Petition to CAGA

The Committee on Administration of Graduate Affairs (CAGA) consists of at least three faculty members and is chaired by the director of the graduate program. CAGA is responsible for all matters that deal with the financial support, evaluation of academic progress, and continuation in the graduate program for all graduate students enrolled in the department. In some semesters, CAGA may only meet once or twice. Check with the graduate office about the timing of CAGA meetings.

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR CAGA PETITIONS

1. What you need to submit for a petition depends in part on what you are requesting. In general, the more information the committee has, the easier it will be for them to make a decision.

2. In general you should submit.

• A cover letter that explains clearly what you are requesting (i.e. “I wish to substitute X for Y”).
• Supporting documentation that will show the committee that the work you have done (will do) is equivalent to the requirement that you want waived. Where applicable, this should include a syllabus or an independent study work plan, a transcript showing the grade you received, and the paper from the course. Again, depending on the petition, other items may also be appropriate.
• A letter of support from the relevant instructor of the course involved in the petition. If an instructor is not from sociology, a letter of support from your advisor or the program area chair is also appropriate.

3. If you are interested in taking a course that you wish to have count for another course, petition CAGA to see if the course will likely “count” BEFORE deciding whether or not to enroll.

PETITIONING OUT OF REQUIRED FIRST YEAR COURSES

The Department has designated a small but critical number of courses that are required for all graduate students. These courses -- Sociology 505, 506 (Theory) ; Sociology 510, 610 (Statistics); and Sociology 507 (Logics and Strategies of Research) -- are considered foundational for advanced training in sociology. Each course requires not only a mastery of the assigned readings but also proficiency in the subject matter, and intellectual approaches, covered in lectures and discussions. Petitions seeking to waive a required course based on prior course work in other departments or programs must demonstrate not only that the student has previously done such reading, but that he/she has mastered the intellectual content of our required courses.

Exception: Students can be excused from Sociology 510 by taking an exam given by the instructor at the beginning of the semester. The instructor will then let the graduate office know which students will be excused from sociology 510 based on the results of the exam. To petition out of Sociology 610, students should confer with the instructor and/or advisor either to establish which course(s) he or she will take in place of 610 or to otherwise demonstrate their command of the material. An email about the students’ plans should then be sent to the graduate director who will have CAGA approve it.