THE MASTER'S DEGREE

Unlike most universities Harvard has not seen fit to tighten up on the requirements for graduate degrees. This is especially true of the master's degree. It can be obtained in most of the departments by passing four courses with a grade of B or higher, and three of these may be the regular undergraduate courses. A ruling of the government department, however, to go into effect next fall, requires that for the degree of A.M. in political science, the candidate must, besides the requirements stated above, pass a general examination and present a thesis.

Such a stiffening of requirements is highly advisable and should set a precedent for other departments. Under present conditions it is in many cases easier to obtain a master's degree than a bachelor's degree with honors. Men coming from other colleges can obtain an A.M., and with it the prestige of a Harvard degree, and yet not have as complete a mastery or understanding of the field as a Harvard student who has obtained his A.B. with honors. For this reason an A.M. from Harvard is losing the importance it should have in academic circles. By requiring a general examination and a thesis the department granting the degree can be sure that the candidate has a satisfactory command of his field. The political science department has waived these requirements, however, for men who have received a degree with honors from Harvard College since such men have already passed a general examination and presented a thesis. Students coming from other universities must prove their fitness for the graduate degree in the same way that an honors man from Harvard does. In this way some similarity in the ability of the graduates is assured.

In view of President Conant's work along this line in the Graduate School of Engineering, it is evident that such a tightening up of the requirements as recommended above would be in line with the aims of the present administration. The master's degree from Harvard must represent the same high intellectual achievement, and carry the same prestige in the academic world as do Harvard's A.B. and Ph.D. The government department has pointed the way, and other departments would do well to follow.