Harvard. Changes in A.M. and Ph.D. economics degree requirements, 1956

The explicit rules of the game of paper chase to an advanced degree in economics at Harvard have evolved over the years. This post adds to our collection of the rules and regulations, interpretations and exceptions that defined the procedural world faced by the earlier cohorts of economics graduate students at Harvard. 

_________________

Department of Economics

August 1, 1956

CHANGES IN DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE

These changes are to take effect for students taking their General Oral Examinations after February 1, 1957.

1. The requirements for the M.A. shall be identical with those for the Ph.D., with the following exceptions:
   1. No thesis or special oral examination shall be required.
   2. The language requirement shall remain as it was: a fluent reading knowledge, to be tested by a rigorous two-hour written examination, of advanced economic texts in one of the following languages: French, German, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, a Scandinavian language, or Russian.

The above [sic, below] involves the following major changes in the M.A. requirements:

1. Two years’ residence (no exceptions); one of these may be taken elsewhere, as for the Ph.D.
2. Five fields are now to be presented, including economic theory, economic history, and statistics.
3. The requirement regarding the fifth field of study is usually fulfilled by the passing of the equivalent of a full-year graduate course offered in the Department of Economics at Harvard and completed with the grade of B plus or higher. Seminars offered by the Graduate School of Public Administration are not acceptable for such “write-off” purposes. If the requirement for the write-off is not met prior to the General Oral Examination, the candidate will be examined in all five fields in the Generals. One half-course must have been completed in the write-off field with a grade of B plus or higher before the General Examination.
4. Candidates for the Master’s degree may be excused from final examinations in courses on the same basis as candidates for the Ph.D.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE.

General Oral Examination:

1. If the requirements for the write-off field have not been met prior to the General Oral Examination, all five fields must be included in the General Oral Examination.

Thesis:

1. The thesis should be written in one of the fields taken in the General Oral Examination. The candidate will obtain written consent for his proposed topic from the faculty member who has agreed to supervise his thesis and submit it to the Chairman within six months after passing the General Oral Examination. The student must make a report of progress on his thesis to the Department once a year until the thesis is submitted finally for approval.
2. Beginning in the year 1957-58, theses will be due in the Department Office in final bound form on December 1^st for a degree at Midyear and on March 1^st for a degree at Commencement.

Special Oral Examination:

1. The Special Oral Examination will consist of an extensive examination in the student’s special field as well as in a defense of his thesis. It will normally last one hour to one-and-one-half hours, not less than one-half hour to be devoted to intensive examination in the special field without primary reference to the thesis. This ruling is to take effect for Specials taken after September 1, 1957.

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers 1930-1961 and some earlier (UAV 349.11). Box 13, General Exams to Haberler. “Graduate Degree Requirements”.

Image Source: Clipped and borrowed from the blog Disorder of Things.