Sociology Comprehensive Exams

Graduate students taking Sociology programs are required to take comprehensive exams. The number, type of exam and when you will take the exam will depend on your program.

MA Sociology

MA students are required to take two comprehensive exams: Methods of Social Research and Sociological Theory. Full-time students must take both examinations in the summer before beginning their second year in the degree program. Part-time students must take one of the two examinations in the summer before beginning their second year in the program and the other in the summer before beginning their third year of study. A maximium of two attempts on each examination is permitted, one in summer and one in the next examination period in the fall semester (November/early December).

PhD Sociology

PhD students are required to take four comprehensive examinations: Sociological Theory, Methods of Social Research and one each in two other fields of concentration. At least one of the latter two must be oral.

Full-time students must take the comprehensive examinations in Sociological Theory and Methods of Social Research in the summer before beginning their second year in the degree program. Part-time students must take one of the two examinations in the summer before beginning their second year in the degree program and the other before beginning their third year of study. A maximum of three attempts on these examinations is permitted to doctoral students who enter the program with previous graduate work in Sociological Theory or Methods of Social Research: one taken before enrollment in the required sequence (see footnote below), one taken in the first examination period after completion of the required sequence and one taken in the next examination period.

The comprehensive examination requirement in theory and methods of social research is waived for students who have completed the MA comprehensive examination requirement with a grade of Satisfactory or Distinction no more than three years before admission to the PhD program.

Footnote: The basic sequence requirement in theory or methods may be waived for PhD students who receive a grade of 'Satisfactory at PhD Level' on the theory or methods comprehensive examination taken in the August before the semester in which they are required to begin the sequence.

Past Comprehensive Exam Questions

Theory Fall 1998

Theory Summer 2000

Theory Spring 2003

Theory Fall 2004

Theory Fall 2005

Theory Comp Questions

Applied Sociology Spring 2000

Macrosociology Fall 2000

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Methods Fall 2000

Methods Summer 2000

Methods Fall 2002

Methods Fall 2003

Methods Fall 2005

Methodology Comp Questions

For people taking the Methods exam The Statistics Homepage may provide you with some useful information for revision.

Comprehensive Exam Schedule SUMMER 2007

Exam	Date	Deadline for registration
MA comp	Friday 17 August 2007	Friday 10 August 2007
Announcements about the schedule for the comp exams are made on the main sociology listserve. Non-native speakers are given one hour extra to complete the exam. Students with special needs can make alternative arrangements to take their exams with Learning Services but need to make these arrangements themselves at least two weeks before the exam date. Dictionaries (English language only) are allowed for those taking written exams and must be presented to the proctor before the start of the exam for inspection.

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