The PhD program requires proficiency in one major field of study, one minor field, and one outside field.
A wide range of choices is available for all fields in order to meet individual needs.
Normally, these fields are distributed across the geographical and disciplinary areas covered by the AHMA
program (the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece, and Rome; archaeology, epigraphy, history, history of
art, papyrology, and so forth). So, for example, students whose major field is in the Graeco-Roman world
should choose an outside field in Pharaonic Egypt and/or the Ancient Near East, and vice versa. Students
whose major field is text-based must choose a minor field in the material culture of that field, and vice
versa. With the consent of the student’s Advisory Committee, up to two methodology or theory courses
(e.g., in physical or social anthropology, archaeological theory, feminist and/or queer theory, political
science, economics, statistics, demography, intellectual history, and/or art history) may be included in this
combination.
Students should define these fields as soon as possible in consultation with their Advisory Committees and
the Graduate Advisor, and further coursework and language study should be planned with them in mind.
With the committee’s approval, fields may be redefined in order to meet a student’s developing interests.
Committee Chairs who leave campus for any significant length of time must ask another committee member
to serve as Chair in their place.
Proficiency in the chosen fields is gained by coursework and, usually, some independent study. It is tested
by a written exam in the major field (see Section VI.D) and by oral exam in all three fields in the form of
the Qualifying exam (see Section VI.F).
Required coursework in the fields is as follows: Satisfactory completion of at least eight courses in the three
fields (or, if appropriate or necessary, closely relating to them). Of these eight courses, at least four must be
graduate seminars. The selection of these courses, usually distributed in a 4:2:2 ratio (4 for the major, 2 for
the minor, and 2 for the outside field), is to be determined by the student with the advice and consent of his
or her Advisory Committee and the Graduate Advisor.
A maximum of three courses previously taken at Berkeley may be credited towards these requirements,
with the consent of the student’s Advisory Committee and the Graduate Advisor.
If appropriate courses are not available for the minor or outside fields, at the student’s request and by
discretion of the Advisory Committee and the Graduate Advisor, a written examination may be substituted
for coursework in one of them, in which case only six courses (including at least three graduate seminars)
are required.
Coursework and/or language examinations may be taken in any order, to be followed by the dissertation
colloquium, preliminary written examination(s) and Qualifying Examination.