Ph.D. (Sociology or Anthropology)

The Sociology/Anthropology PhD programme aims to train students in rigorous critical thinking and equip them to conduct in-depth research using multiple methods to advance the knowledge about society and culture. Graduates of the programme are expected to embark on a lifelong learning journey to keep up to date with sociological/anthropological theory and knowledge, so as to continuously apply themselves to practise sociology/anthropology in their professional or academic lives. Graduates of the programme will abide by the code to produce knowledge for the advancement of human civilization and the greater good of society.

Programme Requirements

Please refer to the FASS website for more information on requirements to complete the graduate programme. The Sociology graduate programme abides by most of the guidelines described in the FASS website. However, the information listed below is specific to students of the Department, in relation to coursework requirements. Please also note that the Department does not take in part-time students; the PhD programme is offered on a full-time basis only.

From the August 2010 intake onwards, the Department has introduced significant changes so as to make graduate studies more rigorous and give students more exposure to different areas of the discipline. The goal is to create a more vibrant and scholarly milieu for graduate students to engage in peer evaluation and grow into well-rounded scholars who are competent beyond their chosen areas of specialisation.

Part of the new programme requirements involves graduate students attending and presenting at the Department Seminar Series and Graduate Seminar Series. Students are expected to keep close watch on the seminar listings on both our Department's website. They are expected to contact the respective seminar convenors/chairs when they are ready to present their papers.

August 2020 Intake Onwards

Required Coursework

All PhD candidates - Sociology or Anthropology - are required to complete a total of ten modules. Out of these ten modules, there are 5 compulsory modules as follows:

PhD in Sociology

SC5101 Graduate Research Methods
SC5102 Quantitative Methods
SC5103 Qualitative Methods
SC6102 Sociological Theory
SC6770 Graduate Research Seminar

PhD in Anthropology

SC5101 Graduate Research Methods
SC5103 Qualitative Methods
SC5215 Visual Ethnography OR SC6224 Producing Ethnography
SC6216 The Anthropological Perspective
SC6770 Graduate Research Seminar

As part of the remaining five electives, these are the provisions allowed subject to approval:

2 Independent Study Modules (1 in SC and the other non-SC)
1 non-SC module (includes the 1 non-SC Independent Study Module)
1 exemption (but not for essential modules)

Format of Comprehensive Examinations (CE)

The Comprehensive Examinations (CE) comprises of two open-book take-home review essays on topics in general sociology, to be completed by the end of the students' 21st month of candidature, leaving them at least 3 months to re-take the examination in case of failure.

One of the topics should be a substantive field relating to the candidate's chosen area of specialisation, while the second topic could be another substantive field arising from the exposure that the candidate would have gained from the coursework component. The review essays should each be of a journal essay length of about 6000-8000 words.

The CE questions and reading lists will be developed by the thesis advisor(s) or thesis committee members, in consultation with the Department's Graduate Studies Committee. It is recommended that the reading lists ought to be compiled by the end of the second semester.

The student will complete all components of the Qualifying Examination (QE), the Oral Defence of their 30-50 page proposal, and the two review essays that will constitute their CE, by the end of the fourth semester.

Mandatory Seminar Attendance and Paper Presentations

PhD candidates should increase seminar attendance and paper presentations, not only voluntarily in overseas/local conferences, but also in avenues which the Department has created for them, on a mandatory basis:

To attend the Graduate Seminar Series
To present at least one paper at the Graduate Seminar Series
To regularly attend the Department Seminar Series
To deliver at least one seminar, which will serve as a trial “job talk”, at the Department Seminar Series

The students' attendance and presentations will be monitored by the General Office. Students are actively encouraged to attend, and those who do not do so will be given counselling.

Intensified Pace of PhD Candidature

The Department proposes the following to set the pace of candidature for PhD students:

The Department recommends that PhD candidates finish their degrees within four and a half years.
By the end of second semester, PhD candidates must have passed six modules, excluding the Graduate Research Seminar.
In the third semester, candidates should pass the Graduate Research Seminar. They should also begin or finalise preparations for the Qualifying Examination.
By the end of the fourth semester, candidates must have attempted and passed the Qualifying Examination, which include the Comprehensive Examinations, submission of a 30-50 page thesis proposal and Oral Defence of the thesis proposal.
In the third year of candidature, fieldwork and data collection should be undertaken.
In the fourth year of candidature, students will be writing drafts of their theses.
Throughout their candidature, students are expected to regularly attend the Department Seminar Series and the student-run Graduate Seminar Series. In their fourth year of candidature, students should present a paper at the Graduate Student Seminar. Students will have submitted their thesis for examination.
By the end of the first semester of their fifth year of candidature, the theses would have been examined and revisions done to the satisfaction of all parties involved. The candidature should have also delivered a job talk at the Department Seminar Series.

August 2012 to January 2020 Intake

Required Coursework

PhD candidates must read and pass twelve modules, which must include the following compulsory modules:

SC5101 Graduate Research Methods
SC5102 Quantitative Data Analysis
SC5103 Qualitative Data Analysis
SC6102 Sociological Theory
SC6770 Graduate Research Seminar

To complete the minimum number of modules, the PhD candidate can select two electives to read. However, 50% of total modular credits (MCs) must be at level-6000, whilst the remaining 50% can be at level-4000 and level-5000, but only up to 25% can be at level-4000.

Format of Comprehensive Examinations (CE)

The CE questions and reading lists will be developed by the supervisor(s) or thesis committee members, in consultation with the Department's Graduate Studies Committee. It is recommended that the reading lists ought to be compiled by the end of the second semester.

Mandatory Seminar Attendance and Paper Presentations

To attend the Graduate Seminar Series
To present at least one paper at the Graduate Seminar Series
To regularly attend the Department Seminar Series
To deliver at least one seminar, which will serve as a trial “job talk”, at the Department Seminar Series

The students' attendance and presentations will be monitored by the General Office. Students are actively encouraged to attend, and those who do not do so will be given counselling.

Intensified Pace of PhD Candidature

The Department proposes the following to set the pace of candidature for PhD students:

The Department recommends that PhD candidates finish their degrees within four and a half years.
By the end of second semester, PhD candidates must have passed six modules, excluding the Graduate Research Seminar.
In the third semester, candidates should pass the Graduate Research Seminar. They should also begin or finalise preparations for the Qualifying Examination.
By the end of the fourth semester, candidates must have attempted and passed the Qualifying Examination, which include the Comprehensive Examinations, submission of a 30-50 page thesis proposal and Oral Defence of the thesis proposal.
In the third year of candidature, fieldwork and data collection should be undertaken.
In the fourth year of candidature, students will be writing drafts of their theses.
Throughout their candidature, students are expected to regularly attend the Department Seminar Series and the student-run Graduate Seminar Series. In their fourth year of candidature, students should present a paper at the Graduate Student Seminar. Students will have submitted their thesis for examination.
By the end of the first semester of their fifth year of candidature, the theses would have been examined and revisions done to the satisfaction of all parties involved. The candidature should have also delivered a job talk at the Department Seminar Series.

Information about Seminars

There are two types of seminars which should be of interest to the graduate student, as follows:

1. Department Seminar Series (DSS)

These are organised, usually on a fortnightly basis, by the Convenor, who is a faculty member of the Department. Each session has one speaker and lasts 1.5 hours. Notification of each seminar session is disseminated via mass email to all graduate students and on the Department's website. Graduate students are encouraged to attend these seminars - PhD students must present a paper (deliver a job talk) in one of them. Attendance will be taken by the Convenor.

2. Graduate Seminar Series (GSS)

The Graduate Seminar Series or Graduate Students Seminars will be held once a semester, by the Sociology Graduate Students Committee. Each session has two to three speakers, who are those in the midst of writing their theses. Notification of each seminar session is disseminated via mass email to all graduate students, and posted on Department's website. Graduate students are encouraged to attend these seminars - both Masters and PhD students must present a paper in one of these sessions. Attendance will be taken by a member of the Department's Graduate Studies Committee who will attend the seminars.

Please address enquiries to socbox1@nus.edu.sg.

Course Information

Prospective Students

Current Students