Graduate Programmes -
Classes Offered
Degree Programmes
Graduate - MA Programmes
Graduate - PhD Programmes
POLICY FOR M.A. PROGRAMMES
Candidates must hold a Bachelor's Degree from a university of recognized standing with:
(a) honours or the equivalent of honours standing as granted by Dalhousie University, in the area in which graduate work is to be done, or
(b) completion of at least four (4) undergraduate classes, or their equivalent, in the area in which graduate work is to be done, normally with an average of A-.
Applicants for the M.A. in Sociology must have an Honours degree or equivalent in Sociology and have completed appropriate classes in theory, methods, and in statistics, and have completed an honours seminar. Applicants for the M.A. in Social Anthropology must have an honours degree or equivalent in Anthropology and have completed appropriate classes in theory and in methods and have completed an honours seminar.
Only candidates with honours or the equivalent of honours standing may be able to complete the requirements for the degree in a twelve-month period of full-time study. Exceptionally strong applicants who lack sufficient or specifically required classes in Sociology or in Social Anthropology may, at the discretion of the Department, be admitted on the understanding that their's will be a two-year programme. Most applicants who do not meet the minimum admission requirements stated above may, upon the recommendation of the Department, be admitted to a preliminary year of study on the understanding that they are likely to be admitted to an M.A. programme the following year provided that their average during the preliminary year is at least B+. In general, the Department tries to be as flexible as possible and to accommodate students with non-typical career paths.
APPLICATION PROCESS
January 15th is the recommended deadline for submission of MA applications if a student is interested in department funding. In addition to filling out the usual application forms,applicants must submit a one-page printed statement that should include current and potential theory and research interests. This statement will be used by the Graduate Education Comittee to assess the department's ability to accommodate the student’s interests.
M.A. DEGREES
The Sociology and Social Anthropology programmes each involve five credits, including classwork and a thesis. A Master's degree may be pursued on a 12 month full-time basis, or on a part-time basis (the degree requirements for each being the same). Full-time students who set themselves the goal of finishing the M.A. in twelve months generally do so. More often, however, students take longer than one year to finish the M.A. Some decide that it is less stressful to take additional time to complete the degree, some find that financial pressures require them to seek employment prior to degree completion, and some have unforeseen personal reasons for delaying completion. In addition, students who change their areas of interest part-way through the programme may require additional time to finish. Regardless of the period students require for their programmes, all students are expected to remain in regular contact with their committees, including during the summer months.
For Sociology students the five credits are obtained by the successful completion of:
a) a thesis (2 credits) [SOSA 9000X/Y.12]
b) an Area Examination (1 credit) [SOSA 5300X/Y.06]
c) the graduate seminar (1 credit) [SOSA 5200X/Y.06]
d) two elective half-credit graduate classes (1 credit)
For Social Anthropology students the five credits are obtained by the successful completion of:
a) a thesis (2 credits) [SOSA 9001X/Y.12]
b) an Area Examination (1 credit) [SOSA 5300X/Y.06]
c) the graduate seminar (1 credit) [SOSA 5200X/Y.06]
d) one elective half-credit graduate class (½ credit)
e) "Contemporary Perspectives in Ethnography" (SOSA 5003F.03) [½ credit]
(However students who have taken SOSA 4003F.03 normally will not take SOSA 5003F.03)
Detailed Description of M.A. Programmes
First Two Weeks:
Prior to arrival, each student will have been assigned a temporary advisor on the basis of the student’s "Statement of Interest" (submitted as part of the application process). This advisor will help the student to select his/her Programme Committee, including its Chair. The members of the Programme Committee are usually chosen from within the Department but may on occasion include one qualified person external to the Department. The Department's Graduate Education Committee must approve the composition of all Programme Committees and the selection of a defined subject area. The examination of the student’s knowledge of this area is known as " The Area Essay Examination."
a) Essay Examination (SOSA 5300X/Y.06)
The Area Essay examination is based on a reading list developed by the Area Programme Committee in consultation with the student. The reading list should consist of no more than30 titles that are key writings in the field under investigation. The norm is 10 books or mongraphs and 20 journal articles and/or book chapters. To ensure consistency, Area Programme Committee Chairs are required to submit the list and a statement of the area to the Graduate Education Committee for final approval. (The reading list is expected to provide the scholarly ground for the eventual thesis, which ordinarily focuses on a research question within the defined area.)
The Area Essay questions are determined by the Area Programme Committee in conjunction with the student. The Area Programme Committee ordinarily consists of two members. All members of the Area Programme Committee are responsible for grading the area essays. By the end of the first week of November, the student will begin working on their area essays. The completed area essays are due at the end of January (original plus three copies). Part-time students should discuss the timing of their Area Essay Examination with their Chairs. The area essays should total no more than 30 pages in length (double-spaced).
b) Graduate Seminar (SOSA 5200X/Y.06)
The Graduate Seminar is structured to assist students in a process of professional development, as well as to facilitate each student's general progress through the Master's programme.
-the first term discussion provides an overview of the disciplines and focuses on issues related to students' area definition topics.
-the second term discussion focuses on issues related to theses and thesis proposals.
c) Perspectives in Ethnography (SOSA 5003.03) Fall Term
This class is required for students registered in the M.A. in Social Anthropology programme.
d) Elective Class(es)
This requirement may consist of some combination of 1/2 credit classes. In special cases an M.A. student may fulfill this requirement by obtaining credit in a graduate-level class offered by another department of the University. In such cases the student must first obtain the approval of the Graduate Coordinator.
e) Thesis (SOSA 9000X/Y.12/SOSA 9001.12)
Thesis Committee:
Following the completion of the Area Essays, the student's Area Programme Committee is replaced by a Thesis Committee. This committee consists of two faculty members. The Thesis Committee is responsible for supervising the preparation of the student's thesis proposal and eventual thesis.
Thesis Proposal:
The thesis topic and proposal are prepared by the student under the direction of the supervisor with the assistance of the Committee. The proposal usually emerges from the student's Area Essay reading and is subject to defence. It must be approved by the Graduate Education Committee and the Department.
The procedure for the thesis proposal defence is as follows. The student will be required to:
1) make a public presentation to the Department. The thesis proposal presentation is part of the Graduate Seminar (SOSA 5200.06) and all faculty and honours and graduate students are invited. The date of the presentation, normally in the second term, is determined by the student in consultation with the Graduate Seminar instructor; as soon as possible after the department presentations and preferably prior to the end of the Winter Term.
2) provide a copy of the proposal to the entire Department for comments/suggestions.
3) with the assistance of the Thesis Committee, revise the thesis proposal to reflect the comments/suggestions made by faculty members, other students, and the participants in the Graduate Seminar.
4) students are required to obtain approval from the Social Sciences and Humanities Human Research Ethics Board for any research involving human subjects.
5) prepare a schedule for thesis research, writing, examination, and submission to the examination committee.
Thesis:
(1) make any revisions to the thesis required by the Examination Committee.
It should be noted that regulations (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) must be followed.
Thesis Examination Committee: The Examination Committee consists of the two person Thesis Committee but must include an additional member who has not been involved in the direct supervision of the thesis. The additional member can be from the Department, be a member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies external to the Department, be a member of the graduate faculty of another university, or be an adjunct professor.
The examination involves "written submission of the thesis to the Examination Committee" (quoted from Faculty of Graduate Studies regulations). The student will have the chance to respond to criticisms and have an opportunity to revise if revision is indicated, with a clear timetable provided.
COLLOQUIUM
The Department runs a fortnightly visiting speaker's series and colloquium. The series has a friendly and supportive atmosphere. Presentations run the gamut from off-the-cuff discussions of ideas for future research to formal research papers. Graduate students are strongly encouraged to attend regularly.
ASSISTANCE
Financial assistance is available, on application, in the form of Dalhousie Graduate Fellowships or a Teaching Assistantship. The holders of Teaching Assistantships are normally assigned to a section of the department's first and second year undergraduate classes to aid the instructor of the section.
Teaching Assistants (T.A.s) at Dalhousie University are unionized. The Collective Agreement covering Teaching Assistants requires that they be appointed in terms of a priority scheme. This is waived, however, in cases where being appointed as a T.A. is: (a) required for the programme in which the student is enrolled; or (b) committed in writing to a student as part of the recruiting process with respect to a particular student.
(Quoted from the Dalhousie University and Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3912 Collective Agreement for Part-time Academics and Teaching Assistants Article 15.13, p.15).
Exceptional students may be recommended by the department for the award of an Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship (candidates must also have applied for SSHRC funding.) No separate application is necessary for consideration for this award.
Other awards may be available from other sources. Consult the Awards Office of Dalhousie University, or the Awards Office of your own university.
INFORMATION
If you have any questions about the M.A. programme in Sociology or Social Anthropology, or about the kinds of research under way, please contact:
Dr. Howard Ramos
Graduate Coordinator
Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology
Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3J5
Tel.: (902) 494-3130 Fax: (902) 494-2897
E-mail: sosagrad@dal.ca
PhD Programmes
ADMISSION POLICY
(a) Candidates must hold a Master'’s Degree from a university of recognized standing.
(b) Applicants must have a graduate academic record of at least A-.
(c) Priority for acceptance to the Ph.D. programme will be given to students whose areas of interest coincide with the Department’s major areas of concentration . Priority in acceptance will also be given to students who have not acquired both a B.A. and M.A. from Dalhousie University.
THE DOCTORAL PROGRAMME
The doctoral progamme takes approximately four years to complete. The goal of the first year is to develop and broaden the student’s intellectual foundation and to permit the Department to assess the student’s strengths and weaknesses. During the first year the student registers for six half classes. The second year is spent preparing for and writing the comprehensive examinations. By the end of that year the student will have written three interrelated comprehensive examinations in theory, in methods, and in a substantive area. The student is required to pass all three comprehensive examinations in order to continue in the Ph.D. programme. The student begins the third year by developing a formal dissertation proposal, which is presented to the Department Colloquium. By the end of the third year, the student must demonstrate a working knowledge of a language other than English which is relevant to the student’s studies and research. If a student does not have an approved doctoral dissertation proposal within three calendar years after acceptance into the programme, the student will not be permitted to continue in the programme. In accordance with Faculty regulations, an oral defence of the dissertation is required.
Applying
January 15th is the recommended dealdine for submission of PhD applications. In addition to filling out the usual application forms, the applicant will be asked to write a statement between three and five pages in length explaining in detail how his or her particular areas of interest fit with the Department’s areas of emphasis. The applicant is advised to become familiar with the work of Department members, and to consult with appropriate faculty, before preparing the statement. The applicant should also include with the application a previously written piece of work that is relevant to the applicant’s stated interests. It is on the basis of the applicant’s interests and qualifications, faculty interest, and funding availability, that the Graduate Education Committee will make its recommendation to the Dean of Graduate Studies.
The Programme Committee
Prior to arrival, the student will have been assigned a Programme Committee Chair by the Graduate Education Committee on the basis of her or his "Statement of Interest" and communications with the Graduate Coordinator. That Chair will appoint a second member of the student’s Programme Committee and pass this information about committee composition to the Graduate Education Committee. The Programme Committee, in consultation with the student, will plan the first year’s programme in the light of the student’s interests, strengths, and weaknesses. It will be responsible for the creation of the student’s Comprehensive Examination committees and, with the Graduate Coordinator, for the formal approval of the student’s programme forms. The Programme Committee continues its supervisory role until the student has completed the Comprehensive Examinations (when it will be replaced by the Doctoral Dissertation Committee). Changes in the membership of the Programme Committee will be considered by the Graduate Education Committee upon request either by the student or by a Committee member. The student and Committee Chair should be in regular communication with one another throughout each term.
Language Requirement
Students must demonstrate an appropriate working knowledge of a foreign language. The Programme Committee is responsible for informing the Graduate Education Committee of how the student either has met or is meeting this requirement. The student has several options from which to choose in demonstrating a “working knowledge”.
1. Successful completion (i.e., with a minimum grade of B-) of a first year university language course.
2. Successful completion of any private-sector university-equivalent foreign language course.
3. Successful completion of a test administered by faculty members of the SOSA department competent in the relevant language.
4. Successful completion of a university course taught in a language other than English.
5. Any other method approved in advance by the Graduate Education Committee.
Beginning the Programme
The first year is intended to strengthen the student’s foundational knowledge of sociology by broadening its base while filling in any gaps and deepening the student’s understanding of specific areas of the discipline.
During the first week, each incoming student is encouraged to make a get-acquainted appointment with every faculty member who is eligible to supervise graduate work.
Under the guidance of the Programme Committee, the student will register for six half-courses for the first year. These half-courses will consist of a combination of formal classes and of reading classes. They will be graded by their respective instructors, who will use the usual grade scale and submit the final grades to the Office of the Registrar. In order to make informed decisions in selecting courses, students are advised to attend all seminar classes during the first one or two weeks. The Programme Committee and student should communicate with instructors in advance in order to ensure that course content and requirements will meet the student’s needs. The first-year programme must be approved by the Graduate Education Committee.
The student is expected to attend the regularly-scheduled Friday afternoon departmental seminars and to make a presentation at one of them during the first year. In addition, the Faculty of Graduate Studies provides funding for one presentation at a professional meeting for each doctoral student, and students are strongly encouraged to avail themselves of this opportunity during their first or any subsequent year.
The student is normally expected to complete all requirements of the six half-classes by the middle of April. Thenceforth the student ordinarily registers for the PHDP 8000.00 - Doctoral Comprehensive Requirement.
In general, continued funding is not available for students who fail to achieve an A- average in their six half-course grades.
Teaching
Doctoral students normally hold teaching assistantships during at least the first two years of their programme. In order to develop greater teaching expertise, students will ordinarily be expected to take full responsibility for teaching a class at least once prior to the completion of their programme.
April 30th
By April 30th of the first year, the Programme Committee must: 1) review all six course grades, sending them to the Graduate Education Committee for its information; 2) submit its recommendations to the Graduate Education Committee concerning whether a) the student should continue in the programme, and b) if so, whether the student should receive continued university funding; 3) select the members of the student’s Comprehensive Examination Committees (see below); 4) schedule the student’s comprehensive examinations; and 5) send comprehensive examination committee memberships and the examination schedule to the Graduate Education Committee for approval.
Comprehensive Examinations
The comprehensives consist of three examinations: one each in theory, methodology, and a substantive area. Breadth rather than specialization will characterize this examination process. A comprehensive is not a narrative or a literature review, it is a discussion of key issues and controversies and is expected to be synthetic, analytical, and critical. As far in advance as possible prior to each comprehensive (five weeks minimum), the student will submit to the Graduate Education Committee for approval a one-page statement describing the area of the Comprehensive and a reading list of approximately 30 titles of books, monographs and journal articles which are considered to be key works in the field under investigation. The Comprehensive Examination Committee will provide approximately 60% of the titles, the student the other 40%.
Comprehensive Examination Committees. For each comprehensive examination, the Programme Committee will choose three faculty members (who may include Programme Committee members). Composition of the Comprehensive Examination Committees must be approved by the Graduate Education Committee, which will seek assurance that the faculty members involved will be available during the requisite time period.
Ordinarily, the first comprehensive will have been completed by the end of August of the student’s first summer in the programme. The student must pass that first comprehensive before going on to the second, which should in turn be completed by the end of December of that year. Similarly, the student must pass the second comprehensive examination before taking the third, which will have been completed by the end of April of the next calendar year.
The Comprehensive Examination is normally a take-home exam. It consists of three questions prepared by the committee and given to the student two weeks prior to the examination deadline. Each answer is expected to be from 15 to 20 double-spaced pages in length.
Under special circumstances, the Comprehensive Examination Committee, after consulting with the student, may utilize a “sit-down exam” format. The Committee provides its questions one week prior to the examination. The actual examination period is six hours and no notes or references are permitted. Standards of grading are somewhat less stringent than those used in the “take-home” format.
Grading. All questions are to be graded by all Comprehensive Examination Committee members, and an overall consensus grade must be reached by the Committee. The available grades are “pass,” and “fail”. At its discretion, the Committee may administer an oral examination following the submission of the written material. See Faculty of Graduate Studies Calendar page 25, 7.3 Comprehensive Examinations for further details in the event that a Committee awards the grade of “Fail”.
The Graduate Education Committee monitors the examination process in order to ensure that students’ examinations are equivalent. They are responsible for overseeing the examination and for ensuring that students are treated equitably. It is the responsibility of the Graduate Education Committee to receive the Comprehensive Examination Committee’s evaluation of the student’s comprehensive examination. The student must pass all three comprehensive examinations in order to continue in the Ph.D. programme.
Year Three
Dissertation Committee. Within four weeks of successful completion of the Comprehensive Examinations, the Programme Committee and the student are to advise the Graduate Education Committee of the creation of the student’s Doctoral Dissertation Committee and dissolution of the Programme Committee. The membership of the Dissertation Committee must be approved by the Graduate Education Committee, which will take into account faculty expertise, availability and accessibility.
Presentation and approval of dissertation proposal. Ordinarily, the student will be ready to submit a proposal for approval by the Dissertation Committee by September of the third year. (Under Faculty of Graduate Studies regulations, a student must have an approved dissertation proposal within three calendar years after admittance to the doctoral programme.) In order to permit the student to take advantage of faculty and student interest and expertise, the proposal is to be presented orally to the Department, with a draft document being circulated either prior or subsequent to the presentation.
The Dissertation
Research involving human subjects requires a review by the University’s Human Ethics Review Board. The Department follows the regulations of the Faculty of Graduate Studies regarding format, completion and defense of the Ph.D. dissertation. The regulations concerning doctoral dissertation supervision and the deadlines for its completion are to be found in the Graduate Calendar. See the Calendar’s section IX for the procedures for the dissertation oral examination and defense. A detailed guide to the preparation of the dissertation manuscript is to be found in appendix “C”.
COLLOQUIUM
The Department runs a fortnightly visiting speaker's series and colloquium. The series has a friendly and supportive atmosphere. Presentations run the gamut from off-the-cuff discussions of ideas for future research to formal reserch papers. Graduate students are strongly encouraged to attend regularly.
ASSISTANCE
Financial assistance is available, on application, in the form of Dalhousie Graduate Fellowships. or a Teaching Assistantship. The holders of Teaching Assistantships are normally assigned to a section of the department's first and second year undergraduate classes to aid the instructor of the section. Teaching Assistants are expected to devote no more than 90 hours per term to their task.
Teaching Assistants (T.A.s) at Dalhousie University are unionized. The Collective Agreement covering Teaching Assistants requires that they be appointed in terms of a priority scheme. This is waived, however, in cases where being appointed as a T.A. is: (a) required for the programme in which the student is enrolled; or (b) committed in writing to a student as part of the recruiting process with respect to a particular student.
(Quoted from the Dalhousie University and Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3912 Collective Agreement for Part-time Academics and Teaching Assistants section 16.11, p. 13).
Exceptional students may be recommended by the department for the award of an Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship . We expect all Canadian applicants to apply for SSHRC funding. No separate application is necessary for consideration for this award.
Other awards may be available from other sources. Consult the Awards Office of Dalhousie University, or the Awards Office of your own university.
FURTHERINFORMATION
If you have any questions about the Ph.D. programme in Sociology, or about the kinds of research under way, please contact:
Dr. Howard Ramos
Graduate Coordinator
Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology
Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4P9
Tel.: (902) 494-3130
Fax: (902) 494 2897
E-mail: sosagrad@dal.ca | 
