October 25, 1930
DEGREE RULINGS
Required Fields:
Statistics:
“The Chairman informed the Department that in the cases of students electing Economics 1a and 41b he had ruled that such students should present themselves for oral examination in Statistics and that he would not accept 1a and 41b in lieu of such examination. This ruling was approved by the Department. The Department was also informed that in a number of cases it was possible that the students might elect to take the mid-year examination in 41a, and that if the mid-year examination in 41a was passed with high distinction the Chairman might accept the grade in 41a together with 41b in lieu of oral examination.” 6/30.
Students previously registered in the Graduate School may be exempted from this ruling.
Students offering Statistics for General Examination are strongly advised to take 1a, 41a, and 41b, or the equivalent.
Economic History:
Substitutions:
Ancient Economic History.
Economic Geography. (Hoover).
An approved course at another university.
Economics 2 in special cases. (Former graduate students, Harvard undergraduates –Danielian).
Economics S20 allowed for Hoffman, Ross, Gabine. (5th. field).
5th Field:
“Economics S20 in Economic History under Professor Usher will be accepted for course credit and men will not be required to stand for oral examination. This does not serve as a precedent, but in these cases (Hoffman, Ross, Gabine – SS30) the work of each man was carefully outlined with Professor Usher and the amount of work required was in excess of the amount of work required in Economics 25.” 6/30
“In the case of a candidate for the Ph.D. who is a graduate of Harvard College, electing to meet the requirements of the field by the substitution of a course taken as an undergraduate the Department voted that the acceptable grade should be A.” (Abbott).
Outside field:
The Chairman suggested that men electing American History since 1789 be encouraged to present History 13 under Professor Baxter’s direction in lieu of standing for oral examination in this field and the Department authorised the Chairman to follow out this suggestion. The Department also authorised the Chairman to encourage men to meet the outside field requirement by the substitution of a distinction grade in an approved course.” 4/29.
“In the Division meeting of April 23 the representatives of the Department of Government discussed the requirements in the field of Political Theory as an outside field for the Ph.D. candidates in History and Economics. It was the opinion of Professor McIlwain, in which the other members of the Department of Government concurred, that the requirements should be that in general the candidate should be familiar at least in outline with the general field of Political Theory and should emphasise in detail one part of the field.” 4/29
“It was moved by the Department that “only graduate courses be accepted as approved, excepting by vote”, and it was moved that the Department accept Professor McIlwain’s list of approved courses in History. Following these votes, it is the intention of the Department that particular courses – Government, Mathematics, Philosophy, etc. – be reported to the Department for discussion and decision. 10/28.
Wisniewski. It was voted that Wisniewski’s requirement in Economic History was met by his work at Warsaw, and he is permitted to present Mathematics as one of his six fields. 4/30.
Special fields allowed:
Mathematics – Wisniewski, Seabury.
Government Control of Industry – Baker.
Railroads – Baker.
Marketing _ Davisson.
History of Ancient Philosophy – Gilbert
Corporation Finance – Smith, Lawrence.
Accounting – Tebbutt, Frickey, Hunt, Manly.
Public Utilities – Bernstein, James.
History 23b – Davis, I.G.
History of Japan – Shoemaker
History of Science – Wright.
Industrial History – Ellis.
Tebutt allowed to offer both Acct. and Stat. 3/10/31.
Special field:
“A candidate for the Ph.D. may present Economic Theory and three other fields in Economics with one outside field for his General Examinations, and take his special subject in Economic Theory. The Department voted that excepting in most unusual circumstances this would not be permissible in any other field than Theory.” 10/29.
20 Courses:
In an approved case a 20 course may be offered for course credit for the fifth field, or may be used to supplement a course taken at another institution to be offered for course credit, or may be used to supplement a Summer School course to be offered for course credit(Ex. Lamb).
Economics S20 may with permission be taken for a full course credit.
Economics S20 in Economic History under Professor Usher has in special cases, which are not to be considered as establishing precedent, been allowed to stand for course credit in the fifth field, thereby completing the Economic History requirement. (Hoffman, Ross, Gabine).
Economics S20 may with special permission be taken in absentia. (Goldstein).
There is an understanding with Dean Chase that the grade may not be returned until after the General Examinations if the instructor so wishes.
Language Examinations:
“It was moved that the tests might be taken separately for the Ph.D. degree”. 4/30.
Examinations for the degree may be taken in absentia. (Reddick)
Language Requirements:
“The petition of A. G. Peterson that he be allowed to substitute Scandinavian or Spanish for French or German was discussed. Finally it was voted that our present requirements must be maintained. There was general agreement with the position of Professor Taussig that French and German were indispensable tools and that vocational needs should not be taken into account.
The Chairman was instructed to discuss with Dean Chase the following possibility, that in lieu of a reading knowledge of both French and German a candidate might present a reading knowledge of a third language and an elementary knowledge of either French or German.” 4/30.
A.M. degree:
“In particular cases we find it desirable to suggest research work to certain men in their first year. but the Department deems it inadvisable to require research work as a part of the Master’s program………….regard the new Master’s degree as essentially a teacher’s degree.” 2/29.
Didzun. “The Division voted that one Didzun, candidate for the Master’s degree through the accumulation of Summer School courses through 1927 be allowed to take his Master’s degree under the old conditions.” 11/29.
Jones and Taylor. “Two graduate students – W. H. Jones and R. Taylor – were sent here this year by the Ministry of Agriculture of Great Britain. Both the Ministry of Agriculture and the two students were under the impression that the A.M. degree could be secured under the old conditions. After considerable discussion it was moved by Professor Gay that the Department recommend to the Graduate School that the degree should be awarded to these two men under the old conditions. This motion was seconded and passed.” 10/30.
“The practice of the Administrative Board of the Graduate School is to require that grades of B minus be offset by grades of B plus or higher. They do not necessarily refuse to recommend for the degree in all cases where this requirement is not met, but consider all records which do not meet the requirement as special cases.”
(C.H. Moore. 2/28/30).
Ph.D. in Business Economics.
“It was voted that a candidate for the Ph.D. in Business Economics should be allowed to present for his Generals four subjects and should be permitted to meet requirements for the fifth subject by presenting a satisfactory grade in an approved course. This should be discussed with the Business School.” 10/29.
(Precedent established by D. Leighton 10/11/28).
General Examination – Procedure.
“In the course of discussing the procedure of the committees in Ph.D. General Examinations it was voted that the Chairman of a Committee was expected to take part in the examination unless he notified the Chairman of the Division to the contrary, in which case the Chairman should appoint a fifth member.” 10/29.
[in pencil added] Man is excused from final course examinations in courses relating to fields in which he offers for Generals in cases where Generals come in April, May.
Thesis and Special Examination.
[this paragraph apparently crossed out and an asterisk penciled in before it] “There is no precedent covering a case where the dissenting member of the original committee refuses to accede to the proposal to add a fourth member to the committee. The Chairman of the Division rules that in such a case a fourth member may be added and that his vote may be final. If he favours accepting the thesis the three who favour acceptance may sign the certificate and the candidate will be admitted to his final examination.” (Professor T. N. Carver, 5/30)
“At a meeting of the Division on April 14, 1925, Professor Taussig reported that Chu Hsiao, a third year graduate student, had been prevented by sudden and heavy calls on his time in aid of another student from China from completing his thesis by April 1. It appeared also that he would be compelled by the same occurrence to go to China at once and could not return to the United States for an indefinite period. On motion it was voted that in view of the excellence of Hsiao’s work as shown by his record in the courses taken, and also of his having passed the General Examination with high credit he be permitted after the completion and acceptance of his thesis to take the examination in his special field in writing at such time and place and under such conditions as shall be provided by the Chairman of the Division and the Chairman of the Division Committee on Higher Degrees.” 4/14/25.
Final Course Examinations.
The candidate is excused from final course examinations in courses relating to fields which he offers for the General Examinations in cases where the Generals are taken after April 1.
*In this understanding with Usher it was specified that the readings should last for ten to twelve weeks if it was to count for a full course. In each case Usher gave an examination so that all conditions were fulfilled.
Additional Rulings – (Voted in the Division meeting, Nov., 1930).
*Ph.D. theses shall be read by two members of the Division and in case of disagreement by a third member of the Division whose decision shall be final.
A thesis rejected for the Ph.D. may not be resubmitted in revised form without the approval of two members of the original committee.
Professor Bullock moved that the Chairman of the Division with the three department chairmen form a committee to approve plans of study.
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The candidate f0r the Master’s degree shall be required to present either Economic History or Statistics in addition to Economic Theory.
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It was voted that properly qualified candidates for the Ph.D. should be allowed to offer as a sixth subject in addition to Group A, some special field in Economic Theory. 5/31.
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It was voted to recommend to the Division that the field Commodity Distribution and Prices be accepted for the Ph.D. 10/13/31.
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Dean Mayo on December 18 ruled that we would accept the reading requirements in French and German fulfilled in other universities as sufficient for entrance, or two years study of the language either as undergraduate or graduate. 12/18/31.
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For entrance into the Graduate School – 2 years of French or German, one year of which is a reasonably advanced course.
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On May 19, 1931 the Faculty voted: “That beginning with the academic year 1932-33 candidates for admission to the Graduate School be required to show a reading knowledge of either French or German, unless on the recommendation of a Division or Department this requirement be waived for men whose exceptional fitness for work in their special fields is clear.”
SOURCE: HARVARD UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES.
UAV 349.11 Box 13. Department of Economics/1930-1961 and some earlier/General Exams to Haberler
Graduate Degree Requirements.