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A: Admission into the Ph.D. program has been suspended. We are not accepting applications at this time.

Q: How large is the department and program?

A: We currently have 16 full-time faculty members (3 Professors, 5 Associate Professors, 8 Assistant Professors), 5 Affiliated Professors who are associated with other divisions of the University, and 4 Adjunct Faculty. At this time, we have 24 graduate students enrolled in the M.A. and Ph.D. programs.

Q: How many courses are required for a degree?

A: Most students adhere to a schedule three courses for the first two semesters. The third semester involves completing two courses, and the fourth semester is dedicated to finishing one's Master's thesis (if in the M.A. program) or preparing a dissertation prospectus (if in the Ph.D. program). Although this is a typical schedule, circumstances may occur that involve some alteration in semester sequences. Scheduling is flexible enough to accommodate such circumstances.

Q: Is financial aid available?

A: Yes. All students, both domestic and international, who are admitted are considered for financial aid. Distributed on a competitive basis, a typical financial reward consists of tuition scholarship and a stipend in return for teaching or research assistant duties. For 2005-2006, the tuition scholarship is worth $31,550 (non-taxable). Our stipend for 2005-2006 will pay $13,700 over nine months. Summer employment opportunities within the department and university are often available, but not guaranteed. Given that the cost of living in New Orleans is rated below the national average, our financial package is very competitive with peer institutions.

Q: How long does it take to acquire a Ph.D.?

A: We consider ourselves a "fast-track" department with a five-year program, with two years for the M.A. degree and another three years for the Ph.D. degree. The program is designed so that funding is tied to staying on schedule. Students entering with a Bachelor's degree can expect to complete their M.A. by the end of the fourth semester (second year), their Ph.D. course work by the end of the eighth semester (fourth year), and have a degree in hand at the end of five years. Students entering with an M.A. can expect to obtain their Ph.D in three to four years, depending on prior coursework. Those individuals who exhaust their funding eligibility, but have not completed their degrees, are welcome to remain in the department and may continue to use its facilities. However, they will need to arrange for their own financial support.

Q: Can students enter into the Ph.D. program without a master's degree in sociology?

A: All students must complete the requirements for the master's degree before continuing into the Ph.D. program. Students who have completed a master's degree in sociology at another university may receive transfer credits for their prior graduate coursework and thesis, contingent upon the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Schoool.

Q: Is there a foreign language requirement?

A: For most students, the answer is no. In some rare cases, circumstances might dictate a mastery of a foreign language (e.g., a person specializing in the social structure of another country), and it may be added as an additional requirement.

Q: What are my responsibilities as a teaching/research assistant?

A: Each funded graduate student is assigned to a faculty member every semester. The faculty member may utilize the student in any teaching or research capacity that s/he wishes. Some professors will ask you to aid them in their classes, while others might enlist you in a research project or even in both endeavors. These assignments are rotated on a regular basis so that you will have the opportunity to work with a variety of faculty members.

Q: When will I teach a class of my own?

A: Ph.D. requirements specify that you must teach at least one class while in the program. However, the department has a policy of putting graduate students in charge of their own classes only after they pass preliminary Ph.D. examinations. Thus, the earliest you would teach would be in your fourth year (third year if entering with an M.A.). In preparation, you may be asked to actively participate in a course taught by the professor to whom you are assigned as a teaching assistant, including making up examinations, grading them, and giving occasional guest lectures.

Q: Do students have their own offices?

A: The department has offices set aside for graduate student use. Each student has a desk, some bookshelf space, and access to a file cabinet drawer. Since student schedules vary considerably, all occupants of any one office are rarely there at the same time.

Q: Do students have access to computer facilities?

A: There is a computer laboratory in the Department of Sociology where personal computers link directly to the main computer cluster of high-performance IBM RISC RS/6000 System via high-speed ethernet connections. Letter-quality printers for the PCs are located in the department's laboratory. Students are issued keys so that they have 24-hour access to the building and to the department's facilities. In addition to these resources, a larger computer bank and printers are located in the Sociology-run Newcomb Educational Computing Classroom and Laboratory.

Q: Is employment available in the summer?

A: The Department offers no graduate courses in the summer. Therefore, this is a time for students to work on their thesis or dissertation, revise a paper for presentation at a meeting or for publication, or to read in their areas of specialization. However, understanding the limitations of graduate stipends, we realize that many students will need to work to supplement their incomes. The Department aggressively seeks funding opportunities that allow us to employ graduate students in some research capacity during the summer months. If funds are not available or are limited to only a few positions, we are happy to aid students in securing other positions that might be available on campus. In addition, the Graduate School cooperates with the Financial Aid office in securing low-interest loans for qualified students. Often, the amount of loan needed to get people through the summer is relatively minimal, but will allow them to concentrate on their studies without seeking employment. With most government loans, repayment is delayed until after one leaves the program.

updated August 2, 2005