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The Department of Sociology offers graduate work leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. The M.A. degree program gives students an opportunity to acquire a general knowledge of sociology through lecture courses, seminars, and exposure to a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches. The Ph.D. degree program centers around advanced offerings in the areas of theory, methods, deviance, social movements, gender, race & ethnic relations, sexualities, religion, development, and culture. A special concentration in criminology, deviance, and administration of justice allows interested students to pursue a substantial part of their doctoral studies in Administration of Justice. The faculty of the department is research-oriented and supports such an orientation on the part of its students. The department maintains a small library and state of the art computer facilities for qualitative and quantitative analyses.

The department requires an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 for admission to the M.A. degree program and a graduate GPA of 3.25 for admission to the Ph.D. degree program. The Department of Sociology does not have direct post-baccalaureate degree entry into the doctoral program; students need to have a residential, 2 year MA degree in sociology or closely related field (exceptions may be made on a case by case basis) to be considered for admission to the Ph.D. program. To apply to either program, the student must submit a statement of purpose, three reference letters, a writing sample, and transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate academic grades to the department for review by the graduate admissions committee. Scores from the Graduate Record Examination are required for consideration for admission and university-wide fellowships.

Complete applications received by December 15 will receive full consideration for fellowships and other departmental and university support that will begin the following fall semester (see Graduate School website listed below). March 1st is the deadline to apply for admission in the following fall semester with no guarantee of consideration for funding. Admission for the spring semester will be given only in exceptional circumstances. International students must achieve 550 or better on TOEFL scores. Persons seeking more information should write: Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Sociology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 62901-4524. Students can access our department website: www.siu.edu/~socio. Here you can find more information about the department, faculty, students, and download admission forms for domestic and international students. For more information about graduate fellowships, which have January/February deadlines and financial assistance programs, see the Graduate School website: http://www.siu.edu/gradschl/financialaid.htm.

Admission from SIUC MA to Ph.D. Program. Students who enter the M.A. program are not automatically admitted to the Ph.D. program until successful completion of the M.A. degree and admission approved by Graduate Studies Committee and Graduate School. Students who wish to continue work towards a doctoral degree must submit a formal application including the departmental application form, a statement of purpose, two letters of recommendation, a writing sample, and transcripts (these can be pulled from student’s file). Applications will be reviewed using the policies, procedures, and guidelines applicable to external Ph.D. applicants and will involve an assessment of performance in the M.A. program. Applications must be received by December 15th to receive full consideration for fellowships and other departmental and university support. Internal applicants who submit applications by October 1 will be notified regarding admission (but not funding) by November 1.

A limited number of assistantships for qualified students are available through the department on a competitive basis. There are also various fellowships awarded by the Graduate School in university-wide competition that have deadlines in January and February. New students seeking funding should apply by December 15 of each year. Students funded through the department are required to enroll in a minimum of 9 credit hours each semester. Funding is normally limited to four semesters for M.A. degree students and eight semesters (up to 48 months including Dissertation Research Award) for Ph.D. degree students. A student's continued funding is contingent on the student's satisfactory progress in the program, annual evaluations by faculty (on students’ performance in classes & readings, work assignments, progress in program, and professional service and activities), passing comprehensive exams in a timely manner, and on the availability of funds.

Decisions about funding and admission from the M.A. program into the Ph.D. program will be based on five criteria:

1. Timely progress in the program. Students are expected to make normal progress toward the degree and failure to progress according to the Graduate Studies Handbook timeline will diminish priority for funding dependent on availability. M.A. students are expected to complete all course work and the master’s paper within two years. SIUC MA students seeking admission to Ph.D. program must submit a formal application to the graduate committee no later than 15 December of the year before they expect to receive their MA degree. Once admitted, Ph.D. students are expected to finish all requirements within three years after having achieved or matriculated with an M.A. Hence total time from SIUC MA through Ph.D.should not usually exceed five years; completion of Ph.D. (non SIU MA) should not exceed four years.

2. Grades. Funding will also be contingent on maintaining a minimum G.P.A. of 3.0 assessed in the second year of the M.A. program and 3.25 assessed in the second year of the Ph.D. program. Grades in coursework will also be used as one factor for determining funding. Incompletes in coursework will also diminish priority for funding contingent on resources.

Students with incompletes in theory (SOC 501 & SOC 502) and methods/stats (SOC 526a, SOC512, SOC514) will be ineligible to take the comprehensive exam.
Students with incompletes will have lower priority for selection into the Ph.D. program.
With extenuating circumstances, a request for waiver of these policies may be made to the Graduate Studies Committee.

3. Exams. Successful completion of the comprehensive and substantive exams increases priority for funding, while failing decreases priority. Failure of the comprehensive exams may preclude departmental funding. Ph.D. students must also complete a substantive examination by the end of the first semester of the third year of Ph.D. work (three years after having achieved or matriculated with an M.A.).

4. Prospectus and research. Priority for funding will decrease if a student has not made progress towards a prospectus committee by the end of the third year of Ph.D. work. Ph.D. students are expected to have defended a dissertation prospectus by the beginning of the first semester of the fourth year of study at SIUC to be considered making normal progress. Additionally, students who have presented professional papers or published papers will be given increased priority for departmental funding.

5. Teaching evaluations. Priority for teaching-related funding will also be tied to successful teaching as indicated by teaching evaluations and faculty oversight. Students with strong research skills (indicated by coursework and exam performance) will be given priority for research-related funding.

The Master of Arts degree in sociology requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of course work and a research paper. Students are required to take the following three courses: SOC 501, Classical Sociological Theory (3 hrs); SOC 526a, Quantitative Methods in Sociology (4 hrs); SOC 512, Sociological Research OR SOC 514 Qualitative Methods (4 hrs), (students must receive an A or B in all three classes). Students are required to enroll in four additional graduate seminars (12 hrs) in sociology or related disciplines (one of which may be at the 400 level), and in 4 credit hours of Independent Research for the master’s degree research paper (SOC 591). Students may take Independent Readings (SOC 596) and approved graduate level courses in other departments as long as the above requirements are also fulfilled (see Appendix A).

Credit hours per semester. We require full-time students with full assistantships (i.e., ½ time assistantships) to enroll in 9 credit hours per semester. Students with graduate fellowships, Veteran’s benefits, or SIUC scholarships also must take at least 9 credit hours as required by the Graduate School. Once students on assistantships complete all requirements except the master’s paper, the minimum credit hours is 6.

Master's Research Paper. The research paper is developed from a paper produced in a sociology course or through independent readings/research with a faculty member. Students will select an adviser for the master’s research paper (e.g., the person who taught the course or who supervised the readings/research project). Students will enroll with this faculty member for 4 semester hours in SOC 591, Individual Research, for the completion of the research paper. This course can be taken concurrently with or after the research seminars. The selection of the advisor requires paperwork that must be filed with the Director of Graduate Studies. The research paper will then be submitted for evaluation to another faculty member selected in concurrence with the faculty adviser for the paper. In case of disagreement over the evaluation (pass/revision/fail) of the paper, the graduate studies committee will appoint a third reader. The master's research paper normally is 20 to 40 pages in length and uses the standard American Sociological Review reference style. In addition to the copy required by the Graduate School, one suitably bound copy must be deposited in the department library.

Early Admission to the Ph.D. Degree Program. Upon completion of two semesters of full-time study, a student may petition to waive the M.A. degree and be admitted to the Ph.D. degree program in sociology, if the following conditions have been met: 1) minimum GPA of 3.7 during the first year of study; and 2) approval by adviser and graduate studies committee of a research paper completed during the first year of study. The procedure and standards for approval of the paper are the same as for the regular master's research paper. The student will be expected to finish the PhD degree within four years of entry into the program.

Advisement. The responsibility for initial advisement rests with the Director of Graduate Studies. As soon as possible, the Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the student, will request an appropriate member of the department's graduate faculty to serve as the student's academic adviser. This adviser will help prepare a general plan of study (see Appendix B) and will be responsible for making sure that her/his student is enrolled in the correct hours each semester and fulfilling the tool, substantive seminar, and readings requirements. It is the student's responsibility to develop, in consultation with his/her adviser, a plan of study leading to timely completion of the comprehensive examinations and a dissertation. This plan of study will be filed in the student’s permanent file. Change of advisor should be filed with the Director of Graduate Studies.

Research Tool Requirement. Doctoral students must complete the following courses: SOC 501, 502, 512, 514, 526a, and Teaching Sociology Seminar SOC518 with grades of A or B (equaling 21 credit hours). Students entering the Ph.D. program from outside of the department may petition the graduate studies committee to take a proficiency test in SOC501, SOC502, or SOC526a. In addition to these courses, students must develop research skills that are appropriate and necessary for their dissertation research (see the next section and the timelines for additional requirements and clarifications). It is the responsibility of the student's program adviser to supervise the student's development of these research skills.

Course Work and Readings. While in the Ph.D. program, students must take at least three substantive, 500 level, seminars in sociology (9 credit hours; on a case by case basis, permission may be granted to take a seminar in a related discipline) beyond the tool requirements. The seminars should be taken prior to the substantive examination. In addition to the regularly offered courses and seminars, the department provides supervised readings and research courses, depending upon the availability of faculty members. Supervised readings and research courses are not to be taken as substitutes for regularly scheduled courses and seminars, and registration in them requires prior written approval on a departmental form by the readings faculty and the student's adviser. The departmental form must be filed with the Director of Graduate Studies. Subsequently the registration form and closed section card must be completed, initialed by the readings faculty, and signed by either the adviser, the Department Chair, or the Director of Graduate Studies.

Credit hours per semester. The department requires full-time students with full assistantships (i.e., ½ time assistantships) to enroll in 9 credit hours per semester. Students with graduate fellowships, Veteran’s benefits, or SIUC scholarships also must take at least 9 credit hours as required by the Graduate School. Once doctoral students have completed their required courses (for research tool and seminars) and two examinations, the minimum credit hours is 6.

Comprehensive Examinations. Ph.D. students must pass two written comprehensive exams: the Doctoral Comprehensive Exam which is taken during the second weekend in January of the second year (prior to the start of 4th semester), and the Substantive Comprehensive Exam on the student’s research field which should be finished within one year (i.e., by the beginning of the spring semester in the student’s third year or 6th semester). Students should form the substantive exam committee within three months after completion of the Doctoral Comprehensive Exam. Accelerated option: With adviser’s approval, Ph.D students with a SIUC MA may notify the Director of Graduate Studies in writing that they wish to take the comprehensive exam in their first year in the Ph.D. program (on the second weekend in January). With this option, the Substantive Comprehensive Exam still must be completed within a year, by the start of spring semester (4th semester) of their second year. See sections below for more details on the examinations.

Doctoral Comprehensive Exam: This examination will be geared towards the demonstration of sociological insights, and its results will be graded by any two faculty members who taught a graduate course or supervised graduate students in the preceding three semesters. All Ph.D. students who have completed their third semester in the Ph.D. program must take the exam.

Using an article selected by the examination committee, students will discuss and provide written commentary and critique on key substantive concepts, theories, method, analysis, and sociological insights or contributions in 15 double-spaced typed pages, 12 pt font. Students will be assessed on their ability to clearly and concisely summarize, discuss, and critique the article and provide alternative theoretical and/or methodological arguments. The examination committee will consist of two faculty members who have taught graduate courses and/or supervised graduate students in the previous three semesters. The examiners will be chosen by lottery conducted by Director of Graduate Studies. The examiners will rotate every exam period. The two faculty members will select a sociological article for the exam at least 2-3 days before the exam. Faculty graders will have up to four full regular semester weeks to grade the comprehensive exams. They will grade the exam and report their individual written results in two weeks afterwards to the Director of Graduate Studies. Results will be Pass or Fail and the grade will be used as one aspect of evaluation for continuation in the program.

Annual Faculty Review: All Ph.D. students will compile dossiers that will be used in a full faculty review of on-campus Ph.D. graduate students seeking funding (including ABDs), with special focus on graduate students in their second and third years of study. The review will occur in late February or early March [students will be notified by October 1 of the date to submit materials]. Students must submit a full portfolio of papers, syllabi, teaching philosophy, evaluations, and grades-courses taken (including the qualifying exam grade), and a CV, along with a statement of purpose for completing PhD studies.

Up- to-date curriculum vita: name, address, education, current position, assistantship and work history in department, courses taught, research-paper presentations and publications, professional memberships, and other scholarly activities.
One page statement each for future direction(s): a) research direction(s) with topics, substantive comp dates, prospectus topic and dates, proposed chair and committee members; if ABD, dissertation topic, date prospectus completed, and date of dissertation completion; chair, committee members; and b) teaching direction(s) including syllabi & evaluations for course(s) taught and/or prepared.
One writing sample: best effort from a seminar and/or paper presentation.

For each student, at least one faculty member must agree to supervise the student through the completion of the Ph.D., and at least three other faculty members must agree to serve on the student’s dissertation committee. This will be done in two separate blind ballots of the full faculty for each non-ABD student. The first ballot will assess willingness to serve as the student’s dissertation chair, and the second will assess willingness of faculty to serve on the student’s dissertation committee. If a student fails to achieve at least one vote on the first ballot, and at least four votes on the second ballot, they will be terminated from the program. For ABD students, the faculty will review your timely progress towards completion of your dissertation.

Substantive Comprehensive Examination Committee: The student should choose a chair, who may assist with the identification of the other members of the committee within three months after completing the Doctoral Comprehensive Exam. The student must have written approval on a signed form from all members who agree to serve on the committee. This form should be turned into the Director of Graduate Studies and Graduate Secretary. If a student changes topics or needs to change the committee, this should be done quickly. Changes in substantive examination committees require the approval of the new committee members, including especially the new committee chair if there is a new chair. In consultation with each member of the committee, the student should formulate a reading list and have the requirements accepted by the committee. If members of the committee diverge in their expectations, the student should call a meeting of the entire committee no less than one month prior to the date when the exam will begin.

The student selects a general area and topic for dissertation research and chooses a faculty member as prospective substantive committee exam/dissertation chair. In consultation with this faculty member, the student will identify two more faculty members to join the substantive exam committee and develop a reading list in the chosen area and a potential research question. The reading list will focus on a particular research field (e.g., social class and education; religion and politics; culture and organizations). The substantive comprehensive exam paper will analyze the state of this field and show how the student's research will contribute to furthering knowledge in the field. The reading list should be deposited with the Graduate Secretary.

Students must meet with each member of the committee at least one month prior to the date they expect to start their exam and get preliminary approval of their reading list. After final approval of the reading list and research question by the substantive exam committee, the student will have one month to complete the take-home exam of 40 pages of text plus references. The paper must be completed by the beginning of the spring semester in the student's third year (or second year in the accelerated option; i.e., within one year from date of Doctoral Comprehensive Examination). In addition to reviewing the field of study, the paper should point the student toward the dissertation research.

Faculty will read and assess the paper, then meet with the student for an oral defense. Outcomes include: High Pass; Pass; Revisions; Fail. A final copy of the exam should be deposited with the Graduate Secretary. In the event of Revisions, only one revision is permitted, and it must be completed within one month. An oral defense of the revisions may be required at the committee's discretion. Students who fail the exam may petition the graduate studies committee to retake the exam. Students who fail revisions or a retake must withdraw from the program.

Dissertation. The dissertation is the single most important requirement for the Ph.D. degree, and the student should start thinking about potential dissertation topics soon after admission. Information concerning Graduate School requirements regarding the dissertation is contained in the Graduate Catalog.

After completing comprehensive examinations, in consultation with the graduate director and adviser, the student selects a dissertation director who must be approved by the dean of the Graduate School. In consultation with the dissertation director, the student selects a committee consisting of four additional graduate faculty members, including one from outside of the Department of Sociology. Students selecting the Criminology/Deviance/Administration of Justice option may have committee members from Administration of Justice who serve as either inside or outside members. Exceptions to this committee membership will be granted in only limited circumstances.

Normally, students are encouraged to use the three members of their substantive examination committee as the initial members of the dissertation committee. However, students may change the composition of the committee if necessary. First, the student must find a dissertation chair, who must agree to serve and who must also be a member of the Graduate Faculty. Second, the student must identify the remaining members of the committee. Five committee members are needed, and at least one must be from outside of the department of sociology. After discussion with current chair/members and new/potential members, students may reconstitute a dissertation committee prior to the dissertation defense. Notification of the new members and chair is needed in writing to the Director of Graduate Studies.

The student then prepares a detailed dissertation prospectus, showing clearly the purpose and scope of the research, its relation to the previous work in the field, its theoretical relevance and significance, and the research methods and techniques. The prospectus must contain a section documenting the student's training and abilities in using the proposed research methods and techniques. When the prospectus is ready for presentation, the Graduate Director forwards to the graduate school a dissertation committee roster with the student's dissertation director serving as chair. The dissertation committee will have at least two weeks to read the prospectus before the formal session. During summer months, students should consult with all committee members prior to arranging for any hearings. The prospectus must be approved by the dissertation committee in formal session and filed with the graduate program secretary. A prospectus must be approved no later than the end of the full-time student's sixth semester in the Ph.D. program.

Dissertation Defense. The completed dissertation must be acceptable to the chair of the dissertation committee before being circulated among committee members for evaluation. After acceptance of the dissertation by the candidate's dissertation committee, an oral examination will be conducted by the committee in open meeting, as specified by Graduate School regulations. This examination will be based upon the contents and implications of the dissertation. The examination should not be scheduled sooner than four weeks after the completed dissertation has been distributed to the dissertation committee. A public announcement and a copy of the dissertation shall be made available to other faculty of the department at least 1 week before the examination. Upon satisfactory completion of the oral examination, the student must submit two copies of the dissertation to the Graduate School and another copy, suitably bound, must be deposited in the department library.

Expected Progress Through the Ph.D. Degree Program for a Full-Time Student with an MA in Sociology or related fields from a program other than SIUC Sociology (for Students with SIUC MA in Sociology, see the next section).

Summary of general requirements (also see Appendix B): The Ph.D. in sociology for students with an external M.A., requires a minimum of 30 credit hours of courses/readings and 24 hours of dissertation work, for a total of 54 credit hours. Students are required to take the following five courses for the research tool: SOC 501 (3 hrs); SOC 502 (3hrs), SOC 526a (4 hrs); SOC 512 (4 hrs), and SOC 514 (4 hrs); students must receive an A or B in all classes. Additionally, students are required to enroll in SOC 518, Teaching Sociology (3 hrs), three additional graduate seminars (9 hrs) in sociology or in approved disciplines, and in 24 credit hours of SOC 600 (Dissertation Research (only 6 hrs of dissertation are allowed before ABD status)). At least twenty-four hours of Ph.D. coursework must be completed in residence on campus (only 6 hours of dissertation count toward this 24 hour requirement).

Semesters 1 through 4: It is expected that students will take the five courses for the research tool and SOC 518 in their first 4 semesters in the program (21 hrs). Additionally, students are required to take three substantive graduate seminars (9 hrs) prior to the substantive comprehensive examination. Completion of comprehensive exam should occur no later than the start of in Semester 4. Within three months after completing the comprehensive exam, all students are expected to comprise a substantive examination committee of three faculty members.

Semesters 5 and 6: It is expected that students will complete any outstanding requirements in this year (and continue to take a minimum of 9 credits per semester if receiving funding). When students have met all the seminar and research tool requirements, they can proceed to their substantive comprehensive exam. It should be completed no later than the beginning of Semester 6. Subsequently, students may proceed to the prospectus. Up to 6 credit hours in dissertation research may be taken prior to ABD status.

Semesters 7 and 8: Carry out research and write dissertation. Need 24 hours of dissertation for graduation.

Expected Progress Through the Ph.D. Degree Program for a Full-Time Student with a Sociology MA from SIUC

General requirements (also see Appendix C): The PhD in sociology for a student with a SIUC M.A., requires a minimum of 24 credit hours of courses/readings and 24 hours of dissertation work, for a total of 48 credit hours. However, 6 hours of dissertation credit may be taken prior to ABD status and may count toward the Graduate School’s 24 credit residency requirement. In this case, the minimum sums to 42 credit hours. Credit toward Ph.D. hours begins with formal admission to the PhD program after receipt of the M.A. degree. Although the Department recognizes any research tool or teaching courses taken during the MA program, these hours do not count toward the 24 Ph.D. in residence hours needed. As for students with an outside M.A., internal M.A. students must take three additional graduate seminars (9 hrs) in sociology or in approved disciplines.

We assume in the following time-line that continuing students have taken SOC 501 (3 hrs); SOC 526a (4 hrs); SOC 512 or SOC 514 (4 hrs), and four additional graduate courses (12 hrs) in sociology or related disciplines.

Semesters 1 and 2: Students should take 502, 512 or 514, and 518 if not taken during MA studies (10 credits hours). An additional three substantive 500-level seminars should be taken in semesters 1 through 3 (9 credit hours). If the former courses were taken during MA studies, students still need to make sure they achieve the 24 credit hour residency requirement through a combination of the 9 credits in seminars, up to 6 credits in SOC 600 (after taking exams), and other credits (e.g., other seminars, readings, research credits). Ph.D. students with an SIUC M.A. may take the Comprehensive Exam at the start of their second semester. In this accelerated option, students should then proceed to Substantive Comprehensive Exam preparation and form a committee within three months after the Comprehensive Exam.

Semester 3 and 4: SIUC MA students should take 502, 512 or 514, and 518 if not taken during MA studies and any remaining required seminars. If the Comprehensive Exam was completed in semester 2, completion of the substantive comprehensive exam should occur no later than the beginning of Semester 4 (i.e., within one year after the Comprehensive Exam). Students may enroll in up to 6 dissertation credit hours to prepare Dissertation Prospectus and Defense during Semester 4.

Semesters 5 and 6: For students in the accelerated plan (who took the comprehensive exam at start of semester 2 and the substantive at start of semester 4), semesters 5 and 6 are for the Dissertation. Students need 24 hours of dissertation (SOC 600) for graduation (again, 6 of which may be taken prior to candidacy and toward the residency requirement). For students who did not take their substantive exam by Semester 4, they should be actively preparing in Semester 5 and should complete it by Semester 6.

Semester 7 and 8 (optional): Carry out research and write dissertation. Need 24 hours of dissertation for graduation.

Criminology/Deviance/Administration of Justice Option. A student who has been admitted to the Ph.D. program in sociology, and whose major interest is in the area of crime or administration of justice needs to incorporate the following courses, examinations, expectations, and committee guidelines into her/his program of study:

* Note: ONE of the 4 courses required for the concentration must be a sociology course

1. Students will complete their Substantive Comprehensive Exam in the area of concentration

2. Students’ dissertations will be on a topic related to the area of concentration

Students’ substantive comprehensive exam committees will have at least one sociology faculty member. Students’ dissertation committees will each have at least two sociology faculty members who are members of the Graduate Faculty.

Administration of Justice faculty who are members of the graduate faculty may serve on both substantive comprehensive exam committees and dissertation committees and they may chair substantive comprehensive exam committees. Administration of Justice faculty who have direct dissertation status may serve as chair of students’ dissertation committees. Administration of Justice faculty do not have to be cross-appointed sociology faculty to serve in these capacities.

Prior to the appointment of the dissertation chair, faculty advisors for PhD students should be sociology faculty members.

Certificate in Women’s StudiesA student interested in a certificate in Women’s Studies should contact the Women’s Studies coordinator and/or cross-listed Sociology faculty for the required courses and guidelines. See also http://www.siu.edu/~women/WomensStudiesGraduateCertificateInformation.html

Sociology as a Secondary Emphasis in Another Ph.D. Degree Program. A student who is enrolled in another Ph.D. degree program and who wishes to declare sociology as a secondary area must submit to the director of graduate studies a written request which includes the following: a plan of course work, a personal reading list, and an overall program statement indicating the relationship of the area in sociology to the student's total program.

Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Degree Program in Sociology. Students who have been admitted to the Ph.D. degree program in sociology, and who wish to develop an interdisciplinary program, should review the guidelines set forth by the Graduate School. The graduate dean approves interdisciplinary Ph.D. degree programs only when they bear the endorsement of a department that offers a Ph.D. degree program. A student who wishes to apply for an interdisciplinary program in which sociology will be the sponsoring department, should understand that the program of study must include substantial involvement in sociology courses and seminars, and that the department may require the student to meet other requirements similar to those established for the Ph.D. degree program in sociology.

The student and adviser should meet regularly (ideally prior to registration each semester). This form may be used to plan when courses will be taken and track when courses are taken. The following estimated offerings can be used for planning purposes; required courses rotate every two years (except SOC 518 offered more frequently). Unforeseen circumstances may result in changes to this tentative schedule.

* Minimum credits may be reduced if student takes proficiency exam to test out of 501, 502, or 526.

* Minimum credits may be reduced to 42 if student enrolls in 6 credits of SOC 600 prior to candidacy.

* Accelerated option: Students may take the doctoral comprehensive exam in the January of the 2nd semester (year 1). The substantive comprehensive exam committee should be formed within three months and the exam completed within a year (by start of 4th semester/year 2)

In addition to the requirements for the Ph.D. in sociology, students who want to concentrate in criminology, deviance, and/or administration of justice need to take the following.

Note: ONE of the 4 courses required for the concentration must be a sociology course

* Choose two from the following to meet the two 500 level seminar requirement for this concentration:

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY