Government Dept. Revises Requirements for Doctorate

Requirements for the Ph.D. degree in Government have been revised with an increased emphasis on individual work, Samuel H. Beer, chairman of the Government Department, announced yesterday. The new requirements will take effect next fall, unless changes are made at the next meeting of the Department.

Under the revised program, students working for their Ph.D. will have to complete ten half courses, of which six must be in Government. Previously, 16 half courses were required. In addition, the write-off requirement will be waived in special cases in which the student has had equivalent training, possibly as an undergraduate.

Graduate students will take a general written examination in addition to the usual general oral examination, Beer stated. He explained that this addition would not add to a student's work load, since he will be taking fewer courses. The written test will consist of two three-hour examinations, one on political thought and institutions, the other on any of the government fields the student offers in his plan of study.

Another major revision in the Political Science program will be a regulation stating, "at least four seminar style papers shall be completed in the normal two years of residence." This requirement is in keeping with a report made last year by J. P. Elder, Dean of GSAS, who stated that graduate students should have marked proficiency in writing "respectable English."

Beer emphasized that there would be no change in the time required to attain a Ph.D. degree, stating, "We're very satisfied with that." Presently, a student must have at least two years of residence, and can normally receive his degree in four years, although many students are able to receive it earlier.