M.Phil. Requirements

During the first two years of coursework, the ICLS Certificate student should check in at least once a year with the DGS to be sure their coursework is on track. The student will document these meetings by updating the ICLS Certificate Requirements Worksheet. Before the scheduling of M.Phil. examinations, a copy of this completed worksheet must be on file at the ICLS Administrative Office. The ICLS Certificate candidate’s M.Phil. examination committee should be formed in consultation with both the student’s home department and the ICLS DGS. The committee must include one member of the ICLS Affiliated Faculty.

The M.Phil. qualifying examination is conducted by a board of examiners chosen in consultation with the student’s home department and with the ICLS Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). The precise form of the examination(s) depends on the student’s home department program, but all ICLS Certificate students must adhere to the following:

• Approval from the ICLS DGS of one’s language and course requirements to be received at ICLS prior to the scheduling and administration of M.Phil. examinations by their home department. Send to the ICLS Program Coordinator at icls@columbia.edu, the completed and signed ICLS Certificate Requirements Worksheet indicating that that you have fulfilled all ICLS requirements, including course and language requirements for your track.
• Once scheduled, send the ICLS Program Coordinator details of M.Phil. committee members and the date(s) of one’s examination(s) before the examination(s) take place. At least one member of the M.Phil. committee must be a member of the ICLS Affiliated Faculty for the committee to be approved.
• ICLS Certificate candidates should remind their home department that the box for ICLS must be checked on the Application for the Master of Philosophy form submitted to GSAS. Upon completion of the M.Phil. examinations, the student’s home department should be asked to notify the ICLS Coordinator of the results.

Please note that the ICLS Certificate candidate’s dissertation prospectus must be approved by ICLS within six months after approval in their home department. Following that, the dissertation defense is scheduled and administered by the home department, but your home department administrator must email the ICLS Program Coordinator copies of the GSAS application for the defense and the completed defense signature sheet.