PhD

PhD candidates are normally required to take 8 courses, including:

• Three required courses: Sociology 9003 (Research Methods), Sociology 9007 (Advanced Multivariable Statistical Analysis), and either Sociology 9002 (Sociological Perspectives) or Sociology 9005 (Contemporary Social Theory).
• PLUS a minimum of five additional courses beyond the theory and methods requirements, at least two of which will be related to the student's two chosen areas of specialization. Students are required to complete at least one course in each chosen area of specialization before writing a comprehensive exam in that area (subject to availability). It should be noted that specific courses can often serve for more than one area of specialization. Students must consult the graduate chair to make a final determination of the requirements.
• Students normally take 3 courses each term (Fall, Winter).
• Students may take up to two courses from other departments. Students in collaborative programs should consult the respective web pages to determine required courses for the specialization (see side bar for links). For more information on various course regulations please click on course information.
• In exceptional circumstances, permission to take a reading course may be granted at the discretion of the graduate chair. Exceptional circumstances may include that there is no course being offered in the student's area of study (broadly, rather than narrowly considered) in a given year (not a given term) or that a student wishes to take additional courses beyond those that are required. Normally, students will be permitted to take a maximum of one reading course.
• Note: A candidate’s course load may be reduced (by a maximum of two) in a case where 9002, 9003, 9005, 9007 or equivalent has been taken previously. For example, a student who has taken one of these courses (or its equivalent) previously may have the required number of courses reduced to a minimum of seven; a student who has taken two of these courses (or its equivalent) previously may have the required number of courses reduced to a minimum of six. To request a waiver of 9002, 9003, 9005, or 9007, provide the graduate chair with a copy of the outline for the course you have taken previously. Your outline will be reviewed by the instructor of the course in question and your request is subject to his/her approval.

The Research Apprenticeship Milestone (formerly Sociology 9689) consists of roughly 60 to 100 hours spent working closely with a faculty member on a research project (either paid work on a grant-funded project or an unpaid research collaboration) and is designed to mentor students in the research process and provide hands-on research skills in preparation for dissertation work. This Milestone should be completed during the first or second year of the program.

Research Apprenticeship Form

Purpose:

PhD candidates are required to pass two comprehensive examinations, normally in the second year of study. Comprehensive examinations require students to demonstrate a broad understanding of the literature and debates within two substantive areas. The comprehensive examination process provides students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in literatures that will inform their dissertation work. Further, they help students with the degree-level learning outcomes, including those related to depth and breadth of knowledge, communication skills, research and scholarship, and professional capacity. The process helps to develop an ability to present and discuss ideas clearly and articulately and engage in scholarly discussion and debate. In addition, the comprehensive exams provide the opportunity for doctoral students to develop transferable skills.

Areas:

Comprehensive exams may be written in the following 5 core areas, which align with the department’s strengths in research and graduate teaching:

• Aging and the Life Course
• Health and Health Inequality
• Inequality, Power, and Social Regulation
• Social Demography
• Work, Occupations, and Professions

Comprehensive exams may also be written in:

• Migration and Ethnic Relations (for students enrolled in the MER Collaborative Specialization)
• Transitional Justice and Post-Conflict Reconstruction (for students enrolled in the TJ Collaborative Specialization)
  
  

Reading lists:

The Graduate Assistant will email students a reading list not later than four months preceding a given examination. Each area has an associated reading list reviewed and updated annually by the area committee. Past reading lists may be viewed in OWL (SOCGRADS INFO site, under Resources).

Reading lists can be found on the Grad Intranet.

Format:

The comprehensive examination typically takes the form of a three-day take-home examination.  However, the precise nature of the format will be at the discretion of the comprehensive examining committee.

Evaluation:

Examination committees develop and evaluate the examinations and are composed of a Chair and at least two other members of faculty nominated by the graduate chair. The committee decision is based on a majority vote.

The exams are viewed as a test of competency in the area. Passing an area exam requires: 1) a coherent, concise and accurate synthesis and discussion of relevant literature that reflects specificity and depth and 2) the display of an intelligent and critical perspective on pertinent readings in response to a given exam question (and which explicitly addresses all parts of the question asked). Committee members need to see that the student comprehends the key issues and can think coherently about them. Answers must do more than summarize the arguments of all who have written on a given topic. They must utilize the works contained in the reading list to make an argument that is directly relevant to the question being asked. A good comprehensive examination answer demonstrates not only comprehensive knowledge of a field, but understanding of the key issues and debates, and generally, the ability to think critically about these issues and debates.

Exam answers, including answers to fulfill a conditional pass, will be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism.

Students can receive either a pass, pass with distinction (those who demonstrate both competence and excellence), conditional pass, or fail. Exams with one failing answer in the presence of an otherwise passable exam can be awarded a “conditional pass”. Students who receive a conditional pass will be given one opportunity to rewrite the failed question in the form of a written essay of no longer than 15 pages, to be submitted to the committee within two weeks of the evaluation decision.

Students who fail an examination will be given a written explanation, and they may seek further information and advice from Committee members.  Students will generally retake the comps at the next sitting. Students who fail an examination for a second time will normally be asked to withdraw from the program. 

Relationship with coursework:

Students should think about their potential comprehensive exam areas upon entering the doctoral program and plan their coursework accordingly. Courses related to each of the comprehensive exam areas are typically taught every year, and students are expected to take these courses as partial preparation for a comprehensive exam. The intention is that the comprehensive examinations build upon the knowledge base established in the coursework.

Timing:

The comprehensive examinations should be written in the second year of the program, before the completion of the dissertation proposal.

Graduate Assistant emails first-year students on the last day of classes of the winter term to declare both comprehensive exams. Students have a week to make their choice after consulting with their supervisor(s) and Graduate Chair, if necessary. The Graduate Committee will organize the order of the exams (October and February). Students will be notified by mid-May of the schedule for both exams. 

Comprehensive examinations are scheduled to start the second Tuesday of February and October. The reading list is provided 4 months prior to the writing date.  

*An additional date available is June (second Tuesday).  Students need to declare by December 1 and will be approved on a case-by-case basis*

Process:

Students:

• Students must declare their intention to take both comprehensive exams within a week after the last day of classes of the winter term.
• 4 months prior, the graduate program assistant will email the reading list to the declared students.
• With the exception of medical emergencies, students must inform the Graduate Chair in writing if they have decided to postpone taking an exam at least 3 weeks prior to the date of the exam or the exam will be considered a fail.
• Students may request an accommodation under extenuating circumstances such as caregiving by emailing the Graduate Chair at least 3 weeks prior to the date of the exam: we may grant extended time to complete an exam up to 5 days duration.  Decisions will be made on case-by-case basis.

Information for Faculty:

• Committee members review and update reading lists annually.
• The Graduate Committee will monitor reading lists to enhance consistency.
• Each Comp Committee Chair will be responsible for setting questions and grading the examination in consultation with the other committee members.
• The Comp Committee Chair will email the student the exam adjudication and comments. 
• Students receive the emailed notification normally within three weeks of the examination.
• All correspondence concerning the comprehensive examinations should be copied to the graduate program assistant and graduate chair so that an appropriate record is made and kept on file.

Preparation:

• Students should think about their potential comprehensive exam areas early in their doctoral program and plan their coursework accordingly.
• Preparation necessary to pass the exam is substantial and usually requires months of intensive study.
• Students are encouraged to talk to the examination committee members about their expectations for the examination and ask questions about the literature they are reading.
• Students are also encouraged to review old examinations in the area (available from the graduate program assistant).
• Note that when writing the exam, you are not limited to the reading list.  Yours answers should draw primarily on material from the reading lists but you are also encouraged to bring in outside/additional readings and materials if they help answer a question better.

Comprehensive Exam Studying/Writing Tips

By the end of the first year of study, the student must have chosen a supervisor. To serve as a PhD supervisor, the faculty member must be a member of the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS) and be approved to supervise PhD dissertations.  That faculty member must also be a member of the main campus Sociology Department at Western.  Click here for the Finding A Supervisor web page. The student and the supervisor(s) complete Part A and the names of the supervisory committee of the Supervisory Committee Member and Proposal Milestone Report form and submit it to the graduate program assistant by the end of year 1.

SGPS Graduate Supervision Handbook

A doctoral Supervisory Committee consists of the supervisor and at least one supervisory committee member from our program. On rare occasions, a faculty member from outside the department can be a supervisory committee member (as a subject expert or due to the requirements of Collaborative specializations or as necessary for restricted data access). See the graduate chair for further information of this process.

The purpose of the dissertation proposal milestone is for the candidate to demonstrate the requisite theoretical and methodological background as well as the necessary writing skills to proceed to concentrated thesis work. The dissertation proposal provides an opportunity for the student to interact with their thesis supervisor and supervisory committee member in a focused way. The submission of the proposal represents a commitment by the student to pursue the thesis upon completion of the thesis proposal. Typically the proposal would be completed and approved in the summer (at the end of year 2) or the fall (beginning of year 3), following the completion of year 2 comprehensive exams.

PhD students are required to complete the proposal under the supervision of the faculty member selected to be the thesis supervisor. The proposal requires:

1) The selection of a supervisory committee member. The expectation is that the supervisory committee member will serve as a "reader," providing feedback beginning at the proposal stage and throughout the writing process, and will read the thesis in its entirety before preliminary submission. A supervisory committee member must be a member of SGPS with at least non-core limited membership status (see the graduate program assistant for further details).

2) Approval of the proposal by both the supervisor and the supervisory committee member.

3) An informal oral presentation of the approved proposal to which faculty and students are invited to attend. Presentations are held twice a year, in March and November. Dates for 2023-2024 year are set for November 10, 2023 and March 8, 2024.

4) Completion of the Part B of the Supervisory Committee Member and Proposal Milestone Report.

Points to consider:

• Please consult the Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Guidelines which provide details such as what should be included and questions to consider in the preparation of your proposal. A proposal typically provides key background literature, methods/methodology, and expected contributions. Further, the candidate must clearly describe the plan of study - what will be done, how, and when.
• Format - The content and structure of the proposal should be developed in consultation with the supervisor before writing. Clearly identify one of the two SGPS approved formats i) monograph or ii) integrated-article. If the dissertation will be integrated-article format, the student needs to clearly identify each of the manuscripts along with the individual problems, questions, and methods involved with each. See Dissertation Format, below, for further details.
• Ethics Approval - Students planning to conduct research involving human participants (e.g., survey, participant observation, interviews) need to obtain Ethics approval from the University's Non-medical Research Ethics Board. This is not a simple process and, since from start to finish the Ethics process could take up to 3 months, the student and supervisor need to plan accordingly.
• In order for completion of the proposal milestone to be recorded, the signed Dissertation Proposal Report must be submitted.

Helpful link: Research Data Centre

Students may submit their dissertation in either monograph or integrated-article format. Listed below are components required in the main body of the thesis. Students should consult Section 8.3 of the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies' (SGPS) Thesis Regulation Guide for a complete list of components and formatting details. PhD Dissertations in Sociology typically range from 150-250 pages, but should not be shorter than 100 pages excluding appendices. 

Following SGPS guidelines, it is expected that a thesis following an integrated article format will include the following components in the body of the thesis:

An introductory chapter that introduces and establishes the relevance of the broader dissertation topic that is addressed by the separate articles; A literature review chapter that sets the broader theoretical, conceptual, and methodological context for the separate articles to follow (alternatively the literature review can be incorporated into each of the three article chapters); A minimum of three articles; A concluding chapter that relates the separate articles to each other and integrates and discusses the findings within the context of the broader field of study; A separate bibliography should be included at the end of each chapter and article.

Further, following the SGPS guidelines, it is expected that a thesis following a monograph format will usually include the following components in the body of the thesis:

An introductory chapter that introduces and establishes the relevance of the broader dissertation topic; A literature review chapter that sets the broader theoretical, conceptual, and methodological context for the dissertation; A methodology chapter that describes the analyses conducted; One or more results chapters; A concluding chapter that discusses the findings within the context of the broader field of study; A bibliography.

The examination committee typically consists of a chair (determined by SGPS), two examiners from sociology (one of which can be the Supervisory Committee Member), a university examiner (i.e., someone from outside sociology who was not on the supervisory committee), and an external examiner (arms-length, almost always from another university). All examiners must be arms-length from the student and supervisor and must not have been a collaborator on the thesis research. The student and supervisory are encouraged to consider diversity of representation on the committee (e.g., gender) when choosing from a pool of qualified examiners. Note that the university examiner is meant to bring an interdisciplinary perspective to the examination; thus, scholars from a sociology department at one of Western’s affiliate colleges are not usually acceptable. Please confer with the Graduate Chair if you have questions regarding the suitability of a potential examiner.
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The student should not be in contact with the university or external examiners. For this reason, the supervisor, not the student, should contact university and external examiners to determine whether they are willing to be an examiner and their availability. Once a date has been determined, provide a completed Doctoral Exam Request Form signed by both the supervisor and student to Graduate Program Coordinator. The Graduate Chair will then request that an exam be scheduled. Please remember that final approval of the Examination Committee is by SGPS.

Doctoral Exam Request Form
SGPS Thesis Guide and Forms

The Professional Seminar Series is designed to introduce students to aspects of the professional life of the Sociologist. Our purpose is to add to students' professional training in practical ways that will help them successfully compete for both academic and non-academic positions, adjust to academic life in new departments, and be productive scholars that secure tenure. The seminar series is a required Milestone for PhD candidates. 

PROSEM held on select Thursdays from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Schedule here.

*Any of Soc. 9002, 9003, 9005, or 9007 may be waived if they or their equivalent have been taken previously. The requirement for a total of 6 half-courses still remains, however.

While the MA and PhD programs define a minimum number of courses, students may take more than the minimum, possibly in other areas or possibly as audits. Students are also encouraged to take part in the various colloquia and professional occasions that occur in the Department, in the University, and in professional associations.

OWN your Future is Western's doctoral professional development program offered by SGPS in collaboration with various units across campus.

Professional Development