Economics at Columbia University emerged from the School of Political Science that spanned the fields of history, public law and political economy. One entered the degree program in the senior year (the fourth) of undergraduate studies. One year of coursework led to the award of the Ph.B. and a Ph.D. required the full three year course program and a dissertation. Cf. the statement published in 1882 by the founder of the School of Political Science, John W. Burgess.
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GENERAL STATEMENT.
At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of Columbia College, held June 7, 1880, the following resolutions were adopted:
Resolved, That there be established, to go into operation at the opening of the academic year next ensuing, a school designed to prepare young men for the duties of public life, to be entitled a School of Political Science, having a definitely prescribed curriculum of study extending over a period of three years, and embracing the History of Philosophy; the History of the Literature of the Political Sciences; the General Constitutional History of Europe; the Special Constitutional History of England and the United States; the Roman Law, and the jurisprudence of existing codes derived therefrom; the Comparative Constitutional Law of European States and of the United States; the Comparative Constitutional Law of the different States of the American Union; the History of Diplomacy; International Law; Systems of Administration, State and National, of the United States; Comparison of American and European Systems of Administration; Political Economy and Statistics.
Resolved, That the qualification required of the candidate for admission to this school shall be that he shall have successfully pursued a course of undergraduate study in this college, or in some other maintaining an equivalent curriculum, to the close of the Junior year.
Resolved, That students of the school who shall satisfactorily complete the studies of the first year shall be entitled, on examination and the recommendation of the Faculty, to receive the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy; and those who complete the entire course of three years shall, on similar examination and recommendation, be entitled to receive the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
In accordance with the foregoing resolutions the School of Political Science of Columbia College was opened on Monday, the fourth day of October, 1880.
The purpose of the school is to give a complete general view of all the subjects both of internal and external public polity, from the threefold standpoint of History, Law, and Philosophy. Its prime aim is, therefore, the development of all the branches of the political sciences. Its secondary aim is the preparation of young men for all the political branches of the public service.
To these ends the school offers a course of study of sufficient duration to enable the student not only to attend the lectures and recitations with the professors, but also to study the sources of these sciences in the most approved works of reference upon the same.
COURSE OF INSTRUCTION.
FIRST YEAR.
FIRST TERM.
Physical and Political Geography [4 hours per week]
Ethnography [4 hours per week]
History of the Literature of the Political Sciences [4 hours per week]
General Political and Constitutional History of Europe [4 hours per week]
Political and Constitutional History of England, to 1688 [2 hours per week]
Political Economy: History of Politico-Economic Institutions [2 hours per week]
History of Philosophy [3 hours per week]
SECOND TERM.
Political and Constitutional History of the United States [4 hours per week]
Political and Constitutional History of England, since 1688 [2 hours per week]
Political Economy: Taxation and Finance [2 hours per week]
History of Philosophy [3 hours per week]
SECOND YEAR.
FIRST TERM.
History of Roman Law, to the present day [6 hours per week]
Comparative Constitutional Law of the principal European States and of the United States [3 hours per week]
SECOND TERM.
Comparative Jurisprudence of the principal European Systems of Civil Law [6 hours per week]
Comparative Constitutional Law of the several Commonwealths of the American Union [3 hours per week]
THIRD YEAR.
FIRST TERM.
History of Diplomacy [2 hours per week]
Private International Law [2 hours per week]
Comparative Administrative Law of the principal States of Europe and of the United States [5 hours per week]
Social Science: Statistical Science, Methods, and Results [2 hours per week]
SECOND TERM.
Public International Law [2 hours per week]
Private International Law [2 hours per week]
Comparative Administrative Law of the several Commonwealths of the American Union [5 hours per week]
Social Science: Communistic and Socialistic Theories [2 hours per week]
OF ADMISSION.
For admission to the School of Political Science it will be required of the applicant that he shall have satisfactorily completed the regular course of undergraduate study in this college or in some other maintaining an equivalent curriculum of study, to the end of the Junior year. Students from other colleges must present certificates of proficiency, and of discharge in good standing.
TIME OF MATRICULATION.
Students proposing to enter the school are desired to present themselves for matriculation on the Friday next before the first Monday in October. The object of this regulation is to prevent matters of business, such as the payment of fees and the formation of class lists, from interfering with the punctual commencement of the lectures of the course on the first day of the term.
The names of students intending to become members of the school may be entered at the room of the President on the Monday immediately preceding Commencement day in June, or on the day appointed as above for matriculation.
OF TUITION FEES AND PAYMENTS.
The annual tuition fee of each student of the school is one hundred and fifty dollars, payable in two equal instalments of seventy-five dollars each, the first at matriculation, and the second on the first Monday of February in each year.
But any member of the School of Law, while he continues to be such, may attend any or all the courses of instruction in the School of Political Science, with the payment of a further fee of fifty dollars in addition to the fee of one hundred dollars due to the School of Law.
OF ADMISSION TO THE CLASSES OF THE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND THE SCHOOL OF LAW.
Any student of the School of Political Science may attend any or all of the courses of the School of Arts with the permission of the instructors concerned, and any or all of the courses of the School of Law, without the payment of any further fee than that due to the School of Political
Science.
OF ADMISSION TO THE GRADUATE CLASSES.
The Trustees have provided that, hereafter, courses of instruction shall be given in the college to graduates of this and other colleges, in a large variety of subjects. Students of the School of Political Science, who may be Bachelors of Arts, of Letters, or of Science at entrance, or who, after having completed their first year in the School of Political Science, shall have received their first degree, may be admitted to the graduate classes, in such subjects as they may desire to pursue, and which will not interfere with their regular studies in the school, without additional fee. A list of the subjects embraced in the scheme of graduate instruction for the ensuing year will be furnished on application to the Registrar of Columbia College, Madison avenue and 49th street, New York City.
OF SPECIAL STUDENTS.
Any person, not a candidate for a degree, may attend any or all of the courses of the School of Political Science by entering his name with the Registrar as a special student in the School of Political Science. The fee for such person, if he desire to attend all the courses of any single year, is one hundred and fifty dollars, payable at the same times as the fee of regular students in the school. For single courses the fee regulates itself according to the number of lectures per week: during the first year the annual fee for a two-hour course being thirty dollars; for a three-hour course, forty-five dollars; for a four-hour course, sixty dollars; and during the second and third years, the annual fee for a two-hour course being forty; for a three-hour course, sixty; for a six-hour course, one hundred and twenty dollars. In every case the fee covers the specified number of hours throughout the year— no student being received for a less period than one year. Such fees are payable in advance.
LIBRARIES.
The library of Political Science contains about three thousand volumes, recently selected by the Faculty of this school, and embracing the latest and most valuable European and American works in this department.
Students of the School of Political Science will also be allowed the use of the library of the School of Arts, the library of the School of Mines, and the library of the School of Law.
The Law library numbers about seven thousand volumes, and contains. a complete series of the reports and statutes of the United States and of the reports and statutes of the State of New York, with the most valuable of those of other States; a full series of the English reports from the Year Books to the present time, with several editions of the English statutes, and many treatises on English and American law.
The libraries of Law and of Political Science contain also a number of works upon Roman Law, ancient and modern, as well as historic and systematic treatises upon the principal European systems of Civil Law.
OF EXAMINATIONS AND COMMENCEMENT.
The annual examination of the students of the school will begin on Monday of the third week preceding Commencement, and will be continued from day to day until completed.
The Commencement exercises of the college take place annually on the second Wednesday of June.
DEGREES.
The degree of Bachelor of Philosophy will be conferred at the close of the first year upon all such students of the school as shall have successfully completed the studies of the year, and shall have been recommended to the Trustees for such degree by the Faculty of the school.
Upon all who shall have successfully completed the studies of the entire course of three years, and shall have been similarly recommended, will be conferred the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
To obtain recommendation for the latter degree, the candidate will be required:
1. To prepare an original dissertation upon a subject assigned him by the Faculty or chosen by him with the approval of the Faculty.
2. To defend such dissertation against the criticisms of the entire Faculty.
3. To pass an oral examination upon all the studies of the three years.
4. To pass collateral examinations (reading at sight) upon Latin and either French or German.
These degrees will be publicly conferred on Commencement day.
Source:
Columbia College. School of Political Science. Circular of Information for the Year 1882-83.