Program Requirements, Particulars, and Procedures

Graduate Reading List Examinations

The Graduate Reading Program of primary sources is required of all Ph.D. degree candidates. The Program is divided into two parts, with Reading Lists corresponding approximately to a two-fold chronological division of the history of philosophy. To be admitted as a candidate for the doctorate, a student must pass an examination on one of the parts. To qualify for the doctorate, a student must also pass an examination on the second part. Both examinations must be passed before students are entitled to defend their doctoral dissertation. Students may take the two examinations in any order. Copies of the current Reading Lists are available on the School of Philosophy website.

Written examinations on each part of the Graduate Reading Program are given on two consecutive days, each day's session consisting of a continuous three-hour period.

At each session the student will write essays on three questions chosen from the four presented by the examiners. Each of the six essays will be graded by two faculty members, who will assign one of the following grades: F (fail), P (pass), or P+ (pass with distinction). If any essay receives both an F and a P (or a P+) grade, the chair of the Graduate Reading Program Committee will grade the essay as well. In that case, the chair’s grade will substitute for one of the two original grades, such that an F grade from the chair will result in an overall grade of F for the essay (i.e., “FF”), while a passing grade from the chair will result in either an overall grade of “PP,” “PP+,” or “P+P+.”.

To “pass with distinction” requires that none of the essays have earned an overall failing grade, that at least two essays earned a grade of “P+P+,” and that the other four essays have earned, between them, at least two additional grades of “P+.” Students who earn a straight pass who neither fail the exam nor pass it with distinction.

If a student completes the exam with fewer than three questions answered on either day, the exam as a whole will be considered insufficient and will not be graded; the student will thereby receive an automatic grade of F for the entire exam attempt. An examination that earns two or more F grades for individual essays will also result in a failing grade for the examination as a whole.

Examination grades will be recorded on student transcripts as either “Fail,” “Pass,” or “Pass with Distinction.”

A failing grade for a Reading List Examination will only be recorded after a failed second attempt at the same exam. The student may retake the exam only once. A second failure will result in dismissal from the program.

Essay questions will be contributed, and the examination graded by the Ph.D. Reading List Committee, which consist of a chair and six regular members, appointed by the Dean, plus a student representative, who will participate in any meetings of the Committee at which its policies and practices are to be discussed.

Graduate Reading List Examinations will be offered twice a year, usually in October and March, and only at The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. Both parts of the Reading Program will be available in each of these two examination periods, although no student may attempt more than one part in a given two-day examination period. No student may attempt any part of the two-part examination more than twice.

Copies of past Graduate Reading Program Examinations or sample sets of questions are available on the School of Philosophy website.

Approval of Doctoral Dissertation Topic

The following procedure will be adhered to in securing the approval of a doctoral dissertation topic:

Upon fulfilling the conditions for Ph.D. candidacy and after consultation with the Dean, the student will ask a faculty member to assume the direction of the dissertation. After securing a director and after consultation with the Dean and the director the student will ask two faculty members to serve on the dissertation committee. In special cases and with the consent of the Dean a fourth member may be invited to serve.
After securing the agreement of a director and two faculty members to serve on the dissertation committee, the student will inform the Dean, who must approve the constitution of the committee.
The student will prepare a written two-page draft proposal with two-page select bibliography for the approval of the director. The other committee members may be consulted in the preparation of the draft proposal.
Upon approval of the draft proposal by the director a meeting of the dissertation committee will be called to discuss and revise the proposal. If revision is required, the committee will meet again within a period of four weeks to accept or reject the revised proposal.
If the proposal is accepted, the candidate then prepares, with the guidance of the dissertation committee, the formal two-page proposal with two-page select bibliography according to the directives on the Doctoral Dissertation Topic and Committee "Request for Approval Form." The completed form is then submitted to the Office of the Dean for approval by the faculty of the School and the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Language Requirements

Ph.D. students in the School of Philosophy must demonstrate foreign language reading competency by passing the written translation examinations in French and German set by the School. The language examinations are given in October and March. The examination is administered in two three-hour sessions in which the student is required to translate two passages from, for example, a current philosophical journal. The student may use one dictionary throughout the examination.

A foreign language examination committee, appointed by the Dean, will be responsible for the preparation and the grading of the examination in each language.

More detailed information about the language exam is available on the School of Philosophy website.