Yearly Program Requirements

Graduate Program Requirements: Important Deadlines

This is a quick summary of the deadlines and requirements for the graduate program. These rules and requirements are described at greater length in the Graduate Handbook. This document provides a ready summary. Students in the Joint Degree Program in Sociology and Public Policy and students in the Demography Program will have additional requirements.

First Year:

  • Take two statistics courses (SOC500 and SOC504, or POL571 and POL572) – Fall, Spring
  • Take Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory (SOC501 and SOC502) – Fall, Spring
  • Take Techniques and Methods of Social Science (SOC503) – Spring
  • Satisfy the IRB Responsible Conduct of Inquiry requirement (in SOC503)
  • Take Proseminar (meets weekly for an hour and a half) – Fall
  • Attend departmental colloquia 

Second Year:

  • Take the Empirical Seminar (SOC505) – Fall, Spring
  • Have Empirical qualifying paper approved by two readers by June 30th
  • Complete 6 hours of precepting for the sociology department (can also be completed in the 3rd year).
  • Pass general exam, ideally in May of second year, no later than October 15 of third year
  • Attend departmental colloquia

Third Year:

  • Work on dissertation research; have prospectus approved no later than May 15th

Fourth Year:

  • Work on dissertation research. 

Fifth Year:

  •  Finish dissertation.

* * * * * *

Where extenuating circumstances justify a deadline extension, students may request such extensions, which may be granted at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies, with the advice of the Graduate Committee.  (In the case of extensions to the prospectus deadline, a vote of the Graduate Committee is also required.)