About the Minor Colloquium
Format and Timing of the Colloquium
Students should schedule the colloquium before the end of the semester in which they complete their M.Phil. degree. The colloquium, the capstone experience in the minor field consists of a discussion of the student's portfolio. [Note: students doing a Certificate in Comparative Literature and Society do not do a minor colloquium.]
Three faculty members take part in the discussion with the student. The committee consists of an adviser with expertise in the minor field and two members of the Slavic Department, one of whom is usually the student's mentor. Committee members are selected by the student in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and the student's mentor. The student should prepare the portfolio in close consultation with advisers and committee members, and should submit a final copy to all the colloquium participants well in advance of the colloquium. The colloquium begins with a brief (10 minutes) presentation by the student of his or her work in the minor field, and then proceeds to a general discussion lasting an hour.
It is the student's responsibility to notify both the DAAF and DGS of the time of the colloquium, so that the necessary paperwork can be prepared.
Contents of the Minor Portfolio
The portfolio for the colloquium for a minor should consist of the following elements:
- a cover letter from the student explaining how the courses taken for the minor form an intellectually coherent whole, outlining the student's expertise in the minor field, and commenting on its role in the student's intellectual development.
- copies of the syllabi for the courses taken in the minor field;
- copies of any term papers or other substantial pieces of work (such as exams) produced in the minor courses;
- copies of any additional work undertaken in the minor field (conference papers, articles, etc.);
- a bibliography of all the primary and secondary materials read in or for the minor courses.