Doctor of Philosophy

Students are required to complete 60 units of coursework in Sociology. Typically, students complete 45 units in the first academic year, then 15 units in the second academic year. Coursework excludes workshops, independent study, and directed research units.

Students are required to enroll in the Graduate Proseminar in autumn and winter quarters of the first year. The Proseminar provides an introduction and orientation to the sociology field, department and faculty. 

Students are expected to enroll in the Sociology Colloquium course each quarter beginning in year one and continuing until the degree is conferred.

Students are required to complete two courses in sociological theory, one in macro-sociological theory and one in research design. This requirement is typically completed by the end of the first year of residency and must be met by the end of the second year.

Students are required to complete a four-course series in methodology: 380, 381, 382, 383. This requirement is typically completed by the end of the first year of residency and must be met by the end of the fourth year. Students with little background in statistics are encouraged to take an undergraduate statistics course such as Statistics 101 in their first quarter of the program.

Students are required to complete four broad survey courses to demonstrate command of a range of sociological literature. This requirement is typically completed by the end of the second year of residency and must be met by the end of the fourth year. Each year the department specifies which courses meet this requirement. The following list is representative; however, the most current list of approved survey courses is available on the department website and is updated and circulated to students at the start of each academic year. Students should consult with their advisor to ensure that the combination of courses selected to meet this requirement exhibits sufficient breadth.

Students are required to enroll in at least one workshop each quarter in years two and three. Beginning in year four and continuing until the degree is conferred, students are expected to enroll in at least one workshop course each quarter. Please refer to the Graduate Handbook opens in a new tab for additional information on this expectation and to view the complete list of workshop courses .

The first comprehensive examination is designed to ensure that students enter their second year with a firm reading knowledge of two substantive subfields, which students choose.

Students must satisfactorily pass the following qualifying exams:

• Qualifying Exam #1: This is a comprehensive exam designed to ensure that students have a firm knowledge of substantive subfields. It includes both a written in-person component and an oral in-person component in the form of a Q&A. The exam must take place before the start of year two of the program.

• Qualifying Exam #2A: This exam is an oral presentation and Q&A by a faculty committee based on work from the research apprenticeship. The exam must take place by the end of winter quarter in year two of the program.

• Qualifying Exam #2B: This exam includes both a written research proposal, followed by an oral presentation and Q&A by a faculty committee. The proposal must be submitted by early May of year two; the oral presentation must take place by the end of spring quarter in year two of the program.

• Qualifying Exam #3: QE3 is a full draft of the independent research paper initiated in QE2B. The paper is accompanied by an oral presentation and Q&A by a faculty committee. The proposal must be submitted by early May of  year three; the oral presentation must take place by the end of spring quarter in year three of the program.

Students are expected to present at least two papers at major professional meetings (e.g., ASA), department workshops, or a combination of the two in their first five years of graduate study. The department provides students with a travel and research fund for the duration of their graduate career to assist with the costs associated with travel.

In order to demonstrate the ability to conduct independent scholarly work, students must prepare and successfully defend a dissertation prospectus by the end of the fourth year in residence, typically in May or June.

Additional details on dissertation prospectus and prospectus defense  can be found in the Graduate Handbook opens in a new tab.

All PhD students are required to complete SOC 300, Workshop: The Art and Joy of Teaching in the first year of study to support their academic and professional training. Although teaching is not a requirement for the PhD, most students complete multiple quarters of teaching as part of the financial support commitment and their professional skills development.

Research is core to the academic and professional training of doctoral students in our program. Students are required to enroll in two research course sequences in the first three years of the program.

• Research Apprenticeship Course Sequence

  • Students must complete a two-year, six-quarter research apprenticeship coursework sequence by the end of year two, enrolling in the Research Apprenticeship course each academic quarter (Autumn, Winter and Spring) in years one and two.

• Research Practicum Course Sequence

  • Students must complete a two-year, five-quarter research practicum coursework sequence by the end of year three, enrolling in the Research Practicum course in spring quarter of the first year, and autumn and winter quarters of the second and third year.  

Although directed research beyond the coursework listed above is not a requirement for the degree, students typically complete at least three additional directed research quarters as part of the financial support commitment and their professional training.

Additional details on research requirements  can be found in the Graduate Handbook opens in a new tab.

Admission to candidacy is a prospective judgement by the faculty of a student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. When evaluating students for candidacy, the faculty make a decision based on a holistic assessment of the following factors: course performance and grades; qualifying examinations; teaching and research assistantship performance; research quality, productivity, and independence; and faculty evaluations and advising meetings.

Students are expected to complete qualifying procedures and apply for candidacy by the spring quarter of their second year in the program. Qualifying procedures in the Department of Sociology include satisfactory completion of required courses and passing qualifying examinations. 

Additional details on qualifying procedures can be found in the Graduate Handbook opens in a new tab.

In the Department of Sociology, the oral exam is a defense of the dissertation presented upon the completion of a substantial portion of the dissertation or upon completion of a pre-final draft. Students consult with their dissertation advisor and reading committee members on the timing of the defense. Students typically complete this milestone by the end of their sixth year in the program.

Additional details on defense of dissertation procedures can be found in the Graduate Handbook opens in a new tab.

At the choice of the student, and in consultation with their advisor, the dissertation requirement may be met either by:

• Book-length document: A traditional dissertation manuscript

• Three independent papers: The papers may address the same topic but should be written as stand-alone, single-authored papers in standard journal format (i.e., AJS or ASR). 

Additional details on dissertation expectations can be found in the Graduate Handbook opens in a new tab.