Material for Current Graduate Students
The Guide to Graduate Study (with degree milestones for the 2024 cohort) explains all policies and practices for degree progress in the Sociology PhD. See this guide for details on each of the milestones listed below. The following milestones must be completed consecutively.
Year 1
- Transfer Course Request form for the Department of Sociology - Use this to petition for the transfer of graduate-level courses in Sociology from previous degree programs.
Year 2
- Sociology Degree Plan for the Department of Sociology - Submit this signed form to the GPC by March 15th. See page 12 of the Grad Guide for details.
Year 3
- Reading List approval - Your committee must have completed their review and approval of your reading list by March 15th. Be sure to create a timeline with them that gives them sufficient time for review. Email the GPC your final reading list and committee members' names and they will solicit your committee members' decisions and inform you of the outcome. See page 13 of the Grad Guide for details.
- GPAS Planner for the Graduate School - Schedule a time with the GPC to audit your degree progress and submit the form to the Graduate School for review by May 15th. See page 13 of the Grad Guide for details.
- If you would like to complete a master's degree on the way to the PhD, submit the GPAS form Add a Master's Degree to Doctoral Program (GPAS) (linked under the Degree and Graduation tab) - See pages 14 and 18-19 of the Grad Guide for details.
- Assign/update your committee (go to step 4 of the linked page) - Submit your committee members for both the doctoral preliminary oral examination committee and for the master's final exam committee to the Graduate School by June 15th. See pages 11-12 of the Grad Guide for details.
Year 4
- Preliminary Written Exam approval - Your committee must have completed their review of your written preliminary exam by September 15th. Be sure to create a timeline with them that gives them sufficient time for review. The GPC will solicit your committee members' decisions directly and inform you of the outcome. See pages 14-16 of the Grad Guide for details.
- Preliminary Oral Exam approval - Schedule your preliminary oral exam with the Graduate School upon approval of the Written Preliminary Exam and once all committee members have agreed to the date and time, but no later than October 1st. Conduct your Preliminary Oral Exam by October 15th. Your committee chair will submit the outcome upon completion. See pages 16-18 of the Grad Guide for details.
- Prospectus Hearing approval - Your committee must have completed their review of your written prospectus and held your prospectus hearing by May 15th. Be sure to create a timeline with them that gives them sufficient time for review. File your written prospectus and signed prospectus approval form with the GPC upon completion. See page 19 of the Grad Guide for details.
Dissertation Defense
- Assign/update final oral examination committee for the Graduate School
- Due six months prior to the final oral exam.
- Apply to graduate no later than the first day of the anticipated month of graduation.
- Application instructions are available here: http://z.umn.edu/degreeapplication
- Review the date ranges and deadlines for monthly graduation at: http://z.umn.edu/graduation-month for the Graduate School
- Preparing for the doctoral dissertation for the Graduate School
- Final oral examination scheduling for the Graduate School
- Schedule with the Graduate School as soon as your date is determined, and at least one week in advance.
- Final oral examination scheduling for the Department of Sociology
- Schedule with the Department of Sociology as soon as your date is determined, and at least one week in advance.
- Use this form to schedule the room and any technical supports.
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Informational & General Purpose
- PhD request for extension to the maximum time limit for the Graduate School
- Petition form for changes to your degree plan for the Graduate School