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ATTENTION SOCIOLOGY PH.D. STUDENTS:
I know all of you are a little confused about the new format of the prelims -- both the development of the area exams and the change in the time frame under which the exams are offered. This message is an attempt to explain things a little better.
AREA EXAMS: I believe most of you are now aware that future prelim exams will consist of a single exam taking 1 1/2 days, and will focus primarily on your area of specialization, rather than exclusively on research methods and theory, as in the past. Research methods and theory will still be a part of the exam, but again, these issues will be focused on the area of specialization. If you have questions about the format of the particular area, you should consult the chair of that area, as follows:
Family - Dr. Sengstock
Inequality - Dr. Dillaway
Medical - Dr. Hankin
Urban/Labor - Dr. Fasenfest
Some areas have posted information about their areas on the net -- both on Blackboard and on other sites. The chairs can direct you to these sites.
CHANGE IN PRELIM SCHEDULE: Several of you have also been confused by the announcement that the 2009-2010 prelim schedule will begin in August, 2009. There seems to be some confusion as to whether there will also be another prelim in November or December 2009, as has been th pattern in the past. The August, 2009 prelim will be the Fall 2009 exam. There will NOT be another prelim later in the Fall 2009 term. This pattern of holding the prelims early in the term will continue for the foreseeable future.
There is a reason for this change in schedule. As you may be aware, the Graduate School did not allow students to take dissertation credits (9991, 9992, 9993, 9994) until AFTER the student had been admitted to candidacy. In the past 2-3 years, the Graduate School allowed students to take 9991 in the term in which they planned to take the prelims, on the assumption that they would pass and become a candidate prior to the end of the term in which they were taking 9991. This created several problems, one of which related to the timing of the prelims. When the exams were conducted late in the term, they could not be graded in time to determine whether students had passed prior to the end of the term. Hence the 9991 policy produced a pressure to hold the exams earlier in the term. During the present term (Winter, 2009) both students and faculty were pressed for time to hold the exams early enough to have them graded prior to mid-April, in order to determine who could continue to receive credit for 9991. Students who did not pass, or received a conditional pass, would have their 9991 credits rescinded.
Just last month, however, the Graduate School changed its policy regarding 9991 credits, allowing students to keep their 9991 credits, even if they did not pass the prelims. However, students would not be permitted to register for 9992 until they had definitely passed the prelims and achieved candidacy.
The new schedule for prelims will accommodate these new Graduate School rules by holding the prelims early in the term: August for the Fall term, January for the Winter term. With only a single set of prelims (in the area of specialization rather than the 2 prelims in theory and methods which were formerly in place), and with the prelims held early in the term, students and their advisers can better plan their programs. If they take the exam early in the term, they will know prior to the middle of the term whether or not they have passed. Furthermore, if they have not passed, or received a conditional pass, they can then retake the exam, or the question they missed, early in the next term. This will allow them to determine, prior to the end of late registration, whether or not they are eligible to take 9992 credits in the next term.
Consequently, plans are to hold the 2009-2010 prelims in August 2009, and January 2010. There are no plans to hold prelims late in the Fall 2009 term, nor late in the Winter 2010 term.
I hope this clarifies the prelim plans for the 2009-2010 academic year. If you have questions, feel free to contact the chair of your chosen area, or myself. You can reach me over the summer on my cell phone (during reasonable hours of the day only!), please contact the department to obtain the telephone #.
Dr. Mary Cay Sengstock, Ph.D., C.C.S.
Graduate Director
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