Your Advisor & Advisory Committee

Advisory Committee

The advisory committee normally will be comprised of two members, the advisor, and one additional committee member. An Advisory Committee Appointment form must be submitted to the Graduate Program Assistant, who will forward the signed form to the Office of Graduate Studies.

Advisor

The advisor plays a critical role throughout the student's program. Selection of an advisor is a joint decision of the student and the faculty member involved, and is based upon the research topic, the student's interests and background preparation, and the faculty member's areas of research expertise. The student will select members of the advisory committee in consultation with the advisor.

Faculty members who do not hold a PhD in Sociology may take on the role of advisor of MA Sociology students as long as there is a member on the committee who holds a PhD degree in Sociology to ensure that the conventions of the discipline are addressed/followed.

Co-advisor

It is possible for an advisory committee member to serve as co-advisor. This situation would normally arise under one of the following circumstances:

• The student and the advisor recognize that another faculty member has a valuable complementary area of expertise essential to the student’s work, and that the student would prefer to work with that faculty member on a more regular basis than is customary in the case of a regular committee member.
• In the course of pursuing their degree, the student finds that it is advantageous to consult with an advisory committee member considerably more than was foreseen when the committee was originally struck. In this case, it may be appropriate for this advisory committee member to be reclassified as co-advisor. A new Advisory Committee Appointment form would need to be submitted.

Program Planning

You must meet with your advisory committee to plan your program. In consultation with your committee, you are required to develop a plan of study, which consists of a statement of proposed courses and a projection of when you anticipate completing each stage of your program.

Once you have formed your advisory committee and planned your program, you must complete the Advisory Committee Appointment form and the Graduate Degree Program form. The Advisory Committee Appointment form will be sent to the Office of Graduate Studies and a copy will be kept in your department file. The Graduate Degree Program form is kept only in your department file. It is recommended that you complete these forms no later than the mid-point of your second registered semester.

On the matter of timetable for completion, it should be noted that, excluding make-up undergraduate work, it is possible for the MA program to be completed in three to four full-time semesters. Needless to say, this requires prompt selection of an advisory committee, early specification of the thesis or major research paper topic, and considerable concentration and effort. Students are encouraged to be realistic about their timetables. Most students complete their program in four to six semesters.

As you proceed through your program, there may be compelling reasons for you to reconstitute your committee or to make changes in your program. You may do so without prejudice, but you should not request changes without giving careful thought to their overall implications for completing your degree on schedule. Any changes in your program should be made in close consultation with your advisory committee. The proposed changes are then submitted to the graduate coordinator for further disposition. A revised Advisory Committee form or Degree Program form must be completed and signed by your advisor and the graduate coordinator. These are then submitted to the Graduate Program Assistant, who will file and forward them to the Office of Graduate Studies, as required.

In order to graduate, you must have demonstrated to a majority of the members of your advisory committee that you have achieved competence in sociological theory and in qualitative and quantitative methods. This will involve your having successfully completed SOC*6070, SOC*6130, and SOC*6140.

Advisory Committee Meetings

The minimum number of advisory committee meetings for students doing a thesis is two plus the oral examination. The first meeting must take place by the middle of the student’s second semester after the committee is formed. The second meeting held toward the end of the program is typically used to discuss thesis direction and progress.

The minimum number of advisory committee meetings for students doing a major research paper is one. The timing would be the same as the first meeting for students doing a thesis.

While the Graduate Program Committee and, ultimately, the departmental chair are responsible for monitoring your program and progress, day-to-day responsibility is delegated to your advisor and advisory committee. It is this committee that has major responsibility for assessing your needs and helping you develop your program and your timetable. Your advisory committee also provides counselling throughout the program. At a more formal level, your committee reviews your progress and performance at the conclusion of each semester. You may request to receive a copy of the progress report and a report of any recommendations made by your advisory committee. Hence, we strongly encourage you to meet with your advisory committee/advisor at least once a semester.

Student Progress Report

Towards the end of each semester the Graduate Program Assistant will email a blank Student Progress Report to each registered student (copying their advisor). Prior to meeting with their advisor (and/or advisory committee), graduate students are expected to fill in the student comments portion of the progress report form, indicating what they’ve accomplished during the semester (refer to Table 1 to get a sense of expected student’s progress through the program) and what they hope to accomplish in the subsequent semester.

Based on progress through the program, the advisory committee will determine whether the student's progress is deemed satisfactory, some concerns, or unsatisfactory (e.g., see Box 1). A student who does not meet expectations will be given a rating of "some concerns" and this rating will be reported to the Office of Graduate Studies, with a plan of action for the student to follow for subsequent semesters. A student who fails to meet expectations after a rating of "some concerns" may be given a rating of "unsatisfactory" and this rating will also be reported to the Office of Graduate Studies. In such cases, the department will prepare a statement as to what action is being taken at the department level or is required of the Assistant Vice-President of Graduate Studies.

Please see Appendix II for details on administrative forms related to your program.

It is the responsibility of the student’s advisor (or interim advisor) to ensure that the progress report is signed by the student and all members of the advisory committee prior to submission to the Graduate Program Assistant at the end of each registered semester. The Graduate Coordinator will then review the progress report prior to signing. The student will have an option to receive a copy of the signed progress report.