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Graduate Sociology at SUNY Albany
Department of Sociology Graduate Student
Handbook
Doctor of Philosophy Program
in Sociology
Overview of Program Requirements
The doctoral program emphasizes sociological
theory, research methodology, and the development
of two specialization areas. The requirements
for the Ph.D. include a minimum of 60 credits
of formal course work, a comprehensive examination
in research methods and in two specialization
areas, a research tool, a teaching tool requirement,
and a dissertation. All doctoral students are
expected to perform teaching, research, and
other professional duties as part of their training
in the program, whether or not they receive
financial support from the University. The University
also requires two semesters of full-time study
and continuous registration until the degree
is completed.
Requests for exceptions to University or department
requirements and regulations are to be submitted
in writing to the Graduate Committee through
the Graduate Director.
Degree Requirements, Policies,
and Procedures
Course Requirements (60 credits minimum)
- Required Sociology Courses (17 Credits)
- Soc 509 Research Methods (3)
- Soc 510 Sociological Theories 1 (3)
- Soc 511 Sociological Theories 11 (3)
- Soc 522 Intermediate Statistics (3)
- Soc 590A Orientation to Sociology*
- Soc 590B Orientation to Sociology*
- Soc 609 Multivariate Analysis (3)
- Supporting courses as advised (43 Credits)
*Attendance is mandatory.
The required courses guide students toward
expertise in the areas of methods and theory.
In addition, students are expected to take courses
which will help them develop their own areas
of specialization. The first year of study includes
the required sequence of courses: SOC 509, SOC
510, and SOC 590A are offered in the fall semester;
SOC 511, SOC 522, and SOC 590B are offered each
spring. Students generally take the remaining
required course, Multivariate Analysis (SOC
609), in the third semester. The orientation
course for first year students, taught by the
Graduate Director, meets one hour a week. During
the fall semester, the focus is on acquainting
students with university and department resources
that support graduate study, specifically computing
and libraries. In the spring semester, students
are introduced to many of the faculty and their
respective areas of specialization.
Course work is planned in consultation with
the Director of Graduate Studies or another
faculty member. Courses may be taken outside
the department as long as they make a contribution
to the student's program of study. No more than
6 credits in independent study and directed
readings may count toward the 60 required credits
without special permission of the Graduate Committee.
Dissertation credits (SOC 899) and research
tool credits do not count toward the 60 required
credits.
Advanced Standing and Course
Waivers
Of the 60 credits required for the degree,
30 credits must be completed at this university.
Students who have completed graduate work elsewhere
may apply for advanced standing credits. The
term “advanced standing,” is used to denote
credits earned for graduate courses or programs
taken elsewhere. A student who has completed
a master's program in sociology elsewhere may
receive up to 30 credits of advanced standing;
this credit may or may not include credit for
required courses. It is also possible for a
student, with or without a master's in sociology,
to receive advanced standing for one or more
courses in a related discipline.
A waiver is granted when the Graduate Committee
deems that a student has satisfied a specific
requirement by some means other than taking
the required course. A waiver is granted for
a required course when the committee determines
that a student's course record, graduate and/or
undergraduate, meets the formal course requirements.
A waiver for a course does not carry credit.
For example, a student who receives a waiver
of SOC 510, would be exempt from taking this
course, but would still have to complete a total
of 60 credits of course work.
Evaluation of a student's application for advanced
standing or waivers is conducted only after
a student has accepted admission to the program.
The following basic requirements must be met
for advanced standing:
- Courses must be graduate courses which
have been earned at an accredited institution
authorized to grant graduate degrees.
- Courses presented for credit must be related
to the program.
- A grade of B or better is required.
- Program requirements such as theses and
examinations may not be satisfied by courses
taken at other institutions.
- Courses accepted for credit may not be used
to balance grades awarded to courses taken
at Albany.
- A course evaluated to be the equivalent
of a required course will be recorded as such
on the notification of advanced standing.
Waivers are granted and evaluated on a case-by-case
basis; therefore, no specific requirements are
noted here.
Procedures for petitioning
for advanced standing credits:
- Upon accepting admission to the doctoral
program, the student submits a petition to
the Director of Graduate Studies. The petition
should include the following information and
materials:
- The number of credits (maximum of 30)
of advanced standing for which the student
is applying.
- The course number, the institution
where the course was completed, the semester
in which the course was completed, a transcript,
and a description of the course for which
the student seeks credit. (A course syllabus
and reading list is helpful to the committee).
- if the student wishes to receive credit
for a specific Albany course, the student
should make reference to it in the materials
referred to above. Courses which do not
have exact equivalents at Albany may by
awarded elective credit.
- The student must arrange for an official
transcript or transcripts to be sent directly
to the Office of Graduate Studies.
- The Graduate Director and Committee review
the petition and consult with faculty who
can assist in determining whether or not advanced
standing should be awarded for a course.
- The Office of the Registrar and the Office
of Graduate Studies are notified of the Committee's
decision.
- The student is informed of the Committee's
decision in writing and receives a copy of
the form forwarded to the offices noted above
(see Appendix 2).
- Once the official transcript has been received
by the Office of Graduate Studies and the
Office of the Registrar receives the form
approving advanced standing, a notation of
the number of hours awarded is made on the
student's permanent record (transcript).
- Students seeking a waiver for a required
course must also petition the Committee and
present all relevant documentation to justify
the award of a waiver. The student is notified
of the Committee's decision in writing, and
a memo is sent to the Office of Graduate Studies
to be placed in the student's permanent file
for use when the student's record is checked
for the completion of requirements.
Teaching Tool Requirement
This departmental requirement is based on
a recognition that teaching skills are useful
and necessary for all Ph.D. graduates, whether
they enter academic or research positions.
The
student meets this requirement by completing
SOC 606, Co-teaching Internship (3 credits),
which involves working with a faculty member
to co-teach an undergraduate course. SOC 690,
Seminar on Teaching Issues, when offered, is
an optional one-credit course designed to
improve
teaching skills and to present issues relevant
to the professorate. Most students take the
co-teaching internship during their second
or third year of study. Successful completion
of this requirement
is one of the criteria used for a teaching
appointment.
Procedures for petitioning
for the coteaching internship:
- The student determines with whom and in
what course they wish to meet this requirement.
- Once a faculty member has agreed to sponsor
the student, the student and faculty member
determine the responsibilities each will have
during the semester. Minimum faculty and student
responsibilities are listed in the Co-teaching
Contract (see Appendix 3). The contract form
is available in the Sociology Department Main
Office, AS-351.
- The completed, signed contract is submitted
to the Graduate Director for approval.
- Upon approval, the student receives a letter
of notification and instructions for registering
for SOC 606.
- Students register for the section of SOC
606 for which the student's sponsor is the
instructor of record.
- The faculty sponsor is required to formally
provide the student with feedback at least
three times
per year (see Appendix 4).
- A petition for a waiver of registration
in SOC 606 must be submitted to the Director
of Graduate
Studies for approval by the Graduate Committee
and must be accompanied by supporting documents
which attest to a teaching experience comparable
to that provided by the co-teaching internship.
- When a waiver of SOC 606 is granted, the
student is notified, and notification is forwarded
to the Office of Graduate Studies for placement
in the student's file.
Research Tool Requirement
The University requires all doctoral students
to demonstrate through examination at this University
a reading knowledge of at least one foreign
language and/or the demonstration at this University
of competence in another appropriate research
tool. This requirement is to be completed concurrently
and in addition to the 60 credits of course
work required in the sociology doctoral program.
The research tool requirement may be fulfilled
with a reading knowledge in a language other
than English or competence in one special methodological
area. Foreign language skills are tested by
appropriate examinations or certification. Research
tool options not involving foreign languages
are typically satisfied by passing appropriate
courses with a grade of B or better (Note: courses
taken to satisfy the research tool requirement
will not be counted toward the 60 semester credits
required for the degree). International students
may petition to use their first language to
meet this requirement.
The non-foreign language option for the research
tool can be satisfied through an advanced or
specialized methods course in or out of the
department, as approved by the Graduate Committee.
Courses in programming, qualitative or historical
methods, biostatistics, or econometrics would
be considered. Required courses, SOC 509, 522,
609, and equivalent courses in other departments
will not be approved.
Courses commonly accepted to
fulfill the research tool include, but are not
restricted to:
- SOC 535 Qualitative Research Techniques
- SOC 552 Demographic Techniques
- SOC 622 Selected Topics in Multivariate
Analysis
- SOC 626 Survey Design and Analysis
- SOC 708 Selected Topics in Methodology
- WSS 590 Research Seminar in Women's Studies
- PAD 636 Cultural Analysis of Organization
Special topics methodology courses in psychology
or criminal justice are also used to fulfill
this requirement.
Procedures for petitioning
for the research tool
- The student submits a petition to the Graduate
Committee through the Graduate Director. The
petition should include the proposed research
tool and the method of evaluation.
- Students whose first language is English,
who wish to use a foreign language to fulfill
their research tool requirement, must be specific
as to the manner in which their reading proficiency
in a foreign language will be demonstrated:
e.g., ETS Graduate School Foreign Language
Test, University at Albany language department
exam, sociology department examination, course
work, etc.
- When formal course work is involved, the
student should seek approval prior to registering
for the course.
- The student receives notification of the
Committee's decision.
- Once competency is demonstrated in the research
tool (completion of the tool demonstrated
by a grade of B or better on the transcript
or reports of an examination committee, etc.),
the Office of the Registrar is notified by
the department that this requirement has been
satisfied (see Appendix 5), and the relevant
notation is entered on the student's transcript.
Comprehensive Examination in
Research Methods Requirement
Students can fulfill the methods requirement
if their combined grades in the first two required
methods courses (SOC 509 and SOC 522) averages
3.5 or better.
Students who do not have the required average
of 3.5 must take a written examination in methods
before their fourth semester. Students required
to take the examination are notified by the
Director of Graduate Studies. The Graduate Director
sets the date of the examination and students
must register for the exam by completing an
exam form with Cathy Rose.
The methods comprehensive exam is a closed
book exam lasting no more than four hours. Students
whose first language is not English may request
one extra hour on the exam. The methods comprehensive
examination committee is selected by the Graduate
Director and consists of three sociology faculty
members, with one person serving as chair. This
committee makes up the exam, grades it, and
notifies the Graduate Director of the exam results.
The Graduate Director then notifies the student
by letter. Appeals of grades on the methods
comp follow the procedures for appealing grades
on specialty exams (see number 9 on page 11).
Any student who fails to satisfy the research
methods requirement by their fourth semester,
or fails to pass the methods examination on
their second attempt, will not be allowed to
continue in the Ph.D. program. The student will
remain eligible to complete the master’s degree.
Preparing for the comprehensive
examinations
All Ph.D. students are required to take two
specialty area comprehensive examinations. These
are take-home open-book exams to be completed
within a seventy-two hour period. The first
must be taken no later than the start of a student’s
sixth semester and the second no later than
the start of a student’s seventh semester. A
student who fails a comprehensive examination
can retake it once in the semester following
the first attempt. Thus, re-examinations, if
needed, would have to be taken no later than
the start of the eighth or ninth semester. A
student who fails to take the comprehensive
examinations by the deadlines, or to pass them
on their second attempt, will not be allowed
to continue in the Ph.D. program. The student
will remain eligible to complete the master’s
degree.
Students must pick a substantive area for each
of their comprehensive examinations, ask three
faculty (one of whom needs to be designated
as the committee chair) to serve on the committee
for each exam, and formulate a reading list
which is to be approved by all three committee
members.
Students may register for SOC 693 and 793 (both
3 credit courses) in the semester immediately
before or during the one in which they intend
to take each comprehensive examination. These
two courses do not meet formally, rather, they
provide credit for students’ independent study
for the comprehensive examinations. Students
receive a passing grade for those courses when
they take their examinations, regardless of
whether they pass or fail the exam.
Areas for comprehensive examinations
Areas must be chosen from the list of sociological
area specialties listed in the American Sociological
Association’s Guide to Graduate Departments.
The following are areas in which three or more
department faculty list an area of specialization.
If a student petitions for one of these areas
and their committee is made up of three of the
faculty listed under this area, the Graduate
Director will give automatic approval to the
student’s request:
Aging/Social Gerontology:
Loscocco, Spitze, Ward
Children and Youth:
Hernandez, Krohn, Trent
Collective Behavior/Social
Movements: Jacobs, Lachmann, Moore,
Seidman
Comparative/Historical
Sociology: Bose, Jacobs, Lachmann, Moore,
Richter
Criminology/Deviance:
Johnson, Kaufman, King, Krohn, Messner Ward
Cultural Sociology:
Jacobs, Lachmann, Seidman
Demography: Alba,
Deane, Denton, Hernandez, Horton, Liang, South,
Spitze, Trent
Economic Sociology:
Hall, Lachmann, Loscocco, Raffalovich, Zetka
Family: Hernandez,
Loscocco, South, Spitze, Trent, Ward
Gender: Bose, Hernandez,
Johnson, Loscocco, Moore, Seidman, Spitze, Wagner,
Ward
History of Sociology/Social
Thought: Jacobs, Lachmann, Zetka
Migration and Immigration:
Alba, Chung, Denton, Horton, Liang, South
Occupations/Professions:
Bose, Hall, Loscocco, Zetka
Organizations: Hall,
Lachmann, Zetka
Political Sociology: Jacobs,
Lachmann, Moore
Quantitative Methods:
Alba, Deane, Raffalovich, South
Race/Ethnic/Minority Relations:
Alba, Bose, Chung, Denton, Horton, Jacobs, Johnson,
Loscocco
Sexuality: Bose,
Jacobs, Loscocco, Seidman, Spitze, Wagner
Social Networks:
Krohn, Lachmann, Moore, Raffalovich
Sociological Theory:
Jacobs, Lachmann, Seidman, Wagner
Stratification/Mobility:
Bose, Horton, Loscocco, Moore, Raffalovich,
Zetka
Urban Sociology:
Alba, Chung, Denton, Liang, Jacobs, South
Work/Labor Markets:
Bose, Hall, Johnson, Loscocco, Moore, Spitze,
Zetka
If a student wishes to select one of the above
areas, but would like to choose a faculty member
from this or another department who is not included
on the above list, they must attach an explanation
as to why that faculty member would be appropriate
for their committee. All such requests will
be considered by the Graduate Committee.
The following is a list of those areas from
the Guide to Graduate Departments which only
two members of the department faculty have listed
as areas in which they are competent to examine
students. If a student chooses to be examined
in one of these areas, they must use both faculty
members listed and select one additional faculty
person from this or another department. In the
student’s letter requesting to be examined in
this area they must attach an explanation as
to why the non-listed faculty person would be
appropriate for their committee. All such requests
will be considered by the Graduate Committee.
Development/World Systems:
Bose, Lachmann
Medical Sociology/Mental
Health: Higgins, Ward
Science/Technology: Wagner,
Zetka
Students have the option of petitioning to
take an exam in an area listed in the ASA Guide
to Graduate Departments which is not included
in the above lists. Among those areas are the
following, which only one faculty member lists
as a specialization. Students who want to take
an exam in one of these areas must find two
other faculty members willing to examine in
this area, at least one of whom must be a member
of the department. In a student’s letter requesting
to be examined in this area they must attach
an explanation as to why the non-listed faculty
person would be appropriate for their committee.
All such requests will be considered by the
Graduate Committee.
Democracy: Seidman
Religion: Lachmann
Rural Sociology:
Horton
Social Psychology: Wagner
Procedures for taking a specialty comprehensive
exam
- After the methods comprehensive requirement
is satisfied, a student chooses specialty
examination committees. The committee must
consist of a minimum of three faculty members,
two of whom must be members of the Sociology
Department. The chair of the committee must
be a member of the Sociology Department.
- The student submits a petition to the Director
of Graduate Studies to accept the specialty
area and the examining committee, specifying
who will serve as chair. The Graduate Director
circulates the petition to members of the
Graduate Committee for approval.
- The student is notified of the Graduate
Committee's action on the petition.
- The student consults with their committee
members to develop an appropriate reading
list. The reading list must be approved by
all committee members. When the student and
the chair of the specialty examination committee
agree the student is ready to take the exam,
the student selects an examination date from
among those scheduled by the department. This
date should be agreed upon by all committee
members.
- There are three examination periods scheduled
throughout the year for the administration
of specialty examinations: two weeks immediately
prior to the beginning of the fall semester,
two weeks during the intersession, and two
weeks immediately following the spring semester.
A student may take an examination, regardless
of area, during any of these periods. Exams
will not be offered on any date other than
those in the official schedule.
- In order to take the exam, the student must
choose a seventy-two hour date within the
two-week examination period, complete the
exam form, and return it to Cathy Rose by
the specified deadline for that examination
period. The form must be signed by all members
of the student’s committee.
- The chair of the examination committee
notifies the Graduate Director of the exam
results. The Graduate Director then notifies
the student by letter.
- Upon the successful completion of all examinations,
the Office of the Registrar is notified, and
the information is recorded on the student's
transcript (see Appendix 5).
- If a student wishes to appeal a grade given
by the original examination committee, the
following procedures must be followed:
- The student must specify, in writing,
the reason(s) for appealing the grade.
This statement should be addressed to
the Director of Graduate Studies who,
in turn, will send it to the members of
the examination committee.
- The examination committee is then asked
to reread the exam and either reaffirm
or change the original grade.
- If the student is still dissatisfied
with the outcome, they may again appeal
to the Graduate Committee (specifying
in detail the reason(s) for the appeal).
The Graduate Committee will then appoint
a new committee to read the exam.
- The determination of the committee is
final.
Full-time Study in Residence
Each doctoral student must engage in full-time
study beyond the master's degree or equivalent
at the University for at least one academic
year after admission to the program. A year
of full-time study is a requirement designed
to ensure the student a sustained period of
intensive intellectual growth. Students who
enter with a master's degree and have been awarded
advanced standing should plan on beginning to
meet this University requirement within their
first year of study at Albany. Students admitted
to the doctoral program with a bachelor’s degree
should plan on meeting this requirement after
completing thirty credits.
A student will enroll in full-time study (12
credits) taken in each of two sessions, or in
a regular session and a summer session, not
necessarily consecutive, which must be completed
satisfactorily, except as indicated here:
- Students authorized to register for work
on a dissertation may meet this 12 credit
per session requirement by satisfactorily
completing a minimum of 8 earned course credits
and registering for work on the dissertation
for load credits.
- Graduate assistants holding a full assistantship
may meet the residency requirement by completing
one academic year in such a position, including
the satisfactory completion of a minimum of
18 registered credits during the year plus
satisfactory completion of assigned duties.
Procedures for waiver of the
full-time study in residence requirement:
- Petitions, with ample justification, should
be submitted to the department' s Graduate
Committee.
- The Committee forwards the petition, along
with its recommendation, to the Office of
Graduate Studies for presentation to the Graduate
Advisory Committee (GAC).
- A waiver of this requirement is not pro
forma. GAC meets once a month during the academic
year, and the petition is first reviewed by
one of its standing committees. It is strongly
recommended that students who plan to seek
a waiver submit their petition well enough
in advance to permit the student to plan according
to the Council's decision.
- Both the department and the student are
notified of the GAC determination.
Candidacy
The department recommends a student be admitted
to candidacy (ABD, all but dissertation) for
the Doctor of Philosophy upon completion of
the following:
- Satisfactory record in course and seminar
study;
- Satisfactory completion of the research
tool and teaching tool requirements;
- Completion of the University residence
requirement;
- Satisfactory completion of the comprehensive
examination in methods or meeting the performance
criterion in required methods courses;
- Satisfactory completion of two specialty
examinations.
The department nominates the student for candidacy
(see Appendix 9). With the approval of the Dean
of Graduate Studies, a student is admitted to
candidacy. Students must hold this status for
at least one semester, exclusive of a summer
session, before the acceptance of their dissertation.
The Doctoral Dissertation
A dissertation based on independent research
is required. The dissertation should constitute
a significant and potentially publishable professional
contribution to the field of sociology. The
student must successfully propose and defend
the dissertation in oral examinations before
the department.
Procedures for completing the
doctoral dissertation
- The candidate selects a dissertation committee
of at least three full-time faculty members.
- The majority of the committee, including
the chair, must be faculty members of the
Sociology Department. Candidates with a specialization
in communication must have a committee of
four or more faculty members, with at least
two from Sociology and two from Communication.
The chair may be from the Communication Department.
A faculty member may continue as chair of
a dissertation committee after leaving the
University.
- After faculty members have agreed to serve
and a topic has been approved by the dissertation
committee, the candidate is required to petition
the Graduate Committee for final approval
of the dissertation committee and topic. The
candidate submits the petition to the Director
of Graduate Studies. The petition should include
the names of the committee members with the
committee chair identified, a tentative title,
and a brief summary of the topic.
- The candidate is notified of the Graduate
Committee's action on the petition.
- When the dissertation committee chair agrees,
the candidate requests Cathy Rose to set a
time and place for a public defense of the
dissertation proposal. This must be done at
least two weeks prior to the defense.
- The candidate submits an abstract and full
proposal for departmental reading to Cathy
Rose one week prior to the presentation. Cathy
Rose publicizes the defense.
- Since an accepted dissertation proposal
represents a contract between the student
and the dissertation committee, the proposal
should include a detailed statement of the
theoretical framework, the methodology, and
importance of the topic.
- The candidate presents the proposed research
at an open meeting. The chair of the dissertation
committee solicits comment and questions from
the committee and others in attendance.
- The dissertation committee either "approves,"
"approves pending revisions," or
"rejects" the proposal, and notifies
the candidate, in writing, the reason(s) for
taking the latter two actions. A Report on
the Outcome of the Dissertation Proposal Defense
form is completed, signed by the committee
members and the student, and returned to Cathy
Rose (see Appendix 6).
- If the dissertation committee "approves
pending revisions" the candidate
resubmits a redrafted proposal within
a time period fixed by the dissertation
committee. The dissertation committee
may then:
- Approve
- Call for another public defense
- Reject.
- If the dissertation committee "rejects"
on the first or second attempt, the candidate
must
proceed as though preparing a first presentation
(steps 1-9).
- The student proceeds with the dissertation
upon approval of the proposal by the dissertation
committee. The student registers for the section
of SOC 899 for which the dissertation committee
chair is instructor of record; the instructor
provides the student with a Permission Number.
SOC 899 carries load (ungraded) credit. A
student registers for the number of credits
appropriate to the student's program during
that semester. There is no specified number
of dissertation load credits required. A set
of guidelines for the preparation of the dissertation
and other relevant policies for the submission
of the dissertation is available in the department’s
main office, AS-351.
- Upon completion of the dissertation and
with the agreement of the dissertation committee,
the student sets the date and time of the
oral defense. The candidate requests Cathy
Rose to reserve the department conference
room for the dissertation defense. This should
be done at least two weeks before the date
of the oral defense.
- The candidate submits an abstract and full
dissertation to Cathy Rose one full week prior
to the dissertation defense. On behalf of
the dissertation committee, Cathy Rose extends
an invitation to others to attend the defense
and makes the dissertation available for review.
- The candidate presents the dissertation
research and answers questions from the committee
and others in attendance.
- Three signatures, two of which must be those
of the Sociology Department faculty, are required
for the acceptance of a dissertation. If the
candidate's committee accepts the dissertation,
the committee chair will notify the Graduate
Director. The dissertation committee may accept
the dissertation pending minor revisions.
In that case, the student must complete those
changes before the dissertation committee
signs the transmittal form. When the dissertation
is in final form, the department chair signs
the transmittal form and the dissertation
can then be submitted to the University as
the final requirement for the Ph.D. degree.
- The final, typed, error-free dissertation
presented to the Office of Graduate Studies
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the doctoral degree must be the version
approved by the dissertation committee and
the department chair.
- The original dissertation and one copy,
the approval form, receipt for microfilming
and binding, the survey of earned doctorates,
and the signed UMI agreement (see Appendix
7a through 7g) are to be brought to Cathy
Rose. The recommendation for the degree is
then prepared for the department chair's signature,
and all required documents and the dissertation
are delivered to the Dean of Graduate Studies.
Students receive a copy of all relevant forms.
- The student must apply for the award of
the degree at the Office of the Registrar
(Campus Center, B-
25) (see Appendix 8). The deadline date for
application for the degree and the deadline
date for completion of all requirements for
the award of the degree in a given semester
appear in the academic calendar for that semester.
The academic calendar is printed in the Schedule
of Classes and can be found on-line.
Continuous Registration
Except for periods of official leaves of absence,
all doctoral students must be continuously registered
for a minimum of three credits for fall and
spring semesters from admission to the program
until all requirements prior to the dissertation
are satisfied. During the time the student is
registering for dissertation load credits (SOC
899), they may be registered for one credit
per semester. Summer session registration may
not be substituted for fall or spring registration.
A student who does not register for a fall or
spring semester and who has not received approval
for a leave of absence is subject to termination.
Statute of Limitations
All requirements for the doctoral program must
be completed within eight calendar years from
the date of initial registration in the program.
This policy applies equally to all students
who enter with or without advanced standing
and to students who formally change their areas
of specialization after admission and study
in the program. Extensions to the statute of
limitations may be authorized by the Assistant
Dean of Graduate Studies. Petitions for an extension
to the statute of limitations should be submitted
to the Graduate Director.
Leaves of Absence
A doctoral student may be granted an official
leave of absence from the program for appropriate
academic or personal reasons (see Appendix 10).
A leave of absence must be approved by the department,
college, and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Normally,
a leave for up to one year is granted. However,
a student may be granted up to four semesters,
not necessarily consecutive, in leave of absence
status. While on a leave of absence, a student
is not entitled to use University facilities
and faculty resources exclusively afforded to
students. Periods of authorized leave are not
counted among those charged against the statute
of limitation.
Model Timetable for Completion
of the Ph.D. degree
Students arriving with graduate credits and
who receive advanced standing or waivers should
see the Graduate Director to modify this timetable:
First Semester
SOC 509, 510, 590A, one elective = 9 credits
Second Semester
SOC 522, 511, 590B, one elective = 9 credits
Third Semester
[Take Methods Comprehensive Exam, if needed]
SOC 609 and two electives = 9 credits
Fourth Semester
SOC 606 Co-teaching Internship (meets teaching
tool requirement and makes student eligible
for summer and academic year teaching positions)
Plus Two electives = 9 credits
Fifth Semester
SOC 693, two electives = 9 credits
Sixth Semester
Take first Specialty Exam
SOC 793, two electives = 9 credits
Seventh Semester
Take second specialty exam
Two electives = 6 credits (60 credits Ph.D.
requirement met)
Take course if still needed to meet research
tool requirement
Eighth Semester
Student is admitted to candidacy (is now at
the ABD “All But Dissertation” stage)
Submit and defend Dissertation Proposal
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