A Typical Program of Graduate Study at Penn

In the course of the graduate program leading to a PhD, students begin by concentrating on courses and then shift to a focus on independent research. In the first year of graduate study, students take eight courses, four each semester. In the second year, students are expected to take three courses each semester, to be a teaching assistant or a research assistant, and to write the Individual Research paper based on independent research. In the third year, students are expected to take three courses each semester, to be a teaching assistant or a research assistant, to write and defend a dissertation proposal and to begin work on the comprehensive exams. In the fourth year students are expected complete their comprehensive exams and to begin writing the dissertation. Some students are able to finish the program within four years; this is expected if the student enters with an acceptable MA degree from another university or Penn department. Other students may take longer.

Several courses support students while they are doing their required research. First year students take Sociology 555/556, the first-year students' seminar, a two part course that prepares new students for the qualifications exam. Another of these is Sociology 603, which prepares students to write the Individual Research paper for the MA. In addition, the one course of the Dissertation Proposal Seminar, Sociology 620, is typically taken as the context for writing the dissertation proposal as well as preparing for comprehensive exams. In these three courses, students present their work in progress, and many issues related to the transition from course-taking student to independent scholar are addressed.

Throughout the graduate program, students have an advisory committee of three faculty members, at least two of whom must be standing faculty in the Sociology Department. This advising system has been set up to help students to get to know the faculty as well as to provide assistance in making the most of the graduate program. The composition of the committee may change as student interests change. Entering students are assigned a committee, based on their interests as described in their application; as the students get to know the faculty and as their own research interests change, they may change the members of their committee.

Financial support comes in the form of Benjamin Franklin Fellowships, which cover a monthly stipend, tuition and health insurance. During the first and fourth years, the Fellowships do not require service in the form of a teaching or research assistantship; during the second and third years, students will serve as either a TA or a RA. In the fifth year of support, students may be asked to teach a course or serve as a TA.

A variety of fellowships that support dissertation writing in the fifth (and if needed the sixth) year are based on university-wide competitions, and our sociology students have been quite successful in these competitions. In addition, summer research assistant positions and summer-school teaching positions are often available.

Last Modified: 08-May-2008
For updates, comments please contact: saunderc@ssc.upenn.edu