Admission Requirements
There are three elements to the DHL program, each of which is described in detail below:
- a course of study
- a set of oral examinations
- a doctoral dissertation
The core of the program is a course of study in three subject areas--one major field and two minor fields--designed by the student in collaboration with three faculty advisers (one for each field). There is often a relationship among the three subject areas, but it is not required that there be one. The specific requirements of the course of study may be fulfilled entirely by guided independent study, or by a combination of independent study and coursework. Either the major or both minors must include substantial study of Hebrew texts. The major and minor areas normally are selected from the following list (other areas of Judaic Studies maybe considered as well, as long as they are duly approved):
- Bible and Related Literature
- Hebrew Literature
- Human Relations (minor field only)
- Jewish Liturgy and Worship
- Jewish Religious Education (minor field only)
- Jewish Theology
- Jewish Philosophy
- Jewish History
- Judaism and Early Christianity
- Judaism and Hellenism
- Talmud and Rabbinic Literature
The student is formally admitted to DHL candidacy once three advisers have been secured and the online application form and fee have been submitted to the Office of Recruitment and Admissions. Upon admission to DHL candidacy, the program of study for each area must then be formulated with, and approved in writing by, the faculty adviser for that area. Once all three program outlines have been prepared and approved (including bibliographies), they must be submitted to the director of the Pines School of Graduate Studies, who presents them to the Graduate Executive Committee (the College-Institute’s governing body) for approval.
Degree Requirements
The goal of the program of study in a minor area is to develop broad competence and general proficiency in that area. The major program of study, which leads to the dissertation, goes beyond that base of competence, and cultivates professional expertise in a well-defined area of specialization.
Program of Study--Minor Areas
The program outline for each of the two minor subject areas should specify the subject matter to be studied, including the primary and secondary source material to be covered, the methodology to be used, and a tentative description of a concluding project (usually a written assignment).
Program of Study--Major Areas
The program of study in the major subject area should augment the program outline for the minor in that area, adding the extra primary and secondary resources that are required to go beyond the level of general competence and attain professional expertise. The program outline should specify the subject matter to be studied, including the primary and secondary source material to be covered and the methodology to be used.
In the case of the major, there is no interim "concluding project" as there is for each minor. Rather, the dissertation represents the culmination of the major, which means that the major advisor normally serves as the dissertation advisor. The major program outline submitted at the time of application need not include a full dissertation proposal, but it should indicate the direction of research that will eventuate in a dissertation.
DHL Courses in Real Time
The Pines School of Graduate Studies offers real-time courses open to DHL students originating from each of the stateside campuses. These courses may be taken in person or online via Zoom. Permission of the instructor is required, and the PSGS (Pines School of Graduate Studies) director should be notified.
DHL candidates may take up to two of these courses per year for no additional fee beyond the annual DHL tuition. For additional courses per year, DHL candidates must pay the reduced per-credit tuition fee or per-credit audit fee afforded to HUC-JIR alumni. (DHL students are not eligible for financial aid.) Any incomplete course work in courses taken for credit must be finished, and a grade submitted, by the beginning of the following academic year. For more information, contact the Office of the Pines School of Graduate Studies.
DHL Examinations
When the candidate has completed a program of study in a minor area, the advisor submits a letter of confirmation to the director of the Pines School of Graduate Studies. The DHL oral examinations can be administered only after receipt of these letters. The examination in the major may be administered when the advisor certifies in writing that the dissertation is the only outstanding program requirement but must be taken at least one month prior to the submission of the dissertation.
The DHL oral examinations are taken online. Their content is based upon the work that comprised the course of study. The exams may be taken separately or all at once. Each exam is administered by the relevant faculty advisor; the other two need not be in attendance. Some flexibility exists for the exams outlined above.
DHL Dissertation
The DHL dissertation is the "concluding project" in the candidate's major area, as well as the culmination of the degree program.
"The [doctoral] research project should be an original, theory-driven investigation characterized by rigorous methodology and capable of making a significant contribution to knowledge about the subject under study.”
(The Role and Nature of the Doctoral Dissertation, Council of Graduate Schools Policy Statement, 1991, pp.6-7)
Dissertation Proposal
The dissertation proposal is an integral part of the program outline for the major area. The proposal should give an overview of the proposed topic, outline the specific subject matter of the dissertation, describe how the subject matter will be treated, and include some relevant bibliography. The proposal should indicate the original contribution to scholarship that the student expects to make.
The proposal may be submitted at any time during the course of study, as early as the time of application, but no later than one year prior to the anticipated date of graduation. Students are encouraged to formulate their dissertation proposals before taking the DHL examinations.
The procedure for submission and approval of the proposal is as follows: the student submits the proposal to the dissertation advisor (normally the major area advisor); the advisor signs the proposal and submits it to the director of the Pines School of Graduate Studies; the director conveys the proposal to the Graduate Executive Committee (GEC) for approval.
A typical dissertation proposal might be laid out as follows (each of the following items except for the bibliography should require no more than one page):
- Cover Page, including the student's name, the title of the dissertation, and the name and signature of the faculty advisor.
- Statement of the Problem, giving the general scholarly context out of which, the thesis topic has emerged, and indicating the questions to be raised and/or hypotheses to be verified.
- Review of Prior Scholarship, emphasizing items that are specifically relevant to the dissertation. What is lacking in scholarship to date that makes the proposed work desirable or necessary?
- Statement of Methodology or Approach, with particular emphasis on where it participates in and deviates from current scholarly discussion of the topic.
- Outline of the Contents of the Dissertation, which should be simple in form, and follow a standard outline format (e.g., The Chicago Manual of Style).
- Preliminary Bibliography, topically arranged, and limited to what is strictly relevant.
The Format of the Dissertation
The Graduate Executive Committee has established several guidelines and regulations for the preparation of dissertations. These cover such areas as required contents (abstract, title page, etc.), paper size and quality, formatting, printing, and annotation. Examples appear below. Any significant deviations from the regulations in that document must be discussed with the director of the Pines School of Graduate Studies and, if necessary, brought before the Graduate Executive Committee for approval.
Submission of the Dissertation
When the advisor agrees that the dissertation is ready for submission, the candidates should prepare the final copy for official submission. One unbound submission copy of the dissertation and a pdf file copy, together with the advisor's written evaluation approving the dissertation, must be in the Office of the Pines School of Graduate Studies by March 15 if the DHL is to be awarded at the spring graduation exercises.