Click for examples of undergraduate courses recently taken by graduates in this way. Graduate students are encouraged to take appropriate courses in other departments. Arrangements with New York University allow our graduate students to attend courses there for credit and the Department is normally able to reimburse the cost of travel. The Department lays great emphasis on linguistic training. Students are encouraged to to take advantage of possibilities offered through Near Eastern Studies for developing their language skills by taking summer courses or spending a year in the Middle East or North Africa.
Generals represents the rite of passage from course-work to research.
After taking Generals, the student embarks on a dissertation under the guidance of an adviser who is a specialist in the field in question. The adviser does not have to be a member of the Department, but may be a member of the Program faculty. Many students at this point in their careers spend a year in research abroad, before returning to Princeton to complete their research and writing. At any given time the Department has around thirteen full-time faculty. This permits broader coverage of the field than is possible at most American universities.