The Advisory System

When you enter the Sociology Graduate Program, the Director of Graduate Studies will be your temporary advisor. The DGS will discuss with you your plans for graduate work, USU School of Graduate Studies and Program requirements, the graduate program's advisory system, course offerings and any other academic matters you wish to have clarified. The DGS will also assist you in becoming acquainted with other faculty members and their areas of research, preparatory to the selection of a permanent advisor and a Supervisory Committee.

All new students must attend a graduate program orientation seminar during Fall Semester of their first year. The seminar, which is designed to provide new students with exposure to departmental policies and procedures as well as to the research interests of individual faculty, does not have a course number, and does not carry credit toward the degree. This seminar, coursework, informal contacts, and your own interests, provide the foundation for selecting a permanent advisor. In some instances, the advisor (e.g., chair of the thesis or dissertation committee) is identified at the time of admission, based on a student’s acceptance of a research assistantship or fellowship appointment tied to a funded project involving that faculty member. For those who enter the program without an appointed major advisor, your preference for a particular advisor will usually be honored. It is important to select as your advisor a faculty member who has a research interest in the area in which you plan to do your thesis or dissertation.

The selection of a supervisory committee is a critical decision for students because of its role in helping to design a program of study that is consistent with student needs and interests and Program and University requirements. The permanent advisor, aka major professor, will chair the Supervisory Committee. In this capacity the major professor typically assists the student in selecting the remaining members of that committee to facilitate the inclusion of individuals with areas of expertise consistent with the student’s research interests. Information concerning the composition and role of this committee is available in the University Catalog.

Masters students are expected to have their MS supervisory committee appointed and approved by the third week of their second semester in the program. The committee must include at least three faculty members, with one member representing an area of emphasis other than that which is the focus of the student’s program of study and thesis. One or more members may be from outside of the sociology program, but outside representation is not required.

Doctoral students are expected to have their PhD supervisory committee appointed and approved before the start of the third semester of study. The PhD committee must include at least 5 faculty members, one of whom must be from outside of the sociology program. A maximum of two committee members from other academic institutions is allowed. All committee members must hold PhDs.

Appointing and approving a committee requires the completion of a Supervisory Committee Approval Form (SCAF). SCAFs are reviewed and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies (or Department Head if appropriate). Upon recommendation of the
Director of Graduate Studies, the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies officially appoints the Supervisory Committee. The SCAF is available on USU’s School of Graduate Studies website.

The chair of the Supervisory Committee, in close collaboration with other members of the committee, will guide and direct the program of study as specified in the USU Graduate Catalog until the program is completed. Students should meet with their
supervisory committee at least once annually to discuss their progress in the graduate program.

Any subsequent change in committee membership requires a revision to the SCAF and the approval of the DGS and the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies. Changes in committee membership are not allowed within six weeks of the thesis/dissertation
defense except in extraordinary circumstances. In circumstances where a faculty member is unable to fulfill obligations, that person may be replaced on the committee at the recommendation of the major professor and Department Head/Director of Graduate Studies after reasonable efforts have been made to solicit that person’s participation.