1. INTRODUCTION TO GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN SOCIOLOGY
This manual has been prepared to assist students in becoming oriented to the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, its faculty, and its operational procedures. The document is not intended to be the student's sole source of information. Rather, it should be viewed as complementary to the North Carolina State University Graduate Catalog with which all students are strongly advised to be familiar. Other documents students might find useful include the NCSU Handbook, the Graduate Student Association Handbook, and the Handbook of Alpha Kappa Delta.
The Department admits students into graduate programs leading to the Master of Science in Sociology (MS), the and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. (The first Master's degree in Sociology was awarded in 1921 and the first Ph.D. at NCSU was awarded in Sociology in 1926. As of December 2005, a total of 446 advanced degrees have been awarded.) A thesis based on original research is required for the MS and Ph.D. degrees. Completion of the course requirements usually takes two years for the MS and three additional years for the Ph.D. For students who decide after admission to move into a more applied program, the Master of Sociology (M. Soc.) degree is offered. This program requires a period of field experience.
When students enroll in graduate school they enter a new academic world. Major emphasis is placed upon ability to think independently and in terms of complex patterns of ideas. Graduate education stresses not only what is known but also the methods of knowing; it operates to a great extent at the frontiers of knowledge. Emphasis is placed on research methods, analysis, and interpretation rather than on the mastery of neatly packaged sets of facts. While not all graduate students will contribute equally to the advancement of knowledge, all must participate in the broad and critical pattern of thinking that characterizes research. To obtain an advanced degree, students must demonstrate their ability to learn independently and to do independent and creative work which goes well beyond course work.
Advanced degrees in sociology are certifications that the person possessing them can carry out the analytical, conceptual, and methodological operations expected of a professional sociologist. An advanced degree is not merely a stamp of professional competence. It also testifies to the expectations on the part of the faculty that the person receiving the degree will continue to grow and be productive in the field. As a result, both professor and student are "stamped" with each degree. Faculty members at North Carolina State University make every effort to ensure that those who receive advanced degrees in sociology are fully capable of meeting the standards of professional scholarship.
Graduate students must assume major responsibility for planning their programs and taking the initiative in securing necessary advice from the faculty. Any carefully developed plan devised for a program will depend upon individual interests or goals. One of the following three broad goals may be anticipated by a student seeking an advanced degree in sociology.
First, a student may wish to become a teacher-research scholar. Most teacher-research scholars are associated with universities and colleges. They also may work temporarily in government agencies, foundations, and other positions.
Second, a student may be interested in working as a researcher or a teacher in sociology. For the researcher, employment opportunities exist in government agencies, non-profit organizations and in private companies. The person interested solely in teaching will seek positions in smaller colleges, community colleges, and secondary schools.
Third, a student may be interested in preparing for a career in sociological practice or engaged sociology. Opportunities for employment exist in various forms of administration, community-oriented action agencies, extension and other educational agencies, and international and governmental programs.
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2. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES
Graduate School Requirements and Procedures for Admission
a. Application
Applications for admission must include official transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended, references from at least three people familiar with the student's academic record and potential for graduate study, a non-refundable application fee, and an official statement of the Graduate Record Examination scores.
Application and reference forms may be obtained from the Dean of the Graduate School, Box 7102, 103 Peele Hall, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7102 or by visiting the web. The web address site is http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/grad/. All completed application materials should be returned as instructed.
b. International Students
Students whose native language is other than English, regardless of citizenship, must submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores as evidence of ability to use English at a level of competence sufficient for graduate work. On the paper-based test, a minimum score of 550 is required for admission. No subsection scores may be below 50. Requirements for the computer-based test are an overall score of 213 with at least 17 on two of the three sections, and no section score of less than 13. The test date must be within 24 months of application deadline date before the semester for which the application is being reviewed. An official score report issued by the Educational Testing Service is required. All international students must be cleared by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the beginning of their initial semester in residence and may be required to take additional course work in English. The international applicant must also provide the University with verification that the required funds are available to support the proposed program of advanced study. Foreign nationals residing in the United States at the time application is made must also provide information regarding their current visa status. The University provides special forms to be used by the applicant in supplying this information. Financial aid is very limited for international students.
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c. Admission
Students are admitted to full or provisional status in a specific degree program and for a specific semester. The Sociology Program usually admits students to begin in the Fall term, although exceptions can be made in special circumstances. Changes in the admission date must be requested in writing and approved by the Department and the Graduate School. Once the requirements for a degree program have been completed, admission to a new graduate classification must be formally approved before further registration as a graduate student will be permitted.
Full Graduate Standing: For admission in full graduate standing, an applicant must have a baccalaureate degree from a college or university recognized as a regional or general accrediting agency and must have at least a "B" (3.0) average in the undergraduate major. Accepted students typically have GPAs above 3.5.
Provisional Admission: Provisional admission are rarely granted to applicants with bachelor's degrees from accredited institutions who lack essential undergraduate work. Course work without graduate credit will be required to make up such deficiencies before admission to full status can be granted. Applicants with bachelor's degrees from non-accredited institutions may be granted provisional admission when their academic records warrant this status and additional course work may be required. Students whose scholastic records are below the full admission standards may also be admitted provisionally when their undergraduate work indicates progressive improvement or that unavoidable extenuating circumstances affected their undergraduate averages.
Students admitted under provisional status are reviewed after the first year of enrollment. Full graduate standing is granted when deficiencies are corrected and a 3.0 grade point average has been earned on all provisional course work. Change from provisional to full status is made upon recommendation from the Department.
-The Source for information included in this section is the North Carolina State University Graduate Catalog . For greater detail, students should consult the catalog.-
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d. Departmental Requirements and Procedures for Admission
The department follows the guidelines of the Graduate School, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS), and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). Graduate School applicants are required to submit letters of recommendation and transcripts of their undergraduate grades as well as any graduate course experience. As a departmental requirement, applicants must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and have the scores forwarded to the University. A personal statement detailing professional aspirations and a writing sample are also required. For Fall semester admission, application and supporting documents are due by January 10th. Applications must be submitted on-line.
After application materials are received they are reviewed by the Graduate Recruitment and Admissions Committee and applicants are notified of the decision as rapidly as possible. As a part of the University, the Department of Sociology and Anthropology is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. See also NCSU Graduate Catalog.
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3. RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS
a. Master's Students
Master's students are required to pursue graduate work in residence at NCSU for a minimum of one academic year or its equivalent.
b. Doctoral Students
Students receiving doctoral degrees must have been registered for graduate work at an accredited graduate school for a minimum of six semesters beyond completion of the baccalaureate degree. Students must obtain a minimum of two residence credits at NCSU. Summer work may serve as partial fulfillment of this requirement.
During a Fall or Spring semester residence credits are calculated as follows according to hours registered:
| Semester Credits (Hours) |
Residence Credits |
| 9 or more hours |
1 |
| 6-8 hours |
2/3 |
| less than 6 hours (including registration for "DR Dissertation Preparation" or "DR Dissertation Research") |
1/3 |
During either summer term residence credit equals one-half that of the corresponding credit for a regular term (e.g., six hours credit during a summer term equals 1/3 residence credit.)
4. TIME LIMITS
All requirements for the master's degree must be completed within six calendar years, beginning with the date the student commences courses carrying graduate credit applicable to the degree program. An exception would be in cases in which a more restrictive time limit has been established by the academic college/school.
Doctoral students are allowed a maximum of six calendar years from admission to the doctoral program to attain candidacy for the degree and a maximum of ten calendar years to complete all degree requirements. Some academic colleges/schools or departments may have more restrictive requirements than the above stated University policy.
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5. GRADUATE STUDY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
a. Assistantships
Teaching Assistant (TA) or Research Assistant (RA) support is offered to most applicants. Students admitted to provisional status are ineligible for financial assistance. International students must first show evidence that they are able to support themselves for the duration of their study at NCSU, however, they may still be eligible for an assistantship.
b. Graduate Student Support Plan
The Graduate Student Support Plan is used to attract top students to NC State. Under the plan, students supported on a teaching or research assistantship or a fellowship receive health insurance benefits and tuition support. Please see GSSP.
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c. Other Sources of Support
In addition to the above there are several other sources of supplemental financial aid available on the campus.
Diversity Recruitment Grants: These grants are based on need and, intended to add diversity to the student body, and do not increase or create a work obligation.
Alumni Association Stipend Supplements: These are first-year-only supplements intended to attract superior graduate students. They are very competitive. Supplements are awarded across all university colleges/schools as a financial incentive above and beyond whatever fellowship or assistantship candidates have already been offered.
Andrews Fellowships: These are first-year-only supplements to attract superior graduate students. They are very competitive. Supplements are awarded across all university colleges/schools as a financial incentive above and beyond whatever fellowship or assistantship candidates have already been offered.
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d. Financial Resources Information
Grants and Fellowships: Competitive awards are funded through national research support institutions such as National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Health (NIH), National Institute of Education (NIE), or National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Some of these are restricted to fields of study (e.g., medical sociology) or are especially designed to aid students from under-represented groups or women. Materials on grants and fellowships are available from the Graduate School and in the D. H. Hill Library reference area at NCSU or from the American Sociological Association and local public libraries.
Loans & Work Study: The Financial Aid office in 2006 Harris Hall, Box 7302, is the best source of information for this type of aid. Their current main source of loans is the "Guaranteed Student Loan Program" in which no payment or interest is due while a student is in school. Students must apply in their state of official residence for these loans.
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6. ADMINISTRATION OF GRADUATE PROGRAM
a. The Student
The management of a student's graduate program of study is largely in the hands of the student as guided and constrained by the Department and by the rules of the Graduate School. Should occasions arise which require adjustment between the student and the Department and/or Graduate School, immediate action should be taken to resolve the issues utilizing the Advisory Committee chair or the Director of Graduate Programs.
All graduate students are expected to provide the Graduate Office of the Department with copies of all significant documents pertaining to their graduate program so that these records can be consulted at times of student employment, assistantships, awards, fellowships, etc.
Students should also keep the Graduate Office informed of their addresses and telephone numbers and any change in their graduate status.
b. The Advisor
Graduate Students can request a temporary advisor prior to their first semester. If necessary, the Director of Graduate Programs designates an advisor to students who have not chosen one. The advisor is a member of the graduate faculty who is appropriately qualified and authorized by the Graduate School to advise graduate students. This advisor will either serve as chair or be replaced by the chair of the Advisory Committee when the student's chooses another advisor or their plan of work is filed.
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c. Advisory Committees
The Graduate School policy regarding the appointment of an Advisory Committee and submission of a plan of work reads as follows: "Master's students' records must be filed in the Graduate School before completion of half of the course work required in the program (see Graduate Catalog, for more information). Doctoral students' records must be filed in the Graduate School after 12 hours of course work in the contemplated program have been completed" (see Graduate Catalog for more information).
The department recommends that an Advisory Committee be selected and appointed for each student no later than the end of the second semester of graduate study. This committee replaces the interim advisor and the committee chair becomes the principal advisor. Graduate School policy states that the committee members and chair are selected by the student on their consent with the advice and approval of the Head and/or Director of Graduate Programs. The chair and committee are finally appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School. Early selection of the Advisory Committee can provide the student with guidance especially suited to her (his) interests and assures that an appropriate plan of work is developed and followed.
Graduate faculty and students need to recognize that later changes in membership on the Advisory committee may be desirable, especially when thesis or dissertation projects change. Students are encouraged to ascertain that the faculty on their Advisory Committees remain appropriate to their substantive interests and that the chair is the faculty member who can best assume primary responsibility for direction of the thesis or dissertation.
The Advisory Committee will act as the student's academic advisory body throughout the pursuit of a graduate degree. The Advisory Committee is expected to be available for student program planning, discussion of professional development, and consultation and direction on thesis and dissertation research. Committee members are expected to be well acquainted with the student's progress at all times after the committee's formation. A student should be certain to keep the committee members fully informed of progress toward the degree.
At the Master's level, the Advisory Committee consists of at least two members from the sociology graduate faculty and one member from the graduate faculty in the minor area if a minor is declared. If there is no minor, the third committee member may be either a member of the sociology graduate faculty or a member of the graduate faculty in another discipline in which the student has taken course work and/or which is related to the student's thesis or project. The student may elect to have a committee composed of more than three members.
At the doctoral level, an Advisory Committee consists of at least three members of the sociology graduate faculty and one member from the graduate faculty in the minor field if a minor is declared. If there is no minor, the fourth member may be either a member of the sociology graduate faculty or a member of the graduate faculty in another discipline in which the student has taken course work and/or which is related to the student's dissertation research. The student is responsible for securing the consent of committee members to serve; the recommendation of committee membership must be made in writing to the Director of Graduate Programs by the student. The formal appointment is made by the Dean of the Graduate School (upon the recommendation of the major professor) and the Head and/or Director of Graduate Programs. The committee may be either chaired by a full member of the sociology graduate faculty or co-chaired by a full member and an associate member of the sociology graduate faculty. In the latter case, the co-chairs should agree on committee responsibilities.
As soon as possible after the beginning of their programs, doctoral students should select areas of specialization within sociology and may select a minor area outside of sociology. The Advisory Committee should be so constituted as to reflect these choices. A student may change the areas of specialization with the approval of the committee and before attempting the preliminary substantive examinations. Such a change may require a corresponding change in committee members.
The Graduate School policy on changes in committee composition states that: "Recommendations for changes in the composition of a committee should be submitted in writing to the Dean of the Graduate School and should indicate that all faculty members involved have been informed of and support the recommendation." Attempts will be made to resolve any problems in committee composition in the best academic interests of the student and the integrity of the graduate program. Changes in departmental faculty, such as retirements and hiring, require that committee membership be flexible. Any changes must be documented in writing and submitted to the office of the Director of Graduate Programs for approval and proper transmittal.
As soon as possible after the appointment of the Advisory Committee, a meeting should be held with the major advisor to prepare a Plan of Graduate Work which must be approved by the Head and/or Director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate School. In addition to proposed course work, the subject of the student's thesis or dissertation should appear on the plan. The information on the form will be prepared by the Graduate Office. Once approved, this plan becomes the student's requirement for graduation. Subsequent changes are frequently desirable or necessary, but must be submitted in writing to the Director of Graduate Programs for approval and proper transmittal. Changes, upon approval, become a part of the Plan of Graduate Work.
Students may not be cleared for graduation or permitted to schedule a preliminary or final oral examination in a given semester unless the plan of work for the degree program is on file. A student's plan of work must be submitted to the Graduate School at least one semester before a preliminary oral examination will be scheduled for that student.
Students are permitted to change the composition of their Advisory Committees at any time except that they may not drop a member from their Advisory Committee after first attempting the final oral examination (Master's and Doctoral students). Students may add members, and/or exchange committee member's functions (e.g., member to co-chair) at any time. Changes in the membership of the Advisory Committee should be done by mutual consent of all parties involved (the faculty being dropped and/or added) and by the chair (or co-chairs) of the Advisory Committee. Permission of the Director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate School is required.
Essentially, students may add or drop members at any time prior to the final oral defense. As a general policy, all Advisory Committees will be chaired or co-chaired by graduate faculty inside the department. Sociologists classified as "associates" or "adjuncts" to the Department may serve on committees, but may at most serve as co-chairs. The appropriateness of "adjuncts" or "associates" on all such committees must be approved by the department head, the Director of Graduate Programs, or their designated representative.
Faculty who are located at the other university graduate schools operating under the "cooperative agreement" with North Carolina State University (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Duke University), and are members of their institutions graduate faculty, may serve as the third member of Master's or the fourth member of doctoral committees pending approval of the Advisory Committee chair, the DGP, and the Graduate School. A copy of the faculty member's vita should be provided with the appointment request.
A faculty member from another university or a professional from industry or government (with credentials comparable to those required for membership on the Graduate Faculty) may serve as an external member [fourth member, master's committees; fifth member, doctoral committees], with full voting rights, along with the required committee composed of members of the NCSU Graduate Faculty. It will be necessary to provide credentials to the Graduate School.
In addition, a person from industry, a governmental agency, or a university may, upon recommendation of the committee and the department/program, serve as a technical consultant, without voting rights, along with the required committee composed of members of the NCSU Graduate Faculty. A statement describing the consultant's potential contribution to the student's research or project should be provided to the Graduate School.
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d. Director of Graduate Programs
The Director of Graduate Programs supervises the graduate program of the Department and reports to the Department Head. The normal business of graduate program approval, committee selection, interpretation of graduate requirements, communication with the Graduate School , representing graduate student requests to the Department or Graduate School, supervising the Department's Graduate Office, recommending changes in the graduate program, resolving advisor-advisee differences, developing data about the operations of the graduate program, recruitment of graduate students, and related duties, will be handled by the Director of Graduate Programs.
Although the Director of Graduate Programs will respond to the diverse program needs of graduate students and advisors, it is assumed that all methods of problem resolution between the parties themselves have been exhausted prior to bringing the matter to the attention of the Director of Graduate Programs.
e. Departmental Graduate Committees
As currently constituted, the Graduate Committee of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology serves to formulate policy. This committee also is the Graduate Curriculum Committee for the Department and is chaired by the Director of Graduate Programs. It consists of three faculty appointed by the Head, two elected faculty, one anthropologist, and one graduate student representative. It makes recommendations to the Department Head.
The Graduate Recruitment and Admissions Committee recruits and reviews applications of prospective graduate students. It, too, consists of three faculty appointed by the Head, two elected faculty, and one graduate student representative. This committee conducts the diagnostic review of all first-year students. Both committees may be assisted by subcommittees which temporarily assist in recruitment, curriculum development, and placement.
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f. The Graduate School
All students are reminded that this manual on graduate study pertains largely to the Department and that the general requirements for Masters and Ph.D. degrees are controlled and administered by the Graduate School as outlined in the NCSU Graduate Catalog.
7. CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE GRADUATE FACULTY
The qualifications for Associate and Full status in the Graduate Faculty are as follows:
Associate Status "The necessary qualifications for consideration as an Associate Member of the Graduate Faculty is appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor, including adjunct and visiting categories. Graduate Faculty status is awarded upon recommendation by the Department Head or the Director of Graduate Programs and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School . Should the candidate not hold a doctoral degree, there should be demonstrable evidence that the candidate possesses the experience, knowledge, and capability in the area of intended participation in the graduate program of the University."
"An Associate Member of the Graduate Faculty may teach courses that carry graduate credit and participate as a member of Advisory Committees in the planning of graduate student programs. Upon recommendation of a Department Head or Director of Graduate Programs and on approval of the Dean of the Graduate School , an Associate member may serve as chair of Master's Advisory Committees or as co-chair of doctoral Advisory Committees. In the latter instance, it will be necessary for the chair to hold full Graduate Faculty status."
Full Status "Full members of the Graduate Faculty will be tenured (or tenure track) faculty who have distinguished themselves in research, thesis direction and graduate teaching. Evidence of such distinction is indicated by a number of significant publications, by service as chair of the Advisory Committees for several Master's students or as co-chair of the Advisory Committee for doctoral students, and by excellence in graduate teaching. In certain instances, either one or two of these experiences may be considered sufficient."
Advancement or appointment to full status should be recommended by the Department Head or Director of Graduate programs and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School . The recommendation should be voted on by the full members of the Graduate Faculty of the department/program and the vote forwarded to the Dean of the Graduate School along with the recommendation.
"A member of the Graduate Faculty holding full status may participate fully in all phases of the graduate program of the university."
NOTE: A faculty member who is not a member of the Graduate Faculty may serve on graduate student committees as an additional member to the basic committee.
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8. SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY GRADUATE FACULTY
Full Graduate Status
Virginia M. Aldigè
Maxine P. Atkinson
William B. Clifford
Ronald F. Czaja
Rodney L. Engen
L. Richard Della Fave
Theodore N. Greenstein
Thomas J. Hoban
Edward L. Kick
Jeffrey C. Leiter
Stephen C. Lilley
Luther B. Otto, Emeritus
Patricia L. McCall
Robert L. Moxley
David Mustian (*Associate Faculty, Agriculture & Extension Education, NCSU)
|
Barbara J. Risman (Ending 12/31/07)
Anne L. Schiller
Michael D. Schulman
Michael L. Schwalbe
William R. Smith
Melvin E. Thomas
Maxine S. Thompson
Randall J. Thomson
Charles R. Tittle
Ronald C. Wimberley
Eric M. Woodrum
Margaret A. Zahn
|
Associate Graduate Status
Lucille B. Bearon, (Associate
Faculty, Family & Consumer
Sciences, NCSU)
D. Troy Case
Feinian Chen
Stacy M. De Coster
Risa Ellovich
Scott Fitzpatrick
Jerry Jacka
Ann Ross
|
John F. Thigpen (Associate
Faculty, UNC Sea Grant, NCSU)
Alton Thompson (Adjunct Professor, North Carolina A&T State University )
James M. Wallace
Catherine R. Zimmer (Adjunct Associate Professor, UNC-CH)
|
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9. SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY GRADUATE FACULTY,
THEIR RANKS AND AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
Name |
Professional Rank |
Specialty Area |
| Aldigè, Virginia M |
Professor |
Medical Sociology
Sociology of Mental Health
Sociology of Law |
| Atkinson, Maxine P |
Professor |
Scholarship of Teaching & Learning
Gender
Aging
Family |
| Case, D. Troy |
Assistant Professor |
Physical Anthropology
Paleopathology
Human Osteology |
| Chen, Feinian |
Associate Professor |
Statistics
Family
Demography |
| Clifford, William B. |
Professor |
Demography
Ecology
Environmental Sociology |
| Czaja, Ronald F. |
Associate Professor |
Research Methods
Medical Sociology
Evaluation Research |
| De Coster, Stacy M. |
Associate Professor |
Crime, Law Social Control
Sociology of Mental Health
Inequality
Sociology of Gender |
| Della Fave, L. Richard |
Professor |
Inequality
Race and Ethnic Relations
Stratification
Theory |
| Ellovich, Risa S. |
Assistant Professor |
Cultural and Urban Anthropology
Social Organization
Women in Africa; Africa |
| Engen, Rodney L. |
Associate Professor |
Crime and Social Control |
| Fitzpatrick, Scott |
Assistant Professor |
Archaeology
Island Archaeology
Exchange Systems
14C Dating |
| Greenstein, Theodore N. |
Director of Graduate Programs
Professor
|
Family and Marriage
Social Psychology
Quantitative Methods |
| Hoban, Thomas J. |
Professor |
Applied Sociology
Environmental Sociology
Social Change
Social Movements
|
| Jacka, Jerry |
Assistant Professor |
Environmental Anthropology
Political Ecology
Pacific Cultures |
| Kick, Edward L. |
Department Head
Professor |
Macro-Comparative Sociology
Human and Economic Development
Social Capital and Community Development
Organizations and Institutions
Methodology
Deviance and Crime |
| Leiter, Jeffrey C. |
Professor |
Formal Organizations
Work and Industry |
| Lilley, Stephen C. |
Associate Professor,
Associate Department Head
|
Applied Sociology
Demography
Sustainable Ag.
Rural and Community Development
|
| McCall, Patricia L. |
Professor |
Crime and Social Control
Social Demography
Methodology |
| Moxley, Robert L. |
Professor |
Community
Social Change
Comparative Sociology
Rural Social Problems |
| Mustian, R. David |
Associate Faculty Member |
Demography
Methods |
| Ross, Ann H. |
Associate Professor |
Physical Anthropology
Forensic Anthropology |
| Schiller, Anne L. |
Professor of Anthropology
Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor
|
Cultural Anthropology
Religion
Anthropological Theory |
| Schulman, Michael D. |
Professor |
Sociology of Agriculture
Political Economy/Development
Theory |
| Schwalbe, Michael L. |
Associate Professor |
Inequality |
| Smith, William R. |
Associate Professor |
Crime and Social Control
Law and Society
Quantitative Methodology |
| Thigpen, John F. (Jack) |
Associate Faculty Member |
Environmental Sociology
Rural Sociology |
| Thomas, Melvin E. |
Associate Professor |
Inequality
Racial Inequality
Social Stratification
Social Psychology |
| Thompson, Alton |
Adjunct Professor |
Agriculture & Rural Economic Development |
| Thompson, Maxine S. |
Associate Professor |
Inequality
Medical Sociology
Social Psychology |
| Thomson, Randall J. |
Associate Professor,
Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies CHASS |
Applied Sociology
Research Methods
Community
Development |
| Tittle, Charles R. |
Professor |
Sociology of Crime and Deviance
Sociological Theory
Urban Sociology |
| Wallace, James W. (Tim) |
Associate Professor |
Cultural Anthropology
International Relations
Development
Language and Culture |
| Wimberley, Ronald C. |
Professor |
Research Methods
Spatial, Rural, and Community Sociology
The South and Black Belt
Quality of Life
Environmental Issues |
| Woodrum, Eric M. |
Professor |
Race and Ethnic Relations
Sociology of Religion
Sociological Theory |
| Zahn, Margaret A. |
Professor |
Crime and Social Control |
| Zimmer, Catherine R |
Adjunct Associate Professor |
Formal Organizations
Quantitative Methodology
Work |
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10. CONTINUOUS REGISTRATION POLICY
After a student is admitted to the Graduate School and enrolls for the first time, he/she is required to maintain continuous registration, i.e., be enrolled each semester, excluding summer sessions, until he/she has either graduated or his/her graduate program has been terminated. The following caveats and exceptions apply:
1. A student in good academic standing who must interrupt his/her graduate program for good reasons may request a leave of absence from graduate study for a definite period of time, normally not to exceed one year. The student should initiate the request with the chair of his/her Advisory Committee and have it endorsed by his/her director of graduate programs before submitting it to the Graduate School . The request should be received by the Graduate School at least one month prior to the first day of the term involved.
2. All students who take their final oral examination or submit their thesis or dissertation to the Graduate School during either summer session must be registered for either the first or second summer session.
3. Students who complete all requirements for the degree prior to the first day of the fall or spring semester or the first summer session may graduate during the next semester or summer session without being registered as long as they were registered in the immediately preceding semester or summer (either session).
4. In order for students to submit their thesis or dissertation to the Graduate School or have their final oral examination after the last day of a semester or summer session but before the first day of the next semester or summer session, they must have been registered in the semester or summer (either session) which immediately preceded the date that the thesis or dissertation was submitted or the exam was held.
5. Students whose only remaining requirement for graduation is removal of an "IN" in a course are not required to be registered to remove the IN and graduate. However, students who do not remove any remaining IN grade(s) in the semester or summer following completion of all other requirements and are not registered during the same semester or summer will be terminated at the end of that semester or summer due to non-compliance with the continuous registration policy.
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11. DEGREE PROGRAMS
Graduate School requirements for the Master's and Ph.D. degrees are outlined in the North Carolina State University Graduate Catalog. Students are urged to review carefully the section pertaining to the degree sought. The discussion which follows includes some repetition of general requirements but focuses specifically on those applicable to this Department. The Department has no foreign language requirement. The residence requirements for the Department are the same as those for the University. See the relevant section of this graduate manual for details.
a. MASTER OF SOCIOLOGY
The Master of Sociology is a non-thesis degree program. Most of the information given for the Master of Science degree applies to this degree as well. The major difference is that the Master of Sociology substitutes six additional credits of course work as an alternative to the research and thesis required by the Master of Science. We do not routinely admit students to this program, although current MS students who decide not to pursue the Ph.D. are free to choose this curriculum.
The general requirements for the Master of Sociology include those of the Graduate School as outlined in the Graduate Catalog except for the thesis. Specific current requirements for this degree are:
1. A minimum of 36 semester hours (30 hours of course work and 6 hours of practicum).
2. Twenty-one hours must be 500- or 700-level courses.
3. Core Courses:
a. Three hours of Sociological Theory, SOC 701 or equivalent, are required. Transfer credit is not allowed to meet the theory requirement unless the equivalency procedures detailed under the Doctor of Philosophy degree are followed.
b. Three hours of Methodology, SOC 711, or the equivalent, are required. Transfer credit is not allowed to meet the methodology requirement unless the procedures detailed under the Doctor of Philosophy degree are followed.
c. Three hours of Statistics (SOC 713), are required. A student wishing to bypass SOC 713 should follow the equivalency procedures detailed under the Doctor of Philosophy. Master's students who exempt SOC 713 include another course in their plans of work (ordinarily an additional sociology course, but it could be a higher level statistics course or an additional course in the minor).
d. Effective Fall 2006 the Proseminar for first year students will be a one credit class. It will meet twice a week for approximately six weeks. This class is required for ALL INCOMING students regardless of their previous degrees or fields of study.
e. Six hours of Practicum, SOC. 642, are required.
Up to six hours may be transferred from another graduate program and 400-level courses are acceptable only in courses outside Sociology. A minor is optional.
The requirements for the Practicum in Sociology (SOC. 642) are:
1. Supervised field placement.
2. Independent study related to the placement.
3. Submission of a paper documenting and reporting the use of sociological knowledge applicable to the mission of the host agency/organization. This paper must be documented in a manner acceptable to the student's committee and appropriate for deposit in the Departmental Graduate Office Library.
4. Regular conferences with the course instructor.
The specific organization, assignment, and project to be undertaken by the student will be determined by the Advisory Committee in consultation with the student and the host organization representative. Specific attention will be given to the selection of a practicum placement that will maximize the potential for the application of material covered in the major and minor courses which have been or will be taken by the student. The student must submit a Committee/Plan of Work form. The chair of the student's graduate Advisory Committee will be the practicum instructor. Evaluation of the sociological aspects of the student's field experience will be by the chair in consultation with a professional employee of the host organization who has appropriate training and experience. The practicum may not be initiated until after the student has completed at least one half of the courses which appear on the Plan of Work. Variable credit (3-6 hours) is possible so that, if it is preferable to the overall program of work, the student may divide the practicum over more than one semester. It is expected that the practicum will involve completing a minimum of one semester of half-time placement in a career-related organization. However, for the experienced professional who is seeking a Master of Sociology degree, the practicum may be modified at the discretion of the student's graduate Advisory Committee. The experienced professional may earn six hours of practicum credit based on previous experience and a field paper requiring sociological analysis of this experience. To qualify for this credit, students will be required to demonstrate to the committee their ability to make an ex post facto appraisal of that work situation and its demands within a sociological perspective. In this case, the student must still enroll for 6 hours of SOC 642.
See Graduate Catalog.
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1. Master's Comprehensive Oral Examination
Candidates for the Master of Sociology degree must pass a comprehensive oral examination to demonstrate to the Advisory Committee that they possess a reasonable mastery of the subject matter of the major and supporting fields and that this knowledge can be used with promptness and accuracy. The oral examination includes an oral presentation about the practicum paper and questions focused on the project. Authorization to hold the examination is requested through the office of the DGP. The examination may not be held until all other requirements, except completion of the course work for the final semester, are satisfied. A mutually agreeable time of no less than two hours must be scheduled for the examination; if this is impossible, then it may be necessary to find a substitution or to replace a committee member. Either of these alternatives requires the permission of the members of the Advisory Committee, the Director of Graduate Programs, and the Graduate School.
A unanimous vote of approval by the Advisory Committee is required for passing the oral examination. Approval of the examination may be conditioned, however, upon the completion of additional work to the satisfaction of the Advisory Committee. Failure of a student to pass the examination terminates the student's graduate program unless otherwise unanimously recommended by the Advisory Committee. Only one re-examination is permitted.
Oral examinations for Master's degree candidates are open to the Graduate Faculty by right and to the university community by unanimous consent of the Advisory Committee and the student being examined. Discussion and decisions regarding the student's performance are private to the Advisory Committee.
b. MASTER OF SCIENCE
This is the normal route to the Master's degree for students in sociology who expect to go into teaching or research and/or who expect to continue on for the Ph.D. degree at any time in the future. The general requirements for the Master of Science have been established by the Graduate School (see Graduate Catalog). A minimum of 30 credits is required; however, most plans of work exceed the minimum. Up to six hours of graduate credit may be transferred from another graduate program. At least 20 semester hours must come from 500- and 700-level courses.
Minimally, 18 hours of a master's plan of work must consist of graduate level courses in sociology. (Courses at the 400 level counted toward the minimal 30-hours requirement may not come from sociology.) Credit for research hours (SOC 695) or thesis hours (SOC 699) may not be included in the 30-hour minimum. There is no minimum requirement for credit for research hours but credit must be included as excess hours above the 30-hour program.
The Master of Science program includes the following core courses:
1. Three hours of Sociological Theory, SOC 701 or equivalent, are required. Transfer credit is not allowed to meet the theory requirement unless the equivalency procedures detailed under the Doctor of Philosophy degree are followed.
2. Three hours of Methodology, SOC 711 are required. Transfer credit is not allowed to meet the methodology requirement unless the equivalency procedures detailed under the Doctor of Philosophy degree are followed.
3. Three hours of Statistics/Analysis, SOC 713, are required. Students wishing to bypass SOC 713 should follow the equivalency procedure detailed under the Doctor of Philosophy. There is neither a foreign language requirement nor a written comprehensive in the Master of Science program in this Department. An approved thesis is required. A minor is optional. The only comprehensive examination is the final oral examination which is conducted by the Advisory Committee. All requirements for the Master's degree must be completed within six calendar years from the date the student begins courses for graduate credit. Students normally complete degree in 2 years. Normally, students enter this program enroute to the Ph.D.
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1, Master's Thesis
Starting in Fall 2003 students without master's degrees are admitted into the PhD Program and will need to complete a Master's Thesis/Degree enroute to the PhD. The Master's Thesis should be completed before the start of the fifth semester of graduate study.
In order to complete the degree in a reasonable time, students should identify a topic and start work on a thesis early. This should be done during or before the second semester in residence.
It is the student's responsibility to take the initiative to engage in those activities which will lead to the identification of a thesis topic. While there is no unique sequence of steps that should be taken in order to arrive at the definition of an appropriate problem, a few suggestions may be helpful. A student may enter the graduate program with a definite interest. A student may be able to identify a thesis topic from course work or readings. Some portion of the research in which a faculty member is engaged may be developed as a thesis. Each professor has interests and ideas which may provide stimulating suggestions. Graduate students should contact faculty members; they would welcome the opportunity to get acquainted with students. Another suggestion is to glance over the theses which have been done in the Department. These are available in the Graduate Office and may be checked out for use. Other sources of stimulation and advice are discussions with other students, attendance at professional meetings, and familiarity with the relevant literature. Finally, in carrying out term paper requirements for courses, students have an opportunity to get the background understanding and information which will enable them to sense a problem that is both interesting and of reasonable scope.
The Master's thesis is intended to be a relatively limited research exercise on a focused and manageable topic. It does not necessarily have to involve some completely new contribution to knowledge. It can be a restudy or replication of an earlier investigation or an attempt to modestly extend an established hypothesis. It should be focused on a well-defined topic with restricted scope. At the same time, it must be carried out with care and rigor. Many master's thesis are eventually reviewed for publication as journal articles.
When the student and committee chair feel that enough progress has been made, the student must prepare a thesis proposal for review. Once the proposal is ready, the chair will schedule a meeting of the committee to review the proposal and to give it formal approval. If the committee approves the proposal, the student may then proceed actively on the thesis. If approval is not given, another similar meeting must be scheduled after suitable revision.
The committee will supervise the work throughout the preparation of the thesis with the chair taking major responsibility. The student should consult with the chair and the committee in connection with any major problems encountered and keep them informed of progress. A completed thesis is usually the length and scope of a journal article.
Once the thesis has been completed , it should be carefully edited, neatly typed, and tentatively approved by the committee. The student may then proceed to arrange a suitable time and place for the oral examination according to the rules of the Graduate School. The student must complete the thesis before the fifth semester in residence to be considered as making normal progress and to be eligible for tuition support (e.g., the Graduate Student Support Plan) the following semester if continuing in the doctoral program. Teaching Assistantship support may continue through the fifth semester of a Master's degree without the GSSP tuition support.
All theses are submitted electronically to the Graduate School. The Graduate School conducts workshops during the year for students to attend to learn the procedures for electronic submission. Once the thesis is defended, it must be approved by the Advisory Committee with original signatures of the members of the Advisory Committee on the title page. Once the student has the signed title page, she/he can meet with the Graduate Thesis/Dissertation editor. Before final approval, the thesis will be reviewed by the Graduate School to insure that it conforms to the specifications prescribed in the "Thesis and Dissertation Guide." The editor will give the student a date by which the thesis must be submitted electronically in order for the student to graduate in a given semester. The Department requires a hard-bound copy of the thesis/dissertation for the departmental library.
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2. Master's Comprehensive Oral Examination
Candidates for the Master of Science degree must pass a comprehensive oral examination to demonstrate to the Advisory Committee that they possess a reasonable mastery of the subject matter of the major and supporting fields and that this knowledge can be used with promptness and accuracy. The oral examination includes an oral presentation about the thesis and questions focused on the project. Authorization to hold the examination is requested through the office of the DGP. The examination may not be held until all other requirements, except completion of the course work for the final semester, are satisfied. A mutually agreeable time of no less than two hours must be scheduled for the examination; if this is impossible, then it may be necessary to find a substitution or to replace a committee member. Either of these alternatives requires the permission of the members of the Advisory Committee, the Director of Graduate Programs, and the Graduate School .
A unanimous vote of approval by the Advisory Committee is required for passing the oral examination. Approval of the examination may be conditioned, however, upon the completion of additional work to the satisfaction of the Advisory Committee. Failure of a student to pass the examination terminates the student's graduate program unless otherwise unanimously recommended by the Advisory Committee. Only one re-examination is permitted.
Oral examinations for Master's degree candidates are open to the Graduate Faculty by right and to the university community by unanimous consent of the Advisory Committee and the student being examined. Discussion and decisions regarding the student's performance are private to the Advisory Committee.
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c. DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
The Ph.D. degree symbolizes the ability of the recipient to conduct independent original research and scholarly work. The North Carolina State University Graduate Catalog states:
The degree is therefore not granted simply upon completion of a stated amount of course work but rather upon demonstration by the student of a comprehensive knowledge and high attainment in scholarship in a specialized field of study. The student must demonstrate this ability by writing a dissertation reporting the results of an original investigation and by passing a series of comprehensive examinations in the field of specialization and related areas of knowledge.
The doctoral program requires a total of 72 credit hours. Up to 36 credit hours for course work at the master's level at NCSU may be counted towards that total. Up to 18 credit hours from course work at the master's level from another university may be counted towards the total of 72 credit hours. The total of 72 credit hours may include some preliminary examination preparation hours as well as dissertation research hours. Course work may include work in a minor field outside Sociology.
More specifically, the program of work requires the following components (no course will count in two different components [i.e., core, specialties, minor] of the plan of work):
1. Core Courses:
a. Nine hours of Sociological Theory, SOC 701, 702 or the equivalent plus one elective theory course are required. If the third theory course is taken outside the department, it must be previously approved by the Advisory Committee.
b. Fifteen hours of Methods/Analysis are required (5 Methods/Analysis classes). The student must take SOC 713, 711 and 707 and choose two other non-redundant methods or analysis courses. If a courses is taken outside the department, the student must have prior approval of the Advisory Committee.
c. Effective Fall 2006 the Proseminar for first year students will be a one credit class. It will meet twice a week for approximately six weeks. This class is required for ALL INCOMING students regardless of their previous degrees or fields of study.
2. Specialty Areas:
Nine hours (ordinarily three courses) in each of two designated specialty areas are required. These are minimum requirements; area faculty may recommend further course work. A student whose two areas of specialization include one course in common may count that course in both areas; i.e., may satisfy this requirement with a total of 15 hours or five courses. An independent individual readings course (SOC 810) cannot be double-counted. As of January 1, 2003 , the designated specialty areas are: crime and social control; family and intimate relationships; inequality: gender, race and class; medical sociology; rural and community sociology; work, industry and organizations; and global social change and development.
The specific courses will be determined by the student and the Advisory Committee which must include faculty representation in these specialty areas. At the time of submitting the Plan of Graduate Work, doctoral students should submit the departmental form, Proposal for Areas of Specialization, which details the specialty areas and supportive courses and must bear the signature of the chair and doctoral student. The precise list of courses that constitute a student's specialty areas is arranged with the Advisory Committee, and subject to the approval of the Director of Graduate Programs.
Any appropriate course work completed in a Master's program will count towards the requirements in the doctoral program. For instance, if a student completes SOC 711, 707 and 713 in the Master's program, then only six additional hours of methods are required in the doctoral program. (For courses taken in a master's program elsewhere, the Equivalency of Graduate Course Work below applies.)
The courses listed above represent minimum requirements in the graduate degree programs of the Department. It is highly likely that students will take more than the minimum required, especially introductory courses in other specialty areas and special topics offered by faculty.
3. Undesignated Specialty Areas:
Student Proposals
Students may propose a specialty area besides the designated specialty concentration areas of the NCSU Sociology Program. To do so, a student must file a request with the Director of Graduate Programs. The proposal must have the signature of a faculty sponsor and must include a rationale for a plan of work that has breadth and intellectual coherence. The faculty sponsor must have expertise as demonstrated by graduate teaching or by scholarly publications in the proposed area. The proposal must be very specific, including course titles, numbers and faculty who have agreed to offer any readings courses.
The proposal for an exception to the policy that all students must have two designated specialty areas must be approved by the Graduate Committee before a Plan of Work can be submitted. Only one undesignated area is allowed. The following criterion are guidelines for the use of the Committee and information for the students. The final decision as to the appropriateness of the proposal lies with the Graduate Committee who will seek input and consultation from faculty with expertise in the proposed area.
Breadth
Any area of graduate concentration designed by the student should be in a specialty area in sociology with a breadth similar to a designated specialty area and/or to a major sociological association section.
Course Requirements
As with all specialty areas of training, nine hours are required. For student proposed areas the criterion will be at least the following:
1) At least two courses must be regular, in-camera courses taken for three credits. These courses must betaken for a grade.
2) One course must be taught by a graduate faculty member in the department with appropriate substantive expertise in the proposed area.
3) No more than one course can be double counted with another designated specialty area (none may be double counted with "core" areas of theory or methods)
4) Typically, courses will be taken in sociology departments but exceptions will be considered based on the rationale provided in the proposal.
5) While courses may be taken outside of the department, the plan of work for an undesignated area should include at least two relevant courses in the department, if such courses are offered in a timely manner consistent with normal progress towards degree and GSSP time guidelines.
4. Minor:
Inclusion of a minor in a plan of work is optional. If the student chooses to take a minor, it is normally from a single discipline. However, an interdisciplinary minor is permissible. The minor requirements are designed by the minor area or the interdisciplinary committee.
5. Six hours of doctoral research are now required by the graduate school. For students admitted prior to Fall 1997, there is no minimum requirement for credit for research (SOC 895)
6. Preliminary Examinations:
Preliminary comprehensive examinations are required for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. student A doctoral student is admitted to candidacy upon passing the written and oral preliminary examinations without conditions or after fulfilling any conditions specified by the Advisory Committee (see below for details). Ph.D. students are allowed six calendar years from admission to the doctoral program to attain candidacy for the degree by passing the preliminary examinations and an additional four years to complete all degree requirements. A total of ten years is permitted.
7. Dissertation
A doctoral dissertation which presents the results of the student's original investigation in the field of major interest.
8. Final Oral Examination
A final oral examination which is scheduled after the dissertation is complete, except for such revisions as may be necessary as a result of the examination, but not earlier than one semester or its equivalent after admission to candidacy. See below for details.
9. Master's Enroute to PhD
This area of the Graduate Manual is being developed and will be incorporated once all policies are in place.
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1. Doctoral Comprehensive Written Examinations
Rationale for the Comprehensive Preliminary Examinations for Ph.D. Students
The doctoral requirements relate to specific professional role expectations. The plan of work (courses taken) gives focus and direction to the student's endeavors and a framework for independent study and investigation.
The knowledge and skills of a Ph.D. must transcend the boundaries of a given course or set of courses. Integration of educational experiences is essential. The written preliminary examinations provide doctoral students with the opportunity to demonstrate their comprehensive knowledge of the discipline; their ability to communicate this knowledge in written form; and their skills in criticism, analysis, and synthesis. The written exams also test the student's ability to respond without consultation or access to other sources and within a limited time frame. This experience approximates expectations in teaching and other professional settings. Each student must take two doctoral comprehensive written examinations, although a paper option preliminary examination may be substituted in some cases (see below).
Administration of Written Examinations
Comprehensive written examinations for sociology doctoral students are offered three times a year. Ph.D. preliminary examinations will take place the week before spring semester begins in January, the week following graduation in May, and the week prior to classes beginning in August. The actual dates will be announced in the preceding semester by the DGP. When students wish to take the examinations, they must obtain the agreement of their advisor on their readiness. Students planning to take Ph.D. preliminary examinations in August must notify the DGP by April 1. Students planning to take the January examination must notify the DGP by September 1. Students planning to take the May examination must notify the DGP by February 1.
Given that many substantive area exams presume knowledge gained through the required theory and methods/analysis courses, students are strongly advised to complete all their required theory and methods/analysis course work before attempting substantive exams.
The office of the Director of Graduate Programs maintains a file of previous Ph.D. written prelim exam questions. Graduate students are permitted to share any information they have regarding the Ph.D. written prelim exam questions.
The specialty examinations and paper options measure broad expertise in the designated substantive areas. Students may choose to submit a paper as evidence of competence in, at most, one specialty area. The two specialty examinations (or one examination and the paper option) should be attempted soon after completing courses in substantive areas. The full-time student making normal progress toward the degree (i.e., taking three courses a semester) is expected to attempt them no later than the beginning of the third year of the doctoral program. Substantive examinations are taken in the department, without notes or other aids, each in the course of a single day. Undue postponement of attempting written examinations will be considered by the department in assessing normal progress toward degree.
Written examinations in sociology are constructed by examining committees composed of faculty based on their area(s) of specialization and those represented on the examination. An examining committee is appointed for each specialty area in which students plan to take an examination. (For the review committee for the paper option, see Paper Option.) Examining committees are appointed by the Director of Graduate Programs and the Department Head. The criteria used for appointment to an examining committee include the following: claimed specialty areas, formally listed courses taught in the area, and publications or current research in the area. Each examining committee has the responsibility for development and evaluation of the written examination in that core or designated specialty area. Faculty with "Adjunct" or "Associate" status in the department are not eligible to serve on Examining Committees.
Students with special needs may petition the Graduate Committee no later than two weeks before the comprehensive preliminary exams to request extra time or special consideration. The Graduate Committee will determine what actions, if any, should be taken.
Effective January 1, 2006: students with a grade of incomplete in any class that will count towards their doctoral Plan of Work will not be allowed to sit for comprehensive preliminary examinations or turn in a paper proposal.
The Graduate Committee (except for the Graduate Student Representative and ex-officio members) reviews the set of examinations prepared by the Examining Committees prior to administration. The Graduate Committee may make editorial clarifications and may assess comparability between exams in terms of time and scope. If noneditorial changes are deemed appropriate, the DGP will communicate the suggestions of the Graduate Committee to the chair of the appropriate examining committee.
Copies of students' examination answers are distributed to the members of the examining committee for the areas in which the examinations are taken. Each faculty member on an Examining Committee reviews each examination. Each faculty member on an examining committee prepares individual comments. The examining committee meets, discusses each examination, and reaches a decision on the examination of pass, conditional pass, or fail. Each examining committee prepares a collective report which details the results of the committee decision. In addition to giving the results of the committee decision, this collective report should contain appropriate comments about the strengths and weaknesses of the student's answers. Where a grade of conditional pass is assigned, the collective report will contain instructions detailing how the conditional pass can be removed. Re-examination to remove a conditional pass should be completed within one month of notification of the conditional pass to the student. The collective report will be forwarded to the DGP who will give copies of this report to the chair of the student's Advisory Committee. The chair of the student's committee will give the collective report to the student. The individual faculty reports will be retained by each individual faculty member until the next exam period.
The DGP provides the Advisory Committee chair with a copy of the collective evaluation of the examining committee to give to the student. The Advisory Committee chair for each student has access to copies of all students' answers and to the collective reports of the examining committees for each examination taken by students. The DGP retains the original set of examination answers which are placed in the student's preliminary examination file.
Each member of an examining committee should be available to discuss her/his individual evaluation of an examination with the student. Individual faculty members may choose to share their written individual evaluations with the student or they may choose to give feedback about the student's performance in some other form. In addition, the chair of each examining committee should be available to discuss the collective evaluation of an examination with the student. These discussions are especially critical when a grade of conditional pass or fail has been assigned.
Only a grade of failure can be appealed. The bases for an appeal are (1) allegations of failure of the department to follow due process and (2) alleged inequitable evaluation of examinations. Should a student fail an examination and should the student believe that this failure was due to extraordinary personal circumstance, the student may appeal to the Graduate Committee for permission to retake the examination. Submission of such an appeal does not guarantee approval by the Graduate Committee, and such appeals will only be granted to students making normal progress toward the degree (as defined elsewhere in this document). Under no circumstances will a student be allowed more than one such appeal during their graduate career. If the appeal is granted, the exam must be retaken no later than the following August for exams initially taken in January, or no later than the following January for exams initially taken in May or August. If the Director of Graduate Programs, the chair of the Advisory Committee, or the student wishes to explore the possibility of an appeal, (s)he can obtain complete procedures from the Graduate Office.
Unless the examining committee (for a written examination) specifically states otherwise, it is assumed that reexamination is recommended after a first failure. Students should consult with their Advisory Committees as to when the examination(s) is(are) to be retaken. Only one retake of a failed examination or resubmission of a failed paper is allowed for each area of specialization. Retakes of failed examinations are normally attempted in the examination period of the next semester after the failure.
Paper Option:
Students with two designated specialty areas may substitute the paper option for one of the written preliminary examinations. Students with a student proposed specialty area must use the paper option for that area.
Students who opt to write a paper in lieu of a preliminary examination in a specialty area must first develop a proposal (from three to five pages in length) outlining the scope and justification of the paper. They must then obtain preliminary approval of the proposal by one member of the faculty in that substantive area. Students may submit a proposal for the paper at any time during the semester. The proposal is submitted to the Director of Graduate Programs. The faculty member who gave preliminary approval to the proposal will serve as one reviewer. The Director of Graduate Programs will appoint two additional reviewers in the substantive area. Associate or Adjunct faculty may serve on Review Committees but may not serve as the faculty member who provides preliminary approval for the proposal. One reviewer may be outside the department where appropriate. If only one departmental faculty member in the substantive area is available, then there will be two reviewers, with one coming from outside the department. These reviewers will evaluate the proposal.
Students will be notified of the acceptance or rejection of the proposal within two weeks during the academic year. If the proposal is rejected, the student may resubmit a revised proposal within 30 days. Once the proposal is accepted, students must submit the paper to the DGP no more than four months later. Once a paper is submitted, the selection of the paper option cannot be rescinded. The paper should be approximately 30 pages, and not longer than 75 pages.
The committee constituted to review the proposal generally will evaluate the paper. The evaluation will be submitted to the Director of Graduate Programs within three weeks of the papers submission. Unless the Review Committee specifically recommends otherwise, if the paper is not approved, the student may revise and resubmit the paper. If the resubmitted paper is not approved, the student fails in this area. Rewrites of failed paper options are normally attempted in the examination period following the failure. A student must normally revise and re-submit a paper which receives a "revise and resubmit" from the examining committee within one month.
Faculty in a specialty area may develop guidelines for that area. There are, however, general rules that apply. These are:
1. The paper is to be the independent work of the student.
Other than clerical tasks, work on the writing of a preliminary paper is the sole responsibility of the student. During the preparation of the proposal, however, the student is encouraged to consult with faculty in the specialty area, allowing them to make preliminary judgment about the appropriateness of the topic. Work on the proposal (but not on the paper itself) may be done in consultation with any faculty or graduate students.
2. The paper should be of sufficient breadth as to reflect a broad command of the area of specialization.
As noted above, a student may work in consultation with area faculty to propose a topic for a paper that will be of appropriate breadth. An example of such a paper is a critical, synthetic review of current literature. The paper should be suitable in form and in content for submission to an appropriate journal for review for publication.
3. The paper should be an original work prepared for purposes of the prelim examination.
The paper should not, for example, be a minor revision of a seminar paper or a Master's thesis. It may, however, be a substantial extension or further development of ideas previously put forth in one form or another. Again, faculty responses to a proposal for a paper can be helpful in making a determination regarding the originality of the prelim paper.
Guidelines for Release of Results of Doctoral Preliminary Examinations
Results of doctoral preliminary examinations, including the paper option, will be released to student's advisors as soon as they are received by the Director of Graduate Programs provided that:
a. there are no outstanding questions regarding the results in the area (e.g., stipulations regarding conditional passes); and
b. all students have completed all examinations during the current examination cycle.
Areas have a maximum of two weeks from the date of the exam to forward results to the DGP unless there are an extraordinary number of students taking the examination.
The Minor Field:
The decision to require a comprehensive written examination in the minor is made by the Advisory Committee member representing the minor, subject to any regulations of the Department of the minor. When an examination is required, questions are prepared and evaluated by the committee member representing the minor or by the Department of the minor.
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2. Dissertation Proposal and Doctoral Preliminary Oral Examination
Once a student has passed all parts of the written examination, the student must prepare a formal dissertation proposal before the Advisory Committee will conduct the preliminary oral examination. The required classes in theory (SOC 701, 702) and the required classes in methods/analysis (SOC 713, 711, 707) must be passed with a grade of B- or better (in addition to passing the two specialty area preliminary examinations and the oral preliminary examination) in order for a doctoral student to be admitted to candidacy.
Once a student has selected the members of her/his doctoral dissertation Advisory Committee, he/she should start the process of developing the dissertation topic and proposal. Upon the completion of all written preliminary examinations, the student and her/his committee should give high priority to preparation of the proposal.
A dissertation proposal may be considered a prospectus of the dissertation. Its construction is part of the process by which a student decides conclusively on the viability of a topic. The student should consult with her/his Advisory Committee Chair on the exact form and content of the proposal. A typical proposal includes the following sections: statement of the problem; review of the literature; rationale for, significance, and implications of the study; research questions or hypotheses; methodology, research design, and plan of analysis.
A draft of the proposal should be given to the chair or co-chairs for review. If the chair/co-chairs approve, the draft should be circulated to the other committee members. The committee may require revisions before approval. When the committee agrees that the proposal is defensible, the oral preliminary examination may be scheduled. A student should give all committee members the version of the proposal that she/he is defending at least two weeks before the scheduled defense.
The Graduate School states that the oral preliminary examination is designed "to test the student's ability to relate factual knowledge to specific circumstances, to use this knowledge with accuracy and promptness, and to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the field of specialization and related areas."
Authorization for the preliminary oral examination is requested from the Graduate School by the DGP. This request must be processed at least two weeks before the scheduled date. A mutually agreeable time of no less than two hours must be scheduled for the examination; if this is impossible, then it may be necessary to find a substitution or to replace a committee member. Either of these alternatives requires the permission of the member being replaced, the Director of Graduate Programs, and the Graduate School .
The chair of the student's committee conducts the examination. While the chair has the option of allowing visitors to ask questions of the student, the chair also has the obligation to maintain a scholarly atmosphere and to keep the student's best interests foremost. Graduate faculty members who are not on the Advisory Committee shall have the opportunity to express their opinions to the committee in the absence of the student; however, the final deliberations and the vote are private to the Advisory Committee and the graduate representative.
A unanimous vote of approval by the members of the Advisory Committee is required for the student to pass the preliminary oral examination. Approval may be conditional, however, on the successful completion of additional work. All committee actions may be appealed by written application to the Graduate School Dean. Failure to pass the oral examination terminates the student's program unless the Advisory Committee recommends a re-examination.
The re-examination may not be given until at least one full semester has elapsed, and only one re-examination is permitted. A doctoral student is admitted to candidacy upon passing the preliminary examinations without conditions or after fulfilling any conditions specified by the Advisory Committee.
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3. Dissertation
The Ph.D. dissertation presents the results of the student's original investigation. It must represent a contribution to knowledge, be adequately supported by data, and be written in a manner consistent with the highest standards of scholarship. It is expected that Ph.D. research will culminate in one or more refereed journal articles and/or a published research monograph.
Once the doctoral final oral examination has been passed, the dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate School . The final copy of all dissertations must be submitted electronically to the Graduate School . The Graduate School conducts workshops during the year for students to attend to learn the procedures for electronic submission. The title page must be submitted to the Graduate School at least four weeks before the last day of classes of the semester or summer session in which the degree is to be conferred. Before final ap | 
