This post adds to a series of items related to the University of Chicago Department of Economics’ Committee on Ph. D. Outlines and Requirements chaired by Milton Friedman (1949-50). The first installment, second installment, and third installment were previously posted. This version of the Ph.D. Outlines and Requirements was filed in a different folder in Milton Friedman’s papers at the Hoover Institution Archives from the first three installments. It is essentially the same as seen in the carbon copy dated February 2, 1950 that was transcribed for the third installment. However at the very end of the memo below we now have an explicit sequence of 14 steps required for every successful economics Ph.D. candidate at the University of Chicago going into the second half of the twentieth century.
___________________________
[MEMO #9, February 6, 1950]
[Mimeographed copy. Additions to/changes of the text from the February 2, 1950 carbon draft]
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
TO: T. W. Schultz DEPARTMENT: Economics
FROM: R. Blough, M. Friedman, D. G. Johnson DEPARTMENT: Economics
[handwritten addition: “J. Marschak”]
DATE: February 6, 1950
IN RE: SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PH. D. OUTLINES AND REQUIREMENTS
The following summary of specific recommendations is a revision of the summary on pp. 4 and 5 of our earlier report, incorporating comments and suggestions made at the department discussion of the problem. It is proposed that the department approve the following actions and rules:
(1) A Ph.D. Thesis submitted for final approval will ordinarily contain a central core not in excess of 15,000 words in length. This central core must be self-contained but may be supplemented by supporting material. In scope and quality, the central core shall be comparable to first-rate journal article.
(2) Preparation of a statement on the role of the thesis and the standards to which it is expected to conform for distribution to candidates.
(3) Establishment of a thesis seminar. Regular participation in this seminar is to be expected of all candidates writing theses in residence. One or more faculty members is to have directresponsibility for the organization and scheduling of this seminar. A session of the seminar will ordinarily be conducted by the chairman of the tentative or final thesis committee of the student presenting a report (see point 7 below). All other faculty members shall be encouraged to attend.
(4) A Ph.D. candidate, whether or not he writes his thesis in residence, shall be expected to make at least two appearances before this seminar.
(5) The candidate’s first appearance before the seminar shall be prior to his admission to candidacy. In advance of this appearance, the candidate shall prepare a brief report (on the scale of a term paper) explaining his thesis topic, the existing state of knowledge on the topic, its potentialities, and his projected plan of attack on the problem. This report shall be duplicated and circulated to all members of the seminar an all members of the faculty in advance of the meeting of the seminar.
(6) A candidate shall be permitted to make this first appearance preparatory to admission to candidacy if he has passed at least two of the three Ph.D. preliminary examinations.
(7) The candidate shall have responsibility for applying for the appointment of a tentative thesis committee prior to his first appearance at the seminar. He shall be permitted to make such application at any time after he has passed at least two of the three Ph.D. preliminary examinations. The chairman of the department shall name a tentative faculty committee for each candidate, and this committee shall be expected to attend the meeting of the seminar at which it takes place. At least one member of the tentative committee shall be a person whose major field of interest is outside of the field of the proposed thesis. If admission to candidacy is granted, a final thesis committee shall be appointed by the chairman of the department.
(8) The candidate’s final appearance before the seminar shall be a definitive report of his findings. A brief resume of this report shall be duplicated and circulated to all members of the seminar and all members of the faculty in advance of the meeting of the seminar. The candidate’s thesis committee shall be expected to attend this final appearance before the seminar. [Handwritten comment: “This resume may be the central core referred to in 9.”]
(9) The central core of the thesis or its equivalent shall be circulated to all members of the faculty before the final acceptance of the thesis. Final acceptance of the thesis shall be by vote of the members of the faculty upon the recommendation of the thesis committee. [handwritten addition: “This vote may take place prior to the final appearance of the candidate before the thesis committee, if the central core has been circulated prior to such appearance.”]
(10) The final examination by the department shall be on the candidate’s major field. The examination shall be a function of the whole department but in any event shall be attended by members of the thesis committee and other faculty members specializing in the field.
(11) The new procedure [for admission to candidacy]should shall apply to all students [in residence at the time of its adoption, and to students not in residence] who have not been admitted to candidacy prior to July 1, 1950 December 31, 1951. [handwritten addition: “It shall however be optional to students between the date of adoption and December 31, 1951.”]
The steps involved in the successful completion of Ph.D. work under the above procedure may be summarized in [handwritten addition: “usual”] chronological order as follows:
- Student passes 2 or more preliminary examinations
- Student applies for tentative committee
- Department chairman appoints tentative committee
- Student circulates a brief report on his projected thesis
- Student appears before thesis seminar
- Advisor certifies that student has satisfied all requirements for admission to candidacy
- Department admits student to candidacy
- Department chairman appoints final thesis committee
- Student gets approval of his committee to circulate resume of findings of his thesis
- Student makes final appearance before thesis seminar
- Thesis committee recommends acceptance of thesis
- Central core of thesis or equivalent is circulated to all members of faculty (this may be identical with step 9)
- Faculty by vote concurs in recommendation of thesis committee
- Student passes final examination on his major field.
[hand-drawn arrow to move 14. between 11. and 12.]
Source: Hoover Institution Archives. Papers of Milton Friedman, Box 70, Folder “79.2, University of Chicago. Minutes, Economics Department, 1949-1953”.
Image Source: Social Science Research Building from University of Chicago Photographic Archive, apf2-07466, Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.