Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

In accordance with the Faculty of Graduate Studies regulations, the program has a two-year residency requirement. It is expected that the program will take approximately four years to complete.

The first year is intended to strengthen the student’s foundational knowledge in the discipline by broadening its base while filling in any gaps and deepening the student’s understanding of specific areas of the discipline. Under the guidance of the student’s Supervisor and Program Committee, the student shall register for 18 credit hours for the first year: the PhD Seminar (SOSA 5600.03), which runs in the fall term; and 15 credit hours of electives, which normally consists of a combination of formal classes and of reading classes. The student will also complete any additional graduate courses, internal or external to the Department, that the student's Committee deems necessary.

By the end of the second academic year the student must have written three interrelated comprehensive exams in theory, in methods and in a substantive area. The student is required to pass all three comprehensive exams in order to continue in the PhD program. During this year, or the following, the student is required to make a presentation to a departmental colloquium on a topic that normally will be related to the research proposal. The latter must also be completed and approved by the Advisory Committee by the end of the second year.

For the third (and any subsequent) years the student will register for “thesis only” credit. 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 thesis proposal within three calendar years after acceptance into the program, the student will not be permitted to continue in the program. In accordance with Faculty regulations, an oral defense of the thesis is required.

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