The University of Toronto library system is fully computerized. With over eight million volumes, it is the largest research library in Canada and one of the ten largest in North America, and for the study of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, the libraries’ books, journals, government documents, microfilms, electronic resources, and other resources are an extremely rich resource. The main collection is housed in Robarts Library, the University’s centrally located research library, and in the colleges attached to the University. Study space is provided in many of the libraries, and a limited number of carrels, desks, and book lockers are available.

The Fisher Rare Book Library’s manuscript holdings include a small collection of Graeco-Egyptian papyrus fragments, about 1176 Arabic manuscripts plus a few in Turkish and Persian, and an eighteenth-century Tikkun scroll. The Friedberg Collection of Hebraic books and manuscripts contains the most complete mediaeval manuscript of the Zohar in existence and important geonic manuscripts, and the Fisher Library now holds 21 Hebrew incunabula. The Library of the Royal Ontario Museum supplements the holdings of the Central Library in Near Eastern and Islamic archaeology and art history. The libraries of the theological colleges federated with the university are strong in fields related to the development of Christianity such as Septuagint studies and patristics. Library users also have access to a wide range of dissertations and other less-used material through UTL’s membership in the Center for Research Libraries (their catalogue is available online).

The Department houses a small collection of reference works for the field in its Resource Centre on the second floor of Bancroft Hall. Microfilm readers are also available for graduate students and faculty.

The RIM Archives are located on the fourth floor of Bancroft Hall. The Archives constitute a quite complete collection of academic journals and monographs, collected in connection with the RIM Project, for the study of the Ancient Near East in general and ancient Mesopotamia/Assyriology in particular. The collection is a rich research resource open to faculty and graduate students in the Department.

The Department provides computers for student use, including access to the on-line catalogue of the University library, in the Computer Room on the third floor of Bancroft Hall. Students in the Department may also use the computing facilities provided by Computing in the Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS), located on the 1st floor of Robarts Library. A computer in the resource room on the second floor has access to the Bar Ilan Responsa Project with a disc available from Michael Godwin. The Department maintains computing laboratories, which provide access to various computer applications, including word-processing, the Internet, electronic mail, and electronic publishing. CHASS also offers tutorials and hands-on computer training sessions. Most of their services are offered free of charge. For further information, please visit the CHASS Website.

Graduate student life in the Department, outside of class and library, is focused on the Graduate Student Common Rooms (NMC Graduate Lounge:BF202) housed in an older house attached to and accessed from the second and third floors of Bancroft Hall. The Common Rooms provide study space and other facilities for Graduate Students.

The department Seminar Room (200B), located on the second floor of Bancroft Hall, is used for many department seminars, lectures, and other gatherings.

All graduate students in the Department are members of the Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations Graduate Students’ Association (NMCGSA). The Association is run by elected student officers and offers various services and social occasions for students. For more information please visit the NMCGSA website. The NMCGSA organizes an Annual Symposium normally held in the spring, which attracts participants from other nearby universities and internationally. The Symposium provides graduate students with an opportunity to present their work in the setting of an academic conference and to engage in discussions with student and faculty colleagues regarding their research interests. The Symposium is one of the highlights of the academic year in the Department and is well attended by all members of the Department. The NMCGSA has to date published the proceedings of the past three symposia.

The Chair of the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, Professor Paul-Alain Beaulieu, is responsible for the overall operation of the Department and is accountable with regard to its graduate program to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.

The Associate Chair, Graduate of the Department, with the help of the Graduate Administrator, assists the Chair by administering the Department's academic programs on a day-to-day basis. The Associate Chair, Graduate, Professor Jeannie Miller, is responsible for the academic aspects of the program chairs, the Graduate Affairs Committee of the Department, and sits on the Graduate Education Council and various committees at the School of Graduate Studies. Any issue of academic concern on the part of the students, including major and minor requirements, fields, language requirements, supervisors/advisors, comprehensive examinations, supervision committee, and concerns about courses should be brought to the Associate Chair, Graduate.

The Graduate Administrator, Michael Godwin, michael.godwin@utoronto.ca, considers student and program matters and the daily operation of the Graduate Program in the Department. Michael is the first contact person for information concerning all aspects of the Graduate Program.

The Graduate Affairs Committee is concerned with Department policies affecting the Graduate Program, academic issues, admissions to the graduate program, and student funding recommendations and decisions. Issues of an academic or administrative nature affecting the entire graduate program are brought to Department faculty meetings for discussion and approval. The Committee is composed of six to eight faculty members representing the Department's areas of concern and meets several times a year as needed. The Associate Chair, Graduate serves as the committee chair. The Chair and Graduate Administrator of the Department are members of the Committee ex officio. The members normally serve one-year terms, which may be renewed. Although there are no student representatives on the Committee, students are invited to present their views on issues of concern and to discuss them with members of the Graduate Affairs Committee at scheduled meetings.

The role of Academic Advisors, Thesis Supervisors, and Thesis Advisory Committees is discussed below.

The Graduate Program of the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations undergoes a Review every 5 years. The Review ensures the maintenance of a high standard of graduate education in this Department.

The Collaborative Program in Jewish Studies offers both broad and intensive exposure to the constituent fields within Jewish Studies. Because of Jewish civilization’s vast chronological and geographical range, as well as its constant interaction and cross-fertilization with other cultures, graduate work within Jewish Studies demands intensive exposure to a wide variety of languages, textual traditions, and scholarly disciplines.

The collaborative program involves the graduate master's and doctoral programs listed above. Upon successful completion of the master’s requirements of the home department and the program, students receive the designation “Completed Collaborative Program in Jewish Studies” on their transcript. Upon successful completion of the doctoral requirements of the home department and the program, students receive, in addition to the doctoral degree in their home department, the notation “Completed Collaborative Program in Jewish Studies.” Please note that the required Jewish Studies Core Methods Seminar and the Core Research Colloquium are in addition to the three or six FCEs required for the MA or PhD program in NMC. Some funding is available for both MA and PhD students in the Collaborative Program in Jewish Studies.

Graduate Program Requirements for MA

• CJS1000H: Completion of the core methods seminar in Jewish Studies.
• This seminar will introduce students to the different disciplines, methods, and approaches within Jewish Studies. One half-course in Jewish Studies taken within the student's home department or in another department (may count towards the course requirements of the student's home department).
• A comprehensive exam in Jewish Studies, supervised by a faculty member chosen from Jewish Studies and in consultation with the graduate chair from the student's home department, in which the student will be asked to show knowledge of areas of Jewish Studies relevant to his or her disciplinary focus.
• If the student's home program requires a major research paper or thesis, the focus of the paper must pertain to Jewish Studies and the topic must be approved by the Director of the Collaborative Master's Program.

Graduate Program Requirements for PhD

• CJS2000H: Core Research colloquium in Jewish Studies that runs biweekly throughout the year.
• Two half-courses, one within and one outside of the student's home department, taught by a member of the CJS faculty (may count towards the course requirements of the student's home department).
• Paper presentation in the Graduate Student Conference before completion of the program.
• A doctoral dissertation that deals substantively with topics in Jewish Studies and is supervised or co-supervised by a CJS graduate faculty member.
• A program of study should be planned in consultation with the Director of the Jewish Studies Collaborative Doctoral Program, e-mail: cjs.director@utoronto.ca, as well as with the NMC Associate Chair, Graduate.

Jewish Studies Website

Graduate units from the humanities, social sciences, and life sciences participate in the Graduate Collaborative Program in Women and Gender Studies (CWGS) at the University of Toronto. The collaborating units contribute courses and provide facilities and supervision for graduate research. This program, offered at the master’s and doctoral levels, is administered by the Women and Gender Studies Institute. CWGS provides a formal educational opportunity for qualification in the field of women’s studies through the pursuit of original interdisciplinary research in Women and Gender Studies and advanced feminist scholarship. It provides a central coordinating structure to facilitate and disseminate women’s studies research through student and faculty research seminars, colloquia, circulation of work in progress, study groups, conferences, and publications. CWGS contributes to the development of an integrated research community in women’s studies at the University of Toronto. Applicants to the program are expected to meet the admission and degree requirements of both the home department and CWGS.

Normally, both Master’s and PhD applicants to CWGS should have at least one course (and preferably more) in Women’s Studies, Feminist Studies, and/or Gender Studies. This course may be in Women’s Studies/Gender Studies, or it may be a course on gender and women in another discipline. In exceptional cases, extensive work or activist experience, which also requires academic knowledge of research on women and/or gender, will also be considered.

In order to qualify for admission to Women and Gender Studies, applicants must be offered admission to the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations. Applicants may apply concurrently to the CWGS and are encouraged to do so in the interest of expediency. Please note that applicants cannot be admitted to CWGS until they have been officially admitted to the Department of NMC.

The collaborative requirements can be met concurrently with, or in addition to, home unit requirements. Upon successful completion of the requirements, students receive the M.A. or Ph.D. degree in their department area with the notation “Completed Collaborative Program in Women’s Studies” on their transcripts. For further information, please contact the NMC Associate Chair, Graduate or the Graduate Coordinator of the Graduate Collaborative Program in Women and Gender Studies, Room 2036, 40 Willcocks Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1C6; Tel: (416) 978-3668, Fax: (416) 946-5561, E-mail: wgsi.gradcoordinator@utoronto.ca, WGSI Website.

A program of study should be planned in consultation with the Graduate Collaborative Program Coordinator as well as the NMC Associate Chair, Graduate. Courses are selected from an established list of core courses approved by CWGS for the Collaborative Program. Each year these are available on the Women and Gender Studies Institute’s website.

The Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations participates in the M.A. and Ph.D. Graduate Collaborative Program with the Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies. For the M.A. and Ph.D. Programs students must take the core course offered by SDS (SDS1000H). This requirement must be supplemented by at least another half-course in the area of sexuality. Course selections must be approved by the director of the Collaborative Program. Doctoral students who have completed the Collaborative Program at the Master’s level will not be required to take SDS1000H a second time, so that they will be required to take only another half-course in the area of sexuality. Students must pursue a dissertation topic related to sexual diversity, and include on the thesis committee at least one faculty member associated with SDS. The director of the Collaborative Program must approve the topic as compatible with the requirements of the program. Doctoral students are expected to participate in a variety of other activities programmed by the Bonham Centre, including a monthly colloquium series, and in an annual one-day student conference envisaged for the Centre, and regular "brown-bag" talks. The Collaborative Program director is responsible for certifying the completion of the Collaborative Program requirements. The home graduate unit, in this case the NMC Department, is solely responsible for the approval of the student’s home degree requirements. Upon the completion of requirements of the home program and the Collaborative Program, student transcripts will indicate that they have completed all the requirements for the "Collaborative Program in Sexual Diversity Studies." Detailed information on the Program and its requirements can be found on the Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies website. Please note that the required SDS1000H is in addition to the three or six FCEs required for the MA or PhD program in NMC.

The Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations participates in the M.A. and Ph.D. Graduate Collaborative Program with Diaspora and Transnational Studies. Diaspora in contemporary thought involves the shifting relations between homelands and host nations from the perspective of those who have moved, whether voluntarily or not. Diaspora emphasizes the inescapable lived translocal experiences of many migrant communities that exceed the boundaries of the nation-state. Questions of nostalgia, of the dynamics of co-ethnic identification, of the politics of homeland and host nation, and of the inter-generational shifts in responses to all these are central to studies of diaspora. Transnationalism, on the other hand, focuses on flows and counterflows and the multi-striated connections to which they give rise. It encompasses in its ambit not just the movement of people but also concepts of citizenship and multinational governance, the resources of information technology, and the realities of the global marketplace, among others. Taken together, the two concepts of diaspora and transnationalism enable our understanding of the complex realities of vast movements of people, goods, ideas, images, technologies, and finance in the world today. This collaborative program is designed to bring together both social science and humanities perspectives to augment our existing tri-campus undergraduate program and to contribute to increased research collaboration between participants in the program. At the MA level there is a required seminar in Comparative Research Methods in Diaspora and Transnational Studies (DTS). As part of the Research Methods Seminar, students are required to submit an ethnographic, archival, or documentary paper on a diasporic community in Toronto or elsewhere. A half course, (DTS 2000H) is required but with the approval of the Program Director, a student may substitute a course from their home department for the DTS topics course. The same requirements hold for doctoral students but one cannot participate in both the M.A. and the Ph.D. Program. Please note that the required DTS 2000H is in addition to the three or six FCEs required for the MA or PhD program in NMC. A major paper or MA thesis or PhD thesis must be on a topic in Diaspora and Transnational Studies. Detailed information on the Program and its requirements can be found on the Diaspora and Transnational Studies website.

The student should discuss the configuration of the examinations first with their Advisor and then with the Associate Chair, Graduate.

The areas examined correspond to the major (two examinations), first minor, and second minor areas of concentration. Thus the student will write at least four examinations.

The Program Memorandum form should be helpful in determining the areas to be examined. The primary source language exam may also be given as part of the Comprehensive Examinations.

• In consultation with the Advisor and the Associate Chair, Graduate the student should set up an examination schedule.
• The written examinations are normally scheduled every other day.
• The oral examination should follow the written examinations by a week or so and be scheduled at a time convenient to the student, the examiners, and the Associate Chair, Graduate, who will serve as the exam Chair, all of whom must be present.
• The Advisor should coordinate the examinations with the other examiners.
• The Advisor must notify the Graduate Administrator by email of the examination schedule, including dates and titles of exams. The Graduate Administrator will reserve an examination room.
• The student may wish to discuss the nature of the examination (e.g., length, closed or open book or aids allowed, anticipated number of questions, location) with the examiner in each field.
• If the student passes the Comprehensive Examinations, they will be expected to present their thesis proposal within two months of the Comprehensive Examinations to the committee. Please see guidelines for thesis proposal contents below.

1. The Comprehensive Examination comprises both the written exams and the oral exam.
2. Typically, the Major Exam is an eight-hour exam (i.e. 10:00am to 6:00pm), which is normally spread over two days (4 hours each day, e.g. 10:00am to 2:00pm), but may also be written in one day.
3. The Minor Exams are four hours long (e.g. 10:00am – 2:00pm).
4. Examining Professors: the examining committee should be constituted from professors who have taught the students at least one course. Any professor who has not taught the student will not be allowed to take part in the exams. The Chair can give exemption from this rule. No professor can administer more than one part of the exam, unless with the approval of the Associate Chair, Graduate/Chair.
5. All exams must be handed in to the Graduate Administrator before 6:00pm.
6. The Oral exam is based on material covered by or closely related to the written exams and is normally scheduled one week after the final written exam. If the student has passed their Comprehensive Exam, the thesis proposal will need to be discussed by the Thesis Advisory Committee (see section E).
7. Location: The Comprehensive Examination, both written and oral, take place at The Department of Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations in a room assigned by the Graduate Administrator.
8. Exam Questions are provided to the student on paper, and the student writes responses directly into a file on the computer or into an exam book, if by hand.
9. Answers: At the exam’s conclusion, the Graduate Administrator copies the answers to a USB key, if exams are written on the computer. The answers are emailed to all examiners including the student. If written by hand, a scan of the original is made and distributed electronically.
10. Material Covered: The written examinations cover material based on courses the student has taken in relation to their Major and Minor fields (see Program Memorandum form), material relevant to the student’s intended research and in relation to reading lists that have been agreed on by the student and the members of their examining committee. The oral examination questions are normally based on the student’s written answers, but questions may extend to other matters contained in the reading lists agreed upon or questions not selected from the written exams.
11. Final Grade: Following the Oral exam, the comprehensive examination committee members are asked to deliberate and record a final grade of either “pass” or “fail” (i.e. pass = 70% or above). A grade of CR appears on the transcript, when a student is successful. (Please see section D should a student be unsuccessful).

1. Examination Papers: Please provide the Comprehensive Examination questions for the written portion of the exam to the Graduate Administrator at least one day before the date on which the exam is to be written. The questions can be submitted via email to Michael Godwin, michael.godwin@utoronto.ca.
2. Questions: Where two professors are submitting questions for the same exam, they will need to confer about that exam and decide on the questions. Only the finally agreed-upon questions need be forwarded to the Graduate Administrator.
3. Assists: Please indicate whether the student is to be allowed assists, such as dictionaries or reference materials, during the examination.
4. Grading: The examining professor will mark the written answer as either “pass” or “fail” (i.e. pass = 70% or above) and inform the Comprehensive Committee Members, with a copy to the Associate Chair, Graduate and Graduate Administrator.
5. The Oral Exam: All graded written comprehensive exams must be returned to the Examination Chair, normally the Associate Chair, Graduate, directly following the oral comprehensive examination.

1. Exam start time: Please check in with the Graduate Administrator prior to the exam.
2. Materials: Unless specifically advised, no materials or assists will be allowed in the examination room. The student may bring food and drink.
3. Writing the Exam: Please indicate in advance of the examination date if you would prefer to write the examination by hand.
4. The Exam Room: To be determined by the Graduate Administrator.
5. The Oral Exam: The Oral Examination Committee will establish the Thesis Advisory Committee in part or in whole in consultation with the student in the context of the thesis proposal discussion.

A student receiving ‘fail’ for a part or for the whole of the examination may be re‑examined once, provided the examination takes place not later than nine months after the date of the first examination. Any examiner, or the student in consultation with the Associate Chair, Graduate, may request a further reader/examiner for part or all of the written examination, when there is reason to think this would be helpful.

1. If the student passes the General Examinations, they will be expected to submit their thesis proposal within two months of the Oral Comprehensive Examination to the thesis advisory committee. Note, the thesis committee can have different membership than the comprehensive examination committee. Written copies of the proposal, even if in preliminary form, must be distributed to all examiners and to the Associate Chair, Graduate.
2. Your Thesis Advisory Committee will review your 10 page thesis proposal plus bibliography. Revisions may be required. Please adhere to the following five instructions when submitting your thesis proposal:
   • student emails the thesis proposal to the thesis advisory committee (up to 3 members, including the thesis supervisor). The Thesis Advisory Committee would not need to include the internal external member (this member is only required at a SGS final oral examination);
   • thesis advisory committee members emails the student with comments;
   • student adjusts the thesis proposal;
   • student emails a final copy of the thesis proposal to the thesis advisory committee;
   • the student’s thesis supervisor emails the final thesis proposal to the Associate Chair, Graduate, with a copy to all thesis advisory committee members, and to the NMC Graduate Office, Michael Godwin, michael.godwin@utoronto.ca, indicating whether or not the thesis proposal is approved. Michael Godwin will archive the approved thesis proposal in the student’s official student file. Once the approval email is received by the NMC Graduate Office, and there are no outstanding program requirements, the student will have achieved candidacy.
3. Thesis Proposal Contents:

• Title - Give the tentative title you intend to use. It should be concise and precise, (i.e., it should give the reader an exact idea of your research proposal in the fewest possible words).
• The Thesis Statement - State clearly and fully the problem that you intend to investigate.
• Review of Previous Scholarship - Discuss the relationship of your research topic to current and previous scholarship. Others have contributed to your field historically and philosophically. What closely related problems have been solved and by whom? Who treated the problem and to what extent? Where does the unsolved portion of the problem begin? What are the principal sources? Discuss the ways in which this thesis will "constitute a significant contribution to the knowledge of the field." (SGS Calendar)
• Methodology - Describe in detail how you plan to investigate the problem; what methods of analysis will aid your investigation of your primary source material.
• Proposed Table of Contents -To the extent possible, state the probable chapter headings as they will appear in your Table of Contents.
• Bibliography -List the most important original sources and scholarly works to be consulted, including those discussed in your Review of Previous Scholarship. In composing thesis proposals, students are advised to consult with their Supervisor and potential Thesis Advisory Committee members, normally faculty members in related fields.

The Supervisor is responsible for the direction of the thesis and is the principal member of the Thesis Advisory Committee (see below). The Supervisor determines whether additional course work, languages, or other preparation is necessary in order for the student to complete the thesis successfully. The Supervisor shall call a meeting of the Thesis Advisory Committee at least once a year by May 15 or more often as required.

When the Supervisor and the other members of the student's Thesis Advisory Committee have read the thesis in its entirety and agree that the thesis is defensible and ready to go to examination, the Supervisor will notify the Associate Chair, Graduate of this in writing. The student will then send an electronic copy of the completed thesis, including an abstract of the thesis, a brief biographical sketch, and a list of scholarly publications, if any, to Michael Godwin, Graduate Administrator, michael.godwin@utoronto.ca.

The Supervisor will nominate three potential external examiners to the Associate Chair, Graduate. The Supervisor will consult with all members of the final oral examination committee, including the Student, and the External Examiner, to set a convenient date for the examination. The Supervisor must allow at least eight weeks from submission of the thesis to the date of the oral defense.

Students are required to meet with their Thesis Advisory Committee at least once a year, normally in early May. The composition of the Thesis Advisory Committee usually emerges as the thesis proposal develops. The Thesis Advisory Committee is composed of the Supervisor who directs the thesis and two or three other faculty members who are able to offer expert advice in fields related to the thesis topic but whose role is secondary to that of the Supervisor. Faculty from outside the Department may be invited to sit on the Committee.

The first job of the Thesis Advisory Committee is to consider the thesis proposal and, when it has been finalized, to approve the final version of the thesis proposal. The Committee should notify the Associate Chair, Graduate of the approval and file a copy of the final proposal with the office of the Graduate Administrator. The Thesis Advisory Committee shall meet with the candidate at least once a year to consider progress made, next steps, revisions of material, etc. A meeting at which all members are present is most desirable so that the student does not receive contradictory advice. If this is not possible, other arrangements should be made (e.g., a conference call or Skype). The meeting might begin with a brief presentation of work by the student, followed by discussion and recommendations. The results of the meeting should be summarized in detail on the Thesis Advisory Committee Assessment form, which can be obtained from the office of the Graduate Administrator and then filed with the Associate Chair, Graduate. A Thesis Advisory Committee Assessment (report) must be filed each year before May 31 and submitted to Michael Godwin, Graduate Administrator, michael.godwin@utoronto.ca.