Department of Sociology

Home / Graduate Programs / Graduate Handbook / The PhD in Sociology / Calendar of PhD Evaluation Points

Calendar of PhD Evaluation Points

Points	Times	Possible Sanctions
Whenever work is submitted	Any time of the year.	Inform student of his/her progress. Warn of problems.
Annual general evaluation meeting	Each spring. Review of progress based on student self-assessment, teaching evaluations, and in some circumstances, examples of written work. Feedback from the advisor and other faculty is also solicited.	Warning, with or without funding contingencies.
MA submission	Voluntary, but for adequate consideration should be submitted in time to read before desired degree deadline.	Submissions are judged solely on whether or not they are worthy of an MA degree.
Final qualifying portfolio and defense committee meeting	By December 1 of student’s fourth year	Without accreditation, student cannot go on to qualify for PhD.
PhD prospectus	By May 1 of student’s fourth year	It may not be approved or accepted by committee.
PhD dissertation	Student’s fifth year and beyond. Any time during the academic year.	It may not be approved or accepted by committee.
PhD defense	Student’s fifth year or beyond. Any time during the academic year (official awarding of the degree in February, May, or August).	May not be approved or accepted by committee, or may require revisions.