INTRODUCTION
The Graduate Policy Handbook includes all policies and procedures pertinent
to the graduate program in the Department of Sociology and Criminal
Justice. The interpretation of these policies and procedures is
the responsibility of the Graduate Policy Committee. Petitions
for waivers of any requirements are the responsibility of, and must
have the approval of, the Graduate Policy Committee.
Students may appeal decisions of the GPC following this procedure:
1. Petition the GPC for reconsideration by adding additional information
that the applicant feels may be significant.
2. In the event the GPC does not change its decision, students may petition
the full faculty. A 3/4 vote is required to overrule the GPC.
Students who allege they have been aggrieved because of perceived discrimination
on the basis of race, sex, handicap or because a member of the University
community fails to follow published University or Departmental procedure
should utilize the Student Grievance Procedure stipulated by University
policy.
Deletions or modifications to the Graduate Policy Handbook
become effective at the beginning of the following academic year.
Students are subject to rules existing at the time of entrance into
the program.
Students should also consult the Graduate Catalog of the University
of Delaware for University regulations regarding graduate degrees.
This version of the Graduate Handbook includes all revisions made since
the publication of the original in 1991.
Important:
Requirements and other information are subject to change. Students are responsible for maintaining up to date information.
I. PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice offers a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy degree program in both Sociology and Criminology. The primary focus of the program is the preparation of members of the next generation of sociologists and criminologists by emphasizing systematic training in theory and research methodology as well as teaching. These advanced education degrees are intended for persons interested in careers in academia, public service, or private enterprise. The Department has a large number of full-time distinguished faculty (27) from the disciplines of Sociology, Philosophy, Law, Criminology, History and Criminal Justice. This allows students to work closely with faculty members while preseving a reasonable breadth of interests. Thus, while both the Sociology and Criminology degrees rely on strong theoretical and methodological foundations, they also allow students to tailor a program that meets their individual needs.
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II. REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION
All admission and funding decisions are made by the Graduate Policy Committee (GPC). Applicants are evaluated on several criteria: GRE scores(normally a minimum of 1000 for the combined verbal and math aptitude scores), undergradute/graduate grade point average, letters of recommendation (three), and applicant's statement of objectives. Applicants are also encouraged to submit a short writing sample. The GPC may also consider a limited number of other factors, including: minority status, quality of undergraduate program, undergraduate major, relevant work/field/research experience, publications and reports, presentations, or other work demonstrating the ability to do graduate study in the field. International students must submit TOEFL scores (normally a minimum of 600/250/100 on the paper-based/computer-based/internet-based examination. Admission to the graduate program is selective and competitive based on the number of well-qualified applicants and the limits of available faculty and facilities. Those who meet stated minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths. Completed applications are due February 1. We offer Fall admission only.
III. FINANCIAL AID
A. Procedures for Awarding Funding
Financial aid is available to graduate students in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, tuition scholarshps, and Univesity fellowships. Assistantships and fellowships consist of tuition and a stipend for the September-May academic year. Awards are competitive and merit-based.
All funding decisions are made by the Graduate Plicy Committee and are based on the same criteria as required for admission. Continuing students without funding may petition the GPC tobe considered for future funding. Letters of petition should be sent to the Chair of the GPC by the end of the Fall semester in order to be considered for funding for the following academic year.
B. Procedures for Assigning Assistantships
Research Assistantships: Appointments are made in consultation with the faculty member conducting the research, the director of Graduate Studies and the Department Chair. Faculty anticipating funding for a research assistanthsip for the following academic year are encouraged to contact graduate students to inform them of possible research assistantship opportunities and to identify qualified students who wish to work on their projects. Research assistantships on funded projects my be offered to students not currently funded by the University or Department.
Teaching Assistantship: Appointments are made by the Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the Chair each semester. Faculty are required to submit a request for a teaching assistant form for each semester they are seeking an assistant specifying their expectations of the assistant(e.g., facilitation of classroom discussion, preparation and grading of examinations).
The assignment of graduate students to faculty members should balance scholarly interests and professional objectives of the student and the teaching and research needs of the department. The Director of Graduate Studies may change assignments as necessary and make additional assignments if new sources of funding become available.
C. Rights and Responsibilities of Funded Students
Assistantships carry the expectation of twenty hours of work per week. University guidelines stipulate that students holding assistantships are expected to give their full-time attention to graduate study and their assigned assistanthsip work during the fall and spring semesters. Students receiving University fellowships are expected to devote full-time to gradute study and may not engage in any remunerative employment while holding the fellowship. Students holding tuition scholarships have no employment restrictions. All students receiving financial aid must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Students awarded assistantships must satisfactorily fulfillthe requirements of their assignments.
D. Limits on Funding
The department has established maximum periods of eligibility for funding. Students entering the a B.a. are eligible for two years of funding toward the M.A. degree, and three additional years for the Ph.D. Students entering with an M.A. degree are eligible for a total of four years of funding.
Funded students are not required to apply for renewal of their financial aid. Student funding is renewed as long as they remain in good standing in the program. "Good standing" is defined as strong performance in coursework, satisfactory fulfillment of their research/teaching assistanship duties, and timely progress toward completion of the degree. The Director of Graduate Studies is in chage of monitoring student progress.
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IV. TRANSFER OF CREDIT
A maximum of nine (9) hours of graduate credit may be transferred toward the master's or Doctoral degree.
Petitions for graduate credit transfer may be submitted only after six (6) hours of graduate work have been completed at the University of Delaware. All petitions for transfer of graduate credit require the approval of the Graduate Policy Committee.
Only credits earned with grades of A or B are transferable.
V.ADVISEMENT
All students entering the program are assigned a Faculty Advisor and Graduate Student Peer Mentor. Assignments attempt tomatch the academic interests of students and faculty.
The academic advisor and student should plan and periodically review a plan of study that fulfills departmental requirement and provides comprehensive professional training. This plan of study should take account of students' backgrounds and available departmental resources.
Final responsibility for course selection and the meeting of departmental requirements resides with the student.
VI. REGULATIONS REGARDING GRADUATE STATUS
A. Definition of Full-time Status
Students holding teaching or research assistantships involving specific responsibilities are required to register for a minimum of 6 graduate credits per semester. Please note, however, that in order to make normal progress through the program, it is typically necessary to take more than 6 credits per semester. Students holding a fellowship or scholarship with no work assignment are required to register for at least 9 credits of graduate level courses per semester.
Full time status is defined as 9 hours for unfunded students.
B. Normal Progress and time Limits for Completion of the Degrees
Normal Progress:Students are expected to make continuing progress toward the completion of their graduate education. In order to assess their progress and professional development, each graduate student is required to submit a self-evaluation to the Director of Graduate Studies by April 15. The self-evaluation should cover the student's activities involving completion of required course work, area examinations, thesis or dissertation progress, professional engagement (publications, conference presentations, involvement in external funding activities, and participation in research projects other than the thesis or dissertation), teaching, and other relevant items. In addition, a letter from one faculty member of the student's choice should be submitted. Under ordinary circumstances we define "normal progress" in the following ways:
Full-time students entering the master's program are expected to complete their master's degree by the end of their second year in the program. Students continuing into the doctoral program are expected to complete the doctorate by the end of their fifth year in the program.
Full-time students entering the Ph.D. program with a master's degree from another program or university are expected to complete the doctorate by the end of their fourth year in the program.
Time Limits: The statues of limitations adopted by the Office of Graduate Studies are as follows: For students entering into a master's program, ten consecutive semesters (5 years). Student completing the requirements for the master's degree who are subsequently granted admission into the doctoral program are given an additional 10 consecutive semesters (5 years). Students entering the doctoral program with a master's degree are given 10 consecutive semesters (5 years).
Exceeding these limits may result in dismissal from the program. Requests for extensions must be made in writing by the student and approved by the Graduate Policy Committee before they can be considered by the Office of Graduate Studies.
C. Quality of Graduate Work
Consistent with Univesity regulations, a minimum "B" average (3.00) is required for certification of readiness to take comprehensive examinations and for conferral of a graduate degree. Students should consult the University catalog for further information regarding graduate standing.
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VII.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER'S DEGREE
A. Course Requirements
All students at the master’s level are required to take 30 hours of
graduate credit, at least 21 of which must be in the Department of Sociology
and Criminal Justice.
Students have three M.A. options:
Thesis Option (Sociology or Criminology)
Examination Option (Sociology or Criminology)
Internship/Analytic Paper Option (Sociology or Criminology)
All new students are required to take a non-credit
one-hour pro-seminar.
M.A. in Sociology
1) M.A. in Sociology with Thesis Option
SOCI 605: Data Collection
SOCI 612: Development of Sociological Theory
SOCI 606: Qualitative Methodology OR
SOCI 614: Advanced Data Analysis OR
EDUC 812: Regression Models in Education OR
EDUC 874: Multivariate Data Analysis in Education OR
EDUC 876: Structural Models in Education OR
EDUC 873: Hierarchical Linear Modeling in Education
SOCI 667: Teaching in the Social Sciences (1 credit)
5 elective courses - from at least two different substantive areas to
assure breadth in substantive areas of sociology
SOCI 869 - M.A. Thesis (6 credits) *cannot be taken pass/fail
2) M.A. in Sociology with Master’s Examination Option
SOCI 605- Data Collection
SOCI 612 - Development of Sociological Theory
SOCI 606 – Qualitative Methodology OR
SOCI 614 – Advanced Data Analysis OR
EDUC 812 – Regression Models in Education OR
EDUC 874 – Multivariate Data Analysis in Education OR
EDUC 876 – Structural Models in Education OR
EDUC 873 – Hierarchical Linear Modeling in Education
SOCI 621 - Deviance
SOCI 626 - Organizations
SOCI 609 - Stratification
3 elective courses -
Comprehensive Exams in two areas - (See section VIII. D.)
3) M.A. in Sociology with an Internship and Analytic paper
SOCI 605 - Data Collection
SOCI 612 – Development of Sociological Theory
SOCI 606 – Qualitative Methodology OR
SOCI 614 - Advanced Data Analysis OR
EDUC 812 – Regression Models in Education OR
EDUC 874 – Multivariate Data Analysis in Education OR
EDUC 876 – Structural Models in Education OR
EDUC 873 – Hierarchical Linear Modeling in Education
SOCI 626 - Organizations
3 electives - selected with the advice of the Intern Director
Internship (6 credits) - (See section D.)
M.A. in Criminology
SOCI 605 - Data Collection
SOCI 612 - Development of Sociological Theory
SOCI 606 – Qualitative Methodology OR
SOCI 614 – Advanced Data Analysis OR
EDUC 812 – Regression Models in Education OR
EDUC 874 – Multivariate Data Analysis in Education OR
EDUC 876 – Structural Models in Education OR
EDUC 873 – Hierarchical Linear Modeling in Education
SOCI 835 - Seminar in Criminal and Delinquent Behavior
3 elective courses from Group A and B with at least once course from each group:
Group
A: Criminal and Deviant Behavior
SOCI 628 - Corporate/Government Deviance
SOCI 621 - Social Deviance
SOCI 836 - Seminar I Criminal and Delinquent Behavior
SOCI 667 - When topic is crime, deviance, law or social control
Group B: Criminal Justice and Legal Systems
SOCI 655 - Law and Society
URA 624 - Seminar in Criminal Justice
SOCI 6XX - American Legal Systems
6 thesis credits
There
are thesis, exam or internship options as in Sociology.
B. Master’s Thesis Option The thesis will be in the form of a scholarly journal article.
With advice of the thesis committee each student will select a journal
most appropriate to his/her area of interest, and write a paper of the
type normally considered by that journal.
Each thesis will adhere to a particular journal’s page limits, bibliographic
format, manner of data presentation, etc. Where appropriate, students
are encouraged to develop their thesis from research conducted for their
course work, or from faculty member’s data bases. [Adopted April
12, 1996].
Candidates without a thesis committee may not accumulate more than
three credits in SOCI 869.
1. Thesis Proposal Procedures
It is the responsibility of the student to form an M.A. thesis committee
consisting of a Chairperson who is a member of the faculty of the department
of Sociology and Criminal Justice and two additional members (one of
whom may be from an outside department).
Upon obtaining the written consent of all potential members, the student
notifies the Graduate Policy Committee and the director of Graduate
Studies by memo of the composition of the Thesis Committee.
Upon subsequent approval of the M.A. Thesis Proposal by the committee
students provide one copy for their file (approved and signed by all
members of the committee). The chair of the Thesis Committee shall
notify the Graduate Policy Committee and the Director of Graduate Studies
and all members of the faculty by memo of the existence of the signed
proposal as well as the proposed thesis title.
2. Oral Defense of the Master’s Thesis
All requirements for the Master’s degree must be completed prior to
defending the thesis.
The oral examination is administered by the Thesis Committee.
The thesis Chairperson shall be responsible for notifying the faculty
ten (10) days prior to the scheduled examination and to see that a copy
of the thesis is on file in the departmental office 10 days prior to
the scheduled defense.
Any faculty member of the department may attend and examine if desired,
but the right of voting is reserved to members of the thesis committee.
A majority vote of the committee is required for any action.
The thesis and oral defense will be evaluated as a combined effort.
There are three possible outcomes: Pass, accept into Ph.D. program,
Pass, M.A. Terminal, Fail.
Upon failure, the oral defense may be repeated within one semester of
the first attempt.
It is the responsibility of the Chairperson of the Thesis Committee
to notify the director of Graduate Studies in writing of the outcome.
Successful candidates need to provide copies of the completed thesis
to the Office of Graduate Studies, and one copy for the departmental
archives and one copy for the chair of the committee. Students should
consult with the Office of Graduate Studies regarding regulation for
graduate theses.
C. Examination Option
Candidates for the Master’s degree must take the Master’s examination
prior to completion of their fourth semester in the program. Petitions
to sit for Master’s examinations must be submitted to the director of
Graduate Studies at least thirty days prior to the scheduled examination
period.
Examinations are written, and a maximum of three hours per exam is
allowed. Successful completion of the Master’s examination requires
passing the exam in two areas. Upon completion of the written
examinations, an oral examination may be required at the option of the
Area Examination Committee.
Candidates for the master’s degree are examined in:
I. Theory or methods,
II. One additional area from the standing areas of specialization offered
in the department.
The examination in theory will cover the course content of SOCI 612
and a reading list provided by the area committee. The examination
in methods will cover the course content of SOCI 605, SOCI 614 or Method
equivalents and a reading list provided by the area committee.
Standing area committees are responsible for providing reading lists
and constructing and evaluating examinations. Reading lists are
to be provided at least one semester prior to the scheduled examinations.
If the candidate wishes to be examined in a specialized area for which
there is no standing committee, the student must obtain three faculty
members willing to serve as examiners in that area by providing reading
lists and constructing and evaluating exams.
The Graduate Policy Committee must review and approve the petition
of the student and inform the director of Graduate Studies and the chairperson
of the department and the committee of the decision.
Grading - Possible outcomes are: Pass, accept in Ph.D. program, Pass,
M.A. terminal, Fail. It is the responsibility of the Chairpersons
of the examinations committees to notify the Director of Graduate Studies
in writing of the action taken by the examination committee. Within
one week of notification of the grade on the master’s examination, students
will receive a detailed evaluation in writing from the chair of the
examination committees.
D. Internship Option:
The internship program is designed to combine course work with professional
work experiences. The internship is organized to: offer interaction
with off-campus professionals and extend knowledge in career fields,
provide training in public and private agencies and organizations that
utilize the application of sociological knowledge to applied issues,
expose students to a variety of career opportunities available in the
applied areas of their concentrations, provide career-related experience
that may enhance employment opportunities for graduates, and require
students to place this work-related experience within a scholarly framework
by analytically evaluating their experiences in light of the theoretical
and empirical literature in sociology.
A three-person internship committee directs and supervises the program.
This committee should be formed during the second semester of their
program in accordance with established departmental policy for selection
of graduate degree committees. The purpose of this committee will
be to advise on internships, review progress of students, recommend
courses, aid the students in developing a sociological understanding
of applied experiences and assist in the development and evaluation
of the major internship paper.
Internship Requirements: submission of an internship proposal approved
by the Internship committee two months prior to beginning the internship,
compilation of daily logs including a description of activities undertaken
in the field and an valued analysis of this activity, weekly submission
of the field notes for evaluation by the intern Director, attendance
at one-hour tutorials with the Internship Committee Chair, submission
of a paper that analyzes and addresses the nature of applied sociology
within the setting and is based upon, and integrated, with sociological
theoretical and empirical literature.
The internship must include a minimum of 240 hours in the field.
Grading of internship performance will be the responsibility of the
student’s three person committee and will be based on the paper, field
performance and work. Completion of Intern program will be recorded
as pass or fail.
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VIII. REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DOCTORAL DEGREE
A. Admission to the Doctoral Program
for students with an M.A. in Sociology or Criminology from the University
of Delaware.
The student submits a dossier at least two months prior to the beginning
of the semester in which admission to the Ph.D. program is being requested.
The dossier includes:
1. A vita from the applicant describing: past academic achievement
and activities (including TA, RA, or fellowship awards),
2. A letter detailing the reasons for obtaining the Ph.D. in Sociology
or Criminology; and an outline of the intended course of study (including
both substance of course work as well as an expected schedule for completion
of course work, exams, proposals and dissertation defense).
3. Three letters of recommendation, one of which shall be a letter
from the masters thesis advisor evaluating past graduate performance
and future potential for doctoral work.
4. A transcript of all graduate course work.
5. The applicant may, at their discretion, include other materials
including the Master’s thesis, seminar papers, published papers or conference
presentations.
Normally, the minimum GPA in all graduate course work should be a 3.5
but the Graduate Policy Committee may evaluate the GPA in light of other
criteria such as course difficulty. Passage of the Master’s thesis
defense with a minimum of a “pass, accept into Ph.D. program level”
is also required.
The application must be approved by the GPC.
B. Course Requirements
Regulations of the Office of Graduate Studies require one continuous academic year of full-time residency for the Ph.D.
Ph.D. in Sociology
To permit maximum flexibility for developing an individualized Ph.D.
program, there are no minimum course hour requirements. However,
six specific courses are required. Current requirements are as
follows:
SOCI 605 - Data Collection and Analysis
SOCI 614 - Data Analysis
SOCI 606 - Qualitative Methodology OR
SOCI 611 - Demographic Data Collection and Analysis
[Methods requirement adopted April 12, 1996]
EDUC 812 – Regression Models in Education OR
EDUC 874 – Multivariate Data Analysis in Education OR
EDUC 876 – Structural Models in Education OR
EDUC 873 – Hierarchical Linear Modeling in Education
SOCI 612 Development of Sociological Theory
SOCI 813 Current Issues in Sociology
SOCI 667 Teaching in the Social Sciences (1 credit)
4 elective courses (12 credits excluding independent studies)
Comprehensive Exams in two areas
SOCI 969 - Dissertation (9 credits)
Ph.D. in Criminology
To permit maximum flexibility for developing an indivualized Ph.D. program, there are no minimum course hour requirements. However, the following specific courses are required:
SOCI 605 – Data Collection and Analysis
SOCI 614 – Advanced Data Analysis
SOCI 606 – Qualitative Methodology OR
SOCI 611 – Demographic Data Collection
[Methods requirement adopted April 12, 1996]
EDUC 812 – Regression Models in Education OR
EDUC 874 – Multivariate Data Analysis in Education OR
EDUC 876 – Structural Models in Education OR
EDUC 873 – Hierarchical Linear Modeling in Education
SOCI 612 - Development of Sociological Theory
SOCI 835 - Theoretical Criminology I
SOCI 836 - Application of Criminological theory and Empirical Tests
SOCI 837 - Criminology and systems of Criminal Justice
SOCI 667- Teaching in the Social Sciences (1 credit)
4 elective courses (excluding independent studies) from the courses listed in Parts A and B of the M.A. Criminology program
Comprehensive exam in Criminology and one additional area, except Social
Deviance
SOCI 969 - Dissertation (9 credits)
C. Ph.D. Comprehensive Exams
Candidates for the doctoral degree must be certified in two specialized
areas. The department currently offers specialization in the following
areas: Collective Behavior/Disaster Studies, Criminology, Deviance, Gender, Law and Society, Methodology/Statistics, Race, Theory. NOTE:
Students in Criminology may not select deviance as their second area.
Students are required to take at least one of their certified areas
from the standing areas offered by the department. If the candidates
wishes to be certified in a specialized area for which there is no standing
area committee, she or he must obtain three (3) faculty members willing to
serve as examiners in that area by providing reading lists, constructing
and evaluating examinations and other certification requirements.
The Graduate Policy Committee must review and approve the petition of
the student and inform the Director of Graduate Studies and the Chairperson
of the department of its decision.
1. Administration of Comprehensive Exams
Two dates will be established for comprehensive examinations, one at the beginning of the semester and one at the end of the semester. A given area exam, e.g., deviance, will be offered once per semester. The Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the area committee chairs, is in charge of scheduling. Comprehensive examinations will be administered to students in a common room with a maximum 6-hour time allotment and proctored by a faculty member.
2. Area Committees
Area committees are responsible for preparing reading lists, overseeing the respective curriculum in this area,
and providing students with written guidelines to aid them in the selection
of courses and preparation for examinations. Area committees are
responsible for designing the specific certification requirements for their particular area, preparing examination questions, and reading and evaluating
exams.
Published guidelines and reading lists are reviewed and revised as
necessary, usually on a regular cycle of every two (2) years.
Members of area committees and their chairs are appointed by the Chair
of the Department. Committees are composed of at least three (3)
members of the faculty, but committees may consult other members of
the faculty with competence in the area during the preparation of exams
and reading lists.
Chairs of the committees are responsible for notifying students of their exam results. Committee Chairs are also required to notify the director of graduate Studies of the results of examinations within one month of the exam.
3. Scope of the Examinations
Minimal preparation for written examinations includes the review of
reading lists provided by area committees. However, reading lists
are merely guidelines and should not be considered as the sole basis
for examinations. Committees are responsible for clarification
of the goals of reading lists, with specific attention to the question
of whether such lists represent “minimal” or “exhaustive” definitions
of the core literature.
For each area of certification the candidate is expected to be: up-to-date
with the literature in the field at the time of the exam, able to discuss
the most important controversies, issues and problems (in both theory
and methodology) that exist in the field, and capable of evaluating
existing theory and methodology and suggesting new direction of effort.
4. Pre-requisites and Schedule of Examinations
Students are required to declare their intent to take a comprehensive
examination, in writing, within the first two weeks of the previous
semester to the Director of Graduate Studies who will notify the relevant
Area Committee. The Committee will schedule an interview with
the student to explore his or her level of preparedness. Students
are expected to provide Committee members within written documentation
of their preparedness in that area prior to the interview (e.g. courses
taken, etc.)
IMPORTANT: All Ph.D. course requriements, including any outstanding incomplete grades, must be completed before students are eligible to take Ph.D. examinations.
Students are required to take both comprehensive exams (and repeats
thereof) in the same semester, or in consecutive semesters.
5. Grading
The outcome of examinations is determined
by majority vote.
There are four possible outcomes: Pass with distinction, Pass, Conditional
outcome, Fail.
Conditional Outcomes: Students receiving this grade are required to
complete additional work within two months of formal notification of
the committee’s decision. If the committee is satisfied with the
quality of the work, the student will receive a grade of Pass.
If the committee is not satisfied with the quality of the work, the
student will receive a grade of Fail.
Within one week of formal notification of the grade, students will receive a detailed evaluation in writing
from the chair of the area committee.
Students who fail a written exam, or any part thereof, may request
a re-reading from the original area examination committee. This
request is to be submitted within 20 days of the student receiving the
detailed written evaluation.
6. Repeats of Examinations
- Only one repeat for each area is permitted. Failure
on a repeat examination is a permanent failure for that area.
- Three failures of Ph.D. comprehensive examinations in any
combination shall result in dismissal from the program.
D. ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY
Formal Ph.D. candidacy follows the approval of the dissertation proposal.
Procedures for admission to Ph.D. candidacy are as specified by the
Office of Graduate Studies. Admission to candidacy must be obtained
before the deadlines specified in the academic calendar. Responsibility
for seeing that admission is secured at the proper time rests with the
student, but must include the recommendation of the student’s
dissertation committee and the chairperson of the department. Students must complete and submit the required form.
E. DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS
1. Dissertation Committees
It is the responsibility of the student to form a four-person Ph.D.
dissertation committee, consisting of a chairperson, who must be a member
of the department, and three additional members. two from within the
department and one of whom must be from an outside department. Faculty
on joint appointments in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice
are considered to be inside members of the department for the purposes
of dissertation committees.
After obtaining the written agreement of all members of the committee,
the student must notify the director of Graduate Studies, the Graduate
Policy Committee, the Department Chair in writing of the composition
of the committee. Subsequent changes in the composition of the dissertation
committee also require the approval of the Graduate Policy Committee.
Overlap in membership between the Graduate Policy Committee and the
dissertation committee does not require those involved to disqualify
themselves.
Candidates without an approved dissertation committee may not enroll
for more than three credits of dissertation research (SOCI 969).
2. Dissertation Proposals
Dissertation proposals should be worked out with the advice of the
dissertation committee. It is strongly suggested that committees meet
jointly with the student to discuss the dissertation topic and methodology.
Once it has been approved by all members of the committee, the chair
makes a copy of the proposal available to departmental faculty. Departmental
members have two weeks to review it, and submit comments, questions,
criticism to the Chair of the committee. At the end of the review period,
the dissertation committee should consider all comments received and
arrive at a final judgment on the proposal.
The Committee Chair communicates final approval of the proposal tot he faculty and the director of Graduate Studies. a signed copy of the proposal is placed in the student's permanent file.
The student is responsible for initiating the paperwork necessary for
admission to formal candidacy by the University Coordinator of Graduate
Studies. (Please consult the graduate catalog for specific time schedules).
3. The Ph.D. Dissertation
Students are expected to prepare copies of the dissertation for the
departmental archives, the chair of the committee, and those required
by the Office of Graduate Studies.
The bibliographic format and style of the dissertation must conform
to the standards of the Office of Graduate Studies.
4. Oral Defense of Dissertation
An oral defense of the dissertation is required. It is administered
by the dissertation committee.
The dissertation Chairperson is responsible for notifying the faculty 10 days prior to the scheduled examination and to see that a copy of the dissertation is on file in the department office
10 days prior to the scheduled defense. The oral defense is open to the public, the right of voting is reserved to the dissertation committee.
All other requirements for the degree must be completed before the
oral defense of dissertation can be scheduled.
Grading is limited to Pass or Fail, and a majority vote is required
for any action. It is the responsibility of the chairperson of the dissertation
committee to notify the Director of Graduate Studies of the decision
of the dissertation committee.
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IX.
INSTRUCTIONAL EDUCATION FOR TEACHING ASSISTANTS
The majority
of graduate students in Sociology and Criminology are pursuing Ph.D.’s
in preparation for a career in higher education. Therefore, we
are committed to providing our students with a broad and systematic
set of instructional experiences as an integral part of their graduate
education.
This will normally include the following elements:
A. CTE Conference:
All incoming students holding a teaching assistantship are required to participate in the Annual Conference for Graduate Teaching Assistant sponsored by the Center for Teaching Effectiveness.
B. Mentoring Experiences:
All faculty have accumulated a storehouse of knowledge and skills that
they can and should share with students as part of an “every faculty
as mentor” approach to the teaching enterprise. Therefore, faculty
supervising TAs are expected to offer students meaningful introductory
instructional experiences commensurate with students’ experience and
ability. Included among the suggested activities are preparing
exams, handling review sessions, developing a lecture or a seminar session.
We envision a process of planning, supervision and feedback for each
of these activities.
C. Instruction in Teaching Techniques:
All graduate students are requried to enroll in a one-semester,
one-credit Pass-Fail course in teaching techniques. It will focus
on some of the central elements in course preparation and instruction,
vis., instructional philosophy, textbook evaluation, selection of reading
assignments, syllabus preparation, managing large and small classes,
developing lecture outlines and student evaluation techniques.
D. Discussion Leaders:
Each year one of our larger survey courses will be designated for team-teaching
by a member of the faculty and advanced TAs. The course will be
organized into two lecture sessions taught by the instructional faculty
and a number of smaller discussion sections taught by TAs. This
means that TAs will have full responsibility for one-third of the course--planning,
class time, reading assignments, content, and grading. Instructional
faculty will retain overall responsibility for the format of the course
and coordination of the activities of TAs.
E. Individual Courses:
Students having participated in the courses on teaching and acted
as a seminar leader will earn the privilege of teaching their own sections.
Students have the responsibility of enlisting the cooperation of a faculty
mentor of their choice to provide advice and assist in assessing their
effectiveness.
Broad faculty participation in all phases of the program is important
to the success of the program. Therefore, responsibility for leading the Teaching in the Social Sciences course and offering seminar courses should
rotate among sociology and criminal justice faculty.
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X. ADDENDUM
A. Independent Studies
Independent study courses are
not required. Rather, they are designed to provide students with the
opportunity to take a course in an area or on a topic that is not offered
by the Department but which is crucial to their area(s) of specialization.
B. Pre-candidacy Credits
Pre-candidacy credits are taken in preparation
for the dissertation. They are taken after all required coursework has
been completed but when students have not yet passed their comprehensive
examinations and have not yet had their proposal approved. Students
may enroll for anywhere from 3 to 12 credits. Pre-candidacy credits are not required. According to the Office
of Graduate Studies, pre-candidacy credits no longer count toward the
degree after the completion of 12. If the student registered in Pre-Candidacy is admitted to candidacy before the end of the free drop/add period of the next semester, the registration in Pre-Candidacy Study (964) for the preceding semester may be changed to Doctoral dissertation (SOC 969). Once a student has passed his or her comprehensive examinations and has an approved proposal on file, Pre-Candidacy credits can be used as Doctoral Dissertation credits as described in the previous sentence. In order to do so, the student must contact the Assistant Provost in the Office of Graduate Studies. While these are not independent studies, a student must enroll using a faculty member's supervised study number. It is typical that a student will enroll with the faculty member who will be chairing their dissertation.
C. Dissertation Credits
Once a student has passed his
or her comprehensive examinations and has an approved proposal on file,
he or she enrolls for 9 dissertation credits. While these are not independent
studies, a student must enroll using a faculty member's supervised study
number with the faculty member who is chairing their dissertation. A student
may enroll for all nine credits in one semester. A student who wishes
to enroll in 6 one semester and 3 in another must augment those 3 dissertation
credits with 3 more credits from another source including: A course, an
independent study, or 3 additional dissertation credits in order to maintain
full-time status.
D. Doctoral Sustaining
Doctoral sustaining is for students who are ABD. They will have passed
their comprehensive examinations, have an approved proposal on file,
and have all 9 dissertation credits completed. Enrolling for doctoral
sustaining implies that a student is working full-time on his or her
dissertation and confers full-time status on that student.
E. Forms
Below is a list of the forms that students must complete as they progress through the program.
Copies
of the foms are available in the Sociology office. Important: Students are responsible for the submission of all forms. Dates and deadlines can be found on the Office of Graduate Studies homepage (udel.edu.gradoffice) under "UD STUDENTS."
1. "Application for Advanced Degree" form. Submitted after the defense of the M.A. thesis and again after the defense of the dissertation. Students completing the M.A. degree who intend to continue in the Ph.D. program must fill out and attach the "Change of Status" form.
2. "Confirmation of Dissertation Committee" form. Submitted after successful completion of the comprehensive examinations when members of the defense committee have been formally selected and agreed to serve.
3. "Recommendation for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree" form. Submitted after dissertation proposal has been approved.
4. "Ph.D. Defense Certification" form. Submitted after the defense.
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