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The Joint Ph.D. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Sociology

Three years of full-time residence are required at the normal rate of at least seven term courses each academic year. Students who enter with graduate credit from other recognized institutions may apply for transfer credit. By rule of the Graduate School, a maximum of one year of credit (seven term courses) may be accepted toward the residence requirement on the recommendation of the departmental advisor in consultation with the student's advisor.

Students must complete a total of 21 courses. Nine of these courses should be offered by the sociology department (comprising five graduate seminars and four other sociology courses). Among the sociology courses at least one must be a theory course and at least one must be in quantitative methods. At least nine courses must be taken within the NEJS department. The remaining three courses are open to student choice with the approval of the student's advisors. In addition, students in their first year are required to participate in a year-long, noncredit proseminar that introduces program faculty and their research interests.

Teaching Requirement
As part of the graduate training program in NEJS, all Ph.D. students are required to fulfill five, semester-length teaching fellow or research assignments during the first four years of their programs, serving as apprentices to faculty mentors. All incoming NEJS doctoral students are to take the university writing pedagogy seminar in their first year (preferably in their first semester). Students will serve as teaching fellows in at least one university writing course. In addition, the department holds an orientation program for all new students. Their faculty mentors evaluate students' teaching fellow work each semester. Students' teaching portfolios are in part drawn from these evaluations.

Consortium
Students should also discuss with their advisors the desirability of taking courses at member institutions of the Boston Consortium.

Advising
Students are assigned advisors from the sociology department and from the NEJS department. Both advisers will work with the student to ensure appropriate course coherency. An interdepartmental meeting involving both advisers and the student should take place at least once a year.

Language Requirements
Candidates are required to establish competence in Hebrew and one modern language (normally French or German, but depending on the area of research, another language may be substituted). Language examinations will be administered by the student's advisors.

Research Methods Requirement
Candidates are required to establish competence in statistics by successful completion of an appropriate Brandeis course in statistics.

Comprehensive Examinations and Graduate Accreditation
Before proposing and writing a doctoral dissertation, students must show competence in two areas of sociology through the Graduate Accreditation Committee (GAC) process; pass a two-part written comprehensive examination in Jewish cultural literacy in the NEJS department; and pass an oral major field examination.

Candidates demonstrate Jewish cultural literacy in a two-part written examination, which has English and Hebrew components, and a follow-up oral examination. The Hebrew examination in primary sources is part of the cultural literacy examination. This examination gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their broad general knowledge of Jewish literature and cultures of the biblical, rabbinic, medieval, and early modern periods. The oral examination provides opportunity for further exploration following the written examination. Following the successful completion of the Jewish cultural literacy examinations, candidates demonstrate their particular field of expertise in contemporary Jewish societies through the oral major field examination.

The Graduate Accreditation Committee (GAC) is the sociology department equivalent of comprehensive examinations. Students elect two sociological areas of interest and, with the appropriate faculty member, create a contract of requirements for the completion of a portfolio in the specific area. The portfolio can include such items as completed courses, papers, independent readings, or bibliographies. Faculty advisors suggest readings, written work, or independent studies. When the GAC requirement is completed, there will be a comprehensive meeting to discuss the candidate's interests and direction in the field and the upcoming dissertation.

Dissertation and Final Oral Examination
A dissertation proposal should be submitted to the dissertation committee soon after the comprehensive examinations and GACs are completed. The dissertation committee should consist of five members: two each from the sociology and the NEJS departments and a fifth member from outside those departments. After approval of the proposal by the dissertation committee, it is submitted to the department faculties for approval. Two copies of the dissertation are to be deposited in the offices of the program chairs no later than March 1 of the year in which the candidate expects to earn the degree. The dissertation committee must approve the dissertation and the student must successfully defend the dissertation at a final oral examination.