Program of StudyOn this page Special and Terminal Master's Degree Over their first two years, Ph.D. students take courses that cover the basic theoretical and methodological foundations of policy analysis. In the second year, students continue taking a variety of methodological courses and begin to focus on their major and minor concentrations in substantive policy areas (consumer policy, social policy, or health policy). Students are also required to develop Ph.D.-level competency in economics or sociology (or by petition, another social science) by taking at least two classes in the discipline of choice. Students normally choose to develop this competency in the same social science as their major faculty advisors. By the third year, students should be developing ideas for dissertation research. The course of study is accelerated for students who enter the Ph.D. having already completed a master's degree in a field related to policy analysis. Required Course of Study Each PAM PhD student is required to complete a course of study designed to insure that the student has:
Each student's special committee (see below) will be responsible for developing an appropriate course of study. Students plan their program of study with their special committee. Members of the special committee may require students to complete additional course work. Every year, each student's performance is reviewed and it is decided whether progress for the term has been satisfactory. The PAM field requires:
The Graduate School also requires doctoral degree candidates to earn at least six registration units (also referred to as 'residence units') before the degree is granted. One registration unit is equivalent to one semester of full-time study completed at an acceptable level of performance. Normally, PhD degree candidates take four to five years of full-time study to complete all degree requirements, so they earn more than six registration units. All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within seven years of the first registration in the degree program; an extension may be obtained by petition to the Graduate School. Special Committee The PhD student's graduate program is supervised by a Special Committee composed of Graduate Faculty members chosen by the student. The committee consists of at least three members: one representing the major (Chair of Committee) and one for each of the two minor areas (Minor Members) the student has chosen. All PAM PhD students are required to meet the core requirements listed above. Beyond those requirements, the student's Special Committee determines additional courses and an appropriate program of study. The Graduate School requires that all PhD students must select the permanent full Committee by the end of their third semester of study. Students may change the membership of their Special Committee if their academic interests change. The members of the Special Committee set specific degree requirements beyond the core requirements, conduct and report on oral examinations, and approve the dissertation. Students are recommended for a degree when the Special Committee members agree that an appropriate level of scholarly achievement has been reached in the area of study and that the Graduate Faculty regulations regarding general examinations, registration units, and thesis or dissertation preparation have been satisfied. Each Special Committee also includes a field-appointed member (usually the Director of Graduate Studies) who attends and gives input on the A and B exams (described below), but not the dissertation. A "Special Committee Selection and Change" form can be obtained from the PAM Field Office, 122 MVR, or from the Graduate School Records Office in 172 Caldwell Hall or may be downloaded here from the Graduate School web site. Every time you make any changes, a form must be submitted to the Special Committee and all signatures are required. Initially, the Director of Graduate Studies will be your temporary chairperson. Examinations The Graduate School requires two examinations: a comprehensive Admission to Candidacy ("A" exam), taken after the student has earned at least two units of residence credit; and a final examination ("B" exam), given after completion of the doctoral dissertation. The Special Committee conducts these examinations. The A exam could involve satisfactorily answering oral and/or written questions submitted by committee members, or completing a dissertation proposal. The B exam entails a successful defense of the dissertation and shouild take place no later than the end of the seventh year. At the A exam, the Graduate School requires all PhD students to complete a Compliance Form acknowledging that they are aware of all applicable federal and state laws and Universtiy policies pertaining to the conduct of research. For many PAM PhD students, the most relevant regulations concern the use of human subjects (including survey respondents and secondary data analysis) in their research. Students schedule exams with the Graduate School at least seven days in advance by submitting a Schedule of Examination Form (available online from the Graduate School). Exams should be scheduled so that all members of the Special Committee, including the Field Appointed Member (usually the PAM DGS), are available to particpate in the exam. A student may petition to allow one committee member to participate from a remote location via conference call, video conferencing, or the like. No more than one member of the committee can be physically absent from an exam. Students should plan to take the A and B exams on a schedule that will alow them to complete the PhD before their financial support is exhausted. For students who begin their PhD studies with a bachelor's degree, financial support normally does not exceed 5 consecutive years. Students in this situation should plan to take the A exam no later than the Fall of their fourth year, and then take the B exam in the Spring of their fifth year. For students who begin their PhD studies with a master's degree, financial support normally does not exceed 4 consecutive years. Students in this situation should plan to take the A exam no later than the Fall of their third year, and then take the B exam in the Spring of their fourth year. The recommended timing of the exams takes into account the Graduate School requirement that the student must earn two additional registration units after the A exam before scheduling the B exam. Human Subjects in Research All research projects that use human subjects, regardless of the source of funding, must be reviewed and approved by the University Committee on Human Subjects (UCHS) before the investigator may commence t he study. All Cornell investigators, including graduate students, must complete training in the use of human subjects before submitting applications to the UCHS for review. It is especially important that PAM PhD students recognize that human subjects review includes review of the analyses and creation of certain kinds of survey data. Analyses involving restricted, non-public use datasets and datasets with community or census level data merged into individual records must now be reviewed by the UCHS. Research projects that consist entirely of secondary data analysis of public use data sets do not require UCHS review. Research investigators may not make the final determination of exemption from applicable Federal regulations about the use of human subjects in research. Only the UCHS Administrator or a committee member can designate a research project as "exempt." All research involving human subjects must therefore by submitted to SCHS for review. Students who are unsure whether their research qualifies should contact the UCHS for guidance. Procedures, forms and required human subjects training for use here at Cornell are available at the Office of Sponsored Programs page. Special and Terminal Master's Degree Requirements On the recommendation of the special committee, a special M.S. degree may be awarded after a doctoral student has passed the A exam. On the recommendation of the special committee, a terminal M.S. degree may be awarded to a doctoral student who has: a) earned at least four registration units; and b) received a master's level pass on a terminal master's exam or performed at the level of a passed master's exam on the A exam (without passing the A exam). |
 |
|
|
|
|