Ph.D. Course of Study

In order to finish coursework in two years (for those with advanced standing) or three years (for those who must first earn the Master of Arts degree), we recommend distributing coursework as follows.

First (Master of Arts) year: five courses (15 credits) per semester, one of which, J9900, is for R credit and the rest for letter grades.
Second year: five courses (15 credits) per semester, including, if desired, J9900 for R credit.
Third year: four courses (12 credits) per semester, including, if desired, J9900 for R credit.

J9900, our "directed reading" course available for R credit only, may be taken repeatedly as a fifth or (in the final year) fourth course; it may not be taken as an additional course if the student has already registered for the recommended credit load for a given semester. Part-time students may, if they choose, take J9900 as many times over the course of their enrollment as would be permissible if they were attending full-time, i.e., four to six times depending on advanced standing. In their last semester of coursework, students may register for up to 6 credits of J9900 as dissertation research. A student must register for at least 12 points per semester (or for RSRH J0001, described below), to be considered full-time; taking more than 19 points per semester incurs additional charges, which are the responsibility of the student.

No more than 18 of the 54 additional points required for the M.Phil. may be taken for R credit, including all enrollments in J9900. R credit is an invention specific to Columbia and is intended to allow students some judicious freedom to explore unfamiliar topics without grading penalty or to "browse" a course without committing wholly to all of its requirements. It is different from auditing a course, which imposes no obligations but does not count for degree credit. Students electing the R option must consult with the instructor, who is allowed to impose any requirements she or he chooses, though usually they are substantially reduced. (Grades may also be changed from letter-grade to R credit over the course of the semester, but a course taken once for R credit may not be repeated for letter-grade credit.) As of the 2005/6 academic year, GSAS regulations state that any grade of Incomplete left for more than a calendar year will automatically turn to an F.

A student who has completed all coursework should register each semester for RSRH J0001 until his or her sponsor has formally approved the dissertation as ready for defense. This "course" qualifies the student for full-time status and carries a modest registration fee, for which students will be responsible if they continue to enroll after their eligibility for funding by the school ceases. Students choosing Option 1 for the comprehensive exams may take them during their last semester of coursework, but only if they have fewer than six points' worth of Incompletes outstanding.

Leave of absence
A student who must interrupt his or her studies for a compelling reason—for example, a sustained medical condition that prevents attendance—may submit a request to the program director for a leave of absence. During the period of leave, a student does not register and may not use university facilities, including libraries or housing. Likewise, access to Columbia-sponsored health coverage is not available to a student on a nonmedical leave of absence. Students on medical leave should consult with the Columbia Health Service regarding access to coverage.

If a leave is granted, it is entered on the student’s permanent academic record. The period of a leave of absence is not counted as part of the time allowed for the completion of degree requirements. Students on leaves of absence are not eligible to defer payment of university and government loans. Students are normally limited to a total of two semesters or one year of leave during their course of study.

Satisfactory Academic Progress
Beginning in their second year (or, for those with advanced standing, their first), students and their sponsors must submit to the program director the annual Report on Progress in Candidacy. Permission to register each term is contingent on the judgment of the program chair and the director that progress in the degree program is satisfactory. Students who fail to maintain satisfactory progress will be alerted to their deficiencies, advised of the means to remedy them, and told the consequences of their failure to do so. If their progress or conduct remains unsatisfactory their candidacy may be terminated.

Students are expected to exhibit the high level of personal and academic integrity and honesty required of all members of an academic community as they engage in scholarly discourse and research. They are required to familiarize themselves with the standards for academic integrity as set out by GSAS, and violations will be dealt with severely by the program.

Degree completion timeline
GSAS regulations state that all requirements for the M.A. must be fulfilled within four consecutive semesters of full-time study; for the M.Phil., within four calendar years of first registration, or three for students with advanced standing; and for the Ph.D., within nine calendar years of first registration, or eight for students with advanced standing. Beginning in the second (or first) year, students must submit an annual progress report to the doctoral subcommittee.