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This FAQ page is intended to provide NELC graduate students with answers to their frequently asked questions regarding requirements, policies, and other aspects of the program. Please feel free to contact the NELC Student Coordinator with any questions you would like to see added. |
| DEPARTMENTAL LANGUAGE EXAM FAQ |
Are all graduate students required to take the departmental language exams? When are the language exams given? How can I best prepare for the departmental language exam? |
| GENERAL AND SPECIAL EXAMS FAQ |
When am I expected to take general and special exams? When are general and special exams given? How do I schedule my general and special exams? |
| DEPARTMENTAL LANGUAGE EXAM FAQ |
Are all graduate students required to take the departmental language exams? Yes. Advanced reading knowledge of either French or German is required before admission. The student will be tested on that language at the beginning of the first semester. If the competence level is insufficient, the student is expected to pass the departmental French/German exam at the end of the first semester. For PhD students, an examination in the second language must be passed by the end of the second year. These exams are one hour for students who are native speakers of English, one-and-one-half hours for students who are not native speakers of English. The language exams will consist of a passage taken from a general scholarly work, which must be translated from French/German into English. Accuracy is important. Please bring your own French or German dictionary to the exam. |
Why do I need to take a departmental French or German exam, if I am studying Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations? Most universities require graduate students to learn languages of modern scholarship, such as French and German, to prepare students for reading important source materials related to their specific areas of study. |
If I have passed a departmental French or German exam previously at another university/program, am I still required to take the NELC departmental language exam? Yes. All incoming NELC graduate students must take the departmental language exams, regardless of whether they have passed them previously at another university or institution. |
When are the language exams given? The exams are given three times a year, in September, late January/early February, and in May. Please refer to the NELC Departmental Exam Schedule for specific dates. |
How can I best prepare for the departmental language exam? Many students take French or German for reading courses at Harvard, or over the summer through the Harvard Summer School. You may apply for GSAS summer school tuition waiver fellowships for this purpose. Other students use their summer research funding to study these languages. French and German workshops are sometimes given by NELC faculty throughout the semester, in order to help students prepare. The NELC Student Coordinator will notify students with more details regarding these. |
Do you have samples of past departmental language exams? The department has on file a number of past departmental language exams that are available for photocopying if you would like a "sample". Please see one of the staff assistants to view these. You may also click below for PDFs of past departmental language exams: Sample French exam 1 |
What if I don't pass the exam the first time? If you do not pass the French/German exam, you are allowed to take it until you pass without penalty. However, if you do not pass the first exam by September of the second year, and the second language exam by September of the third year, this will affect your academic standing. |
| For additional information on departmental language exams, please refer to the NELC Graduate Requirements page. |
| GENERAL AND SPECIAL EXAMS FAQ |
When am I expected to take General and Special Exams? By the end of the third year a student must have passed the General Examinations and by the end of the fall term of the fourth year, a student must have passed the Special Examinations. |
When are General and Special Exams given? Each field in the department determines its own timing of General and Special Examinations, in consultation with the department’s administration. Specifically, each field chooses between a floating General and Special Examination schedule (individual students will be examined when they are deemed prepared for the examinations) and a fixed schedule (students will be examined during one of two set times during the academic year—November or May). Students whose field uses the fixed schedule may take their examinations only on the two assigned dates. |
How do I schedule my General and Special Exams? Please consult with your advisor to create a list of your general and special examiners, exam titles and a tentative schedule, in accordance with NELC general and special exam requirements. Please e-mail the NELC Student Coordinator (amcooper@fas.harvard.edu) as soon as this is determined. She will then confirm with your examiners, and schedule the oral exam. She will secure the exams and proctor them. |
Can I use a computer to take my General and Special Exams? Yes. The NELC department will provide you with a computer on which to take your General and Special Exams. |
Do you have samples of past General and Special Exams? The department has on file a number of past exams that are available for photocopying if you would like a "sample". Please see one of the staff assistants to view these. |
For additional information on general and special examinations, please refer to the NELC Graduate Requirements page. |
| PROSPECTUS FAQ |
When am I required to submit my prospectus by? By the end of the fourth year, that is, normally within one year of the General Examinations, a student must have obtained approval of a Dissertation Prospectus in order to show satisfactory progress. Exceptions to this rule require a petition well before the expected submission of the Prospectus. |
What are the requirements for the form, content and length of the prospectus? Please refer to the NELC Graduate Requirements page. |
How do I submit my prospectus? The prospectus is due in the mailboxes of the appropriate faculty members no later than one week before the faculty meeting at which it will be voted. Click here for a list of the current academic year's faculty meetings as well as a list of faculty that may vote on the prospectus. Please email the department administrator directly (lmishkin@fas.harvard.edu) at least one week before the faculty meeting at which your prospectus will be considered. This will ensure its inclusion on the agenda. You must also submit a copy of your prospectus to her by this time. |
Does my prospectus need to be approved by the faculty members on my prospectus committee before I submit it to the NELC Faculty for review at the Faculty meeting? Yes, your prospectus must be approved by your 3-4 member prospectus committee before it is submitted to the department for faculty review. |
Do tablet samples need to be included with prospectus submissions? Tablet samples should be included with prospectus submissions where applicable. |
Does the department have samples of past prospectuses? The department has on file a number of prospectuses that are available for photocopying if you would like a "sample". Please see one of the staff assistants to view these. |
What kind of funding is available for prospectus research and writing? GSAS offers Graduate Society fellowships for students still at an early stage in the development of the dissertation - prior to having an approved prospectus. (These have NELC departmental deadlines). Please see the NELC Fellowships page, as well as the GSAS Fellowships Website for further information and application materials on these and other fellowships. |
For details about the timetable for submitting your prospectus, the requirements for the prospectus, and other logistics concerning this process, please refer to the NELC Graduate Requirements page. |
| DISSERTATION FAQ | ||||||||||||
What are the requirements for making satisfactory progress on the dissertation? In order to make satisfactory progress on the dissertation, the student must submit and have approved at least one chapter of the dissertation by the end of each year after the approval of the Prospectus, the first no later than by the end of the student's sixth year. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences requires a student to complete the doctoral program within ten years of entering the program. Beyond these requirements, the faculty is the final arbiter of what constitutes satisfactory progress. |
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What kind of funding is available for dissertation research and writing? GSAS offers fellowships for dissertation research and completion, which students are strongly encouraged to apply for (These have NELC departmental deadlines). Please see the NELC Fellowships page, as well as the GSAS Fellowships Website for further information and application materials on these and other fellowships. |
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How do I schedule my dissertation defense? If you will be defending your dissertation this academic year, please e-mail NELC’s Student Coordinator (amcooper@fas.harvard.edu) with the details of your dissertation defense schedule and committee. She can then schedule the date of your defense and coordinate with your committee. In scheduling the latest possible defense date, the NELC department works backwards from the registrar's deadlines for submitting your dissertation to them. For example, for a June 2009 degree, the completed, bound dissertation along with an unbound, boxed copy are due in the registrar's office by May 22, 2009 (no flexibility in this deadline). The recommended minimum amount of time between this date and the actual dissertation defense is about two weeks. This allows adequate time for the student to make whatever final corrections need to be made to the dissertation and then get it professionally bound. This would put the latest defense date at around May 8, 2009. |
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When is the dissertation draft due to the NELC office? NELC has a one-month rule, which requires that the final copy of the dissertation be on file in the NELC office for one month before the date of the defense. This allows adequate time for any members of the faculty not on your committee to review the dissertation. So, for example, if your dissertation defense was scheduled for May 8, 2009, your final draft would need to be submitted to the NELC office by April 8, 2009. |
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What are the specifications regarding the form and presentation of the final dissertation copy which must be submitted to GSAS? Your completed dissertation must strictly adhere to the guidelines as outlined in GSAS's red book, The Form of the Doctoral Thesis. You may also pick up a copy of this in the NELC office. |
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When is the final dissertation copy due to the Registrar's office? For 2008-2009 Degree Applicants
Once your defense is completed and you submit your copies to the registrar, they will have one form and two surveys that you will need to complete before graduating. |
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Do I need to submit a copy of my final dissertation to the NELC office? Yes, in addition to the copies you must submit to the registrar's office, please also submit a bound copy of your thesis to the NELC department for the NELC dissertation library. |
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For more information on the dissertation, please refer to the NELC Graduate Requirements page. |