1.1. Temporary Advisor
An incoming graduate student is assigned to a temporary academic advisor, usually the Director of Graduate Studies, who consults with the student to identify deficiencies, design a proposed program of study, and assist in initial scheduling of courses. The temporary advisor also may assist the student in the selection of a permanent academic advisor.
1.2. Academic Advisor and Graduate Committee
The academic advisor serves as chairperson of the student’s master's or doctoral committee. It is the responsibility of the graduate committee to assist the student in planning a course of study consistent with their interests and with departmental and Graduate School policy, supervise research required for the degree, and administer examinations. It is ultimately the responsibility of the student to ensure that all the requirements for their degree have been met.
Graduate students should seek an academic advisor during their first semester in the program and are required to obtain an academic advisor by the end of their first year in the graduate program. Any student who fails to obtain an academic advisor by the end of their first year could be considered to be making insufficient progress toward completion of degree. Students are permitted to switch academic advisors at any time during their graduate program.
1.3. Master's Committee
The committee of each master's candidate consists of at least three faculty members, the chairperson of which must be a member of the graduate faculty in Rural Sociology. More than half of the committee members (e.g., at least 2 out of 3 committee members) must be graduate faculty members in Rural Sociology. Students participating in dual-title programs must also ensure that the composition of their committee conforms to requirements of that dual-title program. Four dual-title options are possible (see below for further information).
1.4. Doctoral Committee
A doctoral committee consists of four or more faculty members, all of whom must be active members of the graduate faculty as recognized by the Graduate School. 1 More than half of the committee (i.e., 3 out of the 4 or 5 committee members) must be members of the Rural Sociology graduate faculty.
1.4.1. Committee Formation:
Doctoral committees are formally appointed by the Graduate School and reviewed annually by the Director of Graduate Studies. Committees are typically formed during the student's third semester in the program, but no later than one year after the completion of the qualifying exam. Students must work with their advisors and the Graduate Program Coordinator to organize an initial meeting of the committee within one semester of formation and submit the appropriate forms with committee member signatures to the Graduate School.
1.4.2. Committee Composition:
Dissertation Committee Chair (and Co-Chair, if applicable): Must be a member of the Rural Sociology graduate faculty and aligned with the student’s chosen area of concentration. The chair/co-chair is responsible for arranging and conducting all committee meetings, ensuring all Rural Sociology Graduate Program, Graduate Council, and Graduate School standards and requirements are met, and any conditions set by the committee are fulfilled. Students pursuing a dual-title degree must consult with the dual-title degree program requirements, as they may require that the committee chair or co-chair be a graduate faculty member of that dual-title program.
Outside Field Member: At least one regular member of the doctoral committee must represent a field outside the student's major field of study to provide a broader range of disciplinary perspectives and expertise within the committee. This person may be the same as the outside unit member.
Outside Unit Member: The primary appointment of at least one regular member of the doctoral committee must be from an administrative unit outside the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, & Education, and not a member of the Rural Sociology graduate faculty, to avoid potential conflicts of interest. In the case of co-chairs, the outside unit member must be from outside the administrative home(s) of both co-chairs.
Minor Program Member (if applicable): Students pursuing a graduate minor must include at least one minor program member on their dissertation committee. The minor program member must be a member of the graduate faculty and a member of that minor graduate program. Minor program members are responsible for providing the student and the dissertation committee with information, advice, and perspective on student progress in fulfilling the graduate minor requirements in the graduate program they represent.
Special Members (if applicable): Dissertation committees may include special members who are not members of the graduate faculty but are otherwise qualified and have particular expertise in the student’s research area. Special members do not have to be affiliated with Penn State.
Students should work with their advisor to identify faculty members to meet these requirements and to support their chosen areas of concentration (described below).2
1.4.3. Committee Meeting and Reporting Requirements
All graduate committees must meet at least once during the academic year to review student progress. Annual meetings are intended to ensure students receive regular assessments of progress and feedback from all committee members. 3 The results of that meeting must be reported in graduate students' annual review form, which is typically due at the end of each spring semester. It is also highly recommended that the committee determine a process for formally documenting the major conclusions and action items that stem from the meeting for internal purposes.
The following general schedule (subject to individual student timelines and needs) is suggested:
- Year 2: form committee; committee reviews student progress toward the degree, courses taken and planned, timeline, and initial plans for the dissertation.
- Year 3: conduct oral defense of comprehensive examination; additional discussion of dissertation proposal and plans as needed.
- Year 4: assess dissertation progress or conduct oral defense of dissertation if appropriate.
If students' programs are longer than the four years outlined here, the committee must continue to meet at least annually until the student has completed the oral defense of the dissertation.
1 A list of Rural Sociology Graduate Faculty can be found online.
2 Additional information about committees can be found on the Graduate School webpage.
3 Additional information about this policy may be found on the Graduate School website.
