First-Year Presentation (Joint Track)

After consultation and with the approval of their advisers in both tracks, students will choose between two possibilities. 

1. Two first-year presentations: Students must pass a first-year presentation in each of their tracks at the end of the first year in the program. 
2. One integrated first-year presentation: The first-year presentation normally takes place at the end of spring semester of the first year in the program. It lasts one hour and twenty minutes, followed by deliberation and feedback. The committee includes at least two faculty members from RLL. One member (usually the student's mentor or a faculty close to their interests) serves as chair of the committee. The two tracks must be represented in the committee. 

During the spring term, in concertation with their mentor, students prepare a list of about 20 to 25 items, taken mostly from the courses they took during their first year, indicating their main interests and their general knowledge of their two fields. The list is turned to the Graduate Coordinator and all members of the committee three weeks before the date of the presentation. 

In preparation for the presentation, sections may provide broader lists of items they encourage students to consider during their course of study. 

The students prepare in advance a 20 minute oral presentation, in the form of a conference paper, on a topic of their choice related to an issue relevant to both of their fields and supported by at least two specific items of their list. They should demonstrate their aptitude to present a problem, synthesize ideas, build an argument with the help of a critical and theoretical framework, contextualize and analyze closely primary sources. Normally, the presentation is in English. 

The presentation is followed by a 45mn question and answer discussion, based on the paper and the reading list. The discussion should include segments in both target romance languages. The last 15 minutes are devoted to a conversation about the students' course work and their intellectual and academic interests. After a brief deliberation, the committee provides feedback to the students about their strength and weaknesses, their standing in the program, and makes recommendation for future development.

For students who arrived without an A.M. in their field and desire to apply to a Harvard A.M. degree, the approved presentation complements the 8 courses required by GSAS.