Funding

It is the policy of the Department to try to provide funding for all qualified students upon entry into the graduate program at the M.A. and Ph.D. levels.  Those students who do not receive funding upon entry are eligible for funding consideration in subsequent years.  Decisions about funding are made in yearly evaluations of graduate student progress, academic performance, and participation in departmental life (e.g., attending departmental colloquium and talks).  Students need to make systematic progress toward their degree to ensure continued funding.  

Assistantships and Fellowships

In addition to Graduate School scholarships and fellowships, the Department normally awards a number of half-time service (20 hours per week) teaching and research assistantships.  The actual number of available assistantships varies from year to year.  All graduate students in Sociology are eligible to apply.  Preference is given to superior students whose career interests converge with the particular purposes for which the assistantships have been established.  Three full-time research assistantships come from the Department of Community and Leadership Development, and other research assistantships may come from department member’s grant awards.  

Time Limits on Support

Students who hold assistantships are expected to make satisfactory progress toward the degree.  The time limit guidelines for departmental funding support are as follows:

Master's students--a maximum of two years departmental funding support.

Ph.D. students--a maximum of four years departmental support for those entering with the M.A. from another institution.  Students who complete the M.A. degree at UK and who have received two years of departmental funding support during that period are eligible for an additional three years of support in the Ph.D. program. 

"Departmental funding" is defined as any teaching and research assistantship or fellowship  provided through university funding sources (e.g., either recurring departmental assistantships, assistantships supported by grants secured by university faculty or staff, or university nonservice fellowships).  The only exception to the funding time limit is that students may be employed on grant funding after expiration of time limits outlined above upon request of the principal investigator.    

It is possible that a student may find it necessary to take time off from her/his studies.  If so, the student must inform their advisory committee and the DGS of their intentions to take time off.  Assuming the student has been making adequate progress, the Department will not count this time-off period against their funding time limit.  However, the Department cannot guarantee that funding will be available when the student returns.   

Adequate Progress and Priorities for Funding 

Each year students who receive funding from the Department as well as those requesting funding for the coming year will be evaluated by the Graduate Committee to determine the student's priority for continued or future funding.  Criteria for minimal progress include the following:

Grades: Students are expected to maintain a minimum B (3.0) average before an advanced degree is awarded.  Specific policies regarding academic probation and termination have been developed by the Graduate School for students whose average fall below a 3.0.  This is a Graduate School requirement.  In addition there is a Department requirement that all required theory and methods courses be completed with a minimal grade of B and that graduate students who receive grades of C or below in as many as 9 credit hours of course work in Departmental or cross-listed course work shall be dropped from the graduate program in Sociology.  Low grades or maintaining only a minimal GPA can affect ranking for funding.

Required Courses.  Students are expected to take required courses in theory and methods/statistics at the first opportunity they are qualified to take them.  Postponement of required courses can affect ranking for funding.

Academic Load: The typical academic load is 9 hours for full-time enrollment.  First year students must complete 18 hours of course work, including completion of appropriate required course work.  The Graduate School stipulates that students funded with a Teaching Assistantship or a Research Assistantship take no more than 9 hours per semester.  If a student wishes to request a waiver of this maximum number of hours for a given semester, s/he should contact the Director of Graduate Studies.

Incompletes: The Department strongly recommends minimal use of incompletes.  Incompletes should be requested sparingly, and except in extraordinary circumstances, must be completed within one semester.  Students taking an incomplete must sign a contract with the instructor specifying requirements for completion of the course and when it will be completed.  Failure to meet the terms is grounds for turning in a grade of E.  Overall, excessive numbers of incompletes or failures to complete them promptly, except in unusual extenuating circumstances (severe health problems, family/personal emergencies, etc.), will be viewed as failure to make adequate progress.

Thesis or Major Paper: The Department expects timely completion of the M.A. thesis/paper.  Full-time, funded M.A. students must successfully defend their thesis proposal by the third week of their fourth semester in the program in order to be considered for funding in the following year as a doctoral student in the Department.  An award of funding in the student's third year is contingent upon: 1) successful completion of the M.A. degree prior to the beginning of the student's third academic year in the program; and 2) admittance to the Ph.D. program.  Students who are admitted to the Ph.D. program with funding but who do not actually complete the thesis on time will have their funding terminated if they fail to complete the thesis by the end of their fifth semester in residence.

TA/RA Performance: TA and RA performance includes the evaluation of all funded students by their supervisors.  This evaluation will included in the overall evaluation of a student's progress and can affect the student's ranking for funding.  Students may include a statement evaluating their assistantship experience, performance, and/or supervision.

Professional Orientation/Activity: Students should become involved in efforts to demonstrate professional activity as evidence of ongoing career development.  These may include attending designated departmental seminars, committee meetings, presenting papers at conferences, writing/publishing papers, writing grant proposals, etc. as appropriate to the student's stage in the program.  Ranking for funding will consider such professional activity.

Appeals: Any student who has been denied continued funding as a result of the review process may ask for clarification from the DGS or the Graduate Committee.  An appeal to the Committee may be made upon the recommendation of the student's faculty advisor.