The Organization of Graduate Studies in the Department of Sociology 

Director of Graduate Studies and the Department's Graduate Committee

The Department grants Master's and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Sociology.  The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) is the official representative of the Graduate School.  The DGS, with the help of the Department's Administrative Associate, administers the graduate program.  The DGS reports to the Graduate Dean and is responsible for implementing the rules, procedures and policies of the Graduate School.  If special circumstances warrant, a student may petition the DGS on all departmental requirements stated in this manual.

The Department's Graduate Committee provides guidance and assistance to the DGS.  This committee includes the DGS as chair, two or three other faculty members representing the Department, and two graduate students.  This committee, excluding the two student members, advises the DGS on admissions, assistantship and fellowship awards, petitions for waivers of requirements and makes the final decision on terminations from the program.  The full committee reviews graduate program policy, examines curriculum changes, and when necessary implements Department rules and procedures pertaining to the graduate program.  However, all changes in the graduate program must be approved at a Department meeting.

Student Advisory Committees

The most important committees in a student's academic life are the academic advisory committees.  Upon entering the Department, the DGS will act as your advisor.  The DGS will evaluate your previous experience and help you work out a general plan of coursework.  If you have had little or no previous training in sociology or other social sciences, it may be necessary to make up deficiencies in lower level courses without receiving graduate credit in these courses.  In consultation with faculty who teach the relevant courses, the DGS will also determine whether prior course work can be substituted for required Department courses.  The DGS appoints an interim advisor for each entering graduate student based upon the student's expressed interests in sociology.  During your first year, your interim advisor will provide guidance and listen to your concerns.  A primary task for you and your interim advisor is completing the master's or doctoral degree "planning sheet" (see the Department's Administrative Associate for this form).  When completed, this sheet will be placed in your permanent file in the office of the Department's Administrative Associate. 

The Department strongly recommends that you form your advisory committee by the end of your first year or even earlier.  It is your responsibility to ask the appropriate faculty to serve on your committee.  There is no obligation for the interim advisor to serve on your advisory committee.  A faculty member may choose not to serve on your committee.  Until you have formed an advisory committee, the interim advisor will perform advisory committee duties such as conducting the annual review of graduate student progress (see Annual Review/Advisory Meetings under Master's Degree Programs).   

For a Master's Degree, the Graduate school requires an advisory committee of three members.  At least one member must be a full member of the Graduate Faculty and one other must hold at least an associate appointment.  If the student so desires, one member of the committee (other than the chair) can be a faculty member from a department other than Sociology.

For a doctoral degree, the Graduate School requires a core of four members.  This core consists of the Major Professor as Chair (or two Co-Chairs), two other members from Sociology, and at least one representative must be from outside the Department.  All members of the core must be members of the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kentucky and three (including the Major Professor) must possess full Graduate Faculty status.  If you would like an associate member of the graduate faculty to serve as chair of a Ph.D. committee, then a full member of the Graduate Faculty must serve as a co-chair (see the Graduate School Bulletin for an explanation of Graduate Faculty Status and a listing of Sociology faculty who are full and associate members of the Graduate Faculty).   Faculty members who do not hold Graduate Faculty status may serve as non-voting members of the Advisory Committee.  

The core of the Advisory Committee must be kept at its full complement throughout the graduate career of the individual student.  Thus, in the event of a vacancy on the Committee (occasioned by resignation, faculty leave, or inability to serve), an appropriate replacement must be made prior the making of important committee decisions such as the master's thesis defense or doctoral qualifying examination.  (Any student who passed the oral qualifying examination prior to May 1, 2001 must maintain an advisory committee core of five members rather than four.)  

Your advisory committee will provide guidance throughout your graduate career.  The chair (or co-chairs) is (are) expected to direct your thesis, major paper, or dissertation, and to provide mentoring throughout your graduate program. 

Doctoral students form their official advisory committee by petitioning the Dean of the Graduate School (the appropriate form is available from the Department's Administrative Associate, and is also available from the Graduate School's web site).  It is possible to change the composition of the doctoral committee, but any change requires the approval of the DGS, and, in the case of a failed qualifying exam or dissertation defense, the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School is required.  Master's students do not petition the Graduate School to form their committees, but are required to fill out and submit a departmental form which lists their committee members (available from the Administrative Associate).  Choosing your committee is one of the most important acts you make as a graduate student.