The Committee on the Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science (CHSS)

The Committee on the Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science

The Committee on the Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science (CHSS) is an interdepartmental graduate program at the University of Chicago that offers students the opportunity to work toward the A.M. and Ph.D. degrees in areas concerned with the foundations, history, and philosophy of science. Its faculty are drawn from numerous departments within the University. Though faculty interests range broadly, CHSS has particular strength in the history and philosophy of physics, astronomy, evolutionary biology, psychology, and anthropology. CHSS differs from other programs in the history and philosophy of science in its emphasis on the importance of training within science proper.

What follows is a brief description of the committee’s degree requirements and a representative list of courses that have been taught in recent years (not all in any one year). For more complete information, please see the website at http://humanities.uchicago.edu/humanities/chss. It contains a description of faculty research interests, a complete statement of degree requirements, descriptions of individual courses being taught this year, a calendar of special events (including meetings of the CHSS/Fishbein Workshop in the History and Philosophy of Science), a list of students who have received Ph.D.s from the committee with the titles of their dissertations, and more. Those with questions about CHSS should write to the Secretary, The Committee on Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science, The University of Chicago, 1126 East 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, or telephone (773) 702 -8261.

Application

Applicants will be expected to submit undergraduate transcripts, scores from the general Graduate Record Examination, three letters of recommendation, short descriptions of their interests and/or reasons for wanting to study in CHSS, and a writing sample. If possible, the writing sample should deal with some topic in the history or philosophy of science.

Degree Requirements

Every new student in CHSS is assigned an advisor by the chair of the committee with whom he or she designs an individual program of study. Because the interests of students within CHSS vary widely, so do these programs, but all students must satisfy the following degree requirements.

Master’s Requirement

If a student enters the program without an appropriate master’s degree, he or she must earn the degree at the University or, at least, convince the committee that he or she has completed an equivalent course of study here. On arrival, the student should consult with the department in question, and with his or her CHSS advisor, to determine exactly what is required for the degree (or what would be considered a proper equivalent). If a student enters the program with a master’s degree in an appropriate area, the committee will determine what level of credit is to be given for it, and may decide that some further work is necessary.

Students must choose one of the following options:

SCIENCE OPTION: The student may earn a master’s degree in a science (here understood to include mathematics and statistics).
PHILOSOPHY OPTION: The student may earn a master’s degree in philosophy.
HISTORY OPTION: The student may earn a master’s degree in history.Course Requirement

Course Requirement

All students must complete a total of at least eighteen courses at the University for a grade of “B” or better, including at least seven CHSS courses.

Students selecting the philosophy or history options must take a coherent series of six courses in a scientific area at the University, approved by the committee, at a level appropriate to their preparation and of an appropriately advanced nature. It is important to the committee that every student who graduates from the program have a serious acquaintance with some scientific discipline. This will normally mean that students must take at least some portion of their science work at an advanced (i.e. graduate) level, and it will normally mean that students entering the program need to have done some prior work in an appropriate science.

Students in all options can double-count as many courses as they like for the different course requirements in their options, i.e., the master’s degree requirements in the appropriate field, the seven courses in CHSS, and the science requirement for philosophy and history options. However, no student can graduate having completed fewer than eighteen courses.

Graded reading and research courses can be counted toward the course requirements if they result in a substantial paper or other serious body of work such as might be expected in a regular course. Courses in language instruction can in no circumstances be counted toward the eleven course requirement. Students will be required to maintain at least a ‘B+’ average every quarter. (The numerical equivalents are as follows: A= 4.0, A-= 3.7, B+= 3.3, B= 3.0, B-= 2.7.)

In addition to formal graded courses, the committee conducts an informal, bi-weekly “Seminar on Important Things.” It is intended to bring together students and selected faculty to discuss topics of general interest in the history and/or philosophy of science; it should provide common ground for students whose quite varied interests might not otherwise draw them to the same classes. Topics are chosen by the participants and change from quarter to quarter. Often it is a recent book or books that is the focus of attention. First and second year students are required to participate in the seminar, but do not receive a grade for doing so. After the second year, participation is optional, but many older students continue to attend.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students must receive a “high pass” in a foreign language exam administered by the University. They are strongly advised to do so as early as possible in their first year. They must do so by the end of their second year.

Examinations in the History and Philosophy of Science

Students must pass oral examinations in the history of science and in the philosophy of science that are, in part, designed by the students themselves. Each lasts approximately two hours. The order in which the exams are taken does not matter. In the case of each exam, the process begins when the student proposes to the chair two faculty members to serve as an exam committee. At least one of the two must be a member of CHSS. The committees for the two exams may overlap, but they must not be identical. If the chair of CHSS approves, and the two members agree to serve, the student will then work with the committee to develop a reading list and a list of questions based on it. The reading list will normally have two parts—one general, and one more narrowly focused on a topic or topics of particular interest to the student. The reading list and the questions must be approved by the members of the exam committee. The exam itself will be based on the reading list, and will incorporate some of the proposed questions, but need not be limited to the latter. (The secretary of CHSS should be given a copy of the student’s approved reading list and questions for inclusion in his or her file.) The student arranges the exact day and time of the exam in consultation with the members of the exam committee.

Dissertation

After all of the above requirements have been satisfied, a student may form a dissertation committee. These normally consist of three faculty members, with one designated as the chair. At least two members of the committee, one of them the chair, must be members of CHSS. The student chooses the committee, subject to the approval of the chair of CHSS and the agreement of the faculty involved. Once the committee has been formed, the student will work with its members to develop a dissertation proposal and will defend it in a proposal hearing when the committee thinks the student ready. If the proposal is approved at the hearing, the student will be considered to have advanced to Ph.D. candidacy. Once the student submits a completed dissertation, and the chair of the dissertation committee secures agreement from all members that it is ready to be defended, a dissertation defense may be scheduled. The faculty present at the defense make the final decision on whether to accept the dissertation.

This text was last revised on 9/03/2003.