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 School of Graduate Studies, Cincinnati The School of Graduate Studies is a center for study, training, research, and publication in Judaic and Cognate Studies. The School excels in resources, staff, library holdings, and research facilities. The School awards M.A., M.Phil., D.H.L., and Ph.D. degrees to men and women, both Jewish and non-Jewish, who are preparing for careers in teaching and scholarship. Major areas of study include: Bible, History of Biblical Interpretation, Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Literatures, Ancient History, Jewish and Christian Civilizations in the Greco-Roman Period, Rabbinical Literature from the Hellenistic to the Modern Periods, Jewish Religious Thought and Philosophy, Jewish Law and Ethics, and Modern European and American Jewish History. The Doctor of Philosophy Degree Degree Requirements The Ph.D. is awarded to students who have achieved demonstrated mastery of a well-defined area of study. The specifics of an area of study are determined by the student in consultation with faculty advisors. Competence or mastery of a broad area of study is based on satisfying the following four requirements:
Generally, students are required to complete 72 course credit hours of graduate course work or their equivalent, ordinarily over a three-year period. After completing required course work and with approval of a faculty advisory committee, the student may sit for candidacy examinations, which consist of three 5-hour exams. Students who satisfactorily complete the candidacy exams are eligible to receive the Master of Philosophy degree. The student selects two members of the faculty as his/her dissertation supervisors and submits a written dissertation proposal to the Graduate Executive Committee of the School of Graduate Studies. The completed dissertation is circulated along with written reports from the faculty advisors to the entire faculty. The dissertation must be completed by April 1 in order for the student to be eligible for graduation in that year. Once the dissertation has been accepted, the student is invited to give a public dissertation lecture which is primarily devoted to the dissertation. With the giving of the oral dissertation lecture, the candidate has fulfilled all of the academic requirements for the Ph.D. degree. Degrees are awarded at the annual commencement exercises in June. Language Requirements A basic knowledge of Hebrew is a prerequisite for admission to the School of Graduate Studies. This requirement, generally speaking, translates into two to three years of Hebrew language study at the university or seminary level prior to admission. All students must take a Hebrew proficiency examination during orientation week, prior to registration. A student's performance on this examination may require him/her to register for all or part of a pre-residency, non-credit intensive Hebrew program specially designed for students of the School of Graduate Studies. In many cases, a partial program of regular graduate courses for credit may be taken concurrently by students taking the intensive Hebrew program. A student will not be admitted into official residency until he/she has successfully completed the Hebrew language requirement. A reading knowledge of French and German is also a requirement of the Ph.D. program. This requirement is ordinarily fulfilled by a test administered through the modern language departments of the University of Cincinnati. To remain in good standing, a student must pass one of these modern language examinations by the end of the first semester of official residency, i.e., the first semester after fulfillment of the Hebrew language requirement. The second foreign language requirement must be passed by the end of the third semester of official residency. Transfer of Credit and Advanced Standing Transfer of credit for postgraduate work undertaken at other institutions may be counted towards the residency requirement. Students normally petition for credit at the end of their first year in the Ph.D. program. All students must earn a minimum of 48 credits in residence at the College-Institute. In special cases, students may be admitted to the Ph.D. program with advanced standing. Such students generally have strong backgrounds in Hebrew language and previous postgraduate study (often an earned degree) in a relevant field. Advanced standing normally entails exemption from a significant portion of the pre-residency Hebrew requirement, and exemption from up to one year (24 credit hours) of residency. Students do not apply for advanced standing; determination of eligibility is usually made by the Graduate Executive Committee at the time of admission to the Ph.D. program. Tuition and Fees Go to Tuition and Fees. Joint Programs with the University of Cincinnati Jewish and Christian Studies in the Greco-Roman Period HUC-JIR and the Department of Classics at the University of Cincinnati offer a student interested in Jewish and Christian studies of the Greco-Roman world an opportunity to pursue advanced studies in both institutions and to take advantage of their combined resources. The student whose emphasis is in intertestamental Jewish culture or early Christianity may matriculate in the program at HUC-JIR. The student whose interests lie primarily in the Greco-Roman world, but include Judaica or early Christianity, may enroll in the Department of Classics at the University of Cincinnati. Students at either institution, therefore, are encouraged to include in their individual programs relevant courses offered at both institutions. Jewish Law and Ethics The School of Graduate Studies offers Ph.D. and M.A. programs in Jewish Law and Ethics, which include the participation of the University of Cincinnati College of Law. The program features four main areas of study: philosophy and ethics; law; Jewish legal texts; and comparative law and ethics. Students take approximately one quarter of their program at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. At HUC-JIR, they take courses in Talmud, Post-Talmudic Halachic literature, and Jewish ethics. They may enroll in additional courses in ethics and Canon law at Xavier University and at the Atheneum Catholic Seminary. Beyond the academic focus of the program, students are offered the opportunity to take part in a variety of social service and educational projects. The Ordination-Ph.D. Program The Ordination-Ph.D. program is designed to encourage academically talented rabbinical students in Cincinnati to pursue doctoral degrees at the College-Institute. The program enables students to matriculate into the Ph.D. program of the School of Graduate Studies prior to ordination. Students who wish to enter the program must apply to the School of Graduate Studies by February 2 of their fourth year in the Rabbinical School. For students who are admitted to the Ordination-Ph.D. program, the first year of doctoral study is concurrent with the fifth year of the rabbinical program. All coursework is directed towards fulfilling Ph.D. requirements (outstanding rabbinical core requirements, if any, excepted). In addition, the rabbinical thesis should be of an academic character, preferably in the student's prospective area of specialization at the doctoral level. There is the expectation that students admitted to the program will be granted advanced standing on the basis of credits earned in relevant Rabbinical School courses. Students who are admitted to the Ordination- Ph.D. program should be able to reach candidacy status at the end of two years of full-time work following ordination. For applications and additional information, students should contact the School of Graduate Studies in Cincinnati. The Master of Philosophy Degree The degree of Master of Philosophy is granted, upon recommendation of the faculty, to graduate students enrolled in the Ph.D. program after the student has completed all the general and special requirements of the Doctor of Philosophy degree except those relating to the dissertation and the public dissertation lecture. The Master of Arts Degree The program leading to the Master of Arts degree is designed to provide graduate level competency in one of the major fields of study offered by the School of Graduate Studies. Degree Requirements The Master of Arts degree is awarded to students who have completed 45 hours of graduate work, or 36 hours plus a thesis, with an academic record of B or better. At least 12 credit hours of course work in the student's special field are required. A Hebrew language requirement of 12 hours is an essential part of the program. A student entering with competence in Hebrew may receive this credit through examination. Prior to the close of the first semester in residency, the student is assigned an advisor to guide in planning a program of study. The normal duration of the M.A. program is two years. The normal course distribution is, three academic semesters of 12 credit hours minimum and a fourth semester of 9 credit hours. Students writing a thesis normally register for 3 credit hours of thesis during the third semester and for 6 credit hours of thesis during their fourth semester. All requirements for the degree must be completed within a span of four years. The minimum residency required for the Master's degree is one year. Awarding of the degree entails the successful completion of not less than 24 credit hours earned in residence on the Cincinnati campus. Relationship to the Ph.D. Degree The Master of Arts is designed to be a terminal degree. It is not, therefore, necessarily part of a student's progress towards the Ph.D. The student who completes the M.A. program may apply for admission to the Ph.D. program, but completion of the M.A. does not necessarily affect acceptance to, or the duration of, the Ph.D. program that follows it. Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program will receive the Master of Philosophy degree upon satisfactory completion of the candidacy examinations. Tuition and Fees Go to Tuition and Fees. The Doctor of Hebrew Letters Degree Eligibility The Doctor of Hebrew Letters degree is available only to rabbinical graduates of HUC-JIR (any campus). Eligibility is based on (a) the Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters degree that they have earned, (b) the two years of post-M.A.H.L. residency required for ordination, (c) and rabbinical ordination from HUC-JIR. Degree Requirements The D.H.L. program has three parts: a course of study, a set of oral examinations, and a doctoral dissertation. The course of study includes three subject areas - one major field and two minor fields - identified by the student in collaboration with three faculty advisors (one from each field). The fields may, but need not, be related. The specific requirements of the course of study may be fulfilled entirely by guided independent study, or by a combination of independent study and course work. Either the major or both minors must include substantial study of Hebrew texts. The major and minor areas normally are selected from the following list. (Other Judaica areas may be considered as well, with approval.)
Upon approval of the program of study, the student is formally admitted to D.H.L. candidacy. The three programs of study may be completed concurrently or sequentially, depending on the candidate's preferred manner of study. All requirements for the D.H.L. degree must be completed within seven years from the date of the candidate's matriculation into the program. The D.H.L. examinations are oral and normally are given on campus. Their content is based upon the work that comprises the course of study. Candidates are usually examined in all three areas at one time; it is possible, however, to take the examinations at separate times if desired. Other members of the faculty are invited to join the three faculty advisors for the D.H.L. examinations. The candidate will propose the subject of a doctoral dissertation in the major field to be written under the guidance of his/her faculty advisor. The proposal may be submitted at any time during the course of study, as early as the time of application, but no later than one year prior to the anticipated date of graduation. Two unbound submission copies of the completed dissertation, together with the advisor's written evaluation approving the dissertation, must be in the Office of the Registrar by April 1 if the D.H.L. is to be awarded at the spring commencement. The D.H.L. Program is also available at the New York and Los Angeles Schools. The requirements are, with minor variations, the same as in the Cincinnati Graduate School. Detailed information may be obtained from the Dean of the particular campus. Tuition and Fees Go to Tuition and Fees. Applications to the School of Graduate Studies, Cincinnati Prerequisites
Candidates must submit completed application forms along with copies of all transcripts, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, as well as a statement of personal academic and professional goals. All foreign students whose native language is not English must submit an official copy of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores, as well as that of TSE (Test of Spoken English) score. Candidates are encouraged to include copies of papers (published as well as unpublished) representing their work. The deadline for receipt of applications is February 2. Prospective students are welcome to visit the campus, sit in on classes, and meet with faculty and students. Information about the GRE may be obtained by visiting www.gre.org or by writing to: Graduate Record Examinations P.O. Box 6000 Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6000 Phone: 866-473-4373 Information about the TOEFL and TSE may be obtained by visiting www.toefl.org or by writing to: TOEFL Services Educational Testing Service P.O. Box 6151 Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6151 Phone: 877-863-3546 D.H.L. Program, Cincinnati Applications to the D.H.L. program may be made through the Director of the School of Graduate Studies, Cincinnati. Financial Assistance The School of Graduate Studies grants two kinds of financial aid: scholarships, which defray the cost of tuition, and fellowships, which include tuition plus an additional cash stipend. All awards are based on merit. It is generally expected that students who receive financial support will continue to do so throughout their period of eligibility (normally four years). In addition to scholarship and fellowship support, the College-Institute offers many opportunities for student employment, including teaching assistantships, library and clerical work, and research assistantships. Students may also be eligible for Federal Stafford Loans. Course Offerings For a list of course offerings, see the list of courses under the Rabbinical School - Cincinnati. Students enrolled in the School of Graduate Studies may enroll for both core courses and electives. Courses in Professional Development and Music are open to rabbinical students only. Special electives and reading courses based on individual needs and designed to prepare graduate students for their candidacy examinations may be arranged with individual professors in consultation with the Director of the School of Graduate Studies. |
