Doctoral Degree

THE GRADUATE PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY BEING REVISED AND THE NEW PROGAM WILL BE ONLINE SOON.

Application and Admission

Students wishing to apply for a Ph.D. in Sociology shall designate this choice on their original application for admission to the department.  Applicants should submit the same materials as are required for the Masters Degree Application (see above).  Admission, if granted, will be to the Ph.D. program. Application Deadlines: Applications for admissions to the Ph.D. Program for the fall semester should be received by January 15th.

Admission of Masters Degree Holders from Other Institutions

Students who apply for the Ph.D. in sociology,  having already completed a Masters Degree in Sociology at another institution, shall have their applications reviewed first by the Admissions Committee for a  primary review.  Such students will be written a letter at the time of their admission informing them (1) that they are expected to submit a candidacy research paper in March of their first year at Temple and (2) that they must take the required first year courses in statistics, methods, and theory.

Students entering with an MA are to submit their thesis (or other paper they plan to use as their candidacy research paper) to the graduate chair before the beginning of the fall semester. The graduate chair will have these papers read by an appropriate faculty member who will provide a preliminary evaluation, comments, and critique before October 1st.  Following this evaluation the student may decide to wait until the Spring of the second year of graduate study to submit a candidacy research paper.

Regarding required courses, if students believe that they have had an equivalent course and thus wish to be exempt from the requirement to take the course, they must write a letter indicating the date when they took the course, and provide a syllabus or detailed description of the course. The graduate chair, in consultation with faculty teaching the course, will review this material and determine whether or not the student is exempt.  Students who are denied such exemptions  may appeal the decision by being interviewed by the relevant faculty member who, with the graduate chair, determines whether or not the exemption is granted.

Curriculum

• Ph.D. Candidates shall follow the same curriculum as Masters Students during the first two years  of study (see above).  All Ph.D. Candidates will be expected to meet the minimum requirements for the Masters Degree, and may, if they choose, receive the Masters Degree when  those requirements have been successfully fulfilled.

• Candidates for the Ph.D. must complete and both Sociology 8221 (Qualitative Methods) and Sociology 8111 or 9231 or 9221 (Census, Survey or Sampling).  They must complete four (4) additional electives. (Doctoral students will already have completed Data Analysis in the second year of their program.)  Candidates must also complete Sociology 8510 (Dissertation Proposal Seminar).

• Teaching of Sociology:  All students who receive funding through the department's allotment of Teaching Assistantships and Teaching Grants must take two semesters of  "The Teaching of Sociology" (three credits for two semesters)

• Symposium in Sociology:  All Ph.D. candidates must take a year-long "Symposium in Sociology" (sociology 8711 and 8721) during their first year.

• Computer Seminar:  All Ph.D. candidates must take a one-semester introduction to computing at Temple (Sociology 8751) during their first semester (One Credit)

Preliminary Examination

             The department has identified a small number of broadly defined areas that are consistent with its mission and self-defined areas of strength.  These are: Organizations and Work, Urban, Education,  Race and Ethnicity, Medical, Gender, Family, and Political Sociology.  Faculty committees have developed bibliographies of important books and articles in each of these areas. These bibliographies form the basis for the preliminary examinations. Each doctoral student, at the end of the third year of graduate study, will select two of these areas, and will be examined on them by an appointed faculty committee (a "Preliminary Examination Committee").   All students taking an exam in a particular area will take the same exam.  This will be a written examination to be done either at home, in a classroom, or as some combination of the two methods.  Timing of the exam will be in late August of the year following the student's completion of course work.

Grading of the exam will result in the following rankings:

1.     Pass with 1.     Distinction (Ready to form a Dissertation Committee; "Distinction" will be recorded in student's record)
2.     Pass (Ready to form a Dissertation Committee)
3.     No Pass (Student will be allowed to take the examination one more time the following year).
4.     Final No Pass (Student is no longer eligible to continue in the Ph.D. program.)

            A student who does not receive his/her doctoral degree within five years of passing the Preliminary examination must retake and pass the Preliminary examination to remain in good academic standing. The retake examination must be administered under the same testing procedure as is currently employed in the department.

Dissertation

Areas

            In keeping with the sharpened focus in the Preliminary Examinations, the department will make clear to students that dissertation topics must be confined to areas within which the faculty has expertise.  This clarification will start with the information sent to prospective applicants, and it will be repeated regularly in advising sessions with students.  The purpose of this clarification is to avoid situations where students feel compelled to look outside the department for their primary intellectual guidance in dissertation work.

NOTE:  This does not imply that students may not have outside faculty members on dissertation committees.  It is intended only to assure that the department's faculty will, in all dissertation committees, be the primary locus of instruction.

The Doctoral Advisory Committee

            Following the Preliminary Examination, the student will select the chairperson of his/her Doctoral Advisory Committee.  The remaining three or more members of the committee will be selected by the student in consultation with his/her chairperson.  The majority of the committee must be from the Department of Sociology.  Other members may include faculty from other departments within Temple University or from other universities.  At least three members must be Temple University Graduate Faculty.  Doctoral level expert advisors from outside university settings may also be considered as members.  Changes in the membership of a Doctoral Advisory Committee must be approved by the Graduate Chair.

            The purpose of the Doctoral Advisory Committee is to assist in planning the independent study and research that the candidate is to engage in and to monitor the candidate's progress towards completion of study.  The Doctoral Advisory Committee will meet at least once a year to review the candidate's progress and provide advice to the candidate.

The Dissertation Examining Committee  

             This committee evaluates the dissertation and conducts the oral defense.  It includes the Doctoral Advisory Committee plus one outside examiner.  (See dissertation defense below)

The Dissertation Proposal

            The dissertation proposal is a brief statement of the dissertation research.  It should contain a review of the literature, a statement of the research problem, and a comprehensive description of the research strategy to be employed.

The student will distribute a summary (five pages or less) of his/her proposal to all faculty members of the department at least three weeks  prior to the oral defense of the proposal.  Three complete copies of the proposal will also be available in the office of the Graduate Secretary.  All department faculty and graduate students will be invited to attend the presentation of the dissertation proposal.

            Normally, proposal hearings will be held during the academic year.  All members of the committee must be present at the proposal hearing.  An alternate member may be requested, but prior approval must be secured from the chairperson of the Graduate Committee.

The dissertation proposal will be accepted only when members of the dissertation committee unanimously vote to accept it.  

Dissertation Defense (Ph.D. Final Examination)  

            Two copies of the dissertation will be made available to the entire department at least four weeks before the dissertation defense. An abstract of the dissertation, not exceeding ten pages, must be given to all faculty four weeks before the defense.

            The dissertation defense will consist of the oral defense of the thesis. Any discrepancy between the final version of the dissertation and the dissertation proposal should be explained and defended.

            The Doctoral Dissertation Examining Committee will include the Doctoral Advisory Committee plus at least one additional graduate faculty either from other departments within Temple University or from other universities. Doctoral level expert advisors from outside university settings may also be considered as members of a Doctoral Dissertation Examining Committee. (See policy approved by the Graduate Board on April 25, 1991)

            Doctoral Dissertation Examining Committees which differ from the above stated composition must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.

            All dissertation oral defense examinations will be publicly announced by the department in writing at least 10 days in advance of the examination. The written announcement must be sent to all members of the Doctoral Dissertation Examining Committee, all graduate faculty in the candidate's department, the Dean of the Graduate School and posted in the college. It is recommended that the announcement appear in appropriate university media (e.g. Temple Times). All dissertation examinations are open to the academic community.

            Normally, the dissertation defense will be held during the regular academic year. A summer defense may be scheduled only if all members of the committee agree. The entire dissertation committee must attend the defense. If one or more committee members fail to attend the defense, the departmental Chairperson will not sign the form certifying the defense. All full-time faculty members and students are invited to participate. 

            A dissertation defense passed after the Graduate School deadline in the spring will not qualify the student for a June degree. 

            The dissertation committee must vote unanimously that the student has passed the Ph.D. Final Examination. Each member of the dissertation committee indicates his/her assessment of the examination and signs his/her name to Form II, Temple University Graduate Boards, Ph.D. Final Examination. If the Chairperson of the Sociology Department agrees that the dissertation meets departmental standards, he or she will signify his or her approval by signing ("for the department") on Form III, Temple University Graduate Board, Ph.D. Final Examination.

Final Form of the Dissertation

           Information regarding the required format of the dissertation, i.e., paper, form and style, etc., is available either from the Graduate School (Conwell Hall, 5th Floor) or the Graduate Secretary.

Application for Graduation

            Students must apply to graduate, through the department, by the announced deadline date.  These dates are given in the graduate catalog each year. They are usually three or four months before graduation.  Applications may be obtained from the graduate secretary.

[1]Examples of such courses include, but are not limited to, Sociology 9211 (Data Analysis) and 8221 (Qualitative Field Methods)