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A. General Program of Study
The Arabic and Islamic Studies Ph.D. program at Georgetown seeks to advance knowledge and understanding of classical and modern Islamic thought and to provide understanding of Arabophone culture and intellectual history in the pre-modern and modern periods. With a special emphasis on Arabic textual traditions, the program offers graduate training in the study of the languages, literatures, and thought of the Arab and Islamic world, and introduces students to traditional and modern scholarly approaches to the study of Islam.
Students already enrolled in the master’s program at Georgetown must apply again if they are interested in joining the Ph.D. program; these students are not guaranteed admission, and will be considered by the admissions committee along with other applicants from outside the department.
B. Advising and Evaluation
Students should meet regularly with the Director of Graduate Studies to plan their course work, and to choose the primary faculty advisor by the end of the first semester of their enrollment in the program. Pending Graduate Committee approval, advisors may be drawn from various departments and units in the University associated with the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies. As early as possible, students choose a major concentration and start planning their course of study with their advisors. In consultation with their graduate advisors, students choose a major focus for their studies. The minor concentration may be chosen from the fields of Islamic Studies, Arabic Literature, and Arabic Linguistics.
Students should meet regularly with their advisors to evaluate their academic progress. Additionally, there is an evaluation conducted by the Graduate Committee each Spring semester, part of which consists of an interview between each graduate student and the Director of Graduate Studies. Funding and eligibility to continue studies in good standing is contingent on the satisfactory yearly review of students’ performance. The advisors report to the departmental Graduate Committee that reviews the progress reports and advises each student by the end of the Spring semester whether their progress is satisfactory. For a successful completion of the course work for the Ph.D. degree, students must maintain a strong academic record and must score a minimum average of A- in the major concentration with no single grade below B+. Receiving grades less than A-, especially in research seminars, should be considered as a warning sign. Incompletes are strongly discouraged, and will turn into failing grades if not completed before the end of the following semester. Students who do not perform satisfactorily will risk loss of their funding and possible dismissal from the program.
C. Language Requirements
In addition to English, Ph.D. students must also have reading proficiency in at least one other European language that is relevant to their research.
Students majoring in Islamic Studies must also achieve reading proficiency in at least one other Islamicate language at the intermediate level, demonstrated by taking two years of language instruction in Georgetown University’s intensive language program or taking an exam at the equivalent level. The primary recommended languages are Turkish and Persian. Depending on research interests of the student, and after departmental approval, Greek, Hebrew, Syriac or Urdu may qualify as relevant Islamicate languages.
For these purposes, reading proficiency is defined as equivalent to two years of Georgetown University’s intensive undergraduate language program. Students who have not achieved reading proficiency before entering the department must enroll in the appropriate language program from their first semester. Language proficiency and competence will be determined by examination. The language exam is administered by the appropriate department. All language requirements, including the Pre-Comprehensive Exam Arabic Field Exam, must be completed and passed in the semester following the completion of coursework and prior to students taking their comprehensive exams.
Language scholarships
Language audits are no longer permitted by the Graduate School. However, the Graduate School will provide tuition scholarships to graduate students in Main Campus programs to cover enrollment in an approved language course per semester. The student must complete the course, and must do so with a passing grade. If a student withdraws from a language course, the scholarship will be revoked and the student will be responsible for any charges remaining after the tuition refund policy has been applied. Please refer to the Graduate School Bulletin for requirements and full policy.
D. Course requirements for students with advanced standing
Students entering with advanced standing, that is with a master’s in a related field of study, are expected to complete a total of 36 credits/12 courses from the Arabic and Islamic Studies lists. Based on their previous graduate work, candidates determine their specific program of study in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, and are expected to fulfill the following requirements:
1. Three Core Courses:
All students are required to take:
· ARAB-5555 Introduction to Arabic and Islamic Studies
· ARAB-5558 Introduction to Linguistics Methodology
· ARAB-5559 Introduction to Literary Methodology
2. At least 6 courses in one of the 3 major concentrations
· Arabic Linguistics
· Arabic Literature
· Islamic Studies
3. At least 5 courses in a minor concentration. The minor concentration is either of the concentrations offered in the Department that is not the student’s major concentration. This may also be satisfied by 3-4 courses in the minor concentration, combined with 1-2 other courses in a related supplementary field, for a total of 5.
4. Supplementary fields are based on particular disciplinary fields, such as sociology of religion, literary criticism, philosophy, linguistics, etc.
5. Distributional requirements
a. At least 3 of the courses taken must be in the classical period and 3 in the modern.
b. Courses must include at least 4 advanced Arabic seminars; these seminars must include readings and research using primary Arabic sources.
E. Course requirements for candidates without a master’s degree in an unrelated field (Accelerated Standing)
Students entering with a bachelor’s degree or an advanced degree in an unrelated field of study are expected to complete 54 credits/18 graduate courses, including 10 in the major concentration and 5 in the minor concentration. Candidates should consult their graduate advisors to formulate their specific program of study, which should fulfill the following requirements:
1. Three Core Courses:
All students are required to take:
· ARAB-5555 Introduction to Arabic and Islamic Studies
· ARAB-5558 Introduction to Linguistics Methodology
· ARAB-5559 Introduction to Literary Methodology
2. At least 10 courses in one of the 3 major concentrations
· Arabic Linguistics
· Arabic Literature
· Islamic Studies
3. At least 5 courses in a minor concentration. The minor concentration is either of the concentrations offered in the Department that is not the student’s major concentration. This may be satisfied by 4 or more courses in the minor concentration combined with no more than 3 courses in a related supplementary field.
4. Supplementary fields are based on particular disciplinary fields, such as sociology of religion, literary criticism, linguistics, philosophy, etc.
5. Distributional requirements
a. At least 4 of the above courses must be in the classical period and 4 in the modern.
b. Courses must include at least 5 advanced Arabic seminars; these seminars must include readings and research using primary Arabic sources.
F. Comprehensive Examination
Eligibility
After the successful completion of all course and language requirements, including the Arabic Field language proficiency exam (3 hours translation with dictionary), and having no outstanding Incompletes, students are eligible to take their written and oral comprehensive exams.
Schedule
These exams must be passed by the end of the semester following the completion of course work. Failure to do so may jeopardize the standing of the student in the department. They combine 3 five-hour written exams, administered within the span of one week, with one general oral examination, taken within one week after passing the written exams and covering the same fields. All exams must be completed within a span of two weeks.
Fields
Early in the last semester of their course work, students consult with their graduate advisor on the selection of three fields, one of them at least closely related to the field in which they will write their dissertation. The other two fields, if not related to the dissertation research, should at least remain within the broad context of the research interests of the student and relate to the minor concentration.
Comprehensive exams are intended to test a student’s rounded knowledge of the scholarship in each one of the three fields, familiarity with its primary and secondary sources, and understanding of its main approaches and methodologies as well as the student’s ability to synthesize scholarly material and analyze knowledge of the assigned fields. The student must demonstrate mastery in at least two fields that would enable him/her to teach an upper-level undergraduate course, participate effectively in a discussion by specialists, and gain a clear idea of the context for his/her dissertation research. With departmental approval, one directed readings course may be taken, in the last semester of coursework, to prepare for the field comprehensive exams.
Preparation
Early in the last semester of their course work, students consult with their advisor on the composition of a three-member exam committee, including the advisor, who will also serve as the chair of the committee, and two other examiners. No examiner should serve on two fields. In preparation for their comprehensive exams, students discuss with their examiners their major and minor fields and draw up a reading list covering the primary and secondary sources and scholarly literature in these fields, about 25-30 titles (20 books, 10-15 articles). It is usually recommended that students review all major academic journals in their field in order to keep abreast of the latest scholarship.
Students preparing for Comprehensive Examination should meet regularly with each of the faculty members on their Comprehensive Examination Committee. Students must have their reading lists approved by the respective committee member and the final versions of all three lists should be distributed to the entire committee before the oral examination. A Comprehensive Exam Fields Form must be signed by the three examiners and approved and signed by the DGS. It is essential that the student and each faculty examiner agree on the breadth and emphasis of the reading lists and the format of each of the written examinations, including how many questions will be offered and answered as well as the length and format of the written answers. Reading lists can vary in length, and these guidelines are only suggestive.
Written Exams
Without use of books, notes or outside resources students write three essays (5 hours with a 15-minute break), each covering one examination list. The examinations are not designed to test merely a student’s command of facts, but also their ability to critically engage with sources as well as their capacity to synthesize and reflect upon sizable textual corpora. The faculty member administering the examination will determine, with the student, the number of essay questions and their breadth. No exam will be scheduled without the signed Comprehensive Exam Fields Form.
Grading of the Written Exams
Professors have 48-72 hours (not including weekends or holidays) to assess written examinations and grade them. Grading is done on a scale of ‘Distinction’, ‘High Pass’, ‘Pass’, and ‘Fail’. While the chair of the comprehensive exams committee will read all three exams, these should be made available to all the committee members for their consideration.
If the student has failed any of the written exams, the Comprehensive Examination Committee will confer to determine if the student will be allowed to continue for the Oral Examination. If the Committee determines that the student has failed a written exam, only the failed exam must be retaken within the next six weeks. The oral exam will be rescheduled accordingly. However, the Committee can allow the student to take the Oral Examination if the written exams, taken as a whole, justify such a course of action.
Oral Examination
The Comprehensive Examination Committee will determine as soon as possible after the last written examination has been successfully completed if, taken as a whole, the student’s performance during the first portion of the process justifies continuing on to the Oral Examination. Following the completion of passing the written exams, students will take a general oral exam covering the same fields of study (ca. 90 min.). All exams, written and oral, must be completed in the span of two weeks time. Questions will focus on the three Fields, but may also extend into the student’s entire body of knowledge and will address the student’s dissertation research project. All three members of the Comprehensive Examination Committee will participate in the Oral Examination and vote on the outcome. Upon completion of the Oral Examination, the members of the Comprehensive Examination Committee will ask the student to leave the room so they can discuss privately his/her performance. No guests are permitted to attend Oral Examinations.
Grading of the Overall Examination is done on a scale of ‘Distinction’, ‘High Pass’, ‘Pass’, and ‘Fail’ and must be based on consideration of the student’s total performance in both the written and oral portions of the Comprehensive Examination. A grade of ‘High Pass’ requires a majority vote. A grade of ‘Pass’ and ‘Distinction’ requires a unanimous vote. Generally, the student is evaluated on these aspects:
1. Student shows a mastery of the literature in the exam fields and is able to articulate an overview of the issues and themes.
2. Student can make precise, relevant observations about the items on the exam lists.
3. Student can synthesize materials, questions, and themes within an exam field and across multiple fields.
4. Student can take a critical position with regard to material and support it with evidence.
Students who fail the written or oral exam must discuss with the members of their Comprehensive Examination Committee when it can be rescheduled and how best to prepare. Written examinations do not need to be retaken if the Oral Examination is not passed on the first attempt. Students who fail the final written or oral exams on the second attempt will be dismissed from the program.
G. Transfer of Credits
After satisfactory completion of at least one semester of full-time registration in the Graduate School, a doctoral degree student may make a written request for specific applicable graduate courses taken prior to admission to the Arabic and Islamic Studies Ph.D. program at Georgetown. Requests for transfer credit must be made in writing through the Director of Graduate Studies, who will forward a recommendation to the Graduate School concerning applicability of both the specific courses and the total number of credits requested toward the student’s degree program; final approval rests with the Graduate School. The total number of credits that may be transferred may not exceed 25% of the total number of credits required for the Georgetown graduate degree after any credits of advanced standing have been awarded. Courses taken seven or more years prior to the request are not usually accepted for transfer.
H. Dissertation
This is the main scholarly work required to complete the Ph.D. Students are expected to choose an academically relevant subject and develop and submit to the Graduate School a detailed proposal normally within six months (and certainly no later than twelve months) after completion of the Oral Comprehensive Examination. It is important that this proposal be filed promptly, as some Graduate School internal fellowships are available only to applicants with proposals already on file.
Dissertation Committee
After passing their comprehensive exams, students shall consult with their advisor to form a dissertation committee consisting of at least one primary advisor and two additional readers. At least two of the minimum three must be members of the Georgetown faculty. One or two member(s) -- but not the Chair of the Dissertation Committee -- may be a professor from outside the University, who is recognized as an expert in the student’s topic. The composition of each dissertation committee must be approved by the graduate advisor and ultimately by the DGS. It is the responsibility of students to work closely with their advisors and readers throughout all stages of research and writing.
Dissertation Proposal
In the semester following the successful completion of all other degree requirements, and in consultation with the primary advisor and other members of the dissertation committee, the student formulates and submits a dissertation proposal. The proposal should identify a topic of research, provide an explanation of the importance of this topic and an overview of the scholarly literature relevant to this topic, outline of the methodology and sources of research, and its projected contributions. The proposal should also include a working bibliography. The proposal has to be endorsed by the dissertation committee members prior to submission to the Graduate School.
The student must prepare a proposal for his/her dissertation using the “Thesis or Dissertation Proposal” form, available from the Graduate School website. The student should also obtain comments and approval from the Dissertation Committee and have each member sign the form. The form itself must contain the following information:
1. Title: Give the tentative title of your dissertation/thesis.
2. Problem/issue: State clearly and fully the issue at stake and the problem you intend to investigate.
3. Bibliography: List primary and secondary sources, grouped accordingly.
4. Review of Related Literature: State which items of the bibliography furnish the immediate background for your investigation, which closely related problems have been solved and by whom, other researchers of the topic and the extent of their work, and the starting point of your own research.
5. Procedure: Describe in detail your research plan.
6. Probable Contents: State the probable chapter headings for your Table of Contents. Students may choose, for the more complex questions, to append additional sheets to include more thorough responses.
Students must submit the proposal to the Graduate School within a year of completing comprehensive examination in order to be in good standing in the Ph.D. program. Students who fail to submit a proposal in a timely fashion may jeopardize their standing in the department. After the proposal has been approved, the student has achieved PhD candidacy. The PhD candidate proceeds to dissertation research and writing under the guidance of the committee. In research, format and writing, the doctoral dissertation must conform to departmental and Graduate School standards. Students are advised to consult a standard manual of style and the Graduate School guidelines for dissertation writing. The dissertation will usually be written in English. The average length of a completed dissertation is 300 double-spaced, type-written pages, and must be read and approved for defense by all members of the dissertation committee.
Dissertation Defense
When the committee agrees that the dissertation is ready to be submitted for defense, the Thesis Reviewers Report (available on the Graduate School website), must be signed by each member of the Dissertation Committee and submitted to the Graduate School at least one week prior to the defense.
The department then schedules a public oral defense in which the members of the dissertation committee participate. The defense may be attended by scholars and students within and outside the department. The defense itself will focus on discussion of the content and methodology of the dissertation, and will run from 1 to 2 hours. To be accepted, the dissertation must be approved by all members of the oral defense committee.
A successful dissertation should demonstrate the student’s mastery of the scholarly field of research and should make an original contribution to knowledge in its particular field, either by unearthing new sources, providing new interpretations of older ones, or charting new areas of research and scholarly exploration. The examining committee may pass the dissertation without changes, or may require minor changes. The dissertation advisor provides the final confirmation that the required changes were made. The approved dissertation is then submitted to the Graduate School, and should be prepared following its dissertation guidelines.
I. Time to the Degree
Students must be in residence for a minimum of three years (for students admitted with advanced standing) or four years (for those without a master’s degree in a related field), and should take courses for a minimum of two years. In accordance with the Graduate School regulations, students admitted to a Ph.D. program are allowed no more than five years from achievement of candidacy (i.e., successful passing of Comprehensive Examination) to award of the Ph.D., and no more than seven years overall from matriculation to award of the Ph.D.
Students who do not satisfy all degree requirements within these time limits may be terminated by the Graduate School. Under special circumstances, students may petition the Graduate School for an extension, but the maximum number of years may not exceed seven years.
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