• Minor
• Major (BA)
• Master of Arts
• Doctor of Philosophy

Undergraduate Major

The undergraduate curriculum provides students with the tools for understanding and critical analysis of a broad array of institutions and cultures, from the everyday level of interpersonal and community interaction to large-scale political and social systems and public policies. Students are engaged as active learners and encouraged to develop knowledge that can make a difference in the world, including the potential for leadership development and action for social justice.

Undergraduate study in sociology prepares students for a wide array of careers in human services, education, law, health, public service, communications, business, and social-change organizations.

Graduate Program in Sociology

The general objective of the graduate program is to educate students in the major areas of sociology while promoting specialization in several. The program presents students with three options. The first option is a doctoral program designed for students who intend to devote themselves to teaching and research in sociology. Students pursuing the PhD may, by satisfying certain requirements, also receive the MA, or may earn a joint MA in Sociology & Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. The second option is a terminal joint MA in Sociology & Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; the third option is a joint PhD in Social Policy (Heller School for Social Policy and Management) and Sociology.

Undergraduate Major

Sociology focuses on core questions of group and societal organization to explore how order is maintained and how social change occurs. Our department seeks to develop what C. Wright Mills referred to as the “sociological imagination,” by investigating how broader social forces shape life trajectories, how social categories such as race, class, gender, and sexuality structure social experiences, and how individuals and groups confront, and sometimes alter, institutionalized systems of power.

Sociological inquiry is central to many of Brandeis’ interdisciplinary programs, including Health: Science, Society, and Policy; International and Global Studies; Peace, Conflict, and Coexistence Studies; Religious Studies; Social Justice and Social Policy; and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. The department focuses on five core areas: theory and methods; gender and feminist studies; institutions, culture and religion; sociology of health and illness; and politics and social change. In each of these areas, students integrate critical scholarly analysis, foundational research techniques, and “hands-on” experiential learning to hone their abilities to engage in the community and the world as active, self-reflective change agents.

Knowledge

Students completing the major in Sociology will understand how to:

1. Recognize the ways in which social contexts shape individual and group behavior.
2. Rigorously engage with core questions of inequity, identity, justice, and social meaning.
3. Relate sociological frameworks to pressing social, economic, and political issues and policies.
4. Locate the ways in which Sociology as a professional discipline develops and considers major questions, concepts, theories, and methodologies.

Core Skills

The Sociology major emphasizes core skills in critical thinking, theory development, research design, data collection and analysis, and writing. Sociology majors from Brandeis will be well prepared to:

1. Creatively identify, confront, and assess issues of sociological significance in a range of real-world settings.
2. Understand, develop, and extend theoretical frameworks for critically and systematically engaging with social phenomena.
3. Employ established principles of research design, data collection and analysis to rigorously address empirical research questions.
4. Clearly communicate theories, ideas, and analyses, both orally and in writing.

Social Justice

The Sociology curriculum provides graduates with knowledge and perspectives needed to participate as informed citizens in a global society. Conceptions of justice, in particular the relationship between theory and action, are at the heart of the Brandeis Sociology experience. Sociology majors will have ample opportunity to:

1. Recognize and understand how structural, cultural, and relational contexts shape systems of power, access, and inequity.
2. Develop a reflexive and ethical sense of how diversity operates in social settings
3. Respectfully engage with ethnic, religious, cultural, and political difference.
4. Collaborate with local agencies and communities to develop strategies to address pressing issues.

Graduate Program in Sociology

Master's in Sociology & Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Sociology focuses on core questions of group and societal organization to explore how order is maintained and how social change occurs. Our department seeks to develop what C. Wright Mills referred to as the "sociological imagination" by investigating how broader social forces shape life trajectories, how social categories such as race, class, gender, and sexuality structure social experiences, and how individuals and groups confront, and sometimes alter, institutionalized systems of power. Since its founding, the department has enjoyed a distinct intellectual culture that links the key normative questions of democracy, social justice and the good life to critical social thought and qualitative research methods.

Students completing the MA program in Sociology and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies will develop the following competencies:

Knowledge

1. Develop familiarity with key theories and debates in Sociology and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
2. Relate sociological perspectives to social, economic, and political issues and policies.

Core Skills

1. Understand and extend theoretical frameworks for critically and systematically producing knowledge about social phenomena.
2. Map links between Sociology and other disciplines relevant to Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and think in a cross-disciplinary fashion.
3. Conceptualize and design research projects, conduct data collection according to established principles, and engage in rigorous analysis.
4. Critically evaluate research in the field.
5. Conduct scholarly and professional activities according to ethical standards.

Social Justice

1. Gain knowledge and perspectives needed to participate as informed citizens in a global society.
2. Recognize and understand how structural, cultural, and relational contexts shape systems of power, access, and inequity.
3. Develop a reflexive and ethical sense of how diversity operates in social settings.
4. Be an informed and critical consumer and producer of sociological knowledge.

Master's in Passing in Sociology

Students completing the MA in passing in Sociology will develop the following competencies:

Knowledge

1. Develop familiarity with key theories and debates in Sociology.
2. Recognize the ways in which Sociology as a professional discipline develops and considers major questions, concepts, and methodologies.
3. Develop expertise in at least one established subfield in Sociology.

Core Skills

1. Understand and extend theoretical frameworks for critically and systematically producing knowledge about social phenomena.
2. Conceptualize and design research projects, conduct data collection according to established principles, engage in rigorous analysis, and clearly write about research findings.
3. Critically evaluate research in the field.
4. Conduct scholarly and professional activities according to ethical standards.
5. Ask clear research questions, situate them in appropriate literatures, and articulate their theoretical and empirical significance.
6. Master oral communication and writing skills that allow for the clear and compelling communication of knowledge to academic peers, students in the classroom, and/or other constituents outside the academy.

Social Justice

1. Gain knowledge and perspectives needed to participate as informed citizens in a global society.
2. Recognize and understand how structural, cultural, and relational contexts shape systems of power, access, and inequity.
3. Develop a reflexive and ethical sense of how diversity operates in social settings.
4. Be an informed and critical consumer and producer of sociological knowledge.

PhD in Sociology

Sociology focuses on core questions of group and societal organization to explore how order is maintained and how social change occurs. Our department seeks to develop what C. Wright Mills referred to as the "sociological imagination" by investigating how broader social forces shape life trajectories, how social categories such as race, class, gender, and sexuality structure social experiences, and how individuals and groups confront, and sometimes alter, institutionalized systems of power. Since its founding, the department has enjoyed a distinct intellectual culture that links the key normative questions of democracy, social justice and the good life to critical social thought and qualitative research methods.

Our program boasts three main areas of study and expertise: gender and feminist studies; medical sociology; and culture and social change. We oblige our students to formulate questions of social and analytical importance in "big picture" terms and submit these questions to the test of rigorous research. With considerable expertise in ethnographic, interview, comparative and historical methods, our center of gravity has remained the qualitative analysis of institutional change.

Students completing the PhD program in Sociology will develop the following competencies:

Knowledge

1. Develop familiarity with key theories and debates in Sociology.
2. Develop expertise in at least three established subfields in Sociology.

Core Skills

1. Understand, develop, and extend theoretical frameworks for critically and systematically producing knowledge about social phenomena.
2. Conceptualize and design research projects, conduct data collection according to established principles, and engage in rigorous analysis.
3. Ask clear research questions, situate them in appropriate literatures, and articulate their theoretical and empirical significance.
4. Master oral communication and writing skills that allow for the clear and compelling communication of knowledge to academic peers, students in the classroom, and/or other constituents outside the academy.
5. Conduct scholarly and professional activities according to ethical standards.

Social Justice

1. Gain knowledge and perspectives needed to participate as informed citizens in a global society.
2. Recognize and understand how structural, cultural, and relational contexts shape systems of power, access, and inequity.
3. Develop a reflexive and ethical sense of how diversity operates in social settings.
4. Be an informed and critical consumer and producer of sociological knowledge.

PhD in Social Policy and Sociology

Students completing the PhD program in Social Policy and Sociology will develop the following competencies:

Knowledge

1. Develop familiarity with key theories and debates in Sociology.
2. Map links between Sociology and Social Policy, and think in a cross-disciplinary fashion.
3. Develop expertise in at least two established subfields in Sociology and one Social Policy concentration.

Core Skills

1. Understand, develop, and extend theoretical frameworks for critically and systematically producing knowledge about social phenomena.
2. Make knowledge usable and useful for policymakers and practitioners. 
3. Conceptualize and design research projects, conduct data collection according to established principles, and engage in rigorous analysis.
4. Ask clear research questions, situate them in appropriate literatures, and articulate their theoretical and empirical significance.
5. Master oral communication and writing skills that allow for the clear and compelling communication of knowledge to academic peers, students in the classroom, and/or other constituents outside the academy.
6. Conduct scholarly and professional activities according to ethical standards.

Social Justice

1. Gain knowledge and perspectives needed to participate as informed citizens in a global society.
2. Recognize and understand how structural, cultural, and relational contexts shape systems of power, access, and inequity.
3. Develop a reflexive and ethical sense of how diversity operates in social settings.
4. Be an informed and critical consumer and producer of sociological and policy-oriented knowledge.

Students can declare their major at any time. A sociology major is especially appealing to students interested in understanding the workings of society and human interaction. Students are encouraged to take SOC 1a early in their major.

The general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, as specified in an earlier section of this Bulletin, apply to candidates for admission to the sociology program.

Sarah Mayorga, Chair
Sociology of race and racism. Urban sociology. Latinx sociology. Whiteness studies. Qualitative methods.

Rachel McKane
Environmental justice. Environmental sociology. Urban sociology. Political economy. Quantitative and spatial methods.

Laura J. Miller
Sociology of culture. Mass communication. Urban sociology. Consumers and consumption. Cultural movements.

Chandler Rosenberger
Nationalism. Ethnicity. Sociology of culture. Sociology of religion. Political dissent and democratization.

Sara Shostak 
Sociology of health and illness. Science and technology studies. Environmental sociology. Research methods.

Michael Strand, Director of Graduate Studies
Social theory. Culture, morality, knowledge, and historical sociology. Economic sociology.

Siri Suh, Undergraduate Advising Head
Sociology of health and illness. Sociology of reproduction. Critical studies of global health. Science and technology studies (STS). Research methods. Sub-Saharan Africa.

Gowri Vijayakumar
Sociology of gender and sexuality. Social movements. Labor and labor movements.

Derron Wallace
Sociology of education. Race and ethnicity. Immigration. Social class. Masculinities. Inequality and identities.

Affiliated Faculty (contributing to the curriculum, advising and administration of the department or program)

Thomas Shapiro (Heller)
Stratification. Race.

Five semester courses are required for the minor, including the following:

A. SOC 1a.

B. SOC 10b.

C. SOC 18a, SOC 36b, SOC 46b, SOC 81a, SOC 82a, or SOC 140a.

D. Two additional sociology electives.

E. No grade below a C- will be given credit toward the minor.

F. No course taken pass/fail may count toward the minor requirements.

Students must fulfill the following requirements: completion of nine semester courses, which must include:

1. SOC 1a. This course should be taken early in the curriculum.
2. SOC 10b.
3. SOC 18a, SOC 36b, SOC 46b, SOC 81a, SOC 82a, or SOC 140a.
4. Six additional sociology electives.
5. No more than two courses from study abroad may count toward the major requirements.
6. Foundational Literacies: As part of completing the Sociology major, students must:
   • Fulfill the writing intensive requirement by successfully completing one of the following: SOC 113a, SOC 123a, SOC 131b, SOC 146b, SOC 148b, SOC 151b, SOC 179a, or ED 170a.
   • Fulfill the oral communication requirement by successfully completing one of the following: SOC 112b, SOC 116b, SOC 127a, SOC 130a, SOC 138a, SOC 147a, SOC 169b, or ED 170a, or any OC-designated course from any program in the Division of Social Sciences
   • Fulfill the digital literacy requirement by successfully completing one of the following: SOC 18a, SOC 36b, SOC 81a, SOC 82a, SOC 110a, or SOC 140a.
7. No more than two courses cross-listed in sociology may count toward the major requirements.
8. No grade below a C- will be given credit toward the major.
9. No course taken pass/fail may count toward the major requirements.
10. Students may apply an internship course (either SOC 89a, SOC 92a, SJSP 89a, or WMGS 89a) only once toward the requirements for the major.
11. Honors candidates are required to take SOC 99a and b (Senior Research) in addition to the nine sociology courses. Enrollment in SOC 99a and b requires a minimum overall GPA of 3.20, or a 3.50 in sociology.

 

Program of Study

A Master's degree in Sociology can be earned in-passing as part of on-going work for the sociology PhD. Students who have completed MA requirements can apply for the MA degree at any point beyond the first year of residency.

To fulfill program requirements, students must complete eight courses. 

1. At least five of these courses must be taken in the Sociology Department at Brandeis. 
2. One course must be one full year of SOC 300a. 
3. At least two other courses must be Sociology graduate seminars (courses numbered 200 or higher). 
4. One of the eight required courses must be in research methods.
5. One of the eight required courses must be in social theory.

In addition to the above coursework, students must have fully completed and submitted the publishable paper required of all PhD students.

Language Requirement

There is no foreign language requirement for the Master's degree.

A Master's degree in Sociology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies can be earned either as a "stand-alone" degree or in passing as part of on-going work for the sociology PhD (at any point beyond the first year).

Program of Study

1. WGS 205a, the foundational course in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
2. One course in feminist research methodologies (WGS 208b, or the Feminist Inquiry course offered through the Consortium for Graduate Studies in Gender, Culture, Women, and Sexuality (GCWS)).
3. Two elective graduate courses in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies: one inside and one outside the sociology department. Normally, only one of these courses may be a Directed Reading course.
4. Three graduate sociology courses: one theory, one outside the area of gender, and one elective, which could be a directed reading.
5. One additional elective graduate course.
6. Completion of a Master's research paper of professional quality and length (normally twenty-five to forty pages) on a topic related to the joint degree. The paper will be read by two faculty members, one of whom is a member of the Sociology department, and one of whom is a member of the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies core or affiliate faculty. In consultation with the primary advisor, a student may register for WGS 299a/b, "Master’s Project." However, this course may not count toward the eight required courses.

Language Requirement

There is no foreign language requirement for the joint Master's degree.

Residence Requirement

One year (in-person). The program may take an additional one or two semesters to complete as an Extended Master's student.

Program of Study

Students entering the PhD program in sociology are expected to complete 48 credits of coursework, distributed as follows:

1. Four semesters of the program’s SOC 300a (Thinking Like a Sociologist).
2. Either SOC 200a or SOC 204a.
3. SOC 203b, 252a, or another graduate seminar in research methods offered by the Brandeis sociology department.
4. Eight other courses:

• At least three should be graduate seminars (numbered 200-229) offered by the Brandeis sociology department.
• Up to two of the courses can be directed readings (230a). 
• Up to three courses anywhere else (preferably grad-level courses, though can be undergraduate enhanced courses. Can also be courses in other departments, or courses in the consortium). If a student wishes to take a course numbered 100-199, the student must enhance it for graduate credit. See the GSAS Special Notes on Registration in Undergraduate Courses and the Sociology Department Graduate Handbook for details.

The initial program of study is arranged in consultation with the graduate student’s adviser. Consideration will be given to graduate work done elsewhere, but formal transfer credit is assigned only after the successful completion of the first two semesters of study. Students may petition for up to 20 transfer credits from previously completed graduate-level coursework. Each spring, students are required to complete self-evaluation forms that are reviewed by the department faculty to monitor progress.

Publishable Paper

As they near the end of coursework, students will write a single-authored publishable research paper, and submit it to a peer-reviewed academic journal.  The paper should be based on original empirical research and/or theoretical development, and be of professional quality and length.  Students will choose two faculty members of the Sociology Department, one of whom is designated as chair, to guide and review the project. Both faculty readers must approve the completed paper. This requirement can be completed any time before the end of the student’s eighth semester in the program.  The paper need not be accepted for publication in order for the requirement to be met. 

Third-year students will have the option of presenting works in progress once each semester to the Approaches to Sociological Research pro-seminar (SOC 300a) to discuss and gather feedback on their publishable papers.

Teaching Requirement

It is required that all PhD students participate in undergraduate teaching. This typically means working as teaching assistants in collaboration with individual professors. PhD students are required to serve as teaching assistants for six semesters. All students also have an opportunity to develop the craft of teaching through teaching workshops within the department and the Center for Teaching and Learning. Please see the GSAS section on Teaching Requirements for more details.

Residence Requirement

The minimum in-person residence for the PhD is three academic years.

Language Requirement

There is no foreign language requirement for the PhD.

Qualifying Examinations

The specific planning, evaluation, and accreditation of a student's course of study will be in the hands of each student's Qualifying Portfolio and Defense (QPD) Committee, comprising two Brandeis sociology faculty members. Along with the student, this committee will lay out a general course of study designed to meet the interests and needs of the student. Upon formulation of the plan, the student will choose either an oral exam, a take-home written exam, or a portfolio for each of two QPD areas, as selected by the student from the current listed sections of the American Sociological Association. 

The specific details of each completion option are as follows. Each completion option will include a comprehensive reading list developed with the QPD area supervising faculty, and each completion option will include a syllabus drafted by the student in their QPD area:

Portfolio

Will additionally include a literature review written by the student. Will include a 45 minute portfolio discussion at the Qualifying Portfolio Defense meeting in the candidate’s field with questions about their portfolio materials from supervising faculty, after which time the supervising faculty will determine if the student’s portfolio passes.

Oral exam

Will additionally include a 45 minute oral exam with the supervising faculty member to be held during the Qualifying Portfolio Defense meeting. The format is as follows: Students will submit five questions to supervising faculty, of which the faculty member will pick two. The faculty member will also add one question of their own. Students will have a maximum of 15 minutes to answer each question during the Qualifying Portfolio Defense meeting, after which time the supervising faculty will determine if the student’s oral exam passes.

Take-home Written Exam

Will include a three-day (72-hour) work period to answer questions at home from supervising faculty in a written document. The student should email their written answers to the supervising faculty at the end of the 72-hour period. Barring an emergency during the 72-hour period, if students are late submitting their answers to the supervising faculty member, they will fail the take-home written exam. Students will submit five questions to the supervising faculty, of which the faculty member will pick two. The faculty member will also add one question of their own for a total of three questions. Students should complete their answers to these questions in no more than 20 total double-spaced pages (inclusive of answers to all three questions), using no smaller than 11-point font & 1-inch margins. Works cited/references list do not count toward the total number of pages. At the Qualifying Portfolio Defense meeting, the supervising faculty will have 45 minutes to discuss written answers with the student, asking questions and for further elaborations, after which time the supervising faculty will determine whether the student’s take-home written exam passes.

The Qualifying Portfolio Defense meeting should be completed by May 15 of the student’s third year, by which point all course requirements must also have been fulfilled. Supervising faculty can decide whether the student will do either an oral exam or a take-home written exam by December 1 of the student’s third year if portfolio completion appears, in their estimation, to be unlikely by the May 15 deadline.

Dissertation and the Final Oral Examination

A dissertation prospectus should be submitted by May 1 of the student’s fourth year in the PhD program. The dissertation prospectus committee should consist of two members from the sociology department faculty. Final composition of the Dissertation Committee must include at least three faculty members: two members of the Sociology Department faculty and an outside reader, chosen with the advice of the Dissertation Committee members, from another department or from outside the university. Graduate Committee approval must be secured before a defense can be scheduled, at least one month before the dissertation defense. The outside reader should hold a PhD, though exceptions may be possible according to the Graduate School requirements outlined here. At least two weeks before the dissertation defense, the student must submit to the Graduate School the Dissertation Defense Calendar Submission form. The PhD dissertation may be accepted by the program upon the recommendation of the dissertation examination committee. To be granted the degree, the student is required to defend the dissertation in a public final oral examination.

The PhD in social policy and sociology is a joint degree of the Department of Sociology and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. This option is available to students only after completion of at least one year of PhD study at the Heller School or in the sociology department (admission is not guaranteed).

Program of Study

Students enrolled in the joint PhD program in social policy and sociology are expected to complete 76 credits of coursework, distributed as follows:

1. Either SOC 200a or SOC 204a.
2. At least three other formal graduate seminars (numbered 200-229) offered by the Brandeis sociology department.
3. Four additional courses offered by the Brandeis sociology department, either graduate seminars, independent readings (SOC 230a/b), or upper-division (numbered 100-199) courses.
4. Students must participate in SOC 300a, Approaches to Sociological Research, during each semester they are completing coursework—at least two years—following matriculation into the Joint Degree program.
5. At least nine courses must be taken within the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. A list of required courses is available from the Heller PhD program.
6. Students are also required to take a noncredit doctoral seminar at the Heller School for at least four semesters following matriculation into the joint degree program.

Residence Requirement

The minimum in-person residence for the joint degree of Doctor of Philosophy in social policy and sociology is three academic years.

Teaching Requirement

All joint PhD students must participate in undergraduate teaching. This typically means working as a teaching assistant, in collaboration with individual professors, for at least one semester.  All students also have an opportunity to develop the craft of teaching through teaching workshops within the department and the Center for Teaching and Learning. Please see the GSAS section on Teaching Requirements for more details.

Language Requirement

There is no foreign language requirement for the joint PhD degree.

Qualifying Examinations

Each student must complete a "comprehensive paper" as required in the Heller School curriculum. Students must also show competence in two areas of sociology, as certified through the Qualifying Portfolio and Defense process. The specific planning, evaluation, and accreditation of a student's course of study will be in the hands of each student's Qualifying Portfolio and Defense (QPD) Committee, comprising two Brandeis sociology faculty members. Along with the student, this committee will lay out a general course of study designed to meet the interests and needs of the student. Upon formulation of the plan, the student will choose either an oral exam, a take-home written exam, or a portfolio for each of two QPD areas, as selected by the student from the current listed sections of the American Sociological Association. 

The specific details of each completion option are as follows. Each completion option will include a comprehensive reading list developed with the QPD area supervising faculty, and each completion option will include a syllabus drafted by the student in their QPD area:

Portfolio

Will additionally include a literature review written by the student. Will include a 45 minute portfolio discussion at the Qualifying Portfolio Defense meeting in the candidate’s field with questions about their portfolio materials from supervising faculty, after which time the supervising faculty will determine if the student’s portfolio passes.

Oral exam

Will additionally include a 45 minute oral exam with the supervising faculty member to be held during the Qualifying Portfolio Defense meeting. The format is as follows: Students will submit five questions to supervising faculty, of which the faculty member will pick two. The faculty member will also add one question of their own. Students will have a maximum of 15 minutes to answer each question during the Qualifying Portfolio Defense meeting, after which time the supervising faculty will determine if the student’s oral exam passes.

Take-home Written Exam

Will include a three-day (72-hour) work period to answer questions at home from supervising faculty in a written document. The student should email their written answers to the supervising faculty at the end of the 72-hour period. Barring an emergency during the 72-hour period, if students are late submitting their answers to the supervising faculty member, they will fail the take-home written exam. Students will submit five questions to the supervising faculty, of which the faculty member will pick two. The faculty member will also add one question of their own for a total of three questions. Students should complete their answers to these questions in no more than 20 total double-spaced pages (inclusive of answers to all three questions), using no smaller than 11-point font & 1-inch margins. Works cited/references list do not count toward the total number of pages. At the Qualifying Portfolio Defense meeting, the supervising faculty will have 45 minutes to discuss written answers with the student, asking questions and for further elaborations, after which time the supervising faculty will determine whether the student’s take-home written exam passes.

The Qualifying Portfolio Defense meeting should be completed by May 15 of the student’s third year in the joint program, by which point all course requirements must also have been fulfilled. Supervising faculty can decide whether the student will do either an oral exam or a take-home written exam by December 1 of the student’s third year if portfolio completion appears, in their estimation, to be unlikely by the May 15 deadline.

Dissertation and the Final Oral Examination

A dissertation prospectus should be submitted by May 1 of the student’s fourth year in the joint degree program. The dissertation committee should consist of five members—two faculty members each from the sociology department and the Heller School, and one outside member. The joint PhD dissertation may be accepted by the sociology department and the Heller School upon the recommendation of the dissertation committee. To be granted the degree, the student is required to defend the dissertation in a public final oral examination.

Every student whether or not currently in residence, must register at the beginning of each term. All sociology graduate students will be evaluated by the graduate committee, with input from the sociology faculty at large, each spring. Before this evaluation, each student must complete a self-assessment, which will be included as part of the evaluation discussion. At this evaluation the records of all graduate students will be carefully reviewed with reference to the timely completion of coursework and non-course degree requirements, the quality of the work and research in progress, the student’s overall academic performance in the program, and, if applicable, teaching.