Introduction ׀ Master of Arts Program ׀ Doctorate Program ׀ Continuous Registration

Policy on Incompletes ׀ Financial Support ׀ Maintaining Registration ׀ Program Committees

INTRODUCTION

For further information not provided here or clarification, consult your Major Advisor and Associate Advisors (Departmental Advisory Committee), the Program Director, the Administrative Assistant, and the Graduate School.

MASTER OF ARTS PROGRAM

M.A. Program Requirements

Coursework

Core Distribution Requirements: Other courses may be substituted for courses listed above with approval from the Medieval Studies Co-Directors. These courses may count towards major or minor areas.

Professional Development: ENGL 300 is required if student is a Freshman English Teaching Assistant.

Balance of Coursework: Students must take a minimum of four courses in a single department (major) and a minimum of
three courses forming a coherent minor on a thematic or disciplinary basis. Students must also take at least one seminar offered by the Charles Owen, Jr. Distinguished Visiting Professor (course currently listed as ENGL 415).

Total: Students must take a total of at least thirty credits to receive their M.A. degree.

Professional Development Workshops

M.A. students are required, in their first semester, to participate in a series of professional development workshops organized by the Medieval Studies Program. These consist of workshops on such topics as research methods, bibliographies and databases, interdisciplinarity, etc.

Latin Requirement

The Latin requirement can be satisfied in a number of ways:

1) by passing a Latin exam (given in the fifth week of each semester; consisting of a 250-300 word passage; dictionary allowed; to take exam, students must contact the Program Assistant by the third week of the semester)

2) by passing the undergraduate intermediate Latin cycle with a grade of B or better

3) by passing a graduate course in Latin with B or better

4) by attending and passing a certificate-granting summer Latin program through the intermediate level
 

M.A. Written Examination

 
Administration of Exam: January of second year of M.A.

Material Covered: An interdisciplinary reading list provided by the Program

Grading of M.A. Exam: M.A. exams are graded by the Exam Committee. Exams may receive a grade of High Pass, Pass, Low Pass, or Fail. If the exam is failed a second time, the student may be dropped from the M.A. Program at the decision of the Advisory Committee. At the end of the exam, two copies of the "Report on the Final Examination for the Master's Degree" must be filled out; one copy must be delivered to the Medieval Studies Program Office and one copy to the Graduate School.

Plan of Study

The Plan of Study for the Master's degree should be submitted, in triplicate, to the Graduate Records Office when approximately half of the expected course work for the degree has been completed. After consultation with the Advisory Committee, the student indicates: (1) the courses already taken; (2) the courses that will be taken in fulfillment of requirements. If any changes are necessary after submission of the Plan of Study, a "Request for Changes" form must be submitted to the Graduate Records Office. The form may be obtained from the Graduate School.

Other Information

M.A. Advisory Committee: M.A. work is guided by a Major Advisor and two Associate Advisors. Students register with and should keep in close touch with the Major Advisor throughout their program. Students should annually submit to their Major Advisor the progress of the past year. Forms to change the Major Advisor are available at the Graduate School.

Time Limit: Course requirements for the Master's degree should be completed within two years, though the Graduate School sets a six-year maximum on completion from the date of initial matriculation. A student must complete at least one course a year until course requirements are fulfilled.

Residence Requirements: There are no residence requirements for the M.A. degree. Coursework is normally taken at Storrs. Transfer of credit up to six course credits from another institution's graduate program may be accepted toward a Master's degree at Storrs, provided that such credits are not used to earn a degree at the other institution or elsewhere.

Provisional Status: Students admitted on a Provisional basis will be accorded Regular status upon successful completion of at least twelve credits of appropriate course work. Regular status may be conferred at an earlier stage, if the Major Advisor petitions the Director of Graduate Records, and the petition is accepted. Students doing less than B level work will ordinarily be dropped from the Program.

Application to Receive the Degree

In order to register for degree completion, follow the instructions from the Graduate School for Degree Completion.

In-House Application to the Ph.D. Program

In order to continue to the Ph.D. Program, students must complete the Ph.D. admission process as outlined in Application Information.

DOCTORATE PROGRAM

Ph.D. Requirements 

To complete requirements for the Ph.D. degree, please follow the steps outlined below in the order they are given:

1) Consult with the Major Advisor about the courses to be taken. Four courses must be completed in the major area and two in each of two minor areas (twenty-four credits).
2) Submit a Plan of Study when approximately half of the expected coursework for the degree has been completed.
3) Fulfill the residence requirement by completing two consecutive semesters of full-time work in Storrs or, with the consent of the Advisory Committee, one semester together with a contiguous summer period consisting of the Summer Session I or Summer Session II.
4) Fulfill the language requirements.
5) Discuss preliminary exams with Major Advisor. Put together exam lists. When completed, turn in copies of exam lists to Medieval Studies Program Office.
6) Take preliminary exams (four written exams and one oral).
7) Meet with your Advisory Committee to discuss your Dissertation Prospectus. Specifications for preparation of the proposal may be obtained from the Graduate Records Office.
8) Submit the Dissertation Prospectus to the Advisory Committee. This Committee, along with two Program representatives, reviews the prospectus. If the prospectus is accepted, the student may fill out an application for the Dissertation Fellowship Award (information will be available at the Graduate School). The awards are competitive.
9) All requirements for the Ph.D. degree, except the dissertation, are now completed, and the Graduate School will formally admit the student to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Students are considered ABD (All But Dissertation).
10) Complete dissertation. Requirements for the degree must be completed within eight years for those entering with the B.A., and within seven years with the M.A.
11) Set up the date and time for the Dissertation Defense with the Advisory Committee. Notify the Program Director at least four weeks before the Defense. One week before the Defense, deposit one copy of the dissertation in the English Office and one copy at the Graduate School. 
12) In order to register for degree completion, follow the instructions from the Graduate School for Degree Completion.

Advisory Committee

All Ph.D. students are assigned a Major Advisor. Only certain members of the Graduate School Faculty may be Major Advisors of doctoral students. Associate Advisors may be members of any University department. Students may change major or associate advisors (for example, when selecting an appropriate dissertation committee). Forms to change Advisory Committee members are available from the Graduate School. Courses, fulfillment of the language requirement, and a dissertation topic must be discussed with the Major Advisor. Committee members must approve the Plan of Study, the dissertation prospectus, and the dissertation itself.

Coursework Requirements Prior to the Preliminary Exams

Students are ordinarily expected to complete eight courses, chosen in consultation with a Major Advisor, before beginning the exam sequence. At least four courses must be completed in the major area and two in each of two minor areas.

NOTE: Medieval Studies students who have opted for English as their major field of concentration are required to take two courses in Old English - English 309 (Old English) and a seminar in Old English Language/Literature, usually fulfilled by English 406 (Seminar in Beowulf ). The Advisory Committee will judge whether the second semester of Old English coursework is relevant.

Plan of Study

The Plan of Study for the Ph.D. degree should be submitted in triplicate to the Graduate School when approximately half of the expected coursework for the degree has been completed. Students must indicate what courses have been taken and are to be taken in fulfillment of requirements, how the language requirements will be fulfilled, and what the dissertation topic will be. If the dissertation topic is as yet undetermined, it may be omitted and submitted later on a "Request for Changes" form. Any changes - in courses submitted, language requirement plans, or thesis topic - must be submitted to the Graduate School on a "Request for Changes" form.

NOTE: A course taken during the M.A. (but not one which is part of the M.A. Plan of Study), may be applied to the Ph.D. However, this causes your Ph.D. time clock to start at the point that course was taken, not at the point you take your first actual Ph.D. course. Obviously, this will reduce the amount of time you have to complete the doctorate. To get more time, your Major Advisor will have to ask the Graduate School for an extension on your behalf. The Plan of Study must be approved by the student's Advisory Committee and the Dean of the Graduate School.

Language Requirement

Reading knowledge is required of three scholarly languages - Latin and two languages significant to the student's program (usually, but not always, defined as modern languages that allow the student to read traditional as well as current research in the candidate's field of research). Ph.D. candidates should satisfy this degree requirement as early as possible in the course of study and usually well before they begin preparation for the general examination. According to the Graduate Catalog, one of six methods may be used to establish reading competence in a foreign language as approved by the candidate's Advisory Committee:

1) The student may pass an examination set by a member of the University Faculty with the permission of the Advisory Committee. The examiner may not be a member of the student's advisory committee. The examination will include, but need not be limited to, the translation of a passage approximately 400 words in length. The use of a dictionary may be permitted at the option of the examiner. The passage may be the same for a group of students in the same field or may be selected individually for each student. The examination must be supervised and have a reasonable time limit. The result of the examination, whether passed or failed, must be reported to the Graduate Records Office on the official form bearing the signature of the examiner.  

2) The student may pass both semesters of an approved one-year reading or intermediate course in the language with grades equivalent to C (not C-) or higher. The courses that are designated for this purpose are Latin 123-124; French 163-164 or 165-166; German 133-134 or 145-146; Italian 147-148; Spanish 183-184 or 185-186. Alternatively, the student may pass a course in a foreign language or literature at or above the 200's level, provided that the reading for the course is required to be done in the modern form of the language. (An exception to the "modern form of the language" will be made in the case of Ancient Greek and Latin). Language courses taken at other institutions are not accepted. However, the student may consider option (3).

3) The student may establish evidence of competence in the language through an official transcript stating that a baccalaureate or higher degree was earned with that language as the major.

4) A doctoral reading examination (other than the GSFLT) passed at another graduate school of approved standing, provided that the examination was taken prior to the student's enrollment in this graduate school, may be accepted.

5) For the requirement in French, German, or Spanish, the student may pass the Graduate School Foreign Language Test (GSFLT), administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The registration for this test is available through the Bureau of Educational Research, in the Gentry (Education) building. If a graduate student takes the GSFLT, the result of the examination will be accepted (subject to a five-year limitation) if the score is satisfactory, as determined by the Graduate Records Office. The GSFLT "test option" selected must be the one most appropriate for the student's program, if the result is to be accepted.

6) The student may establish evidence of competence in the language through documentation that the language is the student's native language, learned in childhood and used primarily through at least secondary school. Each of these methods has stipulations attached to them by the Graduate School. The student should check those stipulations in a current Graduate Catalog.

Preliminary Examinations

A series of preliminary examinations are required of every student in the Ph.D. Program. The Graduate School calls this set of exams the "General Examination," and they are also known as prelims - preliminary to candidacy for the degree.

Form: The Doctoral Examination consists of two segments, written (four written exams) and oral (one oral exam). Although a total of five examinations are given as parts of the exam, only a single grade is recorded for the examination.

Written Exam Sections: Two written exams are taken in the Major Field, one a generalist exam and one a specialist exam. The specialist exam is developed by the candidate and Major Advisor in consultation with the Advisory Committee. The candidate will also take two written exams in Minor Fields (one generalist exam in each of two fields). Each written exam is three hours long with an additional hour for planning and proofreading, for a total of 16 hours for all four exams.

      Generalist Exams: Generalist exam reading lists are compiled by the student in concert with the member of the Advisory     

      Committee appropriate to each section. The lists should be deposited in the Medieval Studies Program Office by the student,

      at least a month prior to the examination process.

      Specialist Exam: The specialist exam reading list is based on the candidate's area of specialization developed by

      the candidate and Major Advisor in consultation with the Advisory Committee. The specialist list includes works of criticism,

      history, and theory, as well as primary texts. The candidate's list will reflect both breadth and depth of reading and a sense of

      the history of criticism throughout the specialty area as well as contemporary critical approaches to the works. It is intended

      that this list will help prepare the candidate to begin thinking about a more precise area of specialization and to move toward

      the writing of the dissertation prospectus. The list should be deposited in the Medieval Studies Program Office at least a

      month prior to the specialist exam.

Oral Exam Section: Having passed the four written exams, the Ph.D. candidate takes an oral exam of two hours, which is administered by the candidate's Advisory Committee and one or two outside faculty members. Not fewer than five faculty members, including all members of the student's Advisory Committee, must participate in the examination. The oral exam may cover any material that was assigned for the written exams, whether generalist or specialist material. The oral exam consists of questions that supplement or clarify the candidate's answers on the written exam, that refer to questions left unanswered on the written exams, and that are generally relevant to the candidate's knowledge of specific works and issues of the major and related fields of study.

Grading of Preliminary Exam: Each of the written examination sections will receive separate grades. The possible grades are HP (High Pass), P (Pass), LP (Low Pass), and F (Fail). Generalist examinations will be graded by the appropriate faculty member on the student's Advisory Committee, who may consult with the rest of the Advisory Committee if desired. If, however, the faculty reader fails an exam, the other members of the Advisory Committee must evaluate and grade it. If any exam section (written or oral) receives a Fail, it must be retaken. If a section is failed a second time, the Advisory Committee must decide whether another attempt would also be futile. If so, the Committee should deliberate on whether the candidate may continue with his or her course of study to the Ph.D. The Major Advisor, the Advisory Committee, and at least one additional non-committee Faculty member are responsible for the final grade for the whole exam.

Dissertation Prospectus

The dissertation prospectus must include:

1) An accurate title
2) A concise (usually not more than ten pages) statement of the dissertation topic including

        a) the purpose, importance, and originality of the study

        b) the methods and techniques to be used

        c) availability and location of research facilities

        d) a brief bibliography

The prospectus must be approved by the student's Advisory Committee and reviewed by at least two reviewers outside the Advisory Committee who are appointed by the Program Director. The prospectus must be signed by the Program Director confirming that the results of the evaluation were favorable. The Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Coversheet must be submitted in triplicate to the Graduate School before the actual writing of the dissertation has begun. In addition, it is required that a copy of the approved prospectus be put in the student's file in the Medieval Studies Program Office.

Admission to Candidacy for the Degree

Upon completion of all requirements, the student officially becomes a candidate for the Ph.D. degree (All But Dissertation=ABD) and should devote full time to completion of the dissertation. A letter of candidacy is sent from the Graduate School to all students successfully completing all requirements for the degree except the dissertation.

Dissertation Defense

A Dissertation Defense ("The Oral") is required of every student by the Graduate School. The Defense is conducted by the student's Major Advisor and the members of the student's advisory committee. The University community is invited to attend. The Defense is less an examination in the formal sense (though serious questions can be expected) than an appropriate forum for the candidate to comment on the scope and significance of the research. As a result of the Dissertation Defense, the student's Advisory Committee may require revisions and corrections to the dissertation. The student initiates scheduling of the Defense by consulting first with members of the Advisory Committee and the Medieval Studies Program Office. At least five members of the Faculty (including the members of the student's Advisory Committee) must participate. Only members of the Advisory Committee, however, actually grade the Defense. The student should read the Graduate Catalog introduction on "Standards & Degree Requirements," particularly the section on "Final Examination" to make sure that all requirements are fulfilled. The student must also make arrangements with theMedieval Studies Program Office at least four weeks before the defense. The Medieval Studies Program Office will then notify members of the Graduate Faculty. One week before the defense, the student should deposit one copy of the dissertation in the English Office and have copies for the departmental representatives.

Other Information

Time Limit: Eight years (from initial matriculation at Storrs) beyond the B.A. and seven beyond the M.A. are maximum limits for completing all doctoral work. All preliminary exams must be completed within five years (four years, if the student enters with an M.A.) of initial matriculation. The Major Advisor may request an extension from the Graduate School if necessary.

Residence Requirement: At least one year (two consecutive semesters) of graduate work must be spent in full-time study ("residence") at Storrs. Doctoral students normally fulfill this requirement while taking coursework. The usual courseload for a full-time student in each semester is nine to twelve credits (six, if the student is a graduate assistant), as approved by the Major Advisor. During a student's year in residence, full-time attention must be devoted to academic work.

Transfer of Credit: See the Graduate Catalog for details.

CONTINUOUS REGISTRATION

Every student must maintain continuous registration throughout the graduate program. The Graduate School will inactivate those failing to do so and require payment of back fees plus a fine for reinstatement before allowing any further progress toward completion of the degree. Contact the Bursar's Office directly to pay the necessary fee each semester. Besides maintaining continuing registration, students not residing in or near Storrs must take responsibility for informing the Graduate School and the Medieval Studies Program Office of any change of address.

POLICY ON INCOMPLETES

According to the rules of the Graduate School, a student who has four incompletes cannot be a graduate assistant and must get special permission to register for courses. If one of those incompletes is permanent, the student may compete for an Assistantship. Although the Graduate School allows a student with three incompletes to be a graduate assistant, it recognizes the right of departments to establish more stringent policies.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Forms are distributed early in the spring term inviting continuing students to apply for financial support for the following year. Through the Graduate School and the Research Foundation, the Program offers Graduate Assistantships (which include a tuition waiver and medical benefits), University Predoctoral Fellowships, and Summer Fellowships. Students can apply for need-based aid (Tuition Remission, Work Study, grants, and low-interest loans payable after graduation) through the Financial Aid Office, whose deadline is February 15 for continuing students and May 1 for incoming students. Individuals admitted after May 1 may contact the Financial Aid Office (860-486-2819) for specific deadline information.

Tenure of Financial Aid

The Medieval Studies Program currently has only two and a half Graduate Assistantships with which it subsidizes a limited number of M.A. and Ph.D. students. With these G.A.'s the Program attempts but does not guarantee to provide financial support for students selected for subsidy in the M.A. Program and the Ph.D. Program.

Contracts of Graduate Assistants may be for one semester or for one academic year, depending on the availability of allocated funds and on the student's eligibility according to his/her academic records and the policy on incompletes.

Although the Medieval Studies Program is allocated only 2.5 G.A.'s, it makes every attempt to find funding from those departments that participate in the Program - chiefly from English, History, Art History, and Modern and Classical Languages.

Graduate Assistantships and Lectureships

Graduate Assistantships come from two sources: the Medieval Studies Program itself and funds received from outside departments. Students granted funds from the Program itself are typically detailed to teach in another department, most frequently English. The Program attempts to make appointments for nine-months, that is, the academic year of September 1 through May 31, but often the Program is only able to guarantee appointments in writing on a semester by semester basis. During the time of the appointment, the student on full Graduate Assistantship is expected to be a full-time student, thus taking two graduate courses (six credits) per semester, reading for exams, or writing a dissertation in addition to teaching assigned sections. Further, some outside departments have particular requirements of Assistantship teaching in their departments. In the case of English, incoming students in Medieval Studies who are funded to teach Freshman Composition are required by the Freshman English Program to take English 300, a course in pedagogical practice.

Graduate Assistantship stipends are graduated in terms of progress toward the advanced degree: 1) graduate assistants with at least a B.A.; 2) graduate assistants with an M.A. or its equivalent (24 credits); and 3) graduate assistants who have passed all prelims and the language requirements. The Connecticut State Legislature has voted to waive tuition for Graduate Assistants. In addition, GA's currently provide health insurance benefits (with a monthly fee); contact Personnel for precise coverage information. The tuition waiver does not cover the University Fee, currently approximately $750 a term. If a student is awarded a Lectureship, tuition is not waived and health insurance is not provided.

PLEASE NOTE: A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 is required to hold and maintain an Assistantship.

Fred A. Cazel, Jr. Fellowship in Medieval Studies

Periodically, the Medieval Studies Program distributes the Cazel Fellowship to graduate students in the Program. The amount of this Fellowship is traditionally $500, and it is awarded at the discretion of the Executive Committee to students selected on the basis of past academic achievement and demonstration of potential for future academic and professional accomplishments. Preference may be given to students whose major field is History. Financial need may be considered by the Committee, but it is not a determining factor. In the event that the Executive Committee does not consider that there is a student worthy of the award, no Cazel Fellowship will be distributed that year.

Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships

Once the dissertation prospectus is accepted, students may fill out an application for the Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Award (information will be available at the Graduate School). The awards are competitive.

MAINTAINING REGISTRATION

To be considered a full-time student, which is frequently key to the availability of Financial Aid and to deferral of Student Loan repayments, a student must be enrolled for 9 credits. If a student has been awarded a Graduate Assistantship, then the requirement is reduced to 6 credits. If a student is not taking classes (but he or she is, for example, preparing for exams or writing the dissertation), the student is still required to register for the appropriate amount of credits. In these cases, however, rather than registering for courses in particular departments, the student must register for "Grad" course numbers offered by the Graduate School.

Currently those courses are:

M.A. Students: Grad 395, Grad 396, Grad 397, Grad 398, Grad 399

Ph.D. Students: Grad 495, Grad 496, Grad 497, Grad 498, Grad 499

Different course numbers have different stipulations (e.g., about being registered for other classes, about holding a GA) and different tuition costs (from fees only to full tuition). It is imperative that students register for the appropriate course and section number to avoid problems in financial aid and student loan repayment schedules. Each student must contact the Graduate School to confirm which course and credit load is appropriate to his or her situation. Because these regulations are subject to change, it is essential that students check their status and requirements with the Graduate School (via the current Graduate Catalog) and the Financial Aid Office.

PROGRAM COMMITTEES

Executive Committee

Membership: The Director (or Co-Directors) of the Medieval Studies Program and at least three Faculty members appointed by the Director(s).

Function: The Committee, in consultation with the Program's Faculty, determines general policy for the graduate program. The Committee's duties include: initiating program changes; discussing issues of student or faculty concern; acting on admissions; awarding fellowships, Graduate Assistantships (G.A.'s), and lectureships; arranging graduate course schedule; and nominating candidates to the Graduate Faculty.

Admissions Committee

Membership: An Admissions Coordinator appointed by the Program Director along with three Faculty nominated annually by the Executive Committee.

Function: The Committee reads and evaluates applications for admission to the program and presents its recommendations to the Executive Committee and the Graduate School.