Curriculum
The Sociology curriculum is designed to give students a comprehensive introduction to the discipline and opportunities for each student to pursue their particular research interests. The preliminary examination and qualifying paper provide students with a firm foundation in many major subfields as well as the skills required for scholarly research. The special field requirement, including the methods specialization, prepares students for their dissertation research. Teaching, either at the University or other local institutions, provides further opportunities to develop substantive and methodological specialties.
Degree Programs
The Department of Sociology offers a program for the Ph.D. degree. Students may ordinarily earn a master's degree as part of the Ph.D. program. The M.A. is awarded for completion of the first year of coursework (see below) and at least a masters-level pass on the preliminary examination.
Coursework for the Ph.D. program is to be completed in 2 - 3 years and we expect students to meet all requirements for candidacy by their fourth or fifth year. The total time to degree will vary with the type of dissertation each student chooses to write.
The University of Chicago has a continuous registration system for students in Ph.D. programs. To receive a Ph.D., students must complete a minimum of twelve quarters over four calendar years in Scholastic Residence (unless they receive the Ph.D. in fewer than four years). Following the period of Scholastic Residence, students register in Advanced Residence until they receive the Ph.D., for up to a maximum of eight years. If additional registration is needed to complete the degree, students then register in Extended Residence. During the early years of Scholastic Residence, students are engaged primarily in course work. During the later years, although often continuing course work, they focus more on examinations and independent research. Program requirements vary by department, while residence system is uniform across the University.
Satisfactory completion of the first phase of the Ph.D. program is signified by the awarding of the M.A. degree. Students entering with the master's degree in sociology from another university may be able to complete the Ph.D. program in less time. Any adjustment in program requirements does not affect the University doctoral residence system.
Degree Requirements for the Ph.D.
Students matriculating at Chicago without a prior master's degree must pass eighteen courses, exclusive of language instruction, at the level of B- or higher for the Ph.D. Nine of these must be passed at the B- or higher level for the M.A. Students matriculating at Chicago who already have an master's degree (in sociology or another field) from another institution or who have an master's degree from Chicago in a field other than sociology must pass fifteen courses, exclusive of language instruction, at the level of B- or higher. Students are expected to complete nine courses in the first year, at least six courses in the second year, and a total of eighteen by the end of the third year. Those entering with a master's degree will have completed their required number of courses by the end of the second year.
A student seeking the Ph.D. should complete the two-quarter common core sequence titled "Sociological Inquiry 1, 2" and a one-quarter course in sociological theory during the first year of residence.
Students seeking the doctorate are also required to complete "Statistical Methods of Research 1, 2". The department approves alternative sequences for students with strong preparation in statistics or mathematics. All students, however must take two courses in statistics. Other requirements are:
Preliminary Examination
This is a written examination designed to demonstrate competence in several major subdisciplines of sociology. Students are required to pass the examination in order to continue their work. The examination is based on the two common-core courses, the theory course, and a special supplementary bibliography. The preliminary examination normally is taken at the beginning of the second year of residence.
The Qualifying Paper
The qualifying paper should represent an original piece of scholarship or theoretical analysis and must be written in a format appropriate for submission to a professional publication. Note that the requirement is "publishable," not "published," although many recent papers have been presented at professional conferences and eventually published. The paper is prepared under the direct supervision and approval of a faculty member and may be written or revised in connection with one or more regular courses. Students entering with M.A. papers may submit an appropriate revision to meet the qualifying paper requirement.
Special Field Requirement
Ph.D. students are required to demonstrate competence in two special fields. The Special Field Requirement is generally met during the third and fourth years of graduate study. Students must pass the Preliminary Examination at the Ph.D. level before meeting the Special Field Requirement. This requirement may be met in three ways: by examination, with a review essay, or through a specified sequence of methods courses. Both the examination and review essay options are prepared on an individual basis in the fields of sociology in which the student wishes to develop research competence; one should be related to the subject of the subsequent Ph.D. dissertation. The examinations cover both theoretical and substantive materials as well as the methods required for effective research. Preparation takes the form of specialized courses and seminars, supplemented by independent study and reading. For either an exam or essay, the student must first construct a bibliography to be approved by both faculty readers; readers must also agree in advance to either the examination or review essay format. The fields most commonly taken are demography; economic and work institutions; culture; educational institutions; family and socialization; formal organization; methodology; modernization; political organization; race and ethnic relations; social change and social movements; social stratification; and urban sociology.
One of the two special field requirements may be met with a sequence of courses. Five types of special fields in methodology are recognized: (1) social statistics, (2) survey research methods, (3) qualitative methods (4) methodology for social organization research, and (5) mathematical sociology.
One of the two special field requirements may be taken in a related field outside of sociology.
Dissertation
The student prepares a research plan under the guidance of a specially appointed committee. The Ph.D. dissertation is judged by its contribution to sociological knowledge and the evidence it shows of ability to carry out independent research.
The plan is subject to review by a faculty committee appointed for each student to determine whether the project is feasible and to assist in the development of research. Upon approval of the dissertation proposal and completion of the other requirements listed above, the department recommends that the Division of the Social Sciences formally admit the student to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.
When the dissertation is completed, an oral examination is held on the dissertation and the field to which it is related.
