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Non-native speakers of English
As English is the language of instruction in the Caspersen School, all students are expected to be fluent in English as a condition of their matriculation.
XVI. PH.D. Capstone essays
Capstone Essays:
The following procedures should guide your preparation for and submittal of the capstone essays—the major component of the 3rd Year Portfolio:
1. All capstone essays and the capstone petition must be submitted through the graduate dean’s office. Otherwise, we have no means of tracking the student’s progress.
Once the student has submitted the essay electronically in .pdf or .doc format to the graduate dean’s office, the essay will be logged and forwarded to the appropriate readers. The readers will return a simple grade of NQ (Not Qualified), Q (Qualified), or QD (Qualified with Distinction) via e-mail to the graduate dean’s office only. The graduate dean’s office will inform the student. No interim reports or grades should be provided to the students by their readers.
2. Grading of the capstone essays is blind: even though students know who their readers are, they should not know how each reader scores their essay. This is necessary in cases where one reader may Q an essay and another may NQ it. In cases where one reader NQs an essay, it will be assigned to a third reader by the Dean, per CSGS regulations. Hence the importance of maintaining the blind protocol– for the student’s and the readers’ sakes.
In cases where a student does not pass an essay, he or she has up to two (2) opportunities to revise and resubmit each essay to achieve a qualifying mark. It is appropriate for the readers to provide guidance on required improvements once the student has been informed of her/his failing mark. It is up to the reader or readers to decide how they wish to provide the guidance at this point– by note or in person. Normally, a student will not be informed of a failing mark until a third reader has read the essay.
3. Submission of the capstone essay is a formal process following preparation; it is not a final paper following draft submissions and revisions. Students should meet several times with the first reader (and second if so desired), to develop a bibliography and discuss readings. Students should not be submitting draft capstone essays to their readers for review and suggested revisions. This defeats the purpose of the capstone.
4. The capstone essays are historiographical essays (the term will be different in other fields but the general intent is the same) from 30 to 40 pages in length. They are not research papers nor are they bibliographic essays. The function of the capstone essays is to develop the student’s knowledge of and ability to succinctly discuss a problem, theme, major concepts, methods, and/or relevant literature in a particular scholarly field or subfield. The emphasis given each of these elements is up to the readers in conversation with the student. Michael Ballagh and Jennifer Hillman Helgren of Claremont Graduate University offer guidelines and links to examples here: http://www.cgu.edu/pages/840.asp.
5. The capstone essays should be differentiated and not variations on the same topic: the first capstone should be a broad topic in intellectual and/or cultural history; the second should be a topic in a historical field other than intellectual or cultural history; the third should be an interdisciplinary topic engaging historical studies and an outside field. This structure supports the capstones’ role in the program which is twofold: first, to help students prepare for their dissertation projects; and second, to help them develop multiple fields of expertise, in order to develop their scholarly and teaching portfolio to the broadest extent possible.
6. Students should be encouraged to develop as wide a reader list as possible: it is not in the student’s interest to restrict him or herself to a limited number of readers. Both to support item 5 above, and to provide the student with as many perspectives as possible on scholarship and academic performance, it is good for the student to develop a diverse “palette” of readers.
7. Coursework should support the capstones– not exclusively, but to a fair degree: Advisors should take this into account when recommending coursework to first and second-year students. What will the interdisciplinary field possibly be, and has the student taken a seminar in that field? What other-than intellectual and cultural history field does the student wish to pursue (and has the advisor discussed historical fields with the student)?
8. Per CSGS Regulation Section V.2, professors are not available during the summer months to discuss and read capstone essays. The same holds true for dissertations and research tutorials. This time is reserved for their own scholarship and most professors hold 9-month contracts. Exceptions may be permitted by individual professors and for hardship cases. But students should be aware of the general rule when preparing their capstone petition.
For each of these essays, the student will master, summarize, and criticize a body of historical literature.
XVII. Capstone essay Requirements. History and Culture Area
Capstone Essays
All doctoral students are required to write three capstone essays in the third year of their graduate studies. For each of these essays, the student will master, summarize,and criticize a body of historical literature. The essays should address the following three fields:
Field 1: Intellectual and cultural history.
Field 2: A specialized field in history other than intellectual/cultural history.
Examples include political history, diplomatic history, disability history, social
history, or any other subfield supported by the teaching and research expertise of
the History and Culture faculty.
Field 3: An interdisciplinary field that explores the intersections between history
and another discipline, such as literary studies, classics, anthropology, political
science, sociology, art history, or economics.
The final essay itself should be 30-40 pp. of text, plus a complete bibliography.
XVIII. Master’s Research Tutorial and Thesis
Master of Arts Research Tutorial
All MA and PhD students must register for the Research Tutorial (HC 990),
normally in their last semester of course work. In this course, the student will write a
publishable research paper based on primary sources that will qualify as an MA thesis.
When registering for the Research Tutorial, the student should fill out and submit a
tutorial petition, which is available on line: http://www.drew.edu/graduate/files/Tutorialfor-all-CS-programs-2010.pdf
The student should begin the tutorial by drafting a proposal, which should include a detailed summary of the proposed research project, a preliminary thesis, a description
of the methodology to be used, and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources.
The proposal should be no more than 5 pages in length and must be approved by the instructor within the first two weeks of the semester.
The final paper should be 30-40 pages in length. It should include a title page, endnotes (rather than footnotes), and a bibliography. Tables, charts, and figures are optional. Follow the MLA Handbook or Chicago Manual of Style. Use the Times New Roman font throughout, 10 point for endnotes, 12 point for everything else. Leave 1-inch margins on all four sides. Do not justify your right margin. The text must be typed double-spaced with the following exceptions: block quotations, endnotes, and bibliography items may be single-spaced. Submit one copy of the final draft to your faculty supervisor, as well as an e-copy to the Caspersen School office.
Master of Letters Thesis
The thesis is a traditional academic research project of approximately 50-75 pages in length. Due to the size and scope of the thesis project, creative M. Litt. theses are generally not permitted.
Students considering application to the Doctor of Letters program are strongly encouraged to write the thesis.
The thesis involves the participation of a faculty advisor chosen by the student in consultation with the Caspersen School Dean. The advisor must be a member of the Drew Arts and Letters faculty and agree to accept the assignment.
The thesis topic should develop from interdisciplinary coursework taken at Drew.
The thesis counts as three (3) credit hours and is billed at that rate.The M.Litt. Thesis Process:
Registration: Students in the thesis track must complete 27 hours of coursework prior to registering for Thesis Preparation (ARLET 990).
Note: Students intending to write the thesis should be alert to potential topics as they proceed through course work.
Thesis Proposal:
a. In the semester prior to registering for Thesis Prep, students must present the Dean with a Thesis Proposal (see Form 1 in Appendix C). The Thesis Proposal consists of:
Statement of Topic
150-200 word overview of the topic
Suggested Thesis Director
This proposal must be presented to the Caspersen School Office at least two weeks prior to meeting with the Dean.
b. After submitting the proposal, the student will meet with the Dean to discuss it. After approving the proposal, the Dean, in consultation with the student and Program Director, appoints the Thesis Committee members. The committee members must agree to accept the assignment.
c. After approval from the Dean, the student then meets with the Director to discuss and outline the Thesis Project.
Development of the Thesis
In consultation with the Director, the student should:
a. define the project;
b. define the scholarly methodology to be used;
c. develop an outline;
d. assemble a bibliography;
e. write the thesis following the style guidelines and requirements of the Caspersen School for the M.Litt. thesis.
Thesis drafts: Students should schedule submission of drafts so that the reader has a minimum of three weeks to review and respond.
Style Guidelines: Students are responsible for following approved style guidelines, preferably those outlined in Turabian’s A Manual for Writers or MLA Handbook or APA-Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Students should also refer to Appendix D at the end of these Regulations for thesis guidelines specific to the Caspersen School.
Final reading and Grade: The thesis completes the degree requirements for graduation only when the Committee approves the final copy and submits a grade report.
Format Review: After the defense, all students must see the Administrative Assistant in the Dean’s Office regarding the final submission of the dissertation. Time Limit: All requirements for the M.Litt. degree must be fulfilled within a period of two years after the student satisfactorily completes 27 hours of course work in the program.
Master of Medical Humanities
The M.M.H. thesis demonstrates a student’s competence in research, interpretation and exposition of a concept that makes an original contribution to human thought and relations. This thesis will be 50-75 pages in length. It is the normal method of completing the student’s course work in the program and should evolve from that work and the Clinical Practicum.
Candidates will be expected to evidence creativity and disciplined study in the thesis that should evolve from the student’s coursework in the program.
The thesis counts as three (3) credit hours and is charged at that rate.M.M.H. Thesis process
Registration:
Upon completion of the 30 credit hours of course work required for the degree, the student will register for the Thesis Preparation (MDHM 990) and fill out a Thesis Preparation form.
Selection of the Thesis Topic:
The topic of the directed study project is chosen by the student with the Program Director’s approval. The project should grow out of the student’s clinical experience.
Development of the Project/Thesis:
In consultation with the Director, the student should:
a. define the project;
b. define the scholarly methodology to be used;
c. develop an outline;
d. assemble a bibliography;
e. write the thesis following the style guidelines and requirements of the Caspersen School for the M.M.H.
Thesis drafts: Students should schedule submission of drafts so that the adviser has a minimum of three weeks to review and respond.
Style Guidelines: Students are responsible for following approved style guidelines, preferably those outlined in Turabian’s A Manual for Writer, the MLA Handbook, or the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). Students should also refer to Appendix D at the end of these Regulations for thesis guidelines specific to the Caspersen School.
Final reading and Grade: The thesis completes the degree requirements for graduation only when the adviser approves the final copy and submits a grade report.
Format Review: After final approval, all students must see the Administrative Assistant in the Dean’s office regarding the final submission of the thesis.
Time Limit: All requirements for the M.M. H. degree must be fulfilled within a period of two years after the student satisfactorily completes 30 hours of course work in the program.
XIX. Doctoral Dissertations
Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation:
A dissertation demonstrating the student’s ability to perform and creatively to interpret advanced research is an essential requirement of the doctorate. The student should expect that it will take at least a year of full-time work to research and write the dissertation.
First Steps
The selection of a dissertation topic and preliminary definition and exploration of that topic may commence at any time in the student’s graduate program.
After all capstone essays have been passed, the student should discuss the proposed dissertation project with the professor (not necessarily the current academic adviser) likely to be the dissertation committee chair. The student must register for two semesters (one semester in M.H.L.) of dissertation research (18 credits total).
After the student and professor have mutually chosen the other two potential members of the dissertation committee, the student should ask those who are members of the Drew Graduate Faculty whether they are willing to serve. In the case where a scholar from outside Drew is proposed, the Dean invites that person once the committee is approved, dependent on budgetary constraints.
The student submits a completed dissertation committee form to the Caspersen School Office, from which it is sent to the Area for action.
If the Area approves the committee, it is sent to the Dean for final approval. If the Area does not approve the proposed committee, it will recommend further discussion among interested parties. At any point in the process, if problems arise, the student, or members of the committee, may bring the matter to the attention of the Area or the Dean and request assistance in solving the matter. Should such negotiations fail to bring about a resolution satisfactory to all parties, the Dean will make the final decision on the membership of the dissertation committee. If, for any reason, a faculty member leaves a dissertation committee, the Dean, in consultation with the Area and the student, makes the arrangements for a new reader.
The Prospectus
The student shall develop a dissertation prospectus in consultation with the Dissertation Committee. The prospectus must follow the standards outlined in the “Guide for Writing the Prospectus” (available in the Caspersen School website).
- The student is required to meet with the Dissertation Committee to discuss a full draft of the prospectus. The draft must be submitted to the Committee at least two weeks prior to the proposed meeting. (If the Dissertation Committee includes an off-campus member, the student must submit the draft to that member prior to the meeting with the on-campus members. The off-campus member will be invited to participate by conference call or to submit comments to be a part of the discussion at the meeting in the event that person cannot attend the meeting.) If the prospectus is not approved, it may be revised and resubmitted. If it is not approved upon the second submission, it will be sent to the full Area for final action.
Final reading of, and oral examination of, the dissertation
- The dissertation, in final form, shall be submitted by the Ph.D. candidate to his/her committee for the purpose of final reading and oral examination. The deadlines are set in the Caspersen School calendar. Faculty time is protected from the end of May until the first of September according to the terms of the Regulations.
- On receipt of the dissertation in final form, the Administrative Assistant should be notified by the student that the document has been submitted to the Dissertation Committee.
- A ballot will be attached to each copy of the dissertation in final form. Each member of the Dissertation Committee must mark and return a ballot, stating whether or not the dissertation is ready for examination. If the three members of the Dissertation Committee agree that the dissertation is ready for examination, and so indicate on the ballots provided, then the student proceeds to arrange a day and time for an oral defense. Once the date and time are established with the Committee members, the Administrative Assistant reserves a place where the defense will take place. If the Dissertation Committee reports two negative judgments, the dissertation will be considered not ready for examination.
- On receipt of all three ballots, and only then, does the Dean’s Office authorize an oral defense. The chair of the Dissertation Committee will receive the “Oral Examination Certificate” used by the Committee in an oral defense. Arrangements for an oral defense of a dissertation–reserving the room, inviting the community–shall be made by the Administrative Assistant of the Caspersen School.
The examiners will hear the candidate’s defense and reach a judgment by majority vote in accordance with the following schedule of evaluations:
- Pass: Certain minor typographical and/or stylistic changes may be required.
- Pass with Major Revisions: The dissertation is essentially sound, and the candidate shows strength in its defense, but a section may need to be recast or more extensively elaborated. Such revision must be approved by the original Dissertation Committee.
- Pass with Distinction: The Dissertation Committee may recommend to the Graduate Faculty that “Distinction” be recorded on the student’s transcript.
- Fail: Submission of re-written or new dissertation permissible. This is a clear failure; however, the committee will advise the student how this judgment is to be construed in his/her case.
- Final Fail: No provision for resubmission.
In cases where a dissertation has been rejected at the Ph.D. level, the Area shall meet with the examiners to recommend to the Faculty whether (a) the dissertation is acceptable for a terminal M.A. or (b) the dissertation is to be rejected as unacceptable at any level.
Format Review: Prior to the defense, all students must see the Administrative Assistant regarding the final submission of the dissertation.
Degree Conferral Requirements: The student must: (1) submit to the Library website the dissertation that complies fully with the Regulations of the Caspersen School and the “Dissertation Guidelines”; (2) sign the Release form for ProQuest; (3) provide a copy of the title page and vita to the CSGS Dean’s office; and (4) pay all fees.
Time Limit: All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be fulfilled within a period of five years after the student satisfactorily completes 36 hours of coursework in the program.
Doctor of Letters Dissertation
The dissertation demonstrates a student’s competence in research, interpretation and exposition of a concept that normally makes a meaningful contribution to human thought and relations. This dissertation will be 150-220 pages in length. It is the normal method of completing the student’s course work in the program and should evolve from that course work.
Creative dissertations:
- Under exceptional circumstances, students may petition to undertake creative projects as their dissertations. These students are strongly urged to complete, but not exceed, The Writing Concentration. Students should be aware that the creative dissertation must have a 30-40 page scholarly framework consisting of an introduction that places the work in its historic, academic, and cultural context.
- Students considering creative dissertations must make special application to the Dean (see Form 2 in Appendix C) and must provide three writing samples in the proposed genre of the dissertation as well as a rationale for writing a creative dissertation. The Dean will then forward these materials to the Creative Dissertation Review Committee, which will advise the Dean. The Caspersen School Dean and Review Committee reserve the right to deny or request modification of creative dissertation applications. Please contact the Program Director with any additional questions.
The Dissertation Committee consists of a Director and a Second Reader, who are generally members of the Drew Caspersen School Faculty.
Candidates will be expected to evidence creativity and disciplined study in the dissertation, which should evolve from the student’s coursework in the program.
The dissertation counts as nine (9) credit hours and is charged at that rate.The D.Litt. Dissertation Process:
Registration: Students entering the program prior to June 2012 must complete 30hours of course work prior to registering for Dissertation Preparation (ARLET 999). Students entering the program after June 2012 must complete 36 hours of course work prior to registering for Dissertation Preparation (ARLET 999).
Dissertation Proposal:
In the semester prior to registering for Dissertation Prep, the student must present the Dean with a Dissertation Proposal (form on CSGS website) or a Creative Dissertation Application (form on CSGS website). The Dissertation Proposal and the Creative Dissertation Application consist of:
- Statement of Topic
- 150-200 word overview of the topic and suggested committee members.
This proposal must be presented to the Caspersen School Office at least two weeks prior to meeting with the Dean.
- After submitting proposal, the student will meet with the Dean to discuss it. During this meeting, the Dean, in consultation with the student and Program Director, appoints the Dissertation Committee members. In most cases, the student is responsible for contacting the proposed committee members. The committee members must agree to accept the assignment.
- Dissertation Prospectus: After approval from the Dean, the student then meets with the Committee to discuss the project and prospectus. The student must prepare a prospectus proposal in consultation with the Committee.
The prospectus provides:
- a tentative title
- a description of the topic
- a survey of existing discussions, if any
- an overview of the controlling argument and approach
- a summary of research materials and methods
- a preliminary bibliography
- proposed outline
The prospectus proposal must be submitted to the committee at least 30 days prior to the required meeting of the Committee and the student. At the required prospectus meeting, the director and reader will raise questions and make suggestions for revising the draft prospectus. The student must then rework the proposal.
- When the Committee has approved the prospectus, the student will submit one copy, accompanied by the Prospectus Cover Sheet (form on CSGS website), to the Caspersen School Office.
- In certain circumstances, the prospectus may be subject to final approval by the Dean. The Dean reserves to right to request that the student revisit or revise the prospectus. Otherwise, the student may proceed with the project.
- Additional information on the prospectus, including detailed guidelines, are available on the CSGS website and in the Caspersen School Office.
Dissertation drafts: Students should schedule submission of dissertation drafts so that readers have a minimum of three weeks to review and respond.
Style Guidelines: Students are responsible for following approved style guidelines, preferably those outlined in Turabian’s A Manual for Writers or the MLA Handbook.
Final Reading: The student submits the final form of the dissertation to the Dissertation Committee for final reading. The student should notify the administrative assistant that the document has been submitted. A ballot will be sent to each member of the Dissertation Committee who must mark and return a ballot, stating whether or not the dissertation is ready for examination. If the Committee does not agree, it directs the student to make the necessary changes. If both Committee members agree that the dissertation is ready for examination, then the student proceeds to arrange a day and time for the oral defense. Once the date and time are established with the Committee members, the Administrative Assistant reserves a space where the defense will take place. For May commencement, the deadline for final reading is the first working day of March; for August commencement, it is the first working day of July; for December commencement, it is the first working day of November.
Oral Examination: After the oral defense, the Committee judges the dissertation and defense as:
- Pass: Certain minor typographical and/or stylistic changes may be required.
- Pass with Major Revisions: The dissertation is essentially sound, and the candidate shows strength in its defense, but a section may need to be recast or more extensively elaborated. Such revision must be approved by the original Dissertation Committee.
- Pass with Distinction: The Dissertation Committee may recommend to the Caspersen School Faculty that “Distinction” be recorded on the student’s transcript.
- Fail: Submission of re-written or new dissertation permissible. This is a clear failure; however, the Committee will advise the student how this judgment is to be construed in his/her case.
Final Fail: No provision for re-submission.
Should a Committee fail to agree on a dissertation, the Dean will appoint a third reader who will make a final determination.
Required Abstract and Vita Form: A copy of a 350-word abstract of the dissertation and Vita form must be submitted to the Administrative Assistant in the Dean’s Office no later than the date of the oral defense.
Format Review: After the defense, all students must see the Administrative Assistant regarding the final submission of the dissertation.
Degree Conferral Requirements: The student must: (1) submit to the Library website the dissertation that complies fully with the Regulations of the Caspersen School and the “Dissertation Guidelines”; (2) sign the Release form for ProQuest; (3) provide a copy of the title page and vita to the CSGS Dean’s office; and (4) pay all fees.
Time Limit: All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be fulfilled within a period of five years after the student satisfactorily completes 36 hours of coursework in the program.
Doctor of Medical Humanities Dissertation
The D.M.H. dissertation demonstrates a student’s competence in research, interpretation and exposition of a concept that normally makes a meaningful contribution to human thought and relations. This dissertation will be 150-220 pages in length. It is the normal method of completing the student’s course work in the program and should evolve from that work and the Clinical Practicum.
The Dissertation Committee consists of the Director and a Second Reader, each of whom is generally a member of the Drew Caspersen School Faculty.
Candidates will be expected to evidence creativity and disciplined study in the dissertation, which should evolve from the student’s coursework in the program.
The dissertation counts as nine (9) credit hours and is charged at that rate.
The D.M.H. Dissertation Process:
Time Limit: All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be fulfilled within a period of five years after the student satisfactorily completes coursework in the program.
Dissertation Proposal:
In the semester prior to registering for Dissertation Prep, the student must present the Dean with a Dissertation Proposal (form on CSGS website) or a Creative Dissertation Application (form on CSGS website). The Dissertation Proposal and the Creative Dissertation Application consist of:
- Statement of Topic
- 150-200 word overview of the topic and suggested committee members.
This proposal must be presented to the Caspersen School Office at least two weeks prior to meeting with the Dean.
- After submitting proposal, the student will meet with the Dean to discuss it. During this meeting, the Dean, in consultation with the student and Program Director, appoints the Dissertation Committee members. In most cases, the student is responsible for contacting the proposed committee members. The committee members must agree to accept the assignment.
- Dissertation Prospectus: After approval from the Dean, the student then meets with the Committee to discuss the project and prospectus. The student must prepare a prospectus proposal in consultation with the Committee.
The prospectus provides:
- a tentative title
- a description of the topic
- a survey of existing discussions, if any
- an overview of the controlling argument and approach
- a summary of research materials and methods
- a preliminary bibliography
- proposed outline
The prospectus proposal must be submitted to the committee at least 30 days prior to the required meeting of the Committee and the student. At the required prospectus meeting, the director and reader will raise questions and make suggestions for revising the draft prospectus. The student must then rework the proposal.
- When the Committee has approved the prospectus, the student will submit one copy, accompanied by the Prospectus Cover Sheet (form on CSGS website), to the Caspersen School Office.
- In certain circumstances, the prospectus may be subject to final approval by the Dean. The Dean reserves to right to request that the student revisit or revise the prospectus. Otherwise, the student may proceed with the project.
- Additional information on the prospectus, including detailed guidelines, are available on the CSGS website and in the Caspersen School Office.
Dissertation drafts: Students should schedule submission of dissertation drafts so that readers have a minimum of three weeks to review and respond.
Style Guidelines: Students are responsible for following approved style guidelines, preferably those outlined in Turabian’s A Manual for Writers or the MLA Handbook.
Final Reading: The student submits the final form of the dissertation to the Dissertation Committee for final reading. The student should notify the administrative assistant that the document has been submitted. A ballot will be sent to each member of the Dissertation Committee who must mark and return a ballot, stating whether or not the dissertation is ready for examination. If the Committee does not agree, it directs the student to make the necessary changes. If both Committee members agree that the dissertation is ready for examination, then the student proceeds to arrange a day and time for the oral defense. Once the date and time are established with the Committee members, the Administrative Assistant reserves a space where the defense will take place. For May commencement, the deadline for final reading is the first working day of March; for August commencement, it is the first working day of July; for December commencement, it is the first working day of November.
Oral Examination: After the oral defense, the Committee judges the dissertation and defense as:
- Pass: Certain minor typographical and/or stylistic changes may be required.
- Pass with Major Revisions: The dissertation is essentially sound, and the candidate shows strength in its defense, but a section may need to be recast or more extensively elaborated. Such revision must be approved by the original Dissertation Committee.
- Pass with Distinction: The Dissertation Committee may recommend to the Caspersen School Faculty that “Distinction” be recorded on the student’s transcript.
- Fail: Submission of re-written or new dissertation permissible. This is a clear failure; however, the Committee will advise the student how this judgment is to be construed in his/her case.
Final Fail: No provision for re-submission.
Should a Committee fail to agree on a dissertation, the Dean will appoint a third reader who will make a final determination.
Required Abstract and Vita Form: A copy of a 350-word abstract of the dissertation and Vita form must be submitted to the Administrative Assistant in the Dean’s Office no later than the date of the oral defense.
Format Review: After the defense, all students must see the Administrative Assistant regarding the final submission of the dissertation.
Degree Conferral Requirements: The student must: (1) submit to the Library website the dissertation that complies fully with the Regulations of the Caspersen School and the “Dissertation Guidelines”; (2) sign the Release form for ProQuest; (3) provide a copy of the title page and vita to the CSGS Dean’s office; and (4) pay all fees.
Time Limit: All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be fulfilled within a period of five years after the student satisfactorily completes 36 hours of coursework in the program.
XX. Customs of an M.A. or Doctoral Defense
Both the defense of an M.A. thesis and the defense of a doctoral dissertation shall be open to members of the faculty of Drew University, to students of the Caspersen School of Drew University, and to what members of the public the candidate chooses to invite.
- Normally, such defenses will be conducted in the Thompson Graduate Commons in S.W. Bowne Hall.
- The Examining Committee will meet privately before and after the public defense–before, to review the candidate’s academic record and to talk over the procedures to be used; after, to determine the outcome of the defense. The candidate is not present at either of those meetings.
- It shall be at the discretion of each Examining Committee whether to permit questions to be put to the candidate from other members of the University faculty who are not on the Examining Committee.
- Under very special circumstances, on written recommendation of a Dissertation or Thesis Committee, the Dean is empowered to declare an oral defense private, in which case only the candidate and the Committee are permitted to attend.
XXI. Graduate Academic Assistantships
In April of each year the Dean of the Caspersen School shall receive advice from the Areas concerning the appointment of Academic Assistants. These appointments are designed to provide exceptional students with teaching and/or practical research experience under faculty mentorship. Appointments within the program are limited to duly registered students of good standing in the Caspersen School. Compensation is determined year by year in relation to the availability of funds.
XXII. Scholarship Awards and Financial Assistance
Annually, the Caspersen School affords merit scholarships covering full tuition for incoming students. The scholarships are named for individuals whose contributions to the life of the Caspersen School are honored in this way:
The Barbara and Finn Caspersen Scholarship
The John W. Bicknell Scholarship
The Robert G. Smith Scholarship
The Shirley Sugerman Scholarship
The Graduate School Scholarship
These scholarships are awarded upon recommendation to the Dean by the Conveners of the several Areas.
The Caspersen School also appoints a class of “Dean’s Scholars” each year. These appointments are awarded to incoming students of exceptional academic promise. They carry scholarships equal to 85% of tuition.
All these scholarships are given on the basis of academic merit alone. Apart from added stipends, all such awards are applied to tuition payments and may be used for no other purpose. They are awarded to full-time candidates for the Ph.D. degree and are renewable for the two remaining years in which the student owes tuition. They shall be forfeited if, in the judgment of the Dean of the Caspersen School and the faculty members on the Committee on Academic Standing and Curriculum, the candidate fails to evidence meritorious progress toward the degree as measured by grades in course and by language and capstone essays passed in a timely fashion.
Living expense stipends, or book purchase stipends, may, or may not, be added to merit scholarships. Such stipends are limited to a maximum of five years for any student.
All other grants-in-aid offered in the Caspersen School will be based on two criteria, that the applicant will be asked to demonstrate fully: (1) financial need and (2) academic performance.
No one in default status on previous student loans is eligible for Drew financial assistance.
XXIII. Housing
- Drew housing is assigned based upon the level of scholarship and then on a first-come, first-serve basis. Full-time students are given preference; part-time or maintaining matriculation students may be required to vacate Drew housing.
Time limitations for Occupancy of Drew Housing:
- The University reserves the right to limit occupancy for M.A. candidates to two years, M.Litt., M.M.H. to two years and Ph.D., D.Litt., and D.M.H. candidates to four years.
- The above limits include time in Drew housing for other Drew degree programs when credit for advanced standing is granted for work done in those programs. The time is calculated as follows: 1-3 courses advanced standing = 1 semester of housing time; 4-6 courses = 2 semesters.
- Further, a student may be asked to withdraw from Drew housing after five years occupancy, regardless of what degree programs were taken during that time.
- Notifying the Housing Office when vacating campus housing in the course of the academic year is an essential student responsibility.
XXIV. Policy Governing the Retention of Student Records
To avoid any suspicion that student records have been unlawfully destroyed, the Caspersen School publishes the following schedule pertaining to the retention of student records:
- An academic folder will remain “active” until the student has been graduated or withdraws. Then it will become inactive and will be stored in the basement of S. W. Bowne for a period of an additional five years. Then it will be offered to the University Archives.
- Capstone essays will be retained electronically for at least one year after their disposition by the Committee on Academic Standing and Curriculum.
- Language examinations will be retained for one month after the grades are reported to the Graduate faculty
- Proposals and prospectuses are kept in a student’s academic folder and are subject to conditions explained above.
- All documents pertinent to financial aid are kept in the office of the Director of Financial Aid for seven years.
XXV. Transcripts and Dossiers
Transcripts of Drew students and graduates are mailed to other schools or potential employers at student or alumni/ae request only when financial records are clear and no outstanding bills are owed the University.
XXVI. Students with Disabilities
The Caspersen School of Graduate Studies at Drew University, in accord with the policies underlying Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and in compliance with the Association of Higher Education and Disability guidelines, works to ensure that reasonable accommodations are implemented for enrolled students with documented disability to function in an academic environment. The University acknowledges that the decision to self-identify is a personal matter and makes no pre-admission inquiry about a candidate’s disability.
Upon acceptance to a degree program and a minimum of one month prior to enrollment in classes, admitted students are encouraged to discuss the nature of their disability with and to submit documentation of their disability to the Department of Educational Affairs. This meeting may be arranged by contacting the office at 408-3327.
Master of Fine Arts in Poetry and Poetry in Translation Regulations
Degree Courses of Study and Requirements
The Drew University Master of Arts in Poetry is a two-year, low-residency program
for poets and poet translators. We provide an intense immersion into poetry through
writing workshops, public readings, lectures, critical writing, and study plans
designed by each student with his/her mentor/poet. We offer three tracks, a track in
Poetry, a track in Poetry in Translation, and a combined MFA in Poetry & Poetry in
Translation (which requires an additional semester and an additional residency). The
Drew MFA Program in Poetry is committed to making sure that all students, no
matter which track they are on, are exposed to a broad range of poets and translators.
The MFA in Poetry requires the completion of four semesters and five residencies
for a total of 64 credits. Students study the craft of poetry by writing poems,
studying craft, reading extensively, and writing critically. Requirements include
attending five residencies and at the end of each residency completing an 8-10 page
residency essay. During the mentorship semester students are required to send four
packets over the course of the semester to their mentors. Each packet must include a
letter and reading summary, 4-6 new poems, revisions of poems, and 2 short papers.
During the third mentorship semester students write one 15-20 page essay instead of
the shorter essays. During the fourth and final semester students complete a
manuscript of original poems. Their final residency includes a senior presentation
and a senior reading.
The MFA in Translation program is designed to teach students about the different
models and schools of translation. Students receiving the MFA in Translation will
translate into English. They will be expected to attend all lectures at the residency in
order to understand the craft elements involved in writing poetry in English. The
degree requires the completion of four semesters and five residencies for a total of
64 credits. During the fourth semester students complete a manuscript of
translations. All of the requirements listed above for the MFA in Poetry are required
for translators.
The Combined MFA in Poetry and Poetry in Translation is designed for poets
who also want to study the art of translation. Given that many poets are, at
sometime, drawn to translation, both for the desire to understand and get at the heart
of poetry from another language, as well as to inspire and deepen their own work,
the study of translation is an important endeavor for any poet. The mission of the
Drew Program in Poetry in Translation is to bring to Drew students an awareness
and knowledge of poetry from all over the globe. All students will be exposed at
residencies to the lectures in translation as well as to guest translators.
To attain the combined MFA students pursue their own writing at the same time that they study
and practice translation. The combined degree requires that students complete five
semesters and six residencies for a total of 80 credits. During the fourth semester
students complete a manuscript of their own poems. During the fifth semester 3
students complete a manuscript of translations. During the course of their two years
students will work simultaneously on translation and original work. Their
requirements will be the same as above with the addition of the extra manuscript.
B. Students who apply to translate from one track into another are bound by the
regulations in force at the beginning of the semester in which they will begin the
new track.
IV. Definitions of Student Status
M.F.A. Candidates - MFA candidates are expected to be full-time students each
semester. The program involves taking 16 credits each semester. Attendance at the
residency and completion of each semester in good standing is required to move
forward in the program.
IX. Time Limits for Earning each Degree
All requirements for the Master of Fine Arts in Poetry and Poetry in Translation
degrees must be completed within a period of three years.
Upon written approval of the Dean, a student may take a leave of absence for a term
not to exceed one year. In special cases, a second one-year leave may be approved
by the Dean. Students requesting a leave of absence must meet with the Dean
before such a request will be approved and must obtain the signature of the
Associate Dean. The Dean of the Caspersen School is empowered to grant leaves of
absence on only three bases: (1) physical illness, (2) mental or emotional illness,
and (3) extreme financial difficulty. As the student pays no tuition or fees during a
leave of absence, he/she is not entitled to use any of the resources of the University:
library, faculty, housing, or grants-in-aid. Time spent in leaves of absence will not
be counted as part of the three-year time limitation for the M.F.A. Repayment for
any student loans must begin in a leave of absence, by federal regulation
Advanced Standing
Advanced Standing in the M.F.A. in Poetry and Poetry and Translation program will
be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the director of the program in
consultation with the Academic Standing Committee.
XII. Academic Standards
- The grading system
The system of grading in the M.F.A. in Poetry and Poetry in Translation will be
on a Satisfactory/Fail basis.
Courses dropped between January 5, 2009 and March 27, 2009 are graded W
(Withdrew); courses dropped after March 27, 2009 are graded F.
- Satisfactory Academic Progress
MFA candidates do not receive grades, but rather their work is evaluated as
satisfactory or unsatisfactory. The progress of each student is monitored carefully by
the mentor and director. A written evaluation by the student’s mentor at the mid-point
in the semester, and then at the end of the semester, will outline the progress as well as
determine whether the student has met all the requirements.
The student will need to have attended the residency and all of the required events,
including but not limited to workshops, lectures, readings, and individual meetings
with the mentor. A residency essay must be turned in to the director. During the
Mentorship semester, all four packets must be sent to the mentor with the material
necessary to satisfy the requirements of the semester, including but not limited to
poems, revisions of poems, papers, and a letter to the mentor. The mentor will decide
whether or not the student has made satisfactory progress and has fulfilled all
requirements. Should the faculty member be in doubt of a student’s work the director
and faculty member will work closely to discern the best course of action.
XV. Master’s Thesis (Poetry Manuscript)
During the fourth semester poetry students will put together a manuscript of poetry. This
manuscript should be approximately 48 pages; the pages should be numbered and there
should be a table of contents. The mentor and second reader will evaluated the manuscript.
During the fourth semester translation students will put together a manuscript of
translations. This manuscript should be approximately 40 pages; the pages should be
numbered and there should be a table of contents. The mentor and second reader will
evaluate the manuscript.
Students in the Combined MFA will complete a manuscript of original poems in their
fourth semester; this manuscript should be approximately 48 pages; the pages should be
numbered and there should be a table of contents. The mentor and second reader will
evaluate the manuscript. In their fifth semester, students in the Combined MFA will
complete a manuscript of translations. This manuscript should be approximately 40 pages;
the pages should be numbered and there should be a table of contents. The mentor and
second reader will evaluate the manuscript.
XIX. Housing
M.F.A. Residencies
All M.F.A. students are required to live in residency housing (either off or on-campus during every residency throughout their program, and must abide by university rules. Students who wish to reside in a different location can appeal to the MFA program director.
HISTORY AND CULTURE STUDENT HANDBOOK
2016-2017
The Curriculum
The MA Program
The MA degree requires 27 credits (9 courses), including the Foundation Seminar. The ninth course should be the Research Tutorial, in which the student will write a publishable research paper that will qualify as an MA thesis.
The PhD Program
The requirements for the PhD include 36 credits (12 courses), a student portfolio, and a dissertation. Students admitted directly into the PhD program will receive an MA when they satisfactorily complete the Research Tutorial and eight other courses.
MA students may apply to the PhD program after they have satisfactorily completed at least two courses. The applications forms and procedures are the same as for the MA program, and so is the deadline: February 1. Applicants should obtain two reference letters from Drew faculty, submit as a writing sample a research paper from one of their Drew classes, and submit a new personal statement clearly stating a proposed area of research interest.
Required Courses
All PhD and MA students are required to take the Foundation Seminar (HC 800), normally in their first semester. This seminar will introduce students to the history, methods, and philosophy of historical writing.
All PhD and MA students must take a Research Tutorial (HC 990), normally in their final semester of course work, where each student will produce an original and publishable scholarly paper. The tutorial introduces students to primary source research and the apparatus of scholarship. Students in this tutorial work mainly independently but under faculty supervision.
All PhD students must take at least two extradisciplinary courses taught by faculty trained in fields other than history, including (but not limited to) literature, philosophy, politics, sociology, anthropology, music, art, and religion. At least one extradisciplinary course should be taken in the student’s first year. A student may satisfy this requirement with courses offered in other Drew graduate programs or upper-level undergraduate courses, with the approval of his/her faculty advisor and the course instructor.
In their third year all PhD students will participate in a noncredit Writing Workshop taught by a professional nonfiction writer, which teaches academics how to communicate topics in history and culture to a general audience.
All PhD students should select elective courses in consultation with their advisors, with a view toward preparing for their Capstone Essays (see below).
MA students who are planning to translate to the PhD program should select courses with a view toward fulfilling the requirements for the PhD.
Eligible Courses
Students may register for any course listed or crosslisted with the History and Culture program. With the approval of the faculty advisor, they may also take up to two non-crosslisted courses offered by Drew’s graduate Arts and Letters program, Graduate Division of Religion, Medical Humanities program, and undergraduate College of Liberal Arts, provided the course requirements meet History and Culture standards. As a rough general rule, these courses should have a reading load of about 300 pages per week (or the equivalent in poetry, music, or art classes) and an overall writing load of 30 pages total.
Students may also take one Graduate Tutorial (TUTG 900). When registering for TUTG 900, fill out and submit a Tutorial petition. (This and all other forms can be downloaded from http://www.drew.edu/graduate/deans-office/forms.)
In addition to their normal course load, students may informally audit other courses, with the approval of the instructor and the faculty advisor. For example, some students may feel the need to fill in gaps in their basic historical knowledge by sitting in on undergraduate courses. In such cases no formal registration is required, and students may do as much or as little course work as they wish.
Research Tutorial
All MA and PhD students must register for the Research Tutorial (HC 990), normally in their last semester of course work. In this course, the student will write a publishable research paper based on primary sources that will qualify as an MA thesis. When registering for the Research Tutorial, the student should fill out and submit a tutorial petition (http://www.drew.edu/graduate/deans-office/forms).
The student should begin the tutorial by drafting a proposal, which should include a detailed summary of the proposed research project, a preliminary thesis, a description of the methodology to be used, and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources. The proposal should be no more than 5 pages in length and must be approved by the instructor within the first two weeks of the semester.
The final paper should be 30-40 pages in length. It should include a title page, endnotes (rather than footnotes), and a bibliography. Tables, charts, and figures are optional. Follow the MLA Handbook or Chicago Manual of Style. Use the Times New Roman font throughout, 10 point for endnotes, 12 point for everything else. Leave 1-inch margins on all four sides. Do not justify your right margin. The text must be typed double-spaced with the following exceptions: block quotations, endnotes, and bibliography items may be single-spaced. Submit one copy of the final draft to your faculty supervisor, as well as an e-copy to the Caspersen School office at jmontros@drew.edu.
Public Humanities Internships
The History and Culture program prepares all its students for academic careers, but we also go beyond that to engage the larger world. The Public Humanities Internship (HC 805) introduces students to alternative career possibilities for humanities scholars, and demonstrates how humanities scholarship can be mobilized outside of a traditional academic setting for socially productive ends. This three-credit course will involve working with a humanities organization outside the university: for example, a museum, a publisher, a magazine, a foundation, or even a business corporation that can make use of a humanities scholar.
Each internship must conclude with a product of some sort, such as a paper, report, or a project the intern worked on during his or her stay. It should demonstrate a productive collaboration between humanities scholarship and a topic or venture of public concern. The nature and scope of the product (which is analogous to a research paper in other graduate courses) should be discussed and agreed on by the student, the host organization, and the seminar instructor. The instructor will evaluate the final product, which will have considerable weight in determining the student’s grade for the course.
As soon as you register for the course, contact Drew University’s Center for Career Development, which will help you secure an internship, in consultation with the seminar instructor. Some internships pay modest stipends, which students can use to cover travel and other expenses.
Transfer Credits
After they have satisfactorily completed their first academic year, doctoral students may apply to transfer graduate credits earned at other universities, up to a total of 6 credits (2 courses). Applicants should submit to the Convenor an Advanced Standing Petition (http://www.drew.edu/graduate/deans-office/forms), along with copies of transcripts and course catalogue descriptions. Applications must be approved by both the Director and the Committee on Academic Standing. Credits are only eligible for transfer (1) if they were earned within ten years of the student’s entry into the History and Culture program, (2) if the course addressed academic issues that engage the History and Culture program, and (3) if the student earned a grade of at least A-.
Academic Standards and Financial Aid
Graduate Academic Merit Scholarships range from 20-100% of annual tuition and are offered to incoming graduate students. Candidates for the scholarships are nominated by the area faculty in consultation with the Office of Financial Assistance and the Dean of the Caspersen School. To retain their scholarship, students must be enrolled full-time (nine credit hours per semester) and shall display meritorious progress toward the degree.
MA degree students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA each semester and a cumulative minimum 3.00 GPA. Any student who fails to achieve this GPA minimum is placed on academic probation for one semester. If that student is placed on strict academic probation for the following semester, she/he may be ineligible for financial assistance. Full-time students are expected to complete the degree in four semesters. Drew’s financial aid awards are limited to a total of six semesters. All academic requirements for the degree must be completed within five years from the date of initial matriculation.
At the end of each academic year, all HC doctoral students will receive a letter assessing their overall academic performance. Doctoral students must maintain a 3.5 GPA each semester and a cumulative 3.5 GPA. Upon review by HC faculty in consultation with the Dean, a doctoral student who fails to achieve the cumulative 3.5 GPA may be placed on academic probation for one semester. If that doctoral student is placed on strict academic probation for the following semester, she/he may be ineligible for continued financial assistance at the initial level or may be ineligible for continued financial assistance. This policy also applies to the stipends awarded to Fellows (see below).
Foreign Languages
See Section III.
Student Portfolios
See Section III.
Dissertations
At the beginning of the third year, in consultation with his/her faculty advisor, each doctoral student will form a dissertation committee consisting of three faculty, one of whom may be based at another university. Dissertation Guidelines may be found at http://www.drew.edu/graduate/deans-office/forms.
Each dissertation must ultimately undergo an oral defense and must be unanimously approved by the dissertation committee. When the student has prepared a final draft and is ready to defend, the committee will consult with the student to invite a fourth reader from another university.
II. Services and Resources
Faculty Advisors
Faculty advisors are assigned to all incoming students. Before registering for classes, students should always consult with their faculty advisors. You can change advisors whenever you like: just make sure you have the permission of your new advisor, then inform the Associate Dean of the change.
Student Fellows
A select number of our strongest doctoral students are History and Culture Fellows, who enjoy special benefits and have special responsibilities. Fellows receive free tuition and a living stipend. They must pursue their studies full-time, completing the MA and PhD in five years, and there may be some restrictions on accepting outside employment. (There are no restrictions on outside employment for other students, who may study part-time, as few as one course per semester.) In their second year, Fellows work as teaching assistants in Drew survey courses. In their third year, they will teach their own courses at local colleges.
Professional Development Workshops
Throughout the academic year the History and Culture program and the Graduate Division of Religion cosponsor a series of Professional Development Workshops for students. These address the practical side of building an academic career: e.g., how to draft a CV, conduct a job interview, present a conference paper, apply for a grant, publish your research. Attendance is voluntary, but bear in mind that these workshops offer much useful (indeed, essential) advice.
The History and Culture Colloquium
Meeting about once a month, the History and Culture Colloquium showcases innovative research by Drew faculty and graduate students as well outside scholars. Papers representing work-in-progress are precirculated to students and faculty and then, at the colloquium, are discussed with the authors. Colloquia are open to all members of the Drew University community. History and Culture students are strongly encouraged to attend.
Book Review Database
Book reviews that students write for classes can be posted onto the Moodle site “H&C reviews,” where they will be accessible to the Drew community and provide a valuable resource for other graduate students. You should submit your review to your instructor electronically, and provide a header in the following form: Author, Book Title (Place of Publication: Publisher, Date), number of pages. Review by Your Name.
For example:
Eric T. Love, Race Over Empire: Racism and U.S. Imperialism, 1865-1900
(Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2004). 245 pages.
Review by A. Student.
Conference and Dissertation Grants
For students who are presenting papers at conferences, the Graduate Student Association will cover $400 up to twice a year, or $800 once a year. The Caspersen School may provide funding beyond that, but usually no more than a total of $750 a year. If available, the Caspersen School can also provide grants (usually up to $750) to support dissertation research trips, one per student.
Students should apply for travel to conference grants through the forms on the GSA page. For the dissertation travel grants, the form is on the Dean’s page.
The Third Year
In the five-year History and Culture doctoral program, the third year is the “bridge.” You have completed your coursework and have not yet begun researching your dissertation. Nevertheless, there is much to do in this interval, which may well be your busiest year. It requires careful planning and no slackening of self-discipline. These guidelines should help you schedule your various responsibilities.
Writing Workshop
All third-year PhD students must enroll in HC 806: Writing as a Public Intellectual Workshop. Offered annually in the spring semester and taught by a professional nonfiction writer, this seminar will teach academics how to communicate topics in history and culture to a general audience.
Foreign Languages
PhD students specializing in Continental Europe must pass an examination in one foreign language. Normally the language will be French, German, or Spanish, but another language may be substituted if it is deemed useful to the student’s research. Foreign language examinations are not required for MA students or for PhD students specializing in the United States, Britain, or Ireland. To set up an examination, speak with Associate Dean Bill Rogers.
Student Portfolios
Each PhD student must, in the third academic year, demonstrate his/her preparation as a teacher and scholar by satisfactorily completing a portfolio which will consist of the following:
- Three capstone essays.
- A public lecture.
- Two book reviews.
- Two course syllabi.
- An essay on an academic topic addressed to a nonacademic audience.
Your faculty advisor must submit a Portfolio Completion Form (http://www.drew.edu/graduate/deans-office/forms) certifying that all elements of your portfolio have been satisfactorily completed by the end of your third year. Here are the requirements for each of them:
Capstone Essays: See below.
Public Lecture: This lecture, on an academic topic, may be delivered to any audience: a scholarly conference, a church group, a fraternal organization, an adult education program, the Drew University community, or another college. Ideally your faculty advisor should be in the audience, but at the very least he/she should read your text.
Two Book Reviews: You will probably write at least two book reviews in your coursework: submit the strongest of these. If you prefer, you can write reviews expressly for your portfolio. These reviews need not be published, but if you have published reviews in scholarly journals, by all means include them in your portfolio. In fact we recommend that, as soon as possible, you start writing reviews for academic journals or websites (such as H-Net). Ask your faculty advisor about the leading journals in your field, then send the editors your CV along with a cover letter offering your services as a reviewer and outlining your areas of expertise.
Two Course Syllabi: These can be syllabi you used in your student teaching (see below) or syllabi for a course you have yet to teach.
Essay for a Nonacademic Audience: This can be the essay you wrote for HC 806: Writing as a Public Intellectual Workshop.
Capstone Essays:
The following procedures should guide your preparation for and submittal of the capstone essays—the major component of the 3rd Year Portfolio:
1. All capstone essays and the capstone petition must be submitted through the graduate dean’s office. Otherwise, we have no means of tracking the student’s progress.
Once the student has submitted the essay electronically in .pdf or .doc format to the graduate dean’s office, the essay will be logged and forwarded to the appropriate readers. The readers will return a simple grade of NQ (Not Qualified), Q (Qualified), or QD (Qualified with Distinction) via e-mail to the graduate dean’s office only. The graduate dean’s office will inform the student. No interim reports or grades should be provided to the students by their readers.
2. Grading of the capstone essays is blind: even though students know who their readers are, they should not know how each reader scores their essay. This is necessary in cases where one reader may give a final grade of Q on an essay and another may NQ it. In cases where one reader NQs an essay, it will be assigned to a third reader by the Dean, per CSGS regulations. Hence the importance of maintaining the blind protocol–for the student’s and the readers’ sakes.
In cases where a student does not pass an essay, he or she has up to two (2) opportunities to revise and resubmit each essay to achieve a qualifying mark. It is appropriate for the readers to provide guidance on required improvements once the student has been informed of her/his failing mark. It is up to the reader or readers to decide how they wish to provide the guidance at this point– by note or in person. Normally, a student will not be informed of a failing mark until a third reader has read the essay.
3. Submission of the capstone essay is a formal process following preparation; it is not a final paper following draft submissions and revisions. Students should meet several times with the first reader (and second if so desired), to develop a bibliography and discuss readings. Students should not be submitting draft capstone essays to their readers for review and suggested revisions. This defeats the purpose of the capstone.
4. The capstone essays are historiographical essays (the term will be different in other fields but the general intent is the same) from 30 to 40 pages in length. They are not research papers nor are they bibliographic essays. The function of the capstone essays is to develop the student’s knowledge of and ability to succinctly discuss a problem, theme, major concepts, methods, and/or relevant literature in a particular scholarly field or subfield. The emphasis given each of these elements is up to the readers in conversation with the student. Michael Ballagh and Jennifer Hillman Helgren of Claremont Graduate University offer guidelines and links to examples here: http://www.cgu.edu/pages/840.asp.
5. The capstone essays should be differentiated and not variations on the same topic: the first capstone should be a broad topic in intellectual and/or cultural history; the second should be a topic in a historical field other than intellectual or cultural history; the third should be an interdisciplinary topic engaging historical studies and an outside field. This structure supports the capstones’ role in the program which is twofold: first, to help students prepare for their dissertation projects; and second, to help them develop multiple fields of expertise, in order to develop their scholarly and teaching portfolio to the broadest extent possible.
6. Students should be encouraged to develop as wide a reader list as possible: it is not in the student’s interest to restrict him or herself to a limited number of readers. Both to support item 5 above, and to provide the student with as many perspectives as possible on scholarship and academic performance, it is good for the student to develop a diverse “palette” of readers.
7. Coursework should support the capstones– not exclusively, but to a fair degree: Advisors should take this into account when recommending coursework to first and second-year students. What will the interdisciplinary field possibly be, and has the student taken a seminar in that field? What other-than intellectual and cultural history field does the student wish to pursue (and has the advisor discussed historical fields with the student)?
8. Per CSGS Regulation Section V.2, professors are not available during the summer months to discuss and read capstone essays. The same holds true for dissertations and research tutorials. This time is reserved for their own scholarship and most professors hold 9-month contracts. Exceptions may be permitted by individual professors and for hardship cases. But students should be aware of the general rule when preparing their capstone petition.
- The following narrative guidance from a previous edition of the Handbook aligns with the above procedures and provides useful insights into the nuts and bolts.
All doctoral students are required to write three capstone essays in the third year of their graduate studies. For each of these essays, the student will master, summarize, and criticize a body of historical literature. The essays should address the following three fields:
Field 1: Intellectual and cultural history.
Field 2: A specialized field in history other than intellectual/cultural history. Examples include political history, diplomatic history, disability history, social history, or any other subfield supported by the teaching and research expertise of the History and Culture faculty.
Field 3: An interdisciplinary field that explores the intersections between history and another discipline, such as literary studies, classics, anthropology, political science, sociology, art history, or economics.
You don’t have to reach a hard and fast decision about your three fields in your first semester of coursework, but you should begin to think about them. In consultation with your faculty advisor, plan your course selections with your future capstone essays in mind. You should take at least two courses covering each field.
More serious planning should begin early in your final semester of coursework. Sit down with your faculty advisor and the Director to plan out your three fields. Select a First Reader and Second Reader for each field – and make sure they are agreeable to working with you. (Faculty based at other universities may serve as readers.) Print the Capstone Essays petition from http://www.drew.edu/graduate/deans-office/forms ), fill it out, and send it to the program director for approval. Once it is approved by the director and the Committee on Academic Standing, you are ready to begin your readings. Make sure the approval process is completed before the end of the semester: then, once you have finished all your course work, you can start immediately on your capstone essays, and make productive use of your summer.
Meet individually with all three of your first readers, who will help you plan out your reading lists. The list for each essay should run to 30-40 books or the equivalent in articles, all secondary works rather than primary texts. (We assume that you have covered essential primary sources in your coursework.) The final essay itself should be 30-40 pp. of text, plus a complete bibliography. While you are reading and writing, you should meet occasionally with your readers to discuss your work and thrash out ideas.
How broad an area should each essay cover? Obviously it should be focused, but not as specialized as a dissertation topic. The point of this exercise is to demonstrate to potential employer that you are prepared to teach in certain areas, so your subject should be a plausible title for a college course. For example, you obviously can’t cover the whole field of cultural history, nor should you limit yourself to the French response to Jerry Lewis, but an essay on modern French cultural history would be about right.
Each essay should survey and criticize recent work in a given historiographical subfield. What important trends do you see? Which questions are scholars addressing – or overlooking? What methodologies and sources are they using – or ignoring? What debates are they engaged in, and what is their state of play? Which assumptions are they sharing – or overturning Are historians breaking genuinely new ground or are they stuck in the past? Where are they located ideologically? What should they be doing that they aren’t doing? Do some of these trends cut across subfields? Have the boundaries between subfields (social/intellectual/cultural/military/medical/political history etc.) become blurred as specialists in these fields borrow from each other? Convey some sense of how this subfield has developed over time. Conclude with suggestions for future research.
You should not write 40 one-page reviews of 40 books strung together. You should focus on issues, and bring particular readings into the discussion whenever they are relevant to those issues. That means you may have to discuss a book in one context and then, several pages later, return to it in another context. You may decide that some books merit extended discussion, others deserve only a brief mention, and still others are irrelevant to your discussion and should be replaced with other books.
You should touch on most (though not necessarily all) of the works on your reading list. Your bibliography should include all the works you read, whether or not you actually discussed them. The essay should be properly footnoted, following Chicago or MLA style.
Completed essays should be e-mailed to the Caspersen School office (jmontros@drew.edu) , who will forward them to your first and second Readers. They can assign one of three grades: Qualified with Distinction (QD), Qualified (Q), or Not Qualified (NQ). You need at least two Q grades to pass. If your essay does not receive a passing grade from either Reader, you can revise and resubmit, but be sure to consult first with your First and Second Readers. (Readers normally do not write comments on capstone essays.) All three capstone essays must be satisfactorily completed by the end of the third year of study (for full-time students) or within two years of the completion of course work (for part-time students).
The Dissertation Prospectus
Toward the end of the third year each student will select a dissertation committee consisting of three faculty, one of whom may be based at another university. The student should file a Dissertation Committee Form with the Caspersen School office and then draft a prospectus. (The form and the prospectus cover sheet will be found at http://www.drew.edu/graduate/deans-office/forms.) All three members of the dissertation committee must approve the prospectus.Before the committee approves the prospectus, the student must have at least one face-to-face meeting with all members of the committee (exceptions may be allowed for non-Drew faculty).
The prospectus should be a detailed ten-page research plan plus a bibliography. It should be structured in five sections:
State your thesis and explain its importance.
Review prior scholarship on this subject.
Explain your methodology and the new and distinctive contribution that your dissertation will make.
Chapter outline.
Bibliography, with separate sections for primary and secondary sources.
Student Teaching
In both semesters of their second year, Fellows are required to serve as teaching assistants in history or history-related survey courses at Drew University. There may also be a limited number of teaching assistantships for other doctoral students, who will receive a modest stipend. Teaching assistants will be assigned to appropriate courses by the Convenor.
All first-time teaching assistants are required to attend a series of pedagogical workshops cosponsored by the Graduate Division of Religion and the History and Culture program. These workshops, which offer valuable teacher training, may also have openings for a limited number of other graduate students.
This Requirement is Under Review and therefore suspended for 2016-17: All Fellows are required to teach one undergraduate course at a local college in each semester of their third year. This is also recommended (but not required) for other third-year doctoral students. Any adjunct salary that Fellows receive will be returned to Drew University; other students will keep their salaries. Teaching more than one course per semester is prohibited for Fellows and discouraged for other students. At the beginning of your final semester of coursework, you should supply the Associate Dean with a CV and ask him to arrange teaching assignments at local colleges for the following year.
Foreign students may have visas that limit their opportunities to work off-campus. They can secure off-campus work authorization for adjunct teaching by registering for INTG 900, a one credit course. Forms and further information can be obtained from the Associate Dean. At the end of their teaching semester, adjunct instructors should report back to the Associate Dean, who will enter a grade of S for them.
The Dean Hopper New Scholars Conference
In September, the Convenor will convene a planning meeting for our annual Dean Hopper New Scholars Conference. (The first such conference was held in June 2013.) Participation in this conference is mandatory for all third-year doctoral students and optional for all other Drew graduate students. Except for one or two keynotes by senior scholars, all the papers at this conference will be presented by graduate students or new PhDs. A faculty advisor will offer general guidance, but beyond that the third-year students will be responsible for all aspects of the conference: selecting the theme, drafting and disseminating the call for papers, selecting the papers to be presented from among the abstracts submitted, recruiting the keynoters, publicizing the conference, and arranging all the logistics. The conference will be held the following May or June, after Commencement.
Construct a Calendar
As you can see, you have a lot to do, with only one fixed deadline: everything must be finished by the end of the third year. You don’t want to drift along until April and then hurriedly attempt to pull everything together at the last minute. Therefore, at the end of your second year, sit down with your faculty advisor and draft a calendar for the coming year, laying down self-imposed deadlines for each of the tasks outlined above. Since you will inevitably miss some of these intermediate deadlines, build some slack into your schedule. And meet with your faculty advisor at least once a month, just to ensure that you’re on track. In past years third-year students have found it helpful to organize a support group for mutual encouragement and socializing.
Caspersen School of Graduate Studies
Drew University
GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS
Study Guidelines
Dissertations submitted to the Caspersen School must conform to the latest edition of either Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (New York: The Modern Language Association of America) or APA, Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
Do not use dissertations in the library as style guides.
Before writing even one word of your rough draft, read the style manual thoroughly and follow it scrupulously as you write your rough draft.
Note especially the chapters on “Preparing the List of Works Cited” and “Documenting Sources”
Before writing one word of your rough draft, set up your document with the correct margins, tab stops (for indentations of paragraphs, block quotations, and footnotes), and pagination. From the beginning use the proper headings, subheadings, footnotes, and bibliography entries. Then you will have a very clear picture of where you are as you go along, and you will save an enormous amount of cleanup time at the end because making these changes afterward to the correct settings is very time consuming.
The following regulations should be observed. In case of any conflict these supersede all three style guides.
Structure of the Dissertation
The dissertation shall always contain the following items: title page, table of contents, the text, appropriate footnotes, and a bibliography, either simple or annotated.
Optional items include: a dedication page, a preface, and appropriate tables, charts, and figures.
Preparing the Submission Copies of the Dissertation
Type sizes and faces:
Acceptable:
New Times Roman or the equivalent
12 point font for main text; no less than 10 point for footnotes
Unacceptable:
Type faces smaller than 12 points
Fonts that are compressed and that squeeze in as many letters as possible on a line.
Contact the Administrative Assistant in the CSGS early on in your writing process. She will refer you to someone who can check the format of your manuscript.
Some formatting guidelines:
Page and text format:
Margins
Left: one and a half inches
Right: one inch
Top: one inch
Bottom: an inch to an inch and a quarter below the last footnote line.
Pagination: is inside the above margins.
For the text: In the upper right corner, except for the first page of a chapter (bottom center).
Front matter (everything before the first page of your text): Page numbers for this section are small Roman numerals and are placed at the bottom center of the page.
Footnotes must follow the proper formats and be placed at the bottom of the page, not at the end of the chapter or of the dissertation.
In other format matters—eg, table of contents, bibliography, chapter headings, subheadings—follow the guidelines in the style handbook you are using.
Line Spacing: All text: either double-space or space-and-a-half. Block quotations, footnotes, and bibliography items: single space.
Typing Conventions:
Spacing after periods:
After initials use one space: T. D. , not T.D.
In abbreviations, no spaces are used: U.S.A. Ph.D.
Periods and commas always go inside the quotation marks in American style, no exceptions
end of quotation.” - Is correct
Not, end of quotation”. - Is incorrect
Dashes are made with two hyphens and no spaces:
Text—text (the 2 dashes become a longer, solid line)
Not, text – text
After the colon
In text: two spaces
In bibliographies and footnotes use one space:
Book title: subtitle
City: publisher
Quotations:
Shorter than 50 words:
Integrate with your sentence and set off by double quotation marks (“”).
If you are using citations in the text instead of using footnotes, put the citation inside the period of the sentence but after the end of the quotation:
last word of the quotation” (Wrenn 165).
Not, last word of the quotation.” (Wrenn 165)
Longer than 50 words:
Put in block form i.e., indented on the left only and usually single spaced (MLA double spaced).
The block form is the equivalent of “” so do not use “” unless the original quotation has them.
Ellipsis:
This is one of the most frequent problems. The purpose of the ellipsis is to show than an omission has been make in the quotation. The form of the ellipsis indicates the type of omission. The number and spacing of the periods has meaning. When the omission is obvious, an ellipsis is not necessary. Note the following examples and what they mean.
text…text
Something is left out of the middle of the sentence.
text…Text [Turabian] text… Text [MLA]
The end of a sentence is left out and a new sentence starts. Turabian uses one space after the final period. MLA uses two spaces after the final period on the logic that two spaces follow the end of a sentence.
text…Text [Turabian] text… Text [MLA]
One sentence ends, an omission is made, and a new sentence begins.
text…[T]ext
One sentence ends, on omission is made, and a new sentence begins, but not at the beginning. The first word of a sentence must be capitalized, but since that word is not capitalized in the original, the capital is put in [ ].
4. Submitting copies of the dissertation for the oral defense:
If your reader has approved, an electronic file of your dissertation defense copies may be submitted to your readers . However, if your reader/s prefer a hard copy then you may print doubled sided copies and put in three ringbinder for easy handling.
Include an abstract of not more than 350 words for each reader’s review. Follow format heading sample (p. 7).
At the same time you have submitted your dissertation to your readers, submit a title page, vita and abstract to the Administrative Assistant to the CSGS Dean’s office.
5. Submitting the final copy after the oral defense:
Compile all corrections and changes required by the readers, make the appropriate changes in your text, and submit the final PDF copy online per instructions from the Caspersen School.
ProQuest Data Base: Drew recommends the traditional publishing and is free.
The fee for copyrighting may range between $30 and $40. This fee is paid on line.
Front matter
Title page format, (page 5):
Double-space between all lines.
Margins: Top—1.5 to 2 inches; bottom—1 to 1¼ inches; left—1½ inches;
right—1 inch.
For titles that take more than one line, if possible use the inverted pyramid style, and center each line and double space between the lines. There should be no more than 45 characters, including spaces, on any one line of the title.
Abstract Format, (page 7):
Double-space the text of your abstract.
Margins: One and half inch on the left, then one inch at the top, right and bottom. A copy of the abstract will be included in the final online submission of the dissertation. The placement follows the copyright page—pages are counted as part of the front matter although the numbers are not printed. (See the front matter sample packet.)
Should be dated the month and year when you degree is conferred.
Back Matter
The Vita, (Page 8)
Include degrees from each institution.
The last entry should be your forthcoming degree from Drew University
The Vita form is the last page of your dissertation when you are ready to upload it into Proquest.
Should be dated the month and year when you degree is conferred.
Instructions for Submission of Dissertations and Thesis as of May 2015
Drew University has changed over to electronic submission of Dissertations and Theses. If you have read the regulations or previous guidelines concerning the administrative process in submitting your documents, you will note that those instructions are geared towards hard copy submission of first draft, revisions and final manuscript. These instructions supersede those available on line and in any regulations handbook and will be incorporated in the next revision of those manuals and handouts.
The defense draft of a dissertation and thesis is due to the committee on March 2nd. When you submit your document to your reader, it can be an electronic file or hard copy. This is determined by the reader’s preference. In either scenario, please send an email to the Dean’s office (jmontros@drew.edu) with a copy to each reader indicating that the draft was submitted. For dissertations, you should attach an electronic copy of your abstract, title page with chair’s name on it and a VITA. For a thesis, a title page and VITA will be required. These should all be typed in electronic format (no hand written forms) as you will need them later for the final submission.
Once the Dean’s office is notified, ballots will be sent to the dissertation committee. The committee will officially determine if the student is ready for oral defense by sending in signed ballots. Once it has been determined that the student is ready to defend, the student can arrange the date for the defense with the committee. The Dean’s office will make arrangements for the room. Contact Joanne at 973-408-3611. For a student writing a thesis, your reader will provide informal updates on your progress to the Dean’s office in order to determine eligibility to graduate. A thesis advisor should notify the Dean’s office via email when the student’s final grade has been posted.
On the day of the defense, an oral exam certificate will be given to the committee to judge the dissertation and indicate if the student has qualified. On April 24th, the final copy of the dissertation or thesis with all revisions must be submitted to the on line system. Your manuscript should be reviewed by Linda Blank prior to that date. Contact Linda at lindablank18@gmail.com or lblank@drew.edu for correct format before you submit it to Proquest or Drew’s system.
Here is the link to Library and ultimately Proquest: http://walter.drew.edu/etd/
There is no need to bring copies of your manuscript to the CSGS Dean’s office unless you want the Dean’s office to facilitate delivering it to your reader.
It is not necessary to submit multiple copies of the abstract on paper.
Do not buy any special paper because regular copy paper can be used for the drafts.
For dissertations, there is no need to write a check out to Drew because you will pay directly to Proquest with a credit card and can order personal copies at that time.
The file you will be uploading should be in a pdf format and must be one document.
The Vita form is the last page of the document.
Abstracts and Vita should be dated May 2015. This is the month and year the Registrar will confer your degree.
Send release form to me before you upload the document to Proquest. Sign and scan then Email jmontros@drew.edu, or fax to 973-408-3040 or mail hard copy via US Post Office.
The address is:
Drew University - CSGS
36 Madison Ave Room 126
Madison, NJ 07940
Document will not be approved if the release has not been signed and submitted to Dean’s office.
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