One of the most important goals of the Department of Sociology is to offer a quality departmental-level academic course plan that meets the needs and interests of each student. One testament to the quality of the program is the fact that most of our graduates with PhD degrees have been appointed to teach and conduct research at various universities, both at national and regional levels. The ratio of faculty to students consistently remains at a level that facilitates close consultation between the two. The result is a friendly and positive environment for graduate study.<br><br>In addition to completing required coursework, students must successfully write and orally defend before a faculty committee, a thesis or an empirical research paper. This process typically begins with students forming an MA committee by the end of the first year of graduate study. The committee must be composed of a minimum of three graduate faculty members. If it is decided appropriate by the committee chair and approved by the departmental chair or Director of Graduate Studies, one graduate faculty member from another department may serve on an MA committee. At least one of the committee members must be a full member of the graduate faculty (i.e., rank of Associate or Full Professor). If the student has a minor, a representative from the minor department must also be on the committee.<br><br>Before the final semester (generally the spring semester of the second year), and in consultation with the MA committee chair, each student must decide whether to write an empirical research paper or an MA thesis. The empirical research paper option (also referred to as the non-thesis option) is designed to introduce students to scholarly writing in a form that is consistent with publishing papers in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal in sociology. Each student's committee chair will provide more information about the specific requirements of an empirical research paper. As empirical research papers are not considered theses, they are not subject to the formatting requirements for all theses and dissertations which are published in a national database. Most students in sociology choose this the empirical paper option.