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Admission to the Program

Rackham Graduate School Requirements

I. Rackham Fee Totals

II. Cognate Requirements

Departmental Requirements for the Ph.D.

I. Coursework

II. Professional Paper Requirement

III. Preliminary Examination

IV. Advancement to Candidacy

V. The Dissertation

VI. Practical Professional Training

Monitoring and Evaluating Student Progress

I. Monitoring

II. Grade Standards

III. Separation from the Ph.D. Program

Mentoring of Advanced Students

Appendix A: Progress in the Graduate Program

Appendix B: Requirements for Cohorts Entering Prior to Fall, 1998

ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM

Admission to the graduate program is limited to students who intend to pursue a Ph.D. (except for a small number of students enrolled in the Applied MA program). The Admissions Committee reviews all applicants during the winter semester for possible admission in the fall. Application deadline is December 15th. Students who wish to pursue a joint doctoral degree, transfer from another UM graduate program or matriculate under Non-Candidate For Degree status, must complete a formal application which will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee.

RACKHAM GRADUATE SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS

I. RACKHAM FEE TOTALS: Students enrolled in the Rackham Graduate School must accumulate a minimum number of credits for which Rackham fees are assessed, called the Rackham Fee Total (RFT). No more than nine credits may be counted toward a full term (five in a half term), regardless of the number of academic hours elected. Undergraduate and visited courses taken as a Rackham student generate fee hours, but transferred credits and free courses elected with candidacy enrollment do not.
Doctoral students enrolled in the Rackham Graduate School must accumulate at least 68 fee hours overall, consisting of course and dissertation work. At least 36 fee hours must be accumulated prior to admission to candidacy.
Doctoral students who enter Rackham with a relevant master's degree from an accredited institution are required to have 18 fee hours prior to candidacy. Thus, the minimum fee requirement for such students is reduced to 50 hours overall, consisting of courses and dissertation work.

II. COGNATE REQUIREMENTS: Doctoral students enrolled in the Rackham courses must successfully complete two cognate courses. Such courses must be at the graduate level (2 credits or more) offered through a department other than Sociology, and approved by Rackham as a condition of being advanced to candidacy. Courses that are cross-listed with Sociology may be used if the student registers under the other unit.

DEPARTMENTAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PH.D.

I. COURSEWORK

A. Theory and Practices of Sociology (Sociology 505, 506): a first-year,two-semester course in Theories and Practices of Sociology (four credits each term during the first year).
B. Logics and Strategies of Sociological Research Inquiry: (Sociology 507), offered during the first semester, introduces students to the philosophy of science, methods of empirical research, and the nature of sociological interpretation.
C. Statistics sequence: (Sociology 510 and 610), a first-year, two-semester course that fulfills the statistics requirement.
D. Research Practicum: a two-semester practicum that provides the full range of practical experiences with a research strategy. Students must complete at least one of the following sequences: Detroit Area Study: Sociology 501 (optional), 512, 513 Qualitative Research Methods: Sociology 522,523 Comparative and Historical Methods: Sociology 532,533 Quantitative Methods: Sociology 542, 543
E. Electives: a minimum of four electives, at least three of which must be field or core courses. The selection of courses should be made in consultation with the student's mentor, guided by the objective of designing an intellectually broadening experience.

Core Course: A regularly offered survey or overview of a specific program area, intended for students who want a general introduction to an area and as preparation for taking the preliminary examination.
Field Course: A rotating set of more specialized courses that substantively engage one or more program areas.

PROCEDURES FOR PETITIONING COURSEWORK
Students may petition to meet course requirements. Petitions should be directed to the Chair of the Committee on Administration of Graduate Affairs (CAGA), and should include supporting letters from the student's Principal Advisor and relevant faculty as well as any relevant documentation. CAGA does not normally meet during the spring-summer semester and so may not be able respond to petitions during that period.

PROFESSIONAL PAPER REQUIREMENT

The Professional Paper Requirement is intended to facilitate the development of the skills and experiences necessary for writing professional papers. It replaces the research seminar requirement as of November 6, 2003 and reduces the number of required electives from 5 to 4.

To fulfill the Professional Paper requirement a faculty member must certify that the student has produced a paper of a form and quality suitable for presentation at a professional meeting or conference or submission to a refereed journal. It is expected that the production of such a paper will engage the student not only in the research process (i.e. collecting and analyzing data) but also in the writing and revising that is necessary to produce a professional paper.

This requirement can be satisfied in a number of ways:

By producing a paper in one of the existing research practicums
By substantially revising a paper that began in a practicum
By producing a paper from a research seminar or another type of seminar
By doing the original research paper option for the second preliminary exam
By producing a paper in consultation with a faculty member

Regardless of how the student comes to produce the professional paper, a tenured or tenure-track sociology department faculty member who has worked with the student on the paper must certify that the student has satisfied the requirement. This requirement must be fulfilled by the time the student completes the second prelim.

III.PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS

Students will be expected to demonstrate competence in two subfields of sociology by successfully completing two preliminary examinations:

First Preliminary Examination : A preliminary examination must be successfully completed in one of the eight established program areas as a condition for being advanced to candidacy. These areas are: Culture and Knowledge Economic Sociology and Organizations Gender and Sexuality Health, Aging and Life Course Power, History and Social Change Race and Ethnicity Social Demography Social Psychology Timing: The preliminary examination is usually taken after four terms of coursework though the timing may vary depending on the student's mastery of a program area. At the request of prospective examinees, each program area will offer a preliminary examination at the beginning of each semester. Students who wish to take the examination in the Fall term must so inform the Graduate Office by March 1; those wishing to take the examination in the winter term must inform the Graduate office by October 1. Failure to successfully complete the preliminary examination in a timely manner may be grounds for dismissal from the graduate program. Reading List: Program areas may choose to develop and circulate to students comprehensive written procedures governing reading lists that will serve as the basis of the examination. All available faculty in an area are normally involved in drafting questions. The questions appearing on the examination should represent the broad range of issues covered on the reading list. Format: All preliminary examinations will include a component that must be at least six hours in length and written without access to any study aids. Beyond this minimum requirement, faculty in each area will design the content and form of the examination to meet their programmatic needs. Program areas will make available to students a written description of their examination format, which is to be the same for all students taking an examination in a given area on the same date, unless CAGA approves otherwise. Examinees must sign an honor code indicating that the test was written without access to any notes, books, or other resources, both written and electronic. Grading: Every effort will be made to conceal the identity of individual examinees. At least three different faculty must review all or parts of each examination. A group of at least three faculty in each area will meet to recommend a grade to CAGA, which is responsible for determining the final grade. Grading options are limited to honors, high pass, pass, conditional pass, or fail. A conditional pass is assigned to an examination that is otherwise satisfactory except for a specific deficiency identified in one answer or one part of the examination. In such cases, the area examination committee will stipulate the conditions under which a passing grade can be assigned. Once the examinee has attempted to meet these new conditions, those efforts will be evaluated by the area examination committee, which then recommends to CAGA a final grade of fail or pass. Failing a preliminary examination for a second time will be grounds for being dismissed from the doctoral program.
Second Preliminary Examination: A second preliminary examination must be successfully completed either in a second program area or a specially designed area of study determined by the student and a faculty committee. The objective of the second preliminary examination is to develop mastery in a second area of study in preparation for launching the dissertation. This requirement may be met in one of the following ways: Demonstrate competency in a second Program Area by passing as second preliminary examination in one of the nine established program areas. The format and grading procedures are the same as for the first preliminary examination. Individually designed examination: passing an examination administered by a committee consisting of at least three faculty, at least two of whom, including the chair, must hold faculty appointments in the Department. Additional faculty, either from Sociology or another unit, may be added to the committee at the student's request. The examination may be taken in a sub-area of specialization within a particular program area or in an individually designed area of study. The examination is to be written, but the exact format will be determined by the committee and may include options such as answers to questions, a critical literature review, a theoretical statement, an empirical research paper, or anything of comparable scope that is primarily conducted outside of class. Students who do not write answers to questions are required to convene the committee for an oral defense of their written product as part of the committee's overall assessment. The committee recommends to CAGA a grade of pass of fail accompanied by a brief written explanation for their evaluation. Students are required to confer with their mentor and any other relevant faculty in selecting the examination option and format that will be of greatest intellectual value to their professional development. Students who elect the option of an individually designed preliminary examination are responsible for assembling a committee and selecting a chair. When submitting the names of at least three committee members to the Department, the student must also indicate the nature of the proposed examination, as approved by all committee members via their signatures. The second preliminary examination is normally taken by the end of the third year but no later than the end of the fourth year. Failure to successfully complete the second preliminary examination in a timely manner will result in unsatisfactory standing. Students enrolled in the joint degree program with Social Work are excused from the second preliminary examination administered by the Department. Students in other dual degree programs that require an examination may petition CAGA to be excused from the second preliminary examination.

IV. ADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY

Students must be advanced to candidacy not later than the term preceding the one in which the Ph.D. degree is granted. To be advanced to candidacy, the Rackham Graduate School requires the completion of 36 hours of coursework, two cognate courses, all of the departmental coursework, and both preliminary examinations. Failure to become a candidate after eight terms of study will result in unsatisfactory standing.

It is the responsibility of the student to initiate the filing of the candidacy application with the Department's Graduate Office. The Dean of the Graduate School upon recommendation grants candidacy by the Department.

Students who have advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. are required to register for Sociology 995 in any term when they are consulting with members of their dissertation committee or using the Library or other facilities of the University. If the student is to be engaged in a period of study away from the University, the student should file a Certification for Detached Study in advance. Students doing dissertation work prior to achieving candidacy should register for Sociology 990 for that portion of their schedule spent on dissertation work.

V. THE DISSERTATION

A. Dissertation Prospectus

Within 1 year of completing the preliminary examination, the student is expected to submit to the Graduate Office a prospectus setting forth a dissertation proposal.

The prospectus includes a brief (not more than 250 words) abstract that concisely and clearly states the problem to be investigated. The abstract should be single-spaced and contain the dissertation title, student's name, and dissertation committee members.

The prospectus should relate the proposed research to previous theoretical and empirical literature in the area. In this connection a bibliography of the most closely related literature should be appended to the prospectus.

The prospectus should list the specific questions that are to be elucidated. If appropriate, these questions should be stated as hypotheses. It should also describe the research design and research techniques that are to be used. This section should specify the overall design and whatever problems are associated with it; the sources of data to be used and should evaluate their apparent adequacy for the candidate's purposes; specific research techniques to be employed; the relevant controls or comparisons, if appropriate that must be introduced; and expected problems of data analysis. If appropriate, the candidate should present some of this analysis in the form of dummy tables.

The prospectus should estimate whatever "logistical" problems are foreseeable and how they are to be handled. Such problems include access to funds, data, computer services, and expert advice.

The prospectus should include a tentative time schedule.

The prospectus should include a cover sheet which lists the dissertation title, student's name and dissertation committee members.

The prospectus should be succinct. Approximately 15-20 double-spaced typewritten pages or their equivalent should suffice.

The student's dissertation committee will judge the adequacy of this prospectus. This requires that, at the time of the prospectus defense, the Department's Dissertation Schedule Form be filled out and signed by all committee members. Once the prospectus has been approved by the committee, the student is to submit to the Graduate Office the copy of the completed prospectus for the student's file, and multiple copies of the one-page abstract, which is distributed to all faculty with the advice that any faculty who wish a full copy of the prospectus will be provided with one.

B. Human Subjects (IRB) Approval

Any dissertation using direct human contact as a source of data must receive approval to conduct research involving human subjects from the University's IR B Behavioral Sciences Committee. While such approval need not be gained prior to the creation and approval of a prospectus, it must occur prior to data collection. Forms are available in the Graduate Office.

C. Dissertation Committee

The dissertation committee consists of at least four members. At least two members of the committee must be from the Department of Sociology, and at least one member must be from an academic unit other than Sociology. The committee is approved by the Dean of the Graduate School on the recommendation of the Department. The committee may be formally appointed as soon as the student has been advanced to candidacy.

D. Evaluating the Dissertation

The dissertation committee assumes full responsibility for guiding the candidate's dissertation work and for evaluating the oral defense. Only upon the dissertation committee's recommendation may the candidate be awarded the Ph.D. degree.

VI. PRACTICAL PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

Each student must complete the equivalent of half-time work for four terms in activities directly related to chosen professional objectives. The student will normally meet this requirement through service as a teaching fellow, as a research assistant beyond the research work involved in the Department's research practicum and dissertation requirements, or as a provider of other services. Teaching, research and other professional experience acquired elsewhere may satisfy this requirement. Students who wish to use previous experience must petition CAGA.

MONITORING AND EVALUATING STUDENT PROGRESS

I. MONITORING

Students are assigned a faculty member to serve as a mentor. The role of the mentor includes, but is considerably broader than, that of the advisor. (See below for a more complete description of the mentor's role). The faculty mentor's role includes assisting students in navigating the department and university bureaucracies, helping students plan a course of study, and also helping keep track of students' progress through the program.

II. GRADE STANDARDS

Students' progress in the Graduate Program is reviewed annually by the CAGA and rated as Satisfactory, Uncertain, or Unsatisfactory based on grades in courses, rate of progress in completing requirements (See Appendix B) and other factors CAGA feels are relevant. Students' whose average grade in Graduate School courses falls below B will automatically be Unsatisfactory both to CAGA and to the Graduate School. In addition, CAGA may find performance Unsatisfactory due to multiple incompletes, poor performances on the prelims, or a general pattern of marginal performance in all aspects of the Graduate Program. A warning to the student normally precedes ratings of Unsatisfactory, either in the form of an Uncertain rating or other written indication of marginal performance.

III. SEPARATION FROM THE PH.D. PROGRAM

CAGA may either suspend or dismiss a student from the Doctoral Program whenever the student's performance is unsatisfactory enough to make completion of the program doubtful or unlikely. This will be measured both by level of performance and by the rate of completion of departmental requirements. Suspension or termination may also be invoked in cases of cheating, plagiarism or any such offense.

A suspension is given for a stipulated period of time and specifies conditions that must be met before the student may apply for readmission. Among the specific conditions ordinarily required before application for readmission will be considered is the completion of assignments for incomplete courses. In some cases, graduate level grades of A or B and recommendation letters from professors at another institution may be required as a condition of readmission. Other conditions may be devised to meet the needs of particular students. In no case may the student apply for readmission until at least three months have elapsed from the date of the suspension. Whenever possible, a student applying for readmission will be invited to meet with CAGA. Only one suspension is permitted.

A dismissal is unconditional and final. The student's dismissal notice may emphasize the failure to meet the requirements of the Michigan Sociology Department and does not necessarily mean that the student would be unacceptable in other universities or in other programs.

MENTORING OF ADVANCED STUDENTS

In 1998, the sociology faculty approved a mentoring program to ensure that mentoring be a regular part of the training of all graduate students and an important part of the role of all faculty. The program applies to all students beginning in Fall, 1998, and there after. All graduate students are assigned a mentor at the outset of their careers and all faculty are assigned a mentee.

The faculty mentor is expected to meet regularly with each student mentee, assist each student in navigating the Department and University bureacracies, help each student plan a course of study, monitor the student's progress through the program and facilitate the student mentee's intellectual development.

In assigning mentors to students, the Graduate director strives for a good match between student and faculty students. We recognize, however, that not All students have a clearly defined set of interests when they begin graduate study and, in addition, that students' interests may change over the course of graduate study. However, we believe that an effective mentoring relationship can take place even when student and faculty interests are not perfectly matched. In such cases, faculty can direct students to other faculty whose interests match those of the student. Moreover, students or faculty who feel mismatched should feel free to seek a change.

During the student's second and third year in the program, the student and faculty mentor should discuss the students' future research plans. At this phase in the mentoring process, the faculty mentor should help the student begin to formulate a dissertation topic and direct the student to other faculty whose interests match those of the student and who might serve as dissertation committee members. Some students find it useful to share a one-page statement of the proposed dissertation topic with faculty who are potential committee members and solicit their feedback. By the end of their third year, students should have decided upon a dissertation committee and a Chair, who will serve as mentors for advanced graduate students. Although the primary function of the dissertation committee is to guide students in their dissertation research, dissertation committee members should also advise students about publishing, presenting at professional meetings, and job strategies.

The Department is expanding the services available to advanced students. In Winter, 2000, the Department will offer an optional one-unit prospectus seminar, to be led by faculty on a rotating basis. The graduate office will contact those students who have not completed a prospectus by the end of their thirdyear, discuss dissertation plans, and connect them to faculty with related interests. In 1999-2000 the Graduate Office will offer or sponsor workshops on such topics as job strategies (including non-academic jobs), publishing and presenting papers at professional meetings, grant proposal and prospectus writing, seeking funding, and finding mentors.

APPENDIX A

PROGRESS IN THE GRADUATE PROGRAM

The department operates a "benchmark" system that is administered by the (CAGA). This system provides continuous evaluation and feedback to students concerning their progress through the program. Criteria used to evaluate student performance include: rate of progress through the program (e.g., number of completed courses), grades and other relevant measures of academic performance. This evaluation, in turn, is used to classify a student's status as satisfactory, uncertain or unsatisfactory. The evaluation also becomes a basis for continuance in the Ph.D. Program and eligibility for financial support provided by the department. The following is a detailed account of expected student progress through the program:

First Year. During the first year, the student should plan to take both semesters of the Theories and Practices of Sociology sequence, Logics of Sociological Research Inquiry, and Statistics (Sociology 510 and 610). (Students entering in Fall, 1998, take Sociology 610 in their second year.. Normally, a student without work obligations would be expected to take three or four courses each term. Thus, first-year students may choose to begin their electives and/or their research practicum.

Second year: The student should plan to complete the practicum requirement as well as the remaining electives. The student may choose to take either a cognate or a research seminar as the remaining course.

Third year: The student should take the first preliminary examination in fall. During the third year, the student should complete any remaining requirements for the degree, such as cognates or research seminars. The student should also plan to take the second preliminary examination by the end of this year. Third-year students may also choose to take a prospectus seminar, designed to assist students in developing a dissertation prospectus.

Fourth year: The student should complete the prospectus and should complete all requirements for the degree except the dissertation. Data collection and analysis should be in progress.

Fifth year: The student should complete data analysis, prepare a chapter outline and draft dissertation chapters. Substantial progress should be made on the dissertation, with plans to complete the dissertation by the end of the academic year.

Although these benchmarks are goals projected for all students, CAGA recognizes that individual students' progress through the program may vary depending on particular circumstances.

APPENDIX B

REQUIREMENTS FOR COHORTS ENTERING PRIOR TO FALL, 1998


COURSEWORK I. Theory: Fulfill a general theory requirement by taking one term of Theory and Practices of Sociology. II. Statistics: Sociology 510 and 610. III. Research Practicum: A two-semester research practicum that includes the full range of research experience. Among the regular offerings are the Detroit Area Studies (Sociology 501, 512, 513), Comparative and Historical Methods (Sociology 532-533) and Qualitative Research Methods (Sociology 522-523) IV. Logics and Strategies of Social Research: (Sociology 507) or approved substitution (e.g., an equivalent course taken at another institution, Sociology 619, one semester of a second practicum, a research seminar or the equivalent, or a prospectus seminar). V. Major Fields: All students select one major field of concentration from among the six recognized areas: Population-Ecology, Social Organization, Social Psychology, Health and Aging, Family and Kinship and Race and Ethnicity. Social Organization majors must successfully complete the 2 core survey courses, Societies and Institutions (Sociology 624 and 625), plus one specialty course. Social Psychology majors must successfully complete the Proseminar in Social Psychology (Sociology 590) and at least two advanced seminars (Sociology 591). Family and Kinship majors must successfully complete the core survey course Sociology of Family and Kinship (Sociology 544) plus any two specialty courses. Population-Ecology majors, while not required to take any particular courses, are encouraged to take Introduction to Population Studies (Sociology 530), Research Methods/Population-Ecology (Sociology 630) and a course in migration and urbanization. Trainees at the Population Studies Center are required to take one population course each semester prior to becoming a candidate. Health and Aging majors must successfully complete the core survey course, Sociology of Health and Aging (Sociology 575), plus any two specialty courses. Race and Ethnicity majors must successfully complete the core course, Race and Culture (Sociology 503), and two specialty courses. Independent studies may not be used to satisfy the major requirement. See Appendix A for a list of acceptable courses in each area. VI. Minor Fields: The minor requirement is met by successfully completing one Sociology graduate-level course taken outside the student's major area. Courses that are listed in more than one area can only count once, either toward the major or minor requirement. Students not taking at least one course from Sociology 530, 590 or 624 as part of their major requirement must take one of these courses as part of the minor requirement. Independent studies may not be used to satisfy the minor requirement, except by petition.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION I. Examination Procedures All students must pass an examination in their major field of concentration. The examination is offered twice a year (at the beginning of each semester) and is expected to be taken by the end of two calendar years. Students should plan to take the core course and one other course at least in their major area before attempting the prelim. Failure to successfully complete the prelim exam in a timely manner may be grounds for suspension or termination from the graduate program. Majors in Social Organization must pass a written preliminary examination in one of the following subfields: Social Change Normative Controls and Deviance Groups and Organizations Structure of Status and Power Cultural Belief Systems Race and Ethnicity Gender, Sexuality and Power The exam lasts 8 hours. Students write on 4 of 7 questions. Majors in Social Psychology must pass a written preliminary examination consisting of a general exam and a special topic exam. For the general exam (4 hours), students write on two questions of their choosing from a pool of at least four blind questions addressing general issues in social psychology. The special topic exam (3 hours) draws heavily on material covered in the Advanced Seminars. Majors in Family and Kinship must pass a preliminary examination in family and kinship studies. The preliminary examination covers the scope of family and kinship studies and draws heavily on the courses offered in the major. Majors in Health and Aging must pass a preliminary examination in health and aging. The prelim consists of several shorter, more factual questions as well as broader essays, from which the student will be allowed to choose. Majors in Population must pass a preliminary examination in population studies. There are usually 6 or 7 questions on the day-long exam consisting of one question to test understanding basic demographic relationships, a second methodology question, and four substantive questions and methodology questions. There is also a two-day take-home "research design" question preceding the daylong exam. Majors in Race & Ethnicity must pass a prelim in race & ethnic studies. The preliminary exam covers the area and draws heavily on courses offered in the major. II. Grades on Preliminary Examinations: The grading scale is as follows: Honors, High Pass, Pass, Conditional Pass and Fail. A grade of "Honors" is given only when an extraordinarily high degree of proficiency is demonstrated on all parts of the examination. The lowest acceptable grade on an examination is Pass. The grade of "Conditional Pass" is used for exams that have satisfactorily filled the requirements except that a specific deficiency has been identified. To remove the deficiency the student will be required to perform a specific task (e.g. rewrite a question) as prescribed by the examination committee. This conditional exercise will be evaluated by the examination committee, and if it is judged unsatisfactory the student's performance on the overall examination will be considered a Fail. III. The Administration of Examinations: The examination is closed book, with no sources or study aids to be consulted, except where specifically provided for by a preliminary examination committee. Examinees should not identify their examination papers in any way except as follows: each student will be assigned a number which should be placed on the front sheet of each answer along with the examination name. This will allow the identity of the student to remain anonymous when faculty read the examinations. More than one member of the examination committee will read each answer. When each examination committee has completed its work, the grades are transmitted to the Chair of the CAGA. The CAGA then discusses prelim grades in relation to each student's total performance in the graduate program. Permission to continue in the program is contingent on the outcome of this evaluation. Following the evaluation, the Chair of the CAGA writes each student a letter indicating the results of the examination and the student's status in the program.
MONITORING AND EVALUATING STUDENT PROGRESS Students who began graduate study prior to Fall, 1998, have been assigned a faculty member who acts as a Principal Advisor and guide through the Program. Upon mutual consent, each incoming student is assigned a faculty member who acts as a Principal Advisor and guide through the Program. Upon mutual consent of the relevant faculty, students can select a different PA as their interests and needs/preferences develop and change. The principal advisor is responsible for checking and approving Petition to CAGA, often acts as a mentor and guide in selecting courses and learning opportunities and helps keep track of student progress.
PROGRESS IN THE GRADUATE PROGRAM The department operates a "benchmark" system that is administered by the (CAGA). This system provides continuous evaluation and feedback to students concerning their progress through the program. Criteria used to evaluate student performance include: rate of progress through the program (e.g., number of completed courses), grades and other relevant measures of academic performance. This evaluation, in turn, is used to classify a student's status as satisfactory, uncertain or unsatisfactory. The evaluation also becomes a basis for continuance in the Ph.D. Program and eligibility for financial support provided by the department. For students who entered the program before Fall, 1998, the following is a detailed account of expected student progress through the program: First Year: For the first year the student should plan to work on theory (605), statistics (510, 610) and take courses in the expected major field. Normally, a student would expect to take three courses per term. For students entering with an M.A. degree, some requirements will already be met, or the student should plan to petition the CAGA to accept past graduate work toward degree requirements. Second Year: The student should plan on completing the practicum requirements, plus any remaining coursework in the major and minor fields. Plans should include preparation for the preliminary examination. Third Year: The student should have taken the preliminary examination in fall, and be planning to complete any remaining course requirements for the degree (e.g., cognates). A dissertation proposal and committee should be approved by the end of the year. Fourth Year: The student should have completed all requirements for the degree except the dissertation. Work should be in progress on data collection and analysis. Fifth Year: Substantial progress should be made on the dissertation, with plans to complete the dissertation by the end of the academic year.
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