Graduate Program
Introduction
Brandeis University Graduate Programs in English The graduate programs in English and American literature offer training in the reading and analysis of texts from a variety of perspectives, ranging from formalist to historical and political approaches. Department faculty conduct research and teach in the periods, genres, and geographies of English-language texts, and in such fields as literary history and theory; philosophical approaches to literature; feminist, gender, and sexuality studies; visual, media, and performance studies; Marxist and cultural studies, and postcolonial studies. In recent faculty and student research, the categories of texts studied have included film, video, photography, and the Internet; communication and economic technologies; performance; and cultural discourses and objects, as well as the traditional literary genres.
The Department offers three degrees: the Doctor of Philosophy in English and American Literature, a terminal Master of Arts degree in English and American Literature, and a Joint Master of Arts degree in English and American Literature and Women’s & Gender Studies. Students admitted to the doctoral program are eligible to apply for an M.A. degree in passing upon successful completion of one year of residency, including six courses and one language examination. Degree requirements are given below.
The Department of English and American Literature offers courses investigating a variety of authors and literary movements, historical periods, and critical and cultural theories. In addition to Methods of Literary Study, required of all first-year graduate students, graduate seminars in recent years have included: Fiction of the American South (Burt); Alternative Worlds: Utopia, Science, and Gender (Campbell); Feminist Theory (Chu); Shakespeare Seminar (Flesch); Surface and Depth: Explorations in American Legibility (Gilmore); American Literature after Television (Irr); Seminar in Performance Studies: Performing the Early Modern Self (King); Writing British Women 1660-1800: Critical Inquires (Lanser); Sex and Culture (Morrison); Representation, Embodiment and Portability in Victorian Literature (Plotz); Contemporary Poetry (Quinney); Topics in African Literature, Culture, and Society (Sanders); Reading the Black Transnation (Smith); and Religion and Literature In Renaissance England (Targoff).
The graduate programs in English and American literature emphasize individual scholarship; offer training in research, teaching methods, and other professional development skills; and encourage graduate student innovation and initiative. Our program combines the strengths of a research university the intimacy of a small liberal arts university. The English and American Literature Department faculty has about 15 members, with coverage of most fields and a diversity of critical approaches. About seven new doctoral students are admitted each year, and each new student is assigned an advisor. Seminars usually have been between five and fifteen students. Classes shared with undergraduates may be larger. The Department encourages informal contact with the faculty outside of classes through workshops, guest lectures and readings, office visits, and other events.
Closely supervised practice in teaching is also one of the strong features of our program. The development of college-level teaching competency is an integral part of the department’s professional training for the Ph.D. All Ph.D. students serve as Teaching Fellows after their first year. Faculty mentors will guide graduate teaching fellows through their first teaching experiences and continue to advise them.
Although the Brandeis English Department does not offer a degree in Creative Writing, many of our faculty members and graduate students are published (and publishing) poets and fiction writers. A frequently convened reading series, "The School of Night," features readings of new work by faculty and graduate students, as well as new and notable writers outside the Brandeis community. A generous endowment from the Fannie Hurst Foundation allows us to appoint visiting writers-in-residence for a semester at a time. Among them have been Alice Walker, Denise Levertov, Mark Doty, Adrienne Rich, Mark Strand, Stephen McCauley, Louise Glück, Rafael Campo, and Jill McCorkle. Graduate students may take the writing workshop courses without credit; prospective students are usually required to submit manuscripts of their creative work before acceptance into a given workshop.
Although Brandeis is a young university, vigorous efforts have been made to develop a true research library. The holdings in our field are strong, including scholarly journals, microfilm reprints of original materials, and special collections featuring first and second folios of Shakespeare (scanned for research use on the Web), serial editions of Charles Dickens, large collections of nineteenth-century dime novels and British and American acting editions of plays, the Fannie Hurst collection, important editions of the Lake Poets, and manuscripts of John Cheever and Joseph Heller. In addition graduate students have access to a Boston-area library consortium including Boston College, Boston University, Tufts University, and the Boston Public Library with its excellent research collection. Graduate students are regularly granted permission to use the rare book and manuscript collection of Harvard University (the Houghton Library) for books not obtainable elsewhere.
Graduate students have convened reading groups, a Graduate Lecture Series for discussion of works-in-progress, and, in March 2006, the third annual Brandeis University Department of English and American Literature Graduate Student Conference, inviting graduate students to give talks on the topic "Traffic" Conversation is always available in the department's lounge and graduate student work room.
This booklet presents the English Department’s requirements and procedures with respect to its graduate programs. These requirements are subject to revision. For up-to-date information about the University regulations, current course offerings, and the academic calendar, please consult the Brandeis University Bulletin and our web page at www.brandeis.edu/departments/english/
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Admission
The general procedures are described in the Brandeis University Bulletin and on-line at www.brandeis.edu/gsas/apply. Applicants for graduate study in the English Department should note that they are required to submit a sample of their critical writing not to exceed 35 pages; the 35-page maximum may consist of a single critical essay or two shorter essays of approximately equal length.
All applicants are required to submit scores on the Graduate Record Examination Verbal Aptitude test. The GRE Advanced Test in Literature is also required for Ph.D. applicants and recommended for terminal MA and Joint M.A. applicants.
The deadline for completed applications is January 5th for Ph.D. applicants, and February 1st for Joint and Terminal M.A. applicants.
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Financial Aid
To help Ph.D. students whose records indicate scholarly promise, the University makes available special scholarships and fellowships and a variety of awards and work opportunities. Many candidates will be offered a full funding package, which includes a 100% tuition scholarship, a competitive fellowship, and an allowance toward the cost of health insurance. Others candidates may be offered, on the basis of need and merit, scholarships or need-based grants ranging from 50% to 100%. Although partially funded students are not offered fellowships or health insurance coverage, there are ample opportunities for teaching. Partially funded students can expect their scholarship award to increase as they progress through the program.
Beginning in the 2005-06 academic year, the tuition scholarship and fellowship for fully-funded students may be renewed on an annual basis for up to five years based on superior academic performance and satisfactory progress toward the degree. Students enrolled in the program before this date have scholarship and fellowship funding renewed annually up to four years and, in recent years, have been able to apply for fifth-year funding that is awarded on a competitive basis. In addition students may apply for the university-wide Dissertation Year Fellowship and University Prize Instructorship.
To help Terminal and Joint M.A. students whose records indicate scholarly promise, the University makes available special scholarships and a limited number of need-based grants.
Students may apply for need-based grants by completing the CSS financial aid PROFILE.
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Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (terminal)
To earn the terminal Master's of Arts in English (as distinct from the Master's in passing, for which Ph.D. students are eligible), students must complete the following requirements.
Course Requirement
Seven courses in the Department of English and American Literature, one of which will be ENG 200a (Methods of Literary Study, taken in the fall term); at least three courses, beyond ENG 200a, must be 200-level seminars. One course will be the Master's Thesis (ENG 300a).
Residence Requirement
Students may enroll on a full or part-time basis. Students must complete the M.A. program within four years; the Department strongly encourages M.A. students to complete the program within two years.
Language Requirement
A reading knowledge of a major foreign language (normally modern European, classical Greek, or Latin) must be demonstrated by passing a written translation examination. The completion of the language requirement at another university does not exempt the student from the Brandeis requirement.
Symposium Requirement
M.A. students will present a paper at the First Year Symposium in the spring term.
Thesis Requirement
This project must be 25 to 35 pages long, and must be deposited electronically to the Robert D. Farber University Archives. Papers written for course work, papers presented at conferences, and papers written specifically for the M.A. degree are all acceptable. Each paper will be evaluated by a reader for whom the paper was not originally written. The paper must satisfy the reader's standard for excellence in M.A. degree level work.
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Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (In Passing)
Students admitted to the doctoral program are eligible to apply for an M.A. degree in passing upon completion of the following requirements. (For information about the terminal M.A. in English, see above. For information about the Joint Degree of Master of Arts in English and American Literature and Women’s & Gender Studies, see below.)
Course Requirement
Six courses, one of which will be ENG 200a (Methods of Literary Study); two other courses must be 200-level seminars.
Residence Requirement
The minimum residence requirement is one year, although students with inadequate preparation may require more.
Language Requirement
A reading knowledge of a major foreign language (normally modern European, classical Greek, or Latin) must be demonstrated by passing a written translation examination. The completion of the language requirement at another university does not exempt the student from the Brandeis requirement.
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Requirements for the Joint Degree of Master of Arts in English and American Literature and Women’s & Gender Studies
The English department offers a Joint Master of Arts program that integrates the study of women's experiences and gender roles with the English and American Literature course of study. Students will be expected to complete the course work in three semesters, and may take another semester to complete a master's project. This joint program may be a terminal degree or may be earned as part of the Ph.D. program. The joint M.A. is for full time students only.
Course Requirements: ENG 200a Methods of Literary Study; WMNS 205a, OR a foundational course alternative; WMNS 198a, or the Feminist Inquiry course offered through the graduate consortium in Women's Studies, or a feminist research methodologies course alternative; four additional courses in the English department selected from 100-level courses and graduate seminars (200-level courses), at least two of which must be at the 200 level and one of which must be listed as an elective with the women's & gender studies program; one cross-listed women's & gender studies course in a department other than the English Department; participation in a noncredit Women's & Gender Studies Graduate Proseminar during the fall semester of the first year in the program (prior to taking WMNS 205a in the spring); this proseminar is open to but not required for continuing students as well; presentation of a paper at the First Year Symposium in the spring term; a thesis of 25 to 35 pages; completion of the language requirement.
Language Requirement: A reading knowledge of a major foreign language (normally modern European, classical Greek, or Latin) must be demonstrated by passing a written translation examination. The completion of the language requirement at another university does not exempt the student from the Brandeis requirement.
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Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Each student must complete three years in residence as a full-time student and minimum of 13 term courses. A student who comes to Brandeis with a B.A. degree is required to take 13 courses for the Ph.D. degree. A student who comes to Brandeis with an M.A. degree in English and American Literature may apply to the director of graduate studies, at the end of the first year of study, to transfer up to four graduate-level courses from the institution granting the M.A. Of the nine additional courses required for the Ph.D. degree, at least seven are normally taken within the department. The program reserves the right to require additional courses to assure thorough mastery of the area of study.
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Program of Study: First-Year Students
First-year students normally take six courses in the English department. Each student (including those who entered with a master’s degree) will take ENG 200a (Methods of Literary Study) in the fall semester; this seminar includes attention to methods of analysis and research. In addition to satisfying these core requirements, each student will design a program of study in light of the strengths and weaknesses of his or her previous preparation and in accord with his or her own interests. First-year students are encouraged to meet with their faculty advisors to discuss curricular offerings, departmental expectations, and the nature of the academic career.
First-year students select other courses from departmental offerings at the 100 and 200 level, although at least two of these electives must be 200-level seminars. Any course taught at the Graduate Consortium in Women’s Studies at Radcliffe College by a faculty member in the department, and approved by the department, shall be deemed the equivalent of a 200-level course within the English department for the purposes of meeting degree requirements. First-year students may apply to the director of graduate studies for permission to take courses offered in other departments at Brandeis, by the Graduate Consortium in Women’s Studies at Radcliffe College but not taught by department faculty members, and through consortium arrangements with Boston College, Boston University, and Tufts University.
First-year students attend departmental events, such as guest lectures, and participate in monthly workshops on teaching and research methods and other career skills. At the annual First Year Symposium, held in the spring, first-year students present a paper to an audience of graduate students and faculty. First-year students should demonstrate reading knowledge of a major foreign language by passing a written translation examination. (See “Language Requirements.”) The department meets at the end of every academic year to discuss the progress of its graduate students, particularly first- and second-year students. (See “Readmissions Criteria and Probation.”)
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Program of Study: Beyond the First Year
Students who come to Brandeis with a B.A. degree normally take two courses during each term of their second year and complete their course work during their third year. Students who come with an M.A. degree complete their course work during their second year. All second year students take ENG 299b (Pedagogy) in the spring semester. Students are encouraged to take or audit additional courses during their third year. Students have an obligation to review their preparation in the field with their advisors and to ensure that they are acquiring a comprehensive knowledge of the various historical periods and genres of English and American literature and a deeper knowledge of the particular period or field they propose to offer as a specialty. In addition to choosing courses within the department, students may take courses offered in other departments at Brandeis, through the Graduate Consortium in Women’s Studies at Radcliffe College, and through consortium arrangements with Boston College, Boston University, and Tufts University.
In their third year students must generally pass a second foreign language examination if they have not done so earlier (see “Language Requirement” below). No later than the end of the third year students should have prepared a reading list for the field examination and submitted it to a committee of three faculty members for approval. The examination must be taken no later than the first of November of the fourth year. The Department encourages students to complete all requirements for the Ph.D. except the prospectus review and dissertation by the end of the third year.
Second- and third-year students continue to participate in monthly workshops on teaching and research methods and other career skills. Other workshops, targeted to third- and fourth-year students, focus on such topics as publication, the field exam, and the dissertation prospectus. The Job Placement Officer offers annual workshops for doctoral candidates and recent graduates on the job search and serves as a mentor for job seekers. Advanced graduate students have opportunities to present their work to other scholars in their field by participating in various national and international conferences, for which some travel funds are available. Each year graduate students organize colloquia, at which graduate students present their work, and invite faculty members to speak on their current research. In 2006, graduate students organized “Traffic,” the third Brandeis University Graduate Student Conference in English and American Literature, sponsored by the department and the GSAS.
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Teaching Requirements and Preparation
Teaching is a core requirement of the Ph.D. program in English and American Literature and is integral to the professional development of all graduate students. Training in teaching is provided through assistantships in department courses and participation in the Brandeis University Writing Program, which conducts instruction in the Brandeis Writing Center and in a key first-year course, the University Writing Seminar (UWS). Together these programs train students in writing and rhetoric. UWS are topics courses in which instructors create their own syllabi.
During their years at Brandeis, doctoral candidates will participate in a broad range of instructional activities, all of which are preceded by extensive training. Many first- and second-year graduate students will start their professional instructional development when they receive training to serve as tutors in the Writing Center or in Brandeis’s large ESL program. All second-year graduate students take ENG 299b, a training course in composition pedagogy offered by the Director of University Writing in the spring. This course involves readings of professional articles, construction of sample writing prompts, and grading of student papers. It concludes with each participant creating a syllabus for a UWS course.
First-year graduate students have no teaching responsibilities; instead they devote themselves to course work. Teaching assignments after the first year vary according to the pedagogical needs of the individual student, the curricular needs of the department, and enrollments. In recent years, typical assignments have been as follows. Second-year students have had two teaching assignments, typically serving as a teaching fellow in department courses. Third-year and Fourth-year students have had two teaching assignments, typically teaching two sections of first-year writing. Fifth-year students (those receiving guaranteed funding and those receiving Advanced Teaching Fellowships) have had two teaching assignments, typically serving as an advanced fellow in a departmental course and teaching one section of writing. The University reserves the right to change these assignments as necessary.
Teaching fellows in department courses consult with the relevant professor before the beginning of the term to discuss the course and the precise nature of the fellow’s responsibilities. Faculty provide each teaching fellow with opportunities to deliver one or more lectures and/or hold discussion sections (lectures may be videotaped at student’s request), advice on grading practices, a written evaluation of her/his performance, and an exit interview. The department aims to expose each graduate student to a variety of pedagogical styles.
Teaching in first-year writing courses is supported by a two-day Composition Training Session, regular staff meetings, and a program of workshops, invited lectures, and extensive classroom visits. As instructors of first-year writing courses, students have responsibility for creating syllabi, assigning and grading papers, holding office hours, lecturing, and leading discussions. All instructors receive formal letters of evaluation. With the Brandeis program of professional development, students are fully prepared to teach writing in any college setting.
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Residence Requirement
The minimum residence requirement is two years beyond the master's degree or three years beyond the bachelor's degree.
Language Requirement
In addition to the first language requirement described above (see “Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts”), doctoral students must generally demonstrate a reading knowledge of a second major foreign language. The principal modern European languages that have scholarly use are French and German. Other possible modern languages are Spanish and Italian; other modern languages have occasionally been accepted. Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, and Latin are also acceptable. The completion of the language requirement at another university does not exempt the student from the Brandeis requirement. In the English Department, foreign language examinations are given three times a year: in September, in November, and at the end of March. Students are asked to translate about 500 words of prose or about 30 lines of Latin or Greek verse. Dictionaries may be used. Students who fail language examinations may repeat them without penalty, and first-year students are urged to attempt at least one language examination in September.
As an alternative to a second language, students may demonstrate an advanced competence in their first foreign language by taking a graduate-level literature course in a foreign language (not in translation) and writing the seminar paper using foreign language texts. In some cases, the candidate may substitute for the second language requirement a graduate course, ordinarily a seminar in a different department, in a field closely related to research on the dissertation. Approval of the graduate committee must be sought before such a course is taken; the student must demonstrate the relevance of the proposed course to the dissertation.
Students must have completed all language requirements in order to hold the dissertation prospectus conference and defense (see below) and establish candidacy.
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Field Examination
All candidates for the Ph.D. are required to pass an oral examination in the historical period in which the candidate expects to write a dissertation. This examination is taken no later than the November during the fourth year and must be passed by the unanimous vote of the committee members. Expectations for the field exam are published annually in the department brochure. Beginning in January 2005, at the discretion of the examiners, students taking the field exam may be asked to retake one portion of their exam. If a student is asked to retake a portion of the exam, the time frame for the second examination will be set by the examiners in consultation with the student.
Fourth-year students should allow sufficient time beyond the field exam to prepare for and hold the dissertation prospectus conference and defense (see below), which are necessary to establish eligibility in the annual competition for Advanced Teaching Fellowships (ATFs) in years when full stipends can only be provided to a limited number of fifth-year graduate students. The number of awards and deadline for applications are announced annually; in recent years this deadline has required that students successfully pass the dissertation prospectus conference and defense by early April of their fourth year. The Department encourages students to complete all requirements for the Ph.D. except the prospectus review and dissertation by the end of the third year.
As early as possible (preferably at the end of the second year), students should reach an understanding concerning the scope of the field with a committee of faculty members who work individually with students in their preparation for the examination. Most students find it useful to draw up a list, in consultation with these advisors, of works to be read: the major texts, important theory and criticism, and historical background.
For the purposes of the field examination, a “field” will emphasize at least one major genre in a historical period. Students must also demonstrate knowledge of the other important genres in that period and cover major critical and theoretical texts. As a rule of thumb you might consider the field covered by your exam to be that historical period in which you expect to get a job. After meeting these requirements, students may wish to add selected texts speaking to their specific interests in the field. It should be noted that these are the Department’s minimal expectations for the field list; some students may choose to expand the list to feature a category of literature or literary or cultural studies that cuts across period lines.
Though it should demonstrate readiness to undertake specific reading and research for the dissertation, preparation for the field exam should be distinguished from such reading and research, which will in most cases represent a further stage of specialization. Accordingly the field list is not a working bibliography for a particular dissertation project. Rather the main goal of the field exam is to evaluate your familiarity with the major texts--literary, critical, and theoretical--in your field. These are the texts that everyone in your field is expected to know, for example, the texts you may teach in an undergraduate survey course and those you should be able to discuss with your future colleagues and job interviewers.
Sample field lists are available in the Department office. You’ll find that constructing your own list is an exercise that will serve you well throughout your career. As you research your list, you’ll discover not only the major genres and texts in your field but the major critical debates associated with those texts. You’ll get ideas for creating undergraduate survey courses (for example the first or second half of a standard, two-semester survey of English and American literature or the introductory survey in your historical period) and upper level topics courses. The time you spend reading for your field exam will be among the most enjoyable of your career--your opportunity to immerse yourself in the major texts and debates of your field.
The examination itself is a two-hour oral examination conducted by three faculty members. After the examination the chair of the committee writes a letter of evaluation to the student, a copy of which is kept on file as the official record. The Registrar will be notified that the examination has been passed and will note the field on the student’s transcript. This examination may be retaken if necessary.
All changes to the field list must be approved in advance by the committee members. No changes may be announced at the field exam itself.
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Dissertation Prospectus Conference and Defense
No later than six months after passing the field exam, and in time to establish eligibility in the annual competition for Advanced Teaching Fellowships, students must hold a prospectus conference and defense, which both first and second readers will attend. The prospectus must be signed by both readers in order to be approved by the department. The specific length and design of the prospectus will be agreed upon by the doctoral candidate and her/his first and second readers. A prospectus typically describes the topic, the questions to be explored, the method of research, and reasons for believing the dissertation will be an original contribution to knowledge. The student’s director and/or second reader may also require a chapter outline and/or bibliography. Students must have completed all language requirements in order to hold the dissertation prospectus conference and defense (see below) and establish candidacy.
Students who do not establish candidacy by completing coursework and language requirements, and by passing the field exam and dissertation prospectus conference and defense, according to these deadlines will be placed on probation. Students who do not demonstrate satisfactory progress during the probationary year will be withdrawn from the program.
Dissertation Defense
Each student will submit a dissertation in a form approved by his/her dissertation director and by a committee appointed by the director of graduate studies. One member of this committee must be from a graduate department at Brandeis outside the Department of English and American Literature or from another university. The student will defend the dissertation at a Final Oral Examination.
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Readmissions Criteria and Probation
Continuation in and annual readmission to the doctoral program in English and American Literature depends upon showing suitable academic progress. Suitable academic progress is defined as follows. Students are expected to maintain an A- average. Students may take no more than two incompletes in any semester. All fall incompletes must be made up by the end of the following spring semester, and all spring incompletes must be made up by the end of the following fall semester. Students who require incompletes must apply for them from the relevant instructor in advance. Incompletes will not be automatically granted.
Full-time doctoral students are expected to complete course requirements and pass all language exams no later than the end of the third year, pass the field exam no later than November during the fourth year, and present the dissertation proposal for review and approval by the first and second readers within six months of the field exam. (Students enrolled in the program before fall 2005 must schedule their defense in time to establish eligibility for competitive ATFs. Failure to do so will make them ineligible to apply for that funding.)
Students who do not establish candidacy by completing course work and language requirements, and by passing the field exam and dissertation prospectus conference and defense, according to these deadlines will be placed on probation. Students who do not demonstrate satisfactory progress during the probationary year will be withdrawn from the program.
Each student will submit a dissertation in a form approved by his/her dissertation director and by a committee appointed by the director of graduate studies. One member of this committee must be from a graduate department at Brandeis outside the Department of English and American Literature or from another university. The student will defend the dissertation at a Final Oral Examination.
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Time to Completion of Degree
Students entering the Ph.D. program with a B.A. must earn the degree within eight years. Students entering the Ph.D. program with an M.A. must earn the degree within seven years. A student requesting an extension must demonstrate significant progress toward completing the dissertation by submitting a prospectus (or equivalent, including a chapter outline) and at least one chapter to the student’s advisor. If the student’s advisor agrees to support the requested extension, the advisor will refer the case to the graduate committee for approval.
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Funding Opportunities for Advanced Graduate Students
Students enrolled in the program before fall 2005 may compete for Advanced Teaching Fellowships in their fourth year. They must have completed all course and language requirements and passed the field exam and prospectus conference in order to compete for Advanced Teaching Fellowships, which normally provide opportunities to work more closely with faculty members in the design and teaching of a course. Advanced Teaching Fellows receive full funding and are given two teaching assignments; fellows normally assist once in a department course and teach one section of first-year writing. Doctoral candidates who have passed their field exam may apply for university-wide Prize Instructorships; these competitive awards allow recipients to design and teach their own courses. Students expecting to complete their dissertations in the next academic year may enter the university-wide competition for Dissertation Year Fellowships and the departmental competition for the Milton Hindus Memorial Endowed Dissertation Fellowship. Additional opportunities are available in the University Writing Center and in the program for teaching English as a Second Language.
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Grievance and Petition Procedure
Departmental grievance procedures are governed by the GSAS Grievance Procedures set forth in the Graduate Student Handbook, that is available online at: http://www.brandeis.edu/gsas/students/student-handbook/index.html
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Disability Resources at Brandeis
At Brandeis University, a diverse body of people come together to form a cohesive community. Brandeis welcomes all qualified individuals into the University community as students, faculty, or staff members. Brandeis is committed to providing “reasonable accommodation/s” to individuals with appropriately documented physical, learning, and psychological disabilities.
A person is considered to have a disability if s/he fits within any one of these three categories:
- The person has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of the individual;
- The person has a record of such impairment; or
- The person is regarded as having such an impairment
“Major life activities” include functions such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.
A “reasonable accommodation” is defined as any change in the work or educational environment or the way things are customarily done which will allow an individual with a known documented disability to perform the essential functions of a position or let an otherwise qualified student receive a reasonable modification or adjustment for his/her known documented disability. All accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. Students, faculty, and staff must follow well-established procedures to obtain accommodations.
For more information regarding reasonable accommodations, contact Milton Kornfeld, GSAS Disability Coordinator, at 781-736-3407 or at kornfeld@brandeis.edu.
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The Boston-Area Academic and Cultural World
Brandeis is about eight miles west of Boston and Cambridge. A commuter train with a stop at the edge of campus runs to Cambridge and Boston. Brandeis faculty and graduate students regularly participate in scholarly events organized at area universities, including the Graduate Consortium in Women’s Studies at Radcliffe College and The Humanities Center at Harvard University; graduate students are encouraged to consult the events calendars at other area universities. Ongoing seminars offered through The Humanities Center include: American Literature and Culture; Asian Cultural Studies Workshop; Film Theory/Film History; Gender and Sexuality; History of the Book; Women and Culture in the Early Modern World; Eighteenth-Century Literature and Culture; and other seminars focusing on the major literary periods and movements. Students may expect to attend talks by important theorists and critics in all fields. The Boston/Cambridge area is home to numerous theaters, including the American Repertory and Huntington Theaters, and is also a center of film theory and practice. There are impressive film archives, local theaters that show classic and experimental films, and occasions for talking to film makers and theorists.
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this page updated March 14, 2007