Master of Arts Degree Students seeking an M.A. degree must file a Designation of Major Professor form with the Department. In addition, the Graduate School requires M.A. Degree candidates to file an Advisory Committee for Master of Arts Candidates (online) and a Master of Arts Program of Study. Once the M.A. Advisory Committee has been appointed and approved, any requests for changes must be made in writing using the Request for Change in Advisory Committee form. Committee changes require the approval of the Graduate Coordinator, in consultation with the Major Professor of record and, if necessary, with the Graduate Program Committee. All current and past committee members shall be notified of such changes. A revised Advisory Committee for Master of Arts Candidates form must be completed and approved by the Graduate Coordinator as well. The Graduate School requires that master's candidates pass an oral examination, covering the program of study and the thesis. The Graduate School requires advance notification of the date of the exam. The oral examination is conducted by the student's Advisory Committee and chaired by the student's Major Professor. The candidate should submit a draft of the master’s thesis to each member of the committee who must have three weeks to read and evaluate it before a defense is scheduled. All members of the Advisory Committee must be present for the entire examination. THE DOCTORAL PROGRAM Advanced doctoral training during the third and fourth years of residence are structured by the student's selection of an area in which to concentrate his or her studies. During the fall semester of the third year, students select a Major Professor and, in consultation with the Major Professor, the remaining members of the Ph.D. Advisory Committee. Students who completed a sociology M.A. degree at UGA may select a different Major Professor for doctoral work, if they choose. A committee may have as few as three and as many as five members. At least two members of the Advisory Committee must be listed as members of the Specialty Area in which the student plans to take Doctoral Comprehensive Examination (see Appendix C for list of faculty by specialty area). Three committee members must be members of the Graduate Faculty with an appointment in sociology (see Appendix B for list of Graduate Faculty). Students should review the policies outlined in the Graduate Bulletin for additional details regarding the composition of the Doctoral committee. The Ph.D. Advisory Committee is responsible for the following: Planning the Doctoral Program of Study with the student Preparing and evaluating the Doctoral Written Comprehensive Examination Conducting and evaluating the Doctoral Oral Comprehensive Examination Conducting and evaluating a hearing on the dissertation prospectus Serving on the student's dissertation committee Designation of the Major Professor and the Doctoral Advisory Committee requires the completion of two forms: Request for Appointment of Major Professor and Advisory Committee for Doctoral Candidates. Once the Advisory Committee has been appointed and approved, requests for changes require completion of two forms: Request for Change in Advisory Committee- Ph.D. and a revised Advisory Committee for Doctoral Candidates. Committee changes must be approved in writing by the Graduate Coordinator in consultation with the Major Professor of record and, if necessary, by the Graduate Program Committee. All current and past committee members shall be notified of such changes. Advisory committee forms (and any changes to the advisory committee) are submitted via GradStatus.
