University of Virginia Library

Doctors of Philosophy.

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Virginia
will be conferred upon a Bachelor of Arts of this University, or (under
the regulations mentioned below) upon the holder of a baccalaureate
degree from some other chartered institution of learning
who possesses a reading knowledge of French and German, and who
completes the prescribed graduate work in three cognate subjects,


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chosen by himself from at least two Academic Schools, and approved
by the Academic Faculty; this graduate work to be pursued for at
least three years in the major subject, for at least two years in the
primary minor, and for at least one year in the secondary minor
subject. It is also provided that any student taking the second or
third year of graduate work in a subject may be required by the
professor, with the approval of the Academic Faculty, to attend such
lectures or courses in any of the Academic Schools as the professor
may deem necessary.

The "reading knowledge" of French and German mentioned
above is intended to enable the candidate to pursue his chosen subjects
through the medium of books and periodicals in the French and
German languages. His ability to do this must be tested at the beginning
of the first year of his candidacy by examinations on these
languages in the presence of a committee consisting of the professor
of the candidate's major subject and the professors of French and
German. In case of failure on either or both of the examinations, he
will be required to enter the appropriate class or classes in one or
both of the languages, and will not be regarded as a regular candidate
for the doctorate until he has fulfilled the requirements in French
and German. It is provided, however, that any student who has
already passed on the regular B. A. course in either or both of the
languages at this University shall be considered as having the requisite
knowledge of either or both of them, as the case may be.

Graduate work done in other universities may be accepted in
lieu of resident work done here, provided sufficient evidence is furnished
by examination, written or oral, or both, that such work
has been of a grade similar to that required here, and has been satisfactorily
performed, and provided also that, while it shall be possible
for a candidate to get credit in this way for the whole of his
secondary minor subject, every candidate must take here at least one
advanced course in his primary minor, and at least one year's work
in his major subject.

It is also provided that a candidate who is a professor, in charge
of the subject selected by him as major, in a chartered college or university,
may be allowed by the Academic Faculty to spend only two
years in resident work at this University. The graduate work of the
last year of candidacy shall in all cases be done at this University,
unless the Academic Faculty shall for special reasons direct otherwise.

Upon the completion of the approved courses, the candidate
shall submit to the Academic Faculty a Dissertation exhibiting independent
research in some branch of his major subject. The Dissertation
must be submitted not later than April 15 of the year in which
the candidate applies for the degree. Moreover, the copy presented


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for the Faculty's approval shall be written (type-written, if feasible)
on paper of prescribed quality and size; shall be bound; and shall
have certain prescribed phrases on the cover and title page. If accepted
as satisfactory by the Faculty, this copy shall immediately
become the property of the University. If approved, the Dissertation
must be printed at the candidate's expense before the degree is conferred,
and one hundred copies deposited in the Library of the University;
or, if this be impracticable on account of lack of time, the
candidate must deposit with the Bursar a sum of money sufficient
to have a hundred copies of the Dissertation printed.

The instruction open to candidates for the Doctor's degree in
each of the Academic Schools is described in a preceding portion of
the catalogue. No graduate course can be counted for the Doctor's
degree unless the professor regularly meets the class not less than
three hours a week.

The conditions on which students holding baccalaureate degrees
from other chartered institutions of learning are admitted to candidacy
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy are as follows.

Each applicant should write to the Registrar of the University
and ask for a blank form of application to be filled out (partly by
the applicant, and partly by the President of the institution from
which the applicant has received a degree) and promptly returned to
the Registrar. When the application has been duly considered by
the Committee on Academic Degrees and by the Academic Faculty,
the applicant will be informed as to the work which he, if accepted
as a candidate, will have to do in order to secure the Doctor's degree.
The general rule will be that unless his baccalaureate degree
conforms with reasonable closeness to the B. A. degree of this University
in the nature of its requirements, he must take such undergraduate
courses here as will supplement his deficiencies. In particular,
he will be required to take not only the graduate work in his
three chosen subjects, but the undergraduate courses as well, unless
the Faculty is convinced that his work done elsewhere in one or
more of these subjects has been fully equal in quality and quantity
to the undergraduate work required in such subject or subjects at
this University. Moreover, the individual professor of any of these
three subjects may require the candidate to take his undergraduate
course, should he regard him as insufficiently grounded in the fundamental
facts or principles of the subject.