Important Deadlines for the M.A. in Sociology
Plan A (Thesis) and Plan B (Non-Thesis)

(Some procedures may differ for the M.S. in Agriculture; contact your faculty advisor for this information)

This information lists the deadlines and forms that are required for key stages of the master's degree; specific information regarding the formation of advisory committees, the format of the master's thesis, etc. is provided in the department's Graduate Studies Reference Guide for Students and the University of Kentucky Bulletin: The Graduate School. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the guidelines and regulations of the Sociology department and the Graduate School.

NOTES: Be sure to complete the Advisory Committee Request Form for Master's Degree Program and submit this form well before the following deadlines. The Department strongly recommends that students form their advisory committees by the end of their first year or even earlier.

All underlined forms referenced here are available in the office of the Department's Administrative Assistant. These forms should be returned to the Administrative Assistant. (The Administrative Assistant records the information contained in the forms for departmental records, then forwards the forms to the DGS for signature.)

Thesis Proposal

minimum of one week prior to the proposal hearing

• Student submits a notice of the hearing (time, date, location) and abstract of the proposal to the department's Administrative Assistant. (Please send this information via an e-mail attachment to the Administrative Assistant.)
• Student forwards a complete copy of the proposal to the Administrative Assistant, who makes the proposal available to interested faculty.

Semester the Student Expects to Graduate

Application for Degree Cards are available from the Graduate School. The deadline falls within the first 3 weeks or so of the semester that you plan to graduate; the specific deadline is listed in the Schedule of Classes for that semester. Students should pick up two of these cards from the Graduate School, fill them out, and return them to the department's Administrative Assistant for DGS signature well before the deadline. The Administrative Assistant will forward the cards to the Graduate School, unless the deadline is quite near (in which case you should pick up the signed cards from the Administrative Assistant and transmit them directly to the Graduate School). If you do not graduate during the planned semester, degree cards will remain valid for the following two semesters (the 8-week summer session counts as one of these two semesters).

Master's students do not need to be registered for course work or other hours the semester that they graduate. However, the final oral examination (thesis defense) must be held while the University is in session (i.e., while classes are being held). If the oral examination does not take place a minimum of 8 days prior to the last day of classes, the degree will be awarded for the following semester.

Final Examination (Thesis Defense)

minimum of 8 days prior to the last day of classes in the semester in which the student expects to graduate: Last day the final oral examination can be held.

last day of the semester in which the student expects to graduate: Last day the thesis/written product can be delivered (in final form) to the Graduate School.

more than 2 weeks prior to final oral examination:

• Student gives complete copies of the thesis/written product to Advisory Committee members.
• The Distribution of the Thesis/Written Product to Advisory Committee Members form is transmitted by the student to the Administrative Assistant, certifying that a majority of the student's Advisory Committee have received a copy of the thesis/written product. This form is required before the DGS can begin the exam scheduling process. (The Graduate School must be notified by the DGS at least 2 weeks before the date of the final oral
• For the thesis option: Student forwards a typed, clean, "next-to-final" copy of the thesis to the DGS (copy will be returned to the student). Theses must be in conformity with the instructions prepared by the Graduate School (students should obtain a copy of the leaflet Instructions for the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations from the Graduate School office).
• Thesis Approval Sheet must be signed by the student's Advisory Committee Chair, then transmitted by the student to the Administrative Assistant for DGS signature.
• The Final Examination Recommendation, which states the time and place of the exam, must be forwarded by the student to the Administrative Assistant.

NOTE: Since the latter forms must be received in the Graduate School no later than two weeks before the date of the examination, the materials listed above must be forwarded to the Administrative Assistant prior to the Graduate School's 2-week deadline.

by the date of the examination:

• Examination card to be picked up by/transmitted to the student's Advisory Committee Chair (exam cards are sent from the Graduate School and kept in the office of the Department's Administrative Assistant).

following the examination:

• Examination card to be transmitted by the student's Committee Chair to the DGS or Administrative Assistant. The DGS must report the results of the exam (as shown on the exam card) to the Graduate School within 10 days of the exam.

Plan A (thesis option):

within 60 days of successfully passing the examination: 

• All revisions, additions, and corrections required by the student's committee to be made.
• Two copies of the thesis to be delivered by the student in final form to the Graduate School. Signatures of the Thesis Director and the DGS are required, verifying that the copies are complete. These copies must be presented and accepted by the Graduate School by the last day of the semester if a student plans to graduate that semester. Each student must pay a fee for the binding of the thesis. Payments are made at the Billings and Collection office.
• Student must supply to the Department's Administrative Assistant one hard-cover bound copy of the thesis for the Department library. (This is in addition to the two unbound copies required by the Graduate School.) It is traditional for students to supply a bound copy to their advisor as well.

Plan B (non-thesis option):

by the last day of the semester, following a successful final oral examination:

• All revisions, additions, and corrections required by the student's committee to be made.
• One final copy of the written product to be delivered by the student to the Administrative Assistant, which will be placed in the student's permanent file. These written products are not required to be hard-bound as in the case of theses.