program are assumed to have
satisfied the course distribution and language requirements for
the Master’s.
a. If not, additional coursework or language study may be required.
b. There are no additional course distribution requirements at
the PhD level other than in preparation for field requirements,
described below.
3. Students are strongly encouraged to take one or more courses
outside the department, especially (but not solely) to fulfill the
requirements of the outside field. These courses normally, though
not necessarily, will be in the history department.
B. Demonstrated competence in a second approved foreign language;
C. Satisfactory completion of the General Examination, described
below;
D. Completion of a satisfactory doctoral dissertation and its defense
in an oral examination.
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VI. Course Requirements for Graduate Degrees
Note: The 5500-series of courses in the History of Science includes
the following:
5513 - Advanced Studies in the History of Ancient and Medieval
Science
5523 - Advanced Studies in the History of Renaissance and Early
Modern Science
5533 - Advanced Studies in the History of Modern Science
5550 - Topics in the History of Science (graduate level)
Each of these courses may be repeated with a change of content;
maximum credit for any one of these courses is 12 hours. In certain
cases when the specific content of the Topics course (5550) warrants
it, completion of the Topics course may be counted as fulfilling
the requirement of one of the Advanced Studies courses.
A) Master of Arts Degree
History of Science Graduate Survey (5990)
6 hours
Seminar (5970)
6 hours
Advance Studies in the History of Science
(one course in each of the following fields:
Ancient/Medieval; Ranaissance/Early Modern;
Modern Science: 5513,5523,5533)
9 hours
Elective Courses:student may choose among
approved courses outside the department
(e.g.) History, and department offerings,
such as HSCI 5550 and HSCI 5960
6 hours
Master's Thesis Research (5980)
3 hours
------------------
30
hours
B) Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Students working toward the Doctor of Philosophy degree will usually
be expected to fulfill the following minimum course requirements
(not counting dissertation hours) before completion of the General
Examination:
- Approved course of study consisting of 30 credits
- hours for the Master's degree, or its equivalent
30 hours
- Additional hours specified by the students
- committee
18 hours
- ------------------
- 48
hours
For sample programs, see Appendix II.
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VII. The History of Science
Seminar and Preparation of the Master's Thesis
During the first year of the Master’s program, participation
in the 5970 seminar is mandatory. Generally, in the Fall semester
the 5970 seminar will focus especially on learning fundamental methods
and techniques for research in the history of science, including particular
attention to such problems and issues as use of research tools and
presentation of research results in selected interpretive frameworks.
Generally, the Spring semester 5970 seminar will be a 'pro-seminar,'
concentrating on analysis and assessment of selected scholarly interpretations
as well as on original research.
By the end of the second semester of the Master’s program,
students should consult their Master’s degree committee (see
section II above) to define
a Master’s thesis topic and prepare a prospectus for the Master’s
thesis. Final determination of the topic should occur no later than
end of the Fall semester of the second academic year.
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VIII. Foreign Language Requirements
Wide acquaintance with foreign languages is expected of students in
the history of science at the University of Oklahoma. Generally speaking,
it is desirable for the professional historian of science to have
a reading knowledge of French and German, and Latin for those with
specializations before the modern period. Each student in the graduate
program will develop a plan for appropriate language competency, in
consultation with the student's committee. This plan may require review
and adjustment as the student proceeds in his or her program of graduate
study.
For the Master of Arts degree, demonstrated reading competence
in at least one foreign language is required.
For a student in the doctoral program, as the student's knowledge
and interests develop, requirements in foreign language competency
appropriate to the student's objectives will be determined by the
doctoral committee in consultation with the student. In every case,
requirements for the Ph.D. degree will include demonstrated reading
competence in at least two appropriate foreign languages.
Students are strongly encouraged to take foreign language competency
examinations as early as possible in their programs of study. Attaining
competence in a foreign language prior to enrollment in the graduate
program confers significant benefits toward timely completion of
the degree. Those entering with knowledge of one or more appropriate
languages should demonstrate their competency at the time of enrollment
in the graduate program, or as soon thereafter as possible.
It is generally expected that every graduate student will pass
one appropriate foreign language competency test no later than the
start of the third semester of enrollment. Basic reading competency
can be established by passing the reading examination administered
by the appropriate language department, or by completion of six
credit hours of appropriate intermediate-level language courses
with grades no lower than B. If competency is established by intermediate-level
course credit, earned at an accredited college or university, the
credit should date back no more than five years.
Students should expect to apply and develop their knowledge of
appropriate foreign languages in seminar work. Some questions incorporating
materials in pertinent foreign languages can be expected in the
General Examination.
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IX. Admission to the Doctoral
Program
As a rule, students wishing to begin study toward an advanced degree
in the University of Oklahoma's graduate program in the History of
Science are expected to apply for admission to the Master of Arts
program. This includes applicants who intend to work through the M.A.
program into the doctoral program. In certain circumstances, however,
an applicant may be accepted directly into the Ph.D. program. Such
circumstances include particularly applicants who have earned Master's
degrees in the history of science in comparable programs established
at other universities.
Students in the University of Oklahoma Master of Arts program in
History of Science may be recommended for advancement into the Ph.D.
program upon completion of the M.A. program with a sufficiently
high standard of performance. Students wishing to pursue the Ph.D.
should select the Thesis Option and should apply formally to the
department upon successful completion of Master’s requirements.
In their application students should summarize briefly their work
in the M.A. program and indicating (a) the primary field in which
the doctoral program will concentrate and the faculty supervisor
with whom they will work and (b) professional goals and the contribution
the doctoral program will make in their achievement.
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X. General Examination for
the Ph.D. Degree
A. Procedures
1. The General (Qualifying) Examination for the Ph.D. consists
of two parts, one written and one oral.
2. Each written field examination is four hours in length and
given on a separate day. The oral examination is the culmination
of the entire General Examination and is not a separable part.
3. After the oral examination the Committee will judge the entire
General Examination to be one of the following: Pass with distinction;
Pass; Pass conditional on certain requirements being met by the
student; Fail.
4. If the General Examination is failed, it may be retaken once.
5. Upon satisfactory completion of the General Examination, the
student is admitted to Candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
B. Doctoral field requirements
1. Students must satisfy the requirements for four distinct fields:
three of these fields will be examined and will be closely related
to the student’s doctoral research; the fourth field may be
satisfied without an examination and will differ from the student’s
specialization enough to ensure a breadth of competence sufficient
to teach survey courses and to participate as an active and informed
member of the history of science community.
2. The doctoral field, designed by the student and his/her committee
chair, supports his/her dissertation research.
a. It may be defined by period, region, and/or theme.
b. Examples of possible doctoral fields include: “Gender
and Modern Science,” “Early Modern Natural Philosophy/Natural
History,” “The Life Sciences Since 1800,” “Science
and Technology in American Culture,” “Science and Religion
From Antiquity to the 17th Century/From the 17th Century to the
Present,” “Race and Science,” “Science and
Popular Culture,” “Science and Patronage,” “The
Laboratory in Modern Science,” “Science and Imperialism,”
“Science and the Professions.”
3. The second field is typically (but not necessarily) supervised
by a member of the student’s committee other than the committee
chair.
a. This field may be defined by period, region, and/or theme,
or it may be a research tools and methods field.
b. This field will be closely related to a student’s research
interests but in a manner distinct from the doctoral field, thus
providing a different thematic focus, methodological/theoretical
perspective, or context than the doctoral field.
c. Examples of possible second fields include fields similar to
those listed above as possible doctoral fields, plus research tools
and methods fields, which might include fields like “Research
Methods in the History of Medieval Natural Philosophy,” or
“Research Methods in the History of Arabic Science.”
4. The outside field is typically (but not necessarily) supervised
by a faculty member outside of the department, presumably a member
of the student’s committee. This field is intended to support
the student’s research interests by providing a different
perspective on or a different context for the student’s research
topic.
a. It may be defined by period, region, and/or theme. If the second
history of science field is not a research tools and methods field,
the outside field may be constructed as such.
b. Examples of possible outside fields include: “Early Modern
Intellectual/Cultural/Social History,” “19th-20th Century
American Intellectual/Cultural/Social History,” “Modern
European Intellectual/Cultural/Social History,” “Methods
and Techniques of Oral History,” “Science in Modern
Literature,” “Anthropology of Science/Medicine,”
“Philosophy of Science,” “Modern Environmental
History,” “History of Islam,” “The Cultural
Geography of Science and Technology.” [Slashes are to indicate
alternatives.]
5. The complementary field may be satisfied by means other than
a written examination, as determined by the student’s committee.
a. Such alternate means may include course work and/or the submission
of a portfolio of work, which may include detailed syllabi for survey
courses along with papers prepared for graduate courses. It also
may involve a written examination if the committee so chooses.
b. The goal of this field is to provide the student with a broader
perspective on the history of science than found in his/her three
research fields. This breadth should be sufficient to enable the
student to teach courses he or she is likely to be expected to teach.
c. This field will cover periods, themes, and regions substantially
distinct from his/her research fields.
C. Program oversight and documentation for doctoral work
1.Faculty supervising fields are expected to discuss the design
of the field and its requirements with the student and to consult
with his/her committee chair to ensure that the field fits the student’s
needs, the chair’s expectations, and the supervising faculty’s
standards for competence in the area of study.
2. Faculty supervisors will meet regularly with students to discuss
readings and other assignments. Some work for a field supervised
by one faculty member may take the form of coursework with another
faculty member.
3. Faculty supervising a field will work with the student to prepare
a brief, 1-2 page, description of the field and its requirements.
a. This description will outline the core topics to be covered,
list any course requirements, and describe briefly any major writing
assignments.
b. Copies of this field description will be kept by the field
supervisor, the student, and the committee chair. A copy also will
be submitted to the department.
D. Timetable for completion.
1.Students and their committee chairs should establish a timetable
for completion of general field examinations with clear, specific
expectations for required content and deadlines.
2. As a rule, full-time students are expected to complete the
requirements for their general examinations within three semesters
of completion of requirements for a Master’s degree. The department
may authorize individual extensions to this timetable if special
circumstances warrant.
3. Defense of a dissertation proposal may be part of the general
examinations, or it may be submitted to the committee within three
months of completion of general examinations. The department may
authorize individual extensions to this timetable if special circumstances
warrant.
E. Program approval
1.The timetables and field descriptions are to be submitted to
the department no later than the beginning of the second semester
after admission to the Ph.D. program.
2. When materials for a student’s program of study are submitted
to the department, the entire department faculty will be notified.
3. These materials will be available for advice and comment for
a period of 30 days during the regular academic year. When the review
period occurs outside the academic year, faculty should be asked
to acknowledge receipt of the materials.
4. There is no requirement for formal faculty discussion of a
student’s program, unless objections are raised during this
review period, at which point the matter may be brought before the
full department, which may then request that changes be made.
5. The responsibility for the student’s course of study
is vested in the doctoral committee.
a. Departmental review of a student’s planned course of
study is not intended to usurp that responsibility, but rather to
be an opportunity for advice and commentary on the general structure
and scope of the fields and their requirements.
b. The requirement that the general nature and scope of the various
fields be submitted in written form to the department is also intended
to benefit the student by ensuring that expectations are clear,
thus enabling students to maintain consistent progress toward the
completion date identified at the beginning of the process.
6. If no request for changes has been made by the end of the notification
period, the student’s program shall be considered approved.
The department may approve a student’s program of study before
the 30 days have elapsed if there is a need for timely action.
7.
Significant modifications to a student’s program, such as replacement
of one field with another, changes in committee members, addition
or subtraction of a major research or writing assignment, or modifications
to the timetable of more than a semester, shall be accompanied by
a new departmental approval process.
F. Scheduling for the General Examination
1.Although the General Examination may be taken all at one time
(three or four written field examinations within a period of two
weeks or less, followed by an oral examination within one or two
weeks), it may also be taken in parts at intervals separated by
several weeks or months.
2. In either case the oral portion of the examination is performed
at the end, after completion of all field examinations.
3. The General Examination must be completed within one semester
of its start, delimited by the first and last days of the term.
If the General Examination is not completed within one semester,
any field examination taken more than a semester earlier will be
repeated.
4. The student will be required to have passed foreign language
requirements for two languages before beginning the General Examination.
Demonstrated competence in more than two foreign languages may be
required in cases where the student's objectives and program of
study warrant.
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XI. Doctoral Dissertation
Presentation of a Ph.D. dissertation prospectus is expected within
three months of a doctoral student's successful completion of the
General Examination.
The doctoral candidate works closely with the faculty member supervising
the dissertation research. Information and instructions are available
at the Graduate College office concerning procedures for submission
of the dissertation reading copy, and on the prescribed dissertation
format.
Defense of the dissertation, based on the reading copy, takes place
in a Final Oral Examination, which is a public event.
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XII. Annual Evaluation of Graduate
Students
The Graduate College requires that each continuing graduate student
be given a written evaluation of performance at the end of the academic
year. This evaluation is completed only after the end of the Spring
semester. A copy of the evaluation statement goes to the Graduate
College.
As a preliminary phase of the annual evaluation, each graduate
student takes part in a self-evaluation exercise, including discussion
of the self-evaluation in conference with the Graduate Advisor and
one other department faculty member, chosen by the graduate student.
The second faculty member selected for this conference should have
some basis for knowledge of the graduate student's work, usually
as teacher of a seminar or an advanced course. Ph.D. Candidates
should usually select their dissertation advisor as the second conference
participant.
Conferences are scheduled during the four-week period immediately
following Spring Vacation. Students are asked to provide the two
faculty members involved with a self-evaluative statement on their
progress in the graduate program, focusing particularly on progress
within the preceding year and goals for the coming year, a week
before the scheduled conference. If the student holds an appointment
as a graduate assistant, the statement should include some evaluation
of performance in that capacity. All students – whether currently
graduate assistants or not – should make known their requests
to be considered for an assistantship appointment at this time.
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XIII. Implementation of Policies
and Procedures in this Document
Upon formal adoption of the above-mentioned policies and procedures,
which include certain changes from current Master’s and Doctoral
requirements, students who have been admitted to the doctoral program
but who have not yet taken the general examination should consult
with their committees and especially the intended doctoral supervisor
regarding appropriate selection of doctoral fields. Students in this
situation may continue to satisfy field structures in place at the
time they were admitted or shift to the field structure outlined in
this document.
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Appendix I: Additional Information Concerning
Preparations for the Comprehensive M.A. Examination (Non-Thesis
Option)
The department faculty members strive in every case to ensure fairness
and equity among all program students and high standards of scholarship
among those completing their course of study with the non-thesis Master’s
degree. The department’s procedures are in conformance with
and proceed from the requirements specified in the Graduate College
Bulletin. The Comprehensive examination committee for students
selecting the Non-Thesis Option for the MA is composed of no fewer
than three graduate faculty members of the department. The composition
of the committee is determined by the department, in consultation
with the student.
Preparation for the Comprehensive examination begins with the student’s
initial enrollment in the program. Through coursework, seminars,
independent reading, participation in departmental colloquia, and
regular personal interaction with faculty and fellow students, graduate
students in the History of Science are encouraged to broaden their
understanding of the discipline. In all cases, students are encouraged
by the graduate advisor to meet with each faculty member on the
Comprehensive Examination committee in the semester before the examination
to monitor preparations. Included among these preparations is a
review of course syllabi, supplemented by additional reading, where
necessary. The graduate advisor coordinates these efforts.
The Comprehensive Examination consists of an oral examination administered
by the committee. Members of the committee present questions that
survey the history of science. Committee members also consider the
student’s preparation in the program.
Immediately following the oral examination, all committee members
meet to discuss the student’s performance. The committee seeks
to determine whether responses in the examination display sophisticated
and comprehensive understanding of the history of science. Relatively
minor deficiencies may still not disqualify the candidate; serious
and extensive deficiencies will result in failure on the examination.
Students are notified of passage immediately after the examination.
In cases of failure of the examination, the committee provides the
student with a copy of the Authority Report Form filed with the
Dean of the Graduate College and a written assessment of the deficiencies
displayed in the examination. Students may not retake the examination
a third time.
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Appendix II: Sample graduate programs
for MA and PhD
Assuming 2-YR MA with Master’s Thesis
Example 1: student interested in modern life sciences. Major
fields: modern life sciences (doctoral), patronage and scientific
institutions (second), modern American intellectual history (outside),
early modern natural philosophy/the Scientific Revolution (complementary).
In the above example, the student satisfies her 55X3 requirements
and other Master’s requirements by spring of year 2, satisfies
the requirements for the doctoral field with a second 5533 (on history
of modern life sciences, say) and a 5960 in fall of year 4 (further
reading on biology and society), satisfies the requirements for
the second field in history of science with a 5550 in fall year
2 (on patronage, say) and a 5960 in spring of year 2 (on scientific
institutions), satisfies the requirements for the outside field
with two courses in year 3, and satisfies the requirements for the
complementary field by taking another two 5550s and submitting detailed
syllabi for a course on the Scientific Revolution and a modern survey.
(Alternatively, this student might have taken a second 5523 and
a 5550 to satisfy the requirements of the complementary field).
Total hours credited towards the MA by end of year 2: 30 (including
3 thesis hours).
Example 2: student interested in early modern natural history.
Major fields: early modern natural history (doctoral), scientific
illustration (second), Early Modern cultural history, with an emphasis
on religion (outside), science in antiquity (complementary).
This student satisfied his Master’s requirements by taking
the 55X3s and completing his Master’s essay by the end of
the second year. He satisfies his doctoral field requirements with
a second 5523 (early modern science and religion, say) and a 5960
on early modern natural history. He satisfies his second field requirements
with a 5550 on scientific imagery and representation and a
5960 focusing on early modern scientific images. He satisfies his
outside field requirements with a pair of reading courses in the
history department on early modern cultural history, and he satisfies
his complementary field requirements with a second 5513 and a 5550
(science in Islam, say, which has a strong ancient/medieval component,
or perhaps one on Aristotelian natural philosophy). He also submits
detailed syllabi for his own 3013 and for a course on science and
religion to satisfy the complementary field requirement.
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Appendix III: Additional Information Concerning Preparations
for the General Examination
The department faculty members consider the general examination one
of the most important steps in the training of doctoral students,
and strive in every case to insure fairness and equity among all program
students and high standards of scholarship among those advanced to
candidacy. The following remarks are intended to supplement details
provided in section XI, part (d)
above.
(a) The Role of the Outside Member of the Doctoral Committee.
The department agrees with, and acts in accord with, the Graduate
College policy regarding outside members of doctoral committees.
The Graduate College requires that committees be composed of five
graduate faculty members, at least one of which must be outside
the major department. It is expected that the supervisor of the
outside doctoral field will satisfy this Graduate College policy
as well as offer informed as advice and criticism of the student’s
work. Students are also encouraged to consider the addition of a
sixth member from outside the University with special expertise
in the area of the dissertation.
(b) The Procedures Used to Prepare the Examination. The composition of the
General Examination is described in section X of the department’s
Information statement. The questions for each field are written
by the faculty members that supervised the fields, with other faculty
being asked to write questions at the committee chair’s discretion.
The entire examination, however, is reviewed by all members of the
committee to insure balance, comprehensiveness, and fairness.
In preparing each section, faculty draw upon considerations that include, but
are not restricted to the following:
- the current state of the field
- the historiographical issues that inform current and previous
research traditions in the field
- the student's interests as they pertain to the field as a major
or minor field of specialization
- the student's prior preparation in the program.
In all cases, the goal is to prepare an examination that insures comprehensive
knowledge and opportunities for student specialization.
(c) Recommendations for Preparation for the General Examination.
Through coursework, seminars, independent reading, participation
in departmental colloquia, and regular personal interaction with
faculty and fellow students, graduate students in the History of
Science are encouraged simultaneously to broaden their understanding
of the discipline and to establish informed perspectives on possible
areas for specialized research. The chair of the committee assumes
ultimate responsibility for coordinating this preparation.
(d) Guidelines for Determining Pass/Fail. The
entire examination is read by all members of the committee. Thereafter,
the committee meets to discuss the acceptability of the
candidate's responses. Evaluations of specialized faculty within
each field are considered especially significant in the general
decision regarding the candidate’s advancement to the oral
part of the examination. Deficiencies within parts of the responses
may serve either to fail the candidate before the oral examination
(if they are especially broad and serious), or focus discussion
in the oral examination (if they are relatively minor and tangential).
The same standards and general procedure apply to the oral examination. The
committee seeks to determine whether responses in the written and
oral portions of the examination display sophisticated and comprehensive
understanding of the history of science. Relatively minor deficiencies
may still not disqualify the candidate; more serious but limited
ones may result in the recommendation that the candidate retake
portions of the examination; serious and extensive deficiencies
will result in failure on the entire examination.
(e) Feedback to Students Regarding performance on Oral
and Written Examinations. Students are notified of passage
immediately after the oral portion of the examination. Where the
committee has reservations about portions of the examination, the
student is informed immediately after the oral portion of the examination,
and in addition to a copy of the report filed with the Dean of the
Graduate College, the committee chair provides the candidate with
a written statement of the deficiencies, together with procedures
for remediation.
In cases of complete failure of the examination, the committee chair provides
the candidate with a copy of the report filed with the Dean of the
Graduate College and a written assessment of the deficiencies displayed
in the examination. Candidates may not retake the examination a
third time.
(f) Procedures in Cases of Unsatisfactory Performance on
the General Examination. As noted above, the candidate
may display minor deficiencies in parts of the examination that
do not result in complete failure. In such cases, the committee
may recommend that the student prepare further and either take the
examination in those fields again or, depending on the circumstances,
require the student to prepare a special area of the field and submit
other written work that displays satisfactory achievement.
In cases of complete failure of the examination, the student and chair of the
committee meet to discuss the performance and determine the student's
future course of action. In some cases, the student may decide to
withdraw from the program. If the student decides to attempt the
examination after further preparation, the general recommendations
for preparation outlined above apply once again, but on this occasion
the student and each member of the committee are guided by the written
assessment described in the previous section.
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Appendix IV: History of Science Graduate
Research Award
Through the generosity of an anonymous donor, an endowment has been
established to support an award for a student's research achievement
in the History of Science program. Since 1993, a History of Science
Research Award has been offered in recognition of a student's excellent
research accomplishment in the history of science during the previous
year. The amount of the award is $175. Determination of the award
is made by the History of Science Department faculty. Eligibility
for the award is limited to those who are students in the History
of Science graduate program in the previous calendar year and to
other students enrolled in History of Science graduate courses during
that period. Written research work up to a maximum of 10,000 words
may be considered. Examples of eligible work include, but are not
limited to, research papers prepared for courses (including revised
versions of such papers, and papers prepared for courses outside
the Department), chapters from theses or dissertations, and papers
prepared for presentation at meetings or colloquia. No award will
be given in any year when eligible research work is judged not to
be of sufficiently high merit.
Nominations for the award may be submitted by department faculty
members, graduate students, and other interested persons. Eligible
students are encouraged to submit their own work for consideration.
All nominations and submissions should be received by the Department
Chair no later than March 1. Announcement of the award will be made
on or before May 15.
Approved: 2 February
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