Master of Arts Degree
Vern Baxter, Graduate Coordinator

Presented below are the basic procedures and norms for progressing through our graduate program. It is designed primarily for students already in the program, but it may be of interest to prospective students as well. Read this carefully, and if you have any questions, discuss them with the Graduate Co-ordinator and/or your major professor. These materials are not intended to replace the graduate catalog, only to supplement it. Discussed below are course requirements for the various degree options, required forms, procedures, and a time frame for the whole process.

Three M.A. Degree Options Available

In the spring of 2000, the Sociology faculty voted to restructure the M.A. program. The basic thesis option was not changed. Requirements for the applied thesis option were changed, and a new non-thesis option was added. The requirements for each degree option are elaborated below. Any student who entered the program before fall, 2000 may pursue requirements for the MA degree that were in place when they entered the program, or they may choose to adopt any of the new degree options. Students who enter the program beginning in fall, 2000 must pursue the degree requirements put in place in Spring, 2000 and described below.

Required Courses for All M.A. Students: 12 - 15 hours as listed

SOC 4086: Sociological Theory (3 hrs.) - Usually taught each semester, evenings in the fall semester and daytime in the spring. Required only if the student does not have an undergraduate sociological theory course. Make requests for exceptions to the graduate committee.

SOC 4788: Social Statistics (3 hrs.) - Usually taught fall semester; involves computer use. Highly recommended that the student have a basic statistics course before they take SOC 4788.

SOC 6783: Advanced Sociological Theory (3 hrs.) - Usually taught spring semester each year.

SOC 6784: Methods of Social Investigation (3 hrs.) - Usually taught spring semester. Involves use of the computer and computer competency exam is part of this course. All sociology M.A. students are required to demonstrate computer competency. For all students passing with a "B" or better, the graduate coordinator will submit the computer competency paperwork to the graduate school. It is highly recommended that students take SOC 4788 before taking this class.

SOC 6785: Seminar in Research Applications (3 hrs.) - Usually taught each fall for students who have completed SOC 4788, SOC 6783, and SOC 6784. Students wishing to take SOC 6785 before completion of the prerequisites must receive consent of the graduate committee. The course provides training in advanced research design and involves the application of research skills as each student prepares a proposal for a Master's Thesis.

NOTE: The program requires that all students complete at least one 6000-level graduate seminar in Sociology (excluding independent study hours). Students must earn a grade of "B" or better in all required courses.

The Thesis Option (30 hours total):

In addition to completing the courses required of all M.A. students, those who pursue the thesis option must also design, conduct, and write a research paper under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Students who pursue the thesis option must complete three credits of thesis work, Sociology 7000, but they cannot apply more than six credits of Sociology 7000 toward their degree. After completing the thesis project, students must defend their work in an oral examination before a thesis committee composed of the advisor and two additional faculty readers.

The Applied Option (30 hours total):

In addition to completing the courses required of all M.A. students, those who pursue the applied option must complete Sociology 4790, Sociology in Applied Settings. Three credits of thesis work, Sociology 7000, must be also be completed, but no more than six credits of Sociology 7000 can be applied toward the degree.

In addition to required course work, students in the applied option will complete an applied thesis. Program implementation, program evaluation, and policy impact assessment are three of the more common applied thesis topics. The thesis will demonstrate a student's ability to apply sociological insights and research skills in work place settings. A faculty advisor will supervise preparation of the thesis. Students will present their thesis orally to a faculty committee composed of the advisor and two additional faculty members.

The Non-Thesis Option (36 hours total):

Non-thesis students must complete a total of thirty-six (36) hours for the M.A. degree. In addition to completing the courses required of all M.A. students, those who pursue the non-thesis option must complete Qualitative Methods, Sociology 6788. Non-thesis students must also complete a total of twenty-one (21) hours of course work numbered 6000 or above. Independent study courses (Sociology 6396, 6397, 6398) cannot count toward these twenty-one hours and only three hours of independent study can count toward the thirty-six (36) total hours required for this degree.

Other Courses: All 4000-level courses taught by Graduate faculty are available for graduate credit, so long as the student did not take the course as an undergraduate. Graduate students in 4000-level courses are required to complete work beyond that expected of undergraduates, and performance commensurate with the awarding of graduate credit is expected.

Graduate Seminars: Two graduate seminars are usually offered at night each semester. The possible courses are as follows and are offered on a rotating basis:

SOC 6105 Complex Organization and Bureaucracy
SOC 6107 Sociological Perspectives on Gender
SOC 6573 Social Psychology
SOC 6788 Qualitative Methods
SOC 6813 Urban Ecology and Demography
SOC 6814 Sociology of Development
SOC 6871 Environmental Analysis

All students must complete at least one graduate seminar in Sociology. Courses outside the Sociology department may also be taken when they are relevant to a student's particular substantive interests and are approved by the Graduate Coordinator, but no more than 6 hours from another program can be counted toward the M.A. degree in Sociology.

Independent Study: Sociology 6396, 6397, 6398 (3 hrs. each) - A student may request an independent study when courses are not available in a particular area of student interest, and a graduate faculty member is willing to direct it. The semester before one is taken, the student and faculty member should prepare a reading list which is then submitted to the Graduate Committee for approval. Independent studies DO NOT fulfill requirements for course work completed at the 6000-level or above, and no more than 6 hours of independent study can be counted toward the M.A. degree.

Scheduling Plan for Students Who Choose a Thesis Option:

First Year, Fall: SOC 4086 - Sociological Theory (if needed)
6 - 9 hrs. Graduate Seminar or 4000-level Undergraduate Course
SOC 4788 - Social Statistics

First Year, Spring: SOC 6783 - Advanced Sociological Theory
6 - 9 hrs. SOC 6784 - Methods of Social Investigation
Graduate Seminar or 4000-level Undergraduate Course

First Year, Summer: 4000-level Undergraduate Course or Independent Study - 3 hrs.

Second Year, Fall: SOC 6785 - Seminar in Research Applications
6 - 9 hrs. Graduate Seminar
Thesis Hours

Second Year, Spring: Thesis hours 6 - 9 hrs.

Summer: Thesis hours as necessary to complete thesis

Thesis or Applied Research Report: Before signing up for SOC 7000 - thesis hours, a student selects their major professor to direct the project. The major professor in consultation with the student then selects at least two additional committee members (one may be from another department or even another university, i.e., Sociology at LSU-Baton Rouge).
The three hours of thesis credit are required for the degree if the student chooses a thesis option. Additional thesis hours may be taken as needed, but only six hours of thesis credit can be counted in the 30 hours needed for the M.A. degree.

Final Oral Examination: When the final draft of the thesis or applied report is complete, the date for this exam should be selected, and the Request for Master's Exam form submitted to the Graduate School. The entire faculty of the Sociology Department are notified by departmental memo at least one week in advance of the exam date. The final draft of the thesis or applied report needs to be available in the department office at least one week prior to the exam date. Modifications to the thesis can be made during this time, but a final copy of the final draft needs to be available for the faculty to read.

Final Copy of Thesis or Applied Report: After the Master's Exam, students must obtain signatures of examining committee members on the Examination and Thesis Report Form, and this form is submitted to the Graduate School. The final thesis or applied report must be submitted to the Graduate School before the semester deadline–see current catalogue for dates. Guidelines for preparation of the final thesis are available at the Graduate School office
(AD 205). The first date is for a thesis to be checked by the Graduate School before copies of the thesis are made; the second date is when these copies have to be turned in to the Graduate School. Copies required are: One for each of the Graduate School, the library, the Sociology department, the student, the major professor, and other committee members (optional).

Financial Aid

The department offers several graduate assistantships for outstanding students, which pay $4,144 for a nine-month appointment. Graduate assistants also qualify for in-state tuition, a 10 percent discount at the bookstore, and Graduate Assistant parking decals. Tuition is waived for Graduate Assistants. Graduate Assistants are required to take 9 hours credit each fall and spring semester. Summer registration, if desired, is waived. If you enter the program without an assistantship, you may still apply and you may be appointed in the future. Many departments on campus also employ students in part-time jobs. Students interested in part-time employment or student loans should contact the Student Aid Office.

Forms:

Admission to Candidacy: After at least 12 hours of coursework are completed and a major professor and committee are selected, the student needs to prepare this form. It lists all courses taken, names the major professor, and states in which semester the student expects to graduate. Two copies of the form are signed by the major professor, graduate coordinator, and department chair. It is then submitted to the Graduate School for their approval. This form must be completed prior to the last semester before graduation.

Request for Master's Examination: Two copies of this form are prepared by the student and major professor as chair of the examining committee and signed by the major professor and the department chair. It must be submitted to the Graduate School at least two weeks prior to the date of the exam.

Examination and Thesis Report Form: Five copies of this form are prepared for the signatures of the examining committee after the Master's Exam (thesis defense) is completed, and all five copies are sent to the Graduate School.

*Note: All forms described in this handout are available from the Graduate School or from the graduate coordinator.

Graduation:

At registration for the final semester, the student pays graduation fees for the Master's degree ($35) and thesis binding ($20). The Admission to Candidacy Form should have been approved by this point, but it is not too late to do so. If for some reason the student is unable to finish that semester, the next semester the student is enrolled, a $5 diploma remake fee is assessed. If the student has completed all the requirements (i.e. the Admission to Candidacy is complete, the Master's Exam has been passed, and the thesis accepted by the committee), the student may enroll in SOC 7040. This is a one-time non-credit course costing $15, which is only permitted when only the thesis defense remains to be completed. Students may sign up for SOC 7040 only once. If a graduate student sits out for one semester or more (not including summer), they must reapply for entrance to the graduate school.

Strategy Tips for the Last Semester:

The student should check the final date for a Master's Exam for the semester they plan to graduate and work backwards to determine the dates to have a draft of the thesis available and to schedule the exam. Students are requested to allow their committee members at least a two-week time frame for reading drafts of the thesis. In other words, if the Master's Exam has to be on or before November 25, the committee members should receive a full draft of the thesis before November 11. For further information or clarification, contact the Graduate Coordinator or your major professor.

DON'T WONDER–ASK!