AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES

Students enrolled in a PhD program in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, including Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Economics, English, Government, History, History of Art and Architecture, History of American Civilization, History of Science, Music, Philosophy, Sociology, and Religion may achieve formal recognition for completing a secondary field in African and African American Studies. Graduate students who choose African and African American Studies as a secondary field will benefit from learning how to do interdisciplinary work on the basis of the substantial body of scholarly writing on African and African American social, cultural, economic and political life and history. The Department also encourages comparative work on African, African American, and diasporic topics.

Graduate students must meet the following requirements in order to have the secondary field officially recorded on their transcript.

Coursework

• Completion of four graduate-level courses in African and African American Studies with honors grades of B+ or above. Demonstrating Mastery in the Secondary Field
• Successful completion of a research paper demonstrating mastery in the field of African and African American Studies is also required. Ordinarily this is the most successful graduate term paper written for one of the four African and African American Studies courses.

Record-keeping

• Students interested in declaring a secondary field in African and African American Studies should submit to the Director of Graduate Studies evidence of their successful participation in four appropriate graduate courses in the Department of African and African American Studies as well as the research paper. Once they obtain the approval of the DGS they and the registrar will receive certification of successful completion of secondary field requirements.

THE CLASSICS

A student enrolled in a PhD program in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, other than the programs offered in the Department of the Classics, may achieve formal recognition for completing a secondary field in one of the following programs offered in the Department: Classical Archaeology; Classical Philology; Greek and Roman History.

Classical Archaeology

The following requirements must be met to complete a secondary field in Classical Archaeology.

Coursework

• Completion of four half-courses. Qualifying courses include those taught within the Departments of the Classics and History of Art and Architecture and accepted by the Department of the Classics towards the requirements of Classical Archaeology.
• Two half-courses must be entitled, or officially cross-listed as, Classical Archaeology (prefixed ClArch).
• Two of the four half-courses shall be graduate seminars.
• At least one of the four half-courses shall be on a Greek topic and another on a Roman topic.
• Students are encouraged to take Classical Archaeology 351: Classical Archaeology Proseminar, or Classics 350: Classical Philology Proseminar.
• Students may petition the Director of Graduate Studies to be permitted to apply one course in Anthropology, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, or the Divinity School towards the requirements of the secondary field.
• The archaeological summer programs offered by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and the American Academy in Rome, and the Graduate Summer Seminar of the American Numismatic Society will normally be accepted in lieu of one half-course.
• Students pursuing a Secondary Field in Classical Archaeology are also strongly encouraged to participate in an archaeological field school or to serve as a curatorial intern in a museum of art or archaeology.

Advising

For further information contact Professor Richard Thomas, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of the Classics, Harvard University, 204 Boylston Hall, Cambridge, MA 02138.

Classical Philology

The following requirements must be met to complete a secondary field in Classical Philology.

Coursework

• Completion of four half-courses from among the following categories:

- all graduate seminars taught within Classics
- other courses that are required for the PhD in Classical Philology, i.e.:
Classics 350: Classical Philology Proseminar
Greek K: Advanced Greek Prose Composition
Latin K: Advanced Latin Prose Composition
Greek 134: The Language of Homer
Latin 134: Archaic Latin
- all other 100-level courses with the prefix “Greek” or “Latin”

• Two of the half-courses shall be graduate seminars.
• Courses taught primarily in translation are ineligible.

Advising

For further information contact Professor Richard Thomas, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of the Classics, Harvard University, 204 Boylston Hall, Cambridge, MA 02138.

Greek and Roman History

The following requirements must be met to complete a secondary field in Greek and Roman History.

Coursework

• Completion of four half-courses from the following categories:
- all graduate seminars taught within Classics
- other courses that are certified by Classics as counting towards the requirement in Ancient History in the several PhD programs offered by the Department
• Two of the four half-courses shall be graduate seminars.
• At least one of the four half-courses shall be on a Greek topic and another on a Roman topic.
• Normally at least one course will involve close reading of historical texts in the original language, but this requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies.

Advising

For further information contact Professor Richard Thomas, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of the Classics, Harvard University, 204 Boylston Hall, Cambridge, MA 02138.

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

The Department of Comparative Literature offers “Comparative Literature” as a secondary field in GSAS to enrich the background of PhD students who seek to do research and teach across the institutional boundaries of national languages and literatures. Students in the various departments of literary studies may eventually be called upon to teach comparative courses or courses in general or world literature. The secondary field in comparative literature introduces students to basic issues in the field as well as providing a graduate literary theory course for students who have not already taken such a course in their primary department.

While we recognize the degree to which literatures in a single language constitute a coherent tradition, the Department of Comparative Literature seeks to develop an awareness of how literary works move across language borders, both in the original language and in translation. We seek to call attention to theoretical issues shared across not only the boundaries of languages but across very different traditions.

Prerequisites

• An ability to work in literatures in at least three languages. Normally this will be demonstrated by coursework in which at least some of the primary readings are in the language. In certain circumstances (for example, if one of the languages is the student’s native language) the DGS may waive the requirement that competence in a language be demonstrated by coursework. If English is used as one of the languages, the other two languages should show some breadth; that is, they may not be closely allied, either linguistically or by academic convention (e.g., Spanish and Portuguese, Urdu and Hindi, classical and modern Chinese, or Greek and Latin). The judgment regarding what can legitimately count for the set of three languages will be at the discretion of the DGS.

Requirements

• Four courses, one of which may be the Comparative Literature proseminar and two of which must be Comparative Literature seminars at the 200 level. The remaining course requirements will be met by either seminars in Comparative Literature or 100-level Literature courses (which normally count for graduate credit in Comparative Literature).
• Successful completion of the common essay exam for students in Comparative Literature at the end of the second year.
• A seminar paper on a comparative or theoretical topic, to be read by the examination committee of the Department of Literature and Comparative Literature.

Contact the DGS (Professor Susan Suleiman— This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 495-2543) for any further questions.

HISTORICAL LINGUISTICS

Historical linguistics, the study of how languages change over time, subsumes both the general study of language change and the history of specific languages and language families. The intellectual spectrum thus defined bridges part of the gap between linguistic theory and the areas traditionally known as “philology.” At Harvard, the more theoretical aspects of historical linguistics are covered in courses offered by the Department of Linguistics, while courses dealing with the historical linguistics of specific languages are offered both by the Department of Linguistics and the relevant language departments. In practice, many graduate students in the Classics, Germanic Languages and Literatures, Slavic Languages and Literatures, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, and other language-centered departments take courses in historical linguistics as part of their ordinary preparation for the PhD. The availability of a secondary field in Historical Linguistics allows such students to have their work in linguistics officially recognized.

Coursework

Requirement: four half-courses, to be distributed as follows:
a) one of Linguistics 120 (Introduction to Historical Linguistics) or Linguistics 224 (Historical and Comparative Linguistics)
b) three other courses in Linguistics or cross-listed with Linguistics, two of which must be chosen from the following:

Linguistics 122 (Introduction to Indo-European)
Linguistics 123 (Indo-European Phonology and Morphology)
Linguistics 158r (From Indo-European to Old Irish)
Linguistics 168 (Introduction to Germanic Linguistics)
Linguistics 176 (History and Prehistory of the Japanese Language)
Linguistics 220ar (Advanced Indo-European)
Linguistics 221r (Indo-EuropeanWorkshop)
Linguistics 247 (Topics in Germanic Linguistics)
Linguistics 225a (Introduction to Hittite)
Linguistics 250 (Old Church Slavonic)
Linguistics 252 (Comparative Slavic Linguistics)
Greek 134 (The Language of Homer)
Latin 134 (Archaic Latin)
Semitic Philology 140 (Introduction to the Comparative Study of Semitic
Languages)
Semitic Philology 200r (Comparative Semitic Grammar: Seminar)
Slavic 125 (Modern Russian in Historical Perspective)

Other courses with a historical linguistic focus may be added to this list at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies in Linguistics.

Historical linguistics is one of the Department’s traditional areas of strength, with two dedicated faculty positions (Jasanoff and Rau) and part of a third (Flier). Linguistics 120 and 224 are offered in alternating years. Of the courses in b), Linguistics 122, Linguistics 220r, Linguistics 221r, Linguistics 247, Linguistics 250, and Linguistics 252 are being given in 2008–09.

Advising

The contact person is the Director of Graduate Studies in Linguistics.

LINGUISTIC THEORY

Linguistic theory, the core of the modern field of linguistics, seeks to characterize the linguistic knowledge that normal human beings acquire in the course of mastering their native language between the ages of one and five. Studied as an internalized formal system, language is a source of insight into a wide range of human pursuits and abilities, some of them traditionally approached through the humanities, others through the social sciences, and others through the behavioral and natural sciences. The major divisions of linguistic theory are syntax, the study of sentence structure; phonology, the study of sounds and sound systems; morphology, the study of word structure; and semantics; the study of meaning. Courses in these areas regularly draw students from other Harvard departments, especially Psychology, Philosophy, and other departments associated with the Mind, Brain, Behavior Initiative. The secondary field in Linguistic Theory allows such students to receive official recognition for their linguistics coursework.

Coursework

Requirement: four half-courses, to be distributed as follows:
a) at least one of the following:

Linguistics 112a (Introduction to Syntactic Theory)
Linguistics 114 (Introduction to Morphology)
Linguistics 115a (Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology)
Linguistics 116a (Introduction to Semantics)

b) three other courses in Linguistics, two of which must be chosen from the following:

Linguistics 112b (Intermediate Syntax)
Linguistics 115b (Intermediate Phonology)
Linguistics 116b (Intermediate Semantics)
Linguistics 117r (Linguistic Field Methods)
Linguistics 132 (Psychosemantics)
Linguistics 145 (Logical Form)
Linguistics 146 (Syntax and Processing)
Linguistics 148 (Language Universals)
Linguistics 152 (Prosody and Intonation)
Linguistics 171 (Structure of Chinese)
Linguistics 174 (Tense and Aspect in Japanese)
Linguistics 175 (Structure of Japanese)
Linguistics 188r (Biolinguistics)
Linguistics 202r (Advanced Syntax)
Linguistics 204r (Topics in Syntax)
Linguistics 205r (The Syntax-Semantics Interface)
Linguistics 206r (Syntactic Structure and Argument Structure)
Linguistics 207r (Topics in Semantics)
Linguistics 219r (Advanced Phonology)

Other courses with a theoretical focus, including courses in other departments crosslisted with Linguistics, may be added to this list at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies in Linguistics.

Although Linguistics has no official “tracks” toward the PhD, linguistic theory is the Department’s main intellectual focus, with three tenured and two untenured colleagues (Chierchia, Huang, Polinsky; Boeckx, Nevins) working in this area. Of the four courses in a), three (Linguistics 112a, Linguistics 115a, and Linguistics 116a) are offered every year; Linguistics 114 is offered in alternate years. Of the courses in b), Linguistics 112b, Linguistics 115b, Linguistics 116b, Linguistics 117r, Linguistics 188r, Linguistics 202r, Linguistics 204r, Linguistics 205r, and Linguistics 206r, are being given in 2008–09.

Advising

The contact person is the Director of Graduate Studies in Linguistics.

MEDIEVAL STUDIES

A student enrolled in a PhD program in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University may achieve formal recognition for completing a secondary field in Medieval Studies. The following requirements must be met to complete this secondary field.

Coursework and Examinations

• Completion of four graduate-level courses in a medieval subject with grades of B+ or above.
• One of these courses must be in paleography and selected from the following courses:

Medieval Studies 101/201
Medieval Studies 102/202
Classics 202
Any other paleography course approved by the Medieval Studies Committee

• Each of the three further courses must be in a different department, one of which may be the student’s home department, and chosen from among the 200-level courses listed each year on the Medieval Studies page of the Registrar’s course Website.
• Fulfillment of one language requirement in Medieval Latin, Greek, Hebrew, or Arabic.
• The language requirement must be fulfilled by passing an examination, administered by the Medieval Studies Committee.

Advising

Entering students interested in declaring a secondary field in Medieval Studies are encouraged to consult with the Chair of the Medieval Studies Committee as early as possible in their studies. Students already in the program who are well on their way to completing requirements for the field or who wish to arrange a language examination are also encouraged to consult with the Chair of the Medieval Studies Committee. Write to the Chair by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

FILM AND VISUAL STUDIES

A student enrolled in a PhD program in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University may achieve formal recognition for completing a secondary field in Film and Visual Studies. The following requirements must be met to complete this secondary field.

Coursework

• Completion of four graduate-level courses in Film and Visual Studies with honors grades of B+ or above.
• Two of these courses are required and should be taken in the first year of study:
- Ves 270. Proseminar in Film and Visual Studies: History
- Ves 271. Proseminar in Film and Visual Studies: Theory
• Two other courses must be selected from among graduate courses taught by faculty of the Committee on Film and Visual Studies. The Director of Graduate Studies will make a list of approved graduate seminars available at the beginning of each academic year.

Examinations

• Successful completion of an examination or alternative means of demonstrating mastery in the field of Film and Visual Studies is also required. The particular form of examination or alternative means of demonstrating mastery will be agreed upon by the Director of Graduate Studies in Film and Visual Studies and the Director of Graduate Studies in the student’s home PhD department. This demonstration of mastery might be part of a departmental general or field examination, or it might be combined with departmental requirements in some other way. One or more members of the Committee on Film and Visual Studies will conduct and adjudicate the portion of the preliminary examination devoted to Film and Visual Studies, and the results will be reported to both directors of graduate studies.

Advising

Students interested in declaring a secondary field in Film and Visual Studies should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies as early as possible in their studies, and ordinarily no later than the end of the first term of graduate coursework. At this time, a plan of study should be prepared and submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies, to be approved by the Committee on Film and Visual Studies as well as the student’s home department.

For further information contact David Rodowick, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Visual and Environmental Studies, Harvard University, 24 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138.

ROMANCE LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

(French, Italian, Portuguese, OR Spanish)

In order to complete a secondary PhD field in Romance Languages and Literatures, a graduate student will take a minimum of FIVE courses, at least THREE of which will be graduate courses (200 level: “Primarily for Graduates”) and no more than TWO of which can be intermediate courses (100 level: “For Undergraduates and Graduates”). Neither P/F nor audited courses will count towards a secondary PhD field in this department. All courses expected to count towards the secondary PhD field will be taken in the department, in the section of the student’s choice; in compelling cases, ONE “related course” may be counted towards the secondary field, with permission of the DGS. On average, our larger sections (French and Spanish) offer every academic year about nine 100-level courses and five 200-level courses each. Of the smaller sections, Italian offers up to six 100-level courses and two 200-level courses; Portuguese, two 100-level courses and two 200-level courses. Any and all of the courses offered by a given section at the 100 and 200 levels are open to secondary PhD field students in that section.

Graduate students interested in a Romance Languages and Literatures secondary PhD field should address their questions and requests to the director of graduate studies of the pertinent section.