All students take this written exam. It is based on a Core reading list of approximately 70 texts, which form the basis of the student's response to general questions about the methods and problems in the study of human culture and society. The primary goal of the exam is to have students exhibit a familiarity with the intersections between theoretical and methodological models. The Field Exam. The program in Human Sciences stresses that inter-disciplinary work is often strongest and most interesting when launched from a basis in the disciplines.
Students take a field exam focused on their declared discipline.
The exam list is developed in conjunction with the student and is administered by relevant faculty, typically consisting of the student's advisory committee, which includes members of the Human Sciences Executive Committee. Students who arrive with an M.A. in a contributing discipline are exempted from this requirement. In the course of their work, students may get an M.A. in a specific discipline. To do so, they must fulfill the course requirements for that discipline and take the field exam required of M.A. students in that program. The Oral Exam.