The following excerpts from the 1946-47 Announcement of Courses for the Faculty of Political Science at Columbia University provide a clear outline of the requirements and the sequence of thirteen steps an economics Ph.D. candidate needed to take to be successful in the quest for a doctoral degree. The rules and regulations are organized like a set of Matryoshka (nesting) dolls: from a common set of requirements for the three faculties of Political Science, Philosophy and Pure Science, through those rules and regulations common for the departments within the Faculty of Political Science, to those specific to the Department of Economics. For 1946-47 I only have the last two dolls (now), but they are the two most relevant for understanding the structure within which graduate education in economics at Columbia was being conducted.
Favorite quote:
General Undergraduate Preparation. Since graduate study in economics necessarily entails a high degree of concentration in this field, a student planning to enter graduate work is advised not to specialize narrowly in economics during his undergraduate study. Basic training in economics and a knowledge of its general literature and methods are desirable, but for the purposes of more advanced work on the graduate level, there is a greater advantage in the study of history, philosophy, modern languages, and mathematics than in narrowly specialized courses in economics taken as undergraduates.
The previous post includes a 1946 memo regarding the conduct of the oral doctoral examinations.
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REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION AND FOR DEGREES
The general academic requirements for admission as a regular graduate student and the requirements for the degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy are stated in the Graduate Announcement of the Faculties of Political Science, Philosophy, and Pure Science. That Announcement should be consulted by every applicant for admission under those Faculties.
[…]
ADMISSION AND REGISTRATION
[THE FACULTY OF POLITICAL SCIENCE]
REQUIREMENTS
The requirements for admission as a graduate student to work toward an advanced degree in any one of the departments under the Faculty of Political Science are: (a) a Bachelor’s degree in arts, letters, philosophy, or science from an institution approved by Columbia University; (b) a thorough preparation for graduate study as evidenced by a good undergraduate record and a better than average performance on the Graduate Record Examination.
A prospective applicant who does not have a Bachelor’s degree, but who believes that he has had equivalent preparation, may present his credentials to the Director of University Admissions for evaluation.
PROCEDURE
Application and Records. An application blank may be obtained from the Office of University Admissions.
Every applicant must fill out the blank and file it with the Director of University Admissions, and must arrange with each of the colleges or universities he has previously attended to send to the Director full official transcripts of his academic record.
Graduate Record Examination. Before being permitted to register for courses to be credited toward an advanced degree in any of the departments of the Faculty of Political Science, each applicant for admission must file a report of his performance in the Graduate Record Examination. This examination is administered annually in a number of colleges and universities and at other centers throughout the United States. For information regarding time and place of the examination, the prospective applicant should consult the dean of his college or the Graduate Record Office, 337 West 59thStreet, New York 19, N.Y. This requirement is effective for students applying for admission to begin residence subsequent to September 1946.
Students will be admitted to study under the Faculty of Political Science in September 1946 without having taken the Graduate Record Examination, subject to the understanding that the requirement will be met immediately after registration. The Office of University Admissions will arrange one or more dates for the administration of the examination and will notify all students required to take it.
Students for whom English is not the mother tongue will be admitted on the basis of their school and university credentials. They are asked, but not required, to take the Graduate Record Examination as a matter of record.
Permit to Register. After the application and credentials have been examined and the English requirement satisfied, the applicant, if accepted, will be given a permit to register. This permit will grant admission as (1) a regular graduate student, (2) a probationary graduate student, or (3) an unclassified graduate student. (For explanation of these terms, see the Graduate Announcement, pages 14-15.)
REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVANCED DEGREES
For a general statement of the regulations of the Faculties of Political Science, Philosophy, and Pure Science consult the Graduate announcement, obtainable from the Secretary of the University.
Attention of students under this Faculty is directed particularly to the paragraph on page 15 of that Announcement to the effect that, while no time limit is set for the period of candidacy for the degree of Master of Arts or Doctor of Philosophy, a student must satisfy the requirements that are in effect at the time of the award of the degree.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE FACULTY OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
MASTER OF ARTS
- Preliminary Training.The prospective candidate must have received a Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University or from some other approved university or college, or have had an education equivalent to that represented by such a degree, and must have been accepted as a regular graduate student by the Director of University Admissions.
- Residence. Every candidate for the degree must register for and attend courses at this University aggregating not less than thirty points distributed over a period of not less than one academic year or its equivalent.
- Courses. From the courses for which he has registered to satisfy the residence requirements, the candidate must complete with a satisfactory passing grade courses aggregating not less than twenty-one points, of which at least fifteen must be selected from those offered by departments in this faculty under the heading “General Courses.”
- Essay. The candidate must present a satisfactory essay prepared under the direction of some member of this faculty.
- Departmental Requirements. Special departmental requirements appear [in] this Announcement. Departmental requirements are in addition to, not a substitute for, the faculty requirements.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
- General. The degree will be conferred upon students who satisfy the requirements as to preliminary training, residence, languages, matriculation as a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, subjects, and dissertation.
- Preliminary Training. The requirement is the same as for the Master of Arts candidate.
- Residence. The prospective candidate must have pursued graduate studies for at least two academic years, one of which must have been spent at this University while registered under this Faculty, and the other of which, if not spent here, at an institution accepted as offering courses of similar standard. A year’s residence at this University is defined as registration for and attendance upon courses aggregating not less than thirty points distributed over a period of not less than one academic year or its equivalent. Those desiring credit for graduate work completed elsewhere should send to the Director of University Admissions as soon as possible a request for the evaluation of such graduate work.
- Language. The prospective candidate must have demonstrated his ability to express himself in correct English and to read at least two languages beside his mother tongue; and he must be able to read such additional languages as may, within the discretion of the Executive Officer of the appropriate department, be deemed essential for the prosecution of his studies.
- Matriculation. Upon the completion of not less than one year of graduate residence, after satisfying the department concerned that he is proficient in such languages as it prescribes for a candidate, and that he is prepared to undertake research under its direction, the prospective candidate will be recommended by the department to the Dean for matriculation as a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
- Fields. The candidate must have familiarized himself with one field of primary interest and one field of secondary interest. The major and minor fields need not be under the same department.
- Field of primary interest. The field shall be chosen from the following list:
Ancient history
Medieval history
Modern history of western continental Europe
Modern history of eastern Europe
History of Great Britain and the British Empire
American history
Latin American history
East Asiatic history
History of European thought
Jewish history
Political and social philosophy
American political institutions (including constitutional law)
Foreign political institutions
Public administration (including constitutional and administrative law)
International law and relations
Roman law
Comparative jurisprudence
Economics (including economic theory, economic history, and statistics)
Public and private finance
Social economic problems
Sociology
Anthropology
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- Field of secondary interest. The field of secondary interest may be either an adaptation of one of the subjects in the foregoing list or a special combination of studies selected with a view to the student’s peculiar interests and needs. Such a combination may involve work in more than one department in the Faculty, or work in more than one faculty, or may be wholly under some other faculty of the university. In any case, the choice of the field of secondary interest must be approved by the Executive Officer of the department in charge of the primary field, subject to review by the Committee on Instruction of the Faculty.
The candidate’s competence in the chosen fields of primary and secondary interest is tested by an oral examination, which is scheduled by the Dean on recommendation of the department concerned. This examination is normally taken toward the end of the second year of graduate study. It must be passed before the student is admitted to the defense of the dissertation. To be examined in any given academic year the student must apply for examination prior to April 1.
- Field of secondary interest. The field of secondary interest may be either an adaptation of one of the subjects in the foregoing list or a special combination of studies selected with a view to the student’s peculiar interests and needs. Such a combination may involve work in more than one department in the Faculty, or work in more than one faculty, or may be wholly under some other faculty of the university. In any case, the choice of the field of secondary interest must be approved by the Executive Officer of the department in charge of the primary field, subject to review by the Committee on Instruction of the Faculty.
- Dissertation. The main test of the candidate’s qualifications is the production of a dissertation that will demonstrate his capacity to contribute to the advancement of learning within the field of his selection. This dissertation must give evidence of the candidate’s ability to present in good literary form the results of original researches upon some topic approved by the department concerned. It may be completed either during the period of residence or in absentia. In advance of its being presented before the Faculty for defense, it must be approved by the professor in charge and by the Executive Officer of the department concerned. Such approval, however, is not to be construed as acceptance by the Faculty.
- Final Examination. Upon the recommendation of the department concerned the Dean will admit a candidate for the degree to final examination and will appoint a committee to examine him. The department will recommend a candidate for final examination if he has pursued graduate studies for not less than two academic years, at least one of them while a student under this Faculty, if he has satisfied such preliminary examinations or requirements as the Faculty and the department concerned may specify, and if he has prepared a dissertation, embodying the results of his researches, which has been certified by the department as being in form for defense. For the defense, the dissertation may be in galley proof or typescript. If in galley proof, eight copies must be available to examiners at least ten days prior to the examination; if in typescript, five copies must be available three weeks prior to the examination. After its successful defense, the Dean will issue to the candidate a certificate stating that all requirements for the degree except the deposit of printed copies of the dissertation have been met.
- Printing Requirement. After the examining committee has approved the dissertation and certified that the candidate has passed the final examination, the candidate shall deliver to the University Libraries seventy-five copies of his dissertation, printed in a form acceptable to the Faculty, before the degree will be conferred. In exceptional cases and as a temporary substitute, the Dean will accept a satisfactory guarantee of such delivery before a specified date, and the degree will then be conferred. (For fuller statement, see the Graduate Announcement, page 19.) The Faculty also requires that printed copies of the dissertation, not to exceed forty-five in number, be delivered to the office of the department concerned for distribution to members of the Faculty.
In the printing of the dissertation certain options are allowed: (a) It may be printed from type and published in book form; (b) it may be published as an article or series of articles in a scholarly journal; (c) with the permission of the Executive Officer of the department concerned, it may be reproduced by an offset process approved by the Dean. - Departmental Requirements. Special departmental requirements appear on succeeding pages of this Announcement. Departmental requirements are in addition to, not a substitute for, the faculty requirements.
[…]
DEPARTMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
As soon as possible after deciding upon economics as the subject of primary interest for the degree of Master of Arts or Doctor of Philosophy, the prospective candidate should report through the secretary of the Department of Economics, in Fayerweather Hall, to the Executive Officer of the Department or his representative to receive fuller instructions.
General Undergraduate Preparation. Since graduate study in economics necessarily entails a high degree of concentration in this field, a student planning to enter graduate work is advised not to specialize narrowly in economics during his undergraduate study. Basic training in economics and a knowledge of its general literature and methods are desirable, but for the purposes of more advanced work on the graduate level, there is a greater advantage in the study of history, philosophy, modern languages, and mathematics than in narrowly specialized courses in economics taken as undergraduates.
Mathematical Preparation. The use of mathematics, including higher mathematics, has become important in several branches of economics and statistics. Much of the recent important literature of general economics is written in a language not easily understood without some knowledge of the differential and integral calculus. A student planning to work for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in economics will therefore find it advantageous to acquire familiarity with the calculus and with higher algebra before beginning graduate studies in economics.
Master of Arts
General Requirements. In addition to fulfilling the general faculty requirements the student must include graduate courses in economics aggregating not less than fifteen points among the courses aggregating not less than twenty-one points in which he is required to receive examination credit before being recommended for the degree.
Essay. The candidate must select his essay subject, submit it to the appropriate professor within two months after registration as a candidate for the degree, and list this subject in the office of the secretary of the Department.
The selection of a subject of importance within the field of his interests must be made by the student himself, and the ability to make a proper choice will normally be regarded as an essential qualification for the degree. The completed essay must be submitted for approval not later than four weeksbefore the date on which copies of the approved essay are to be filed with the Registrar (see Academic Calendar, pages 77-78). Under no circumstances should the candidate proceed beyond the preparation of his detailed program of investigation and the completion of a preliminary chapter or section without submitting his work to his adviser. In the approval of an essay attention will be paid to excellence of presentation and to expression in correct English as well as to specific content and ability to use original material.
Doctor of Philosophy
Prospective Candidacy. As soon as possible after the beginning of his graduate residence the student shall notify the Executive Officer of the Department of Economics of his intention to become a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Economics. A choice of subjects will be made in consultation with the Executive Officer or his representative. A written examination, intended for students who have thus indicated their intentions, will be given near the end of each session. This examination must be taken before the student may register for more than thirty points of course credit for graduate work. (Students given credit for fifteen or more points for graduate courses completed at other institutions must take the examination before registering for more than forty-five points of course credit, including points credited from another university.) Upon passing this examination a student is classed as a prospective candidate. Prospective candidates are eligible to register for all courses designed for candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Economics, for which they have specific prerequisites.
Students taking the examination for prospective candidacy will be required to indicate the field or fields of their research interests.
The Department may deny registration privileges to students who have completed graduate courses aggregating thirty or more points of course credit and who fail to pass the examination for prospective candidacy.
The examination for prospective candidacy will not be required of students who receive credit for 30 or more points of graduate course work completed before June 30, 1946, and who present themselves for oral examination on subjects prior to June 30, 1948.
Languages. The prospective candidate must satisfy the Department of Economics that he can read two modern languages besides his native tongue. The combination of French and German is preferred, but Spanish, Italian, or Russian and another language may be selected with the written permission of the Executive Officer of the Department in cases where it is of particular value to the student’s scholarly interests. The student must pass the test in at least one of the languages before registering at Columbia for courses that will bring the sum total of his graduate credit (for work done at Columbia or elsewhere) to more than thirty points. (Thus a student who already has thirty or more points of graduate credit for work done at another university must pass at least one of the language tests before his initial registration at Columbia for work leading to the doctorate.) The other language test must be passed before he may register for more than forty-five points of course credit (including points credited from another university). The examinations in languages will be held on the following dates: Monday, September 23, 1946 from 2 to 4; Thursday, January 30, 1947, from 2 to 4; Friday, May 2, 1947, from 10 to 12. Students are required to register with the secretary of the Department of Economics at least one week prior to the date of the examination their intention to take such an examination. In case of emergency, and by special permission of the Executive Officer of the Department, an examination in languages may be given at other times.
Matriculation. Upon recommendation of the Department’s matriculation committee a prospective candidate who has completed not less than one year of graduate residence, has met Departmental language requirements, and has satisfied the Department that he is prepared to undertake research under its direction, will be recommended by the Executive Officer of the Department to the Dean for matriculation. Matriculation constitutes formal admission to candidacy for the degree.
Examination on Subjects. The candidate who has fulfilled the preliminary requirements for this degree may make application, through the Executive Officer of the Department, to the Dean for examination in subjects. Such application may be made at any time, but must be made before April 1 in the academic year in which the examination is to be held. The applicant will be notified by the Dean of the date of his examination. This examination is oral and is conducted by a committee of the Faculty appointed by the Dean. By it the applicant will be expected to demonstrate an adequate knowledge of the subjects selected for this examination and of the literature pertaining thereto.
At the time the candidate applies for his examination on subjects he shall submit a memorandum outlining his dissertation project in some detail, analyzing it with respect to source material and the research techniques required for its successful prosecution, and setting forth his plan for carrying the project forward. This memorandum must be approved by the candidate’s adviser and by the Executive Officer of the Department or a committee designated by him before the candidate may be admitted to the oral examination.
The examination on subjects will be focused in part on the area of the candidate’s research interests and the candidate’s research project.
Every candidate for the doctorate must give satisfactory evidence of his grasp of six of the subjects listed below. Three of these subjects must be economic theory, economic history, and statistics. Four of the subjects listed below (among which must be included the three subjects specified in the preceding sentence) are considered to constitute the student’s field of primary interest. The procedure for meeting this requirement is as follows:
- The candidate must offer himself for oral examination in four of the subjects listed below. The examination will be on subjects, not on courses.
- Before making formal application for this oral examination on subjects, the candidate must satisfy the appropriate professors of economics in the Faculty of Political Science that he has done work which is adequate both in scope and in quality in two subjects (also chosen from those listed below) other than the four to be offered in the candidate’s oral examination. This requirement may be met in any manner satisfactory to the professors concerned—by taking courses, by formal or informal examination, or in other ways. When the requirement has been met, the candidate must secure written certification to this effect from the professors concerned. Arrangements for certification will be made with the Executive Officer of the Department.
The subjects are as follows:
| 1. Accounting | 13. Money and banking |
| 2. Business cycles | 14. Prices |
| 3. Corporation and investment finance | 15. Public finance |
| 4. Economic geography | 16. Public utilities (including transportation) |
| 5. Economic history (required) | 17. Socialism and types of national economic organization |
| 6. Economic theory (required) | 18. Statistics (required) |
| 7. Industrial organization and control | 19. Any other subject approved by the Executive Officer of the Department. Such an optional subject must be included among the four presented for the oral examination. |
| 8. Insurance | |
| 9. International trade | |
| 10. Labor problems and industrial relations | |
| 11. Marketing | |
| 12. Mathematical economics |
It is the policy of the Department of Economics to encourage students to devote part of their effort to studies outside the Department. The student’s field of secondary interest, to the extent of the equivalent of two of his six subjects, may fall in one of the departments under the Faculty of Political Science, in Philosophy, Psychology, or in another discipline dealing with matters germane to the student’s scholarly interests.
Economic Theory. The candidate will be expected to show acquaintance with the ways in which economic theorists have conceived and treated broader issues, as well as ability to apply economic theory to problems that interest him. The Executive Officer of the Department should be consulted before making a choice of emphasis in preparation for examination.
Dissertation. Investigations and researches for the dissertation may be pursued either in connection with the work of some research course or under the direction and supervision of some member of the Faculty of Political Science independently of any course. Students working on dissertations must keep their advisers informed of the status of their work.
Final Examination: Defense of the Dissertation. At least one month in advance of the time at which he wishes to present himself for the defense of his dissertation, but not later than April 1 in any academic year, the candidate must make application therefor to the Dean, who will thereafter notify him of the date of the final examination. This examination is an oral examination conducted by a committee of the Faculty appointed by the Dean. By it the candidate will be held to a defense of his dissertation in respect of its content, the sources upon which it is based, the interpretations that are made, the conclusions that are drawn, as well as in respect of the candidate’s acquaintance with the literature and available sources of information upon subjects that are cognate to the subject of his dissertation.
The dissertation topic and plans for the prosecution of the study leading to the dissertation will be reviewed at the time of the candidate’s examination on subjects. It is desirable that a substantial start be made on the dissertation while the student is still in residence. If a candidate works on his dissertation in absentia an annual written report of progress will be required.
In summary, the following are the steps to be taken by a student seeking the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Economics:
- Submit to the Office of Admissions an application for admission to the graduate Department of Economics. Arrange to have transcripts of all previous academic records sent to the Office of Admissions by the institutions concerned.
- Notify the Executive Officer of the Department of intention to become a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
- Make a preliminary choice of subjects in consultation with the Executive Officer or his representative.
- Register with the secretary of the Department for examination for prospective candidacy. This examination must be taken before the student may register for more than thirty points of course credit for graduate work, but see fourth paragraph of “Prospective Candidacy” ([see] above). Students taking the examination are required to indicate the field or fields of their research interests.
- Apply for test in one foreign language. The test in one language must be passed before the student may register for more than thirty points of course credit for graduate work. (Language tests may be taken at any of the scheduled dates after admission to graduate status.)
- Apply for test in second foreign language. The second language test must be passed before the student may register for mort than forty-five points of course credit for graduate work.
- Apply through the secretary of the Department to the Matriculation Committee of the Department for Matriculation (i.e. formal admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree).
- Arrange with professors concerned for certification examinations on two of the six subjects offered. Certification examinations may be taken at any time, on consultation with the professor in charge, after admission to graduate status.
- Apply to the Executive Officer for permission to take examination on subjects. This application must be made before April 1 in the academic year in which the examination is to be held. At the time of application, the candidate must submit to the Executive Officer a memorandum outlining his dissertation project. This memorandum must previously have been approved by the candidate’s adviser and by the Executive Officer or a committee named by him.
- Submit dissertation to the professor in charge and to the Executive Officer of the Department. Obtain the Department’s assurance that the dissertation is in form for defense, and the Department’s recommendation to the Dean that the candidate is prepared for final examination.
- Apply to the Dean of the Graduate Faculties for admission to final examination for the Doctorate (defense of dissertation).
- Deliver seventy-five copies of the printed dissertation to the University Libraries.
- Arrange with the secretary of the Department for distribution of copies of the printed dissertation, not to exceed forty-five in number, to members of the Faculty of Political Science.
Source: Columbia University Bulletin of Information, Forty-sixth Series, No. 37 (August 10, 1946). History, Economics, Public Law, Sociology, and Anthropology. Courses Offered by the Faculty of Political Science for the Winter and Spring Sessions, 1946-1947, pp. 2, 13-16, 19-23.
Image Source: Columbia University graduation. New York, NY The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. “”. The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1940 – 1979.