Second Year
1. Provisional Committee: Before the end of the first semester of the second year the student
will form a Provisional Committee, composed of three members of the primary
faculty. Members of the Provisional Committee generally form the basis of
the student's Ph.D. Committee.
The selection of committee members should be consistent with the research
interests of the department's faculty. Although there is flexibility in committee
membership, the graduate student must have substantive reasons for selecting
and changing advisors or committee members. Committee selection and changes
must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. (Note that the student
is responsible for ensuring that appropriate procedures--according to the
department and Graduate School protocol--are followed if changes are made).
2. Plan of Study: In addition to the material included in the First Year Plan
of Study, the Plan of Study submitted by the second-year student at the end
of February of the fourth semester should incorporate the following:
* Three areas of expertise (two theoretical and one ethnographic) to be mastered
for the Qualifying Examination; and
* Topics and questions to be pursued for dissertation research.
Before the faculty as a whole meets to evaluate students and review Plans
of Study, the Plan must be approved by the student's Committee Chair. The Committee must be satisfied as to the depth,
breadth, appropriateness and feasibility of the proposed curriculum in relation
to the particular student's preparedness and goals. The Committee will be
especially alert to any overspecialization of knowledge or narrowness of perspective.
Given the modest size of the faculty, a student should be able, and is expected,
to draw on the full faculty's scholarly capabilities, expertise, and diversity.
The Committee, in consultation with the student and the student's Provisional
Committee, may suggest or require modifications of the proposed curriculum.
The entire faculty, meeting as a whole, reviews the student's Plan of Study.
3. Summer Field Research:
Students will normally conduct preliminary research during the summer following
the second year. In the spring of their second year, they should work with
their advisor and committee members to develop and submit grant proposals
to various campus funders that support summer research (e.g. Center for International
Studies, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, etc.). All students are
expected to submit these proposals for summer funding, but the department
will, to the extent possible, contribute to make up any shortfall to make summer
research possible. On return at the beginning of the fall semester, all students
are expected to file with the department a report on what they have learned
and accomplished during their summer fieldwork.
4. Grant Proposals:
In the spring of the second year, students should collect information about
relevant grants for their field dissertation research in the fourth year.
Some deadlines are as early as the Summer or early Fall.
Next: Third Year
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