Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Question

 

Passing and Not-So-Passing Classes

 

1. What happens if you don’t pass a class? How long do you have to retake it? Does the failure stay on your transcript?

Graduate students who do not pass a required class must retake the class the next time that it is offered. The failure stays on a student’s transcript, but when the course is repeated the first grade is coded to show that it’s been repeated. The second grade is then figured into the overall GPA. If the class is not required, then students do not have to retake it.

2. What happens if you take an incomplete in a class? How long do you have to change it? Does the incomplete stay on your transcript?

Graduate students who take an incomplete will be advised to complete their coursework as soon as possible. If students accumulate 3 incompletes, they become ineligible for TAships, as per Graduate Division rules. The Graduate Director may determine loss of good standing based on multiple incompletes or a pattern of not completing course work. An incomplete must be completed within a year, or it turns into a failing grade. When work has been completed, the instructor of record (IOR) fills out the paperwork to change the grade.

3. If you have already completed graduate coursework similar to what is required by CLS, can you waive out of parallel classes?

Students may petition to waive up to two required courses or electives. To do so, students should complete the petition form, available from at the Graduate Division website under “forms” http://www.rgs.uci.edu/grad/students/forms/petition.pdf A copy of the course syllabus and an official transcript must be submitted along with the waiver petition. Generally, the Graduate Director will consult with the instructor(s) who teach this course in order to determine whether or not to recommend approval of the petition to the Associate Dean. The decision is generally made according to substantial duplication of coursework. Students who waive two required classes and the 2^nd year paper requirement must complete their Ph.D. degree by their 6^th year of study rather than by their 7^th year of study.

4. If you take an elective in another department WITHIN the School of Social Ecology, do you have to petition for it to count as an elective within CLS?

Yes, students who take an elective within the School of Social Ecology must petition for it to count as an elective within CLS using the same form as shown above, located on the Graduate Division website.

5. If you take an elective in another department in any other school at UCI, do you have to petition for it to count as an elective within CLS? What is required in that petition?

Yes, students who take electives outside of CLS must petition to have the course count as an elective in CLS. Students should submit the course waiver petition and a copy of the syllabus.

6. How do you petition for a class to count as an elective within CLS? How do you waive out of a class?

Please see the answers to questions 3, 4, and 5, above.

7. What classes meet the “Advanced Methods” requirement?

The following courses meet the advanced methods course requirement: SE 266A Structural Equation Modeling, SE266B Applied Logistic Regression, SE266C analysis of Statistical Power, SE266D Analysis of Survival Data, SE266E Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis, C222 Street Ethnography, C223 Introduction to Spatial Analysis and Statistics, C248 Geographic Information Systems, C251 Qualitative Criminological Analysis, Sociology 222A Comparative and Historical Methods, Sociology 227A-B Seminar in Ethnographic and Qualitative Field Methods, Anthropology 208A Anthropological Fieldwork Methodology. In addition to these classes, student may petition for another class to meet this requirement. To do so, students should submit a course petition form and a copy of the syllabus.

Funding

 

1. What is included in the typical funding packet?

Funding packets are based on individual circumstances, and vary considerably, therefore there is no “typical” packet.  

2.       How does summer funding work? 

Generally, a call for summer funding applications will be issued during the spring quarter.  Students who seek summer funding must follow the instructions that are included in the call.  After reviewing all of the applications, the Graduate Director issues funding awards.  Students are notified of their funding awards by the end of the spring quarter.

3.       What are the criteria for summer funding?  What are the deadlines?

Deadlines vary from year to year, but generally will be between the middle and end of spring quarter.  Criteria for summer funding include year in the program, availability of other funding sources, standing in the program, results of annual reviews, and equity.  

4.       How do we get funding to go to conferences? How do we find out how much we can get?  

During fall quarter, students will be notified regarding the current year’s policy toward conference funding.  Typically, students may submit receipts for plane flight, advanced student conference registration fee, and ½ of hotel room (assuming that students will share a room) up to a predetermined maximum amount.  This maximum amount may vary from year to year depending on the availability of funding.  Students will be funded for only one conference in a given year.  To find out how much funding students can receive, students should look for the announcement of the current year’s maximum conference allowance.  Note that students cannot “bank” the unused portion of this maximum.  Example:  Suppose that the maximum in a given year is $750, and a student spends $650 to attend a conference.  The student cannot “save” the $100 to apply toward a second conference.  The reason for this policy is that funding is scarce, and it is important to make sure that ALL of our students have the opportunity to attend one conference before anyone uses funds to attend a second conference.  There is very little research and travel funding provided by Graduate Division and the School of Social Ecology.  In past years, CLS has been able to supplement Grad Division and Social Ecology travel funds through MAS funds.  Although Graduate Division has no criteria for awarding the funding, the School of Social Ecology requires that a student present either a paper or a poster at the conference to use SE travel funds.  

5.       What are the criteria for conference funding?  

Students must be on the program to present a paper or a poster.  Please see also the answer to question #4, above.

6.             Can you “bank” TA funding?  What happens if you are given an RA position when you are promised TA funding?

TA funding cannot be “banked.”  If a student accepts an RA position in lieu of promised TAfunding, then the student foregoes that TA funding. 

7.       Is there a difference in pay between BA’s and MA’s?

There is no difference in TA salary based on whether a student has a BA or an MA.  RA salaries do differ, according to the following scale:

Graduate Student Researcher Salary Levels (as of 10-1-07):

LEVEL I: $2,702.00/$32,424.00 LEVEL II: $2912.00/$34,944.00

LEVEL III: $3,229.00/$38,748.00 LEVEL IV: $3488.00/$41,856.00

LEVEL V: $3720.00/$44,640.00

Levels I & II: base level of support for entering graduate students and may be used for 1^st & 2^nd year graduate students at the discretion of the academic unit making the appointment.

Level III: requires attainment of the master’s degree

Level IV: requires Advancement to Candidacy for the Ph.D.

Level V: requires Advancement to Candidacy for the Ph.D. and at least 3 yrs experience in a graduate student researcher title.

Level VI: outstanding, experienced graduate student researchers; requires exception

8.             Do you have to file for the pay increase one you have completed your MA?   

The GSR level is typically negotiated with the faculty PI.  If you have a master’s degree be sure that you submit a sealed official copy of the  transcript showing completion of the degree to Sothara.  The Registrar will put the degree on your UCI transcript where it can be verified if a faculty member wants to hire you at a higher level GSR.   

9.       What if you are an international student? How does funding work for you?

International students are eligible for TA-ships and RA-ships, as are other students, however, international students are charged non-resident tuition until they advance to candidacy.  International students must also pass a test of spoken English if they did not attend four years of high school in the United States

10.   Is there a reason to establish CA residency?  Does it result in more funding?

Yes, there is a reason to establish CA residency.  Out-of-state students are charged non-resident tuition.  The School of Social Ecology has generally provided fellowships for students so that they do not pay this tuition during their first year, and by their second year of study, most students (with the exception of international students) are able to establish CA residency.

11.   What is the difference in pay between RA-ships and TA-ships?

The difference in pay varies depending on the level of RA-ship that a student has.  Please see the answer to question #7, above.  Students who are employed as GSR’s do not pay the difference between the fee remission and the actual cost of fees (presented $256.50 per quarter) while second year grads and beyond do.

12.          Where can I find resources to help me navigate my issues with TA/RA?  (Academic Personnel website)  

Please see http://www.rgs.uci.edu/grad/finance/index.htm.  Students can also consult with Jean Martinez, Sothara Chan, or the graduate director.

13.   How do I take maternity leave?  Are there childcare provisions? 

Please see the following FAQ (http://www.rgs.uci.edu/GRAD/students/gship/faq.htm#med):

7. I am a GSHIP member and I am pregnant. Are maternity services covered under GSHIP, and will my baby be covered after birth?

YES. Maternity is 90% covered. A child born to a covered person shall be covered for Accident, Sickness, and Congenital Defect for the first 31 days of life from the date of birth. Please contact UCI's GSHIP insurance coordinator, Mary Jo Gallegos at (949) 824-2388 for specific information about baby coverage.

Information about leaves of absence is available at: http://www.rgs.uci.edu/GRAD/staff/grad_hdbk.pdf

Childcare information is available at:

http://www.rgs.uci.edu/GRAD/students/childcare.htm

14.   Where can I find the TA Union contract?

The TA Union contract is available at:

http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/employees/policies_employee_labor_relations/collective_bargaining_units/academicstudentemployees_bx/index.html

 Grants

1. Is there internal paperwork to fill out when applying for external grants?

Please see information available at: http://socialecology.uci.edu/students/cls/grads

2nd Year Project 

1. When is the 2^nd year project actually due?

The 2^nd year project is due the first day of the Fall quarter of the third year of graduate study.

2. What happens if you don’t finish it by the deadline? What is required by the deadline? Does the deadline account for faculty who may not be able to respond in a timely fashion?

Students who do not finish the 2^nd year project by the deadline are considered in poor standing in the department. They will be ineligible for funding, including TA assignments, until this requirement is met. The deadline does not account for faculty who may not be able to respond in a timely fashion. The best way to avoid difficulties that result from a slow faculty response time is to communicate with faculty so that the student is aware of faculty time constraints and can give the paper to faculty with sufficient time for them to read and respond. Students should expect to do several rounds of revisions on their papers, so time for revisions should be allowed as well.

3. What is the timeline we should be following to meet the 2^nd year project requirement?

Ideally, students should do the research for their second year paper during the summer after their first year, and should draft the second year paper during their second year, leaving the summer of the second year for revisions. Note that it is important for students to discuss their timelines with faculty and to solicit advice and input.

Please see also the information that is available in the Graduate Student Handbook.

4. Can you have a Masters’ Thesis signed off as a 2^nd year project? How do you do that?

Yes, a Master’s Thesis can be used to satisfy the 2^nd year paper requirement, if two faculty members deem the thesis to meet this requirement. Students who have already written a Master’s Thesis should identify two faculty readers and give copies of the thesis to the two readers. If the readers agree that the thesis satisfies the 2^nd year paper requirement, then they can sign a form to this effect.

5. Is there a difference between having your thesis signed off and writing a new project?

Yes, the key difference is that if a student uses a previously written thesis to satisfy the requirement, then a student is not doing a new research project. If a student is writing a new project, then obviously, the student will have to carry out new research. To decide which of these two options to pursue, it is best for students to consult with their advisers.

IRB Issues

 

1. What is the process for applying for IRB approval? What do you have to submit?

The answers to this question are available at: http://www.research.uci.edu/ora/hrpp/

2. When do you need IRB approval?

IRB approval must be obtained before beginning research that involves human subjects, and is sometimes also required by granting agencies before a grant can be awarded. Please see: http://www.research.uci.edu/ora/hrpp/

3. Who is on the IRB board?

Please see: http://www.research.uci.edu/ora/staff.cfm

4. How long can it take to get through IRB? When should you apply?

The amount of time that it takes to obtain IRB approval varies considerably, depending on the workload of the IRB, as well as on the nature of particular research projects. It is best to seek IRB approval as early as possible, and to check with IRB staff and with your own adviser.

5. Is there an IRB advisor?

Social Ecology does not have an IRB adviser, however, the IRB staff for committee C handle applications in the Social and Behavior sciences. Their contact information is available at: http://www.research.uci.edu/ora/staff.cfm. Students’ advisers are also available to assist students with the IRB application process.

Comps

 

1. When are comps administered? How many times a year?

Comps are administered twice a year, in the fall and the spring (usually around October and May, though exam dates vary from year to year.)

2. Who grades the comps?

The comps are graded by faculty. The particular subcommittee that does the grading varies from exam to exam.

3. How long do people typically study before taking the comps? What are some suggestions on how to prepare for them?

It is best to consult with other students to learn how long they typically study for this exam. I would imagine that if a student plans to take the comps in the fall, he or she should plan to study over the summer and through the fall. Study suggestions include: consult with your adviser, consult with faculty who have expertise in exam areas, review syllabi for required courses that pertain to comps topics, form a study group.

4. What happens if you do not pass one section of the comps? Do you have to retake the whole thing? If so, within how much time?

Students who fail one section of the comps must retake that section later during the same quarter that the exam was administered. Regarding scheduling, students who are in this situation may consult with the CLS faculty member who is in charge of comps.

Please note that this information is available in the Graduate Student Handbook.

5. What happens if you do not pass two or more sections of the comps? Do you have to retake the whole thing? If so, within how much time?

Students who fail two or more sections of the comps exam must retake the entire exam. Students must pass all sections of the exam by Fall of their 4^th year.

Please see also the Graduate Student Handbook.

6. How many times can you take the comps before facing administrative sanctions?

Students may take the exam twice before facing administrative sanctions, but note that “Students must take the exam by the Spring Quarter of their third year (adjusted for any leaves of absence) and must pass all sections of the exam by the Fall Quarter of their fourth year (adjusted for any leaves of absence).” [Quoted from Grad Student Handbook]

7. What are the administrative sanctions against someone who has failed comps too many times?

Students who fail the comps twice are terminated from the Ph.D. program.

8. Are decisions made on a case-by-case basis or are there general rules regarding retaking comps?

There are general rules regarding retaking comps.

9. Do we have the opportunity to speak to the reader about what went wrong if we do not pass a section of the comps?

Faculty graders provide written feedback to the comps committee chairperson (currently, Sarah Wakefield.) Graders are anonymous, however, if students wish to speak to the graders, the comps committee chairperson may ask graders whether graders are willing to relinquish their anonymity so that students can contact them.

10. Is there an appeals process through which we can petition to be offered comps again?

There is no official appeals process, but students can always approach the Graduate Director regarding individual circumstances, on this, or any other policy.

11. Are comps an internal affair or is this required of all departments?

Procedures and requirements vary from department to department.

Advancement and Defense

 

1. What does the advancement process involve?

Please see http://socialecology.uci.edu/students/cls/grads for the answer to this question

2. Who can serve on your committee? Who must serve on your committee?

Please see the Graduate Student Handbook.

3. How do you petition to include a member from another university? How long does it take?

Please see http://socialecology.uci.edu/students/cls/grads.

4. Do all members of your committee have to attend?

Typically, all members of the committee must attend. In unusual circumstances and by exception, a committee member may participate by speaker phone rather than in person. Please see the Graduate Student Handbook. Use of a speaker phone has to be approved in advance.

5. How long do you actually propose your dissertation for?

Please consult with your adviser regarding dissertation timelines.

6. What is the timeline? How much time usually passes between proposal and defense?

The proposal is defended at the advancement.

7. What forms are required to advance?

Please see http://socialecology.uci.edu/students/cls/grads

8. When do you find out if you passed?

Students typically find out the results at the conclusion of the advancement meeting.

9. How long before we plan to advance should we form our dissertation committees?

Dissertation committees are formed after advancement. In order to advance, students must form a committee of five faculty (including one outside member – please see graduate student handbook and http://socialecology.uci.edu/students/cls/grads for details). Dissertation committees are required to be made up of at least three faculty members, one of whom can be an outside member. You must submit the Advancement Committee Approval Form with required signatures to Jean Martinez at least three weeks prior to your scheduled advancement meeting.

10. How extensive is a dissertation proposal? What should it include? (Some people submit 30 pages; others 100.)

It is best to consult with one’s adviser regarding appropriate length.

11. What is the format of the dissertation?

Dissertation formats vary. It is best to consult with one’s adviser regarding format. Some specific formatting requirements are available at:

http://www.lib.uci.edu/libraries/collections/special/uci_td/td65.html#formatting

12. What is the typical length of a dissertation?

Dissertations vary in length. It is best to consult with one’s adviser regarding appropriate length.

Graduate Emphasis in Feminist/Critical/Etc. Studies

 

1. How do you apply to do an emphasis in feminist or critical studies?

Please see http://www.humanities.uci.edu/womensstudies/grad/ and http://www.humanities.uci.edu/cte/about/about.html

 

Job Search

 

1. How far along my dissertation should I be before starting my job search?

It is best to consult with one’s adviser regarding this issue.

2. What sources should I look at for job openings?

Job announcements are posted in the Chronicle of Higher Education, the American Society of Criminology’s employment exchange (http://www.asc41.com/employment.htm), the American Sociological Association’s job bank (http://jobbank.asanet.org/jobbank/index.cfm) , the Anthropology Newsletter, and many other sources. The Grad Director routinely forwards announcements of job positions. These are maintained in a binder organized by the Graduate Coordinator.

3. How many schools does one typically apply to?

Job search strategies vary, depending on whether one is searching nationally, internationally, or only in a particular state or region. It is best to consult with one’s adviser regarding appropriate job search strategies.

4. How do I go about sending letters of recommendation to so many schools?

Please ask your letter writers to send a generic letter of reference to Sothara, and then give her the list of positions for which you are applying. She will print out the letters for you, secure faculty signatures, and mail. You should also give Sothara envelopes and stamps for each of the positions for which you are applying.