Graduate Group in Social
and Cognitive Sciences
Policies and Procedures
2005-2006
PROGRAM
FOCUS AND SCOPE
The Graduate Group
in Social and Cognitive Sciences offers two graduate training programs in
psychology, a terminal M.S. program, and a Ph.D. program. Admission to the two
programs occurs separately. Admission to the M.S. program does not imply
admission to the doctoral program, so that students in the M.S. program who
wish to pursue doctoral training must apply to a doctoral training program
separately.
The terminal M.S. program is designed to meet the
educational needs of students with several different kinds of goals, for
example, obtaining a credential that may help them in their current employment,
providing a chance for students with weaker undergraduate credentials to
demonstrate the ability to pursue doctoral work, and providing a stimulating
graduate education for community members interested in life-long learning. Students
admitted to the terminal Master’s Degree program are typically not provided
with financial support, and may attend the program part-time.
The Ph.D. program is
intended to prepare students for research careers. The Ph.D. program of study is
highly flexible, with an emphasis on a solid grounding in basic coursework and
extensive involvement in research from the first year onwards. Students in the
Ph.D. program are typically provided financial support. The Ph.D. program is a
full-time program, and students planning to attend on a part-time basis should
not apply.
GRADUATE
ADMISSIONS
All persons seeking admission to graduate standing must make formal
application for admission. We encourage applicants to use the on-line
application to streamline the process. Applications are reviewed by the
Admissions Committee, which makes recommendations on admission to Graduate
Council. The Dean of Graduate Studies makes final decisions on admission.
APPLICATION DEADLINES FOR
ADMISSION
The deadline for receipt of applications for
the doctoral program is January 15 for enrollment in the next Fall semester. The
deadline for receipt of applications for the terminal master’s program is April
15 for enrollment in the next Fall semester. Enrollment in other semesters will
be considered on an individual basis.
MATERIALS TO BE SUBMITTED
1.
Official
application form
2.
Application
fee
3.
Official
transcripts from all prior university or college attendance
4. An official Graduate Record Exam
(GRE) score report. Only the general tests are required
5. A statement of research interests and career
goals
6. Three letters of recommendation
from instructors or supervisors who can comment on the applicant’s scholarly
ability and promise as a researcher (letters from faculty are preferred)
7. Official score reports from the Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test of
Spoken English (TSE) if the applicant’s native language or language of
instruction is other than English.
Applicants are encouraged to contact individual faculty members about
their research areas to assess the match between student and faculty interests.
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
The minimum requirement for graduate admission to UC Merced is a
bachelor’s degree and a grade point average no lower than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Performance
on the GRE, distribution of undergraduate grades, accomplishments in
undergraduate research, and letters of recommendation will also be evaluated as
important determinants of an applicant’s potential for success in graduate
education.
Students with undergraduate degrees in economics, psychology, cognitive
science, sociology, political science, public policy, or anthropology normally
have a background that is well suited to the graduate programs in Social and
Cognitive Sciences. Applicants with other degrees will be examined on a case-by-case
basis.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVANCED DEGREES
RESIDENCY
In accordance with SR 682 and 686, the
minimum residency requirement for any advanced degree is two semesters. The
minimum residency requirement for the Ph.D. degree is four semesters. Before
advancement to candidacy Ph.D. students must be registered in regular
University courses as a full-time student for at least two semesters. Residency
is established by satisfactory completion of at least one graduate course of
four units or more per term. Ordinarily, a graduate student shall not receive
credit for more than 12 units of graduate courses in any term.
SCHOLARSHIP
Graduate students must maintain at least a
3.0 grade‑point average to be considered in
good academic standing or to be awarded an academic graduate degree. A student
whose cumulative graduate grade-point average falls below 3.0, or who is judged
not to be making satisfactory progress toward the degree by his or her major
professor or degree committee, will be placed on academic probation. The
student will then be allowed a maximum of two semesters to make up the
deficiencies and be returned to good academic standing. Otherwise, the student may
be dismissed from the graduate program. Specifically:
MASTER’S DEGREE
SIGNIFICANCE
The recipient of a M.S. degree is
understood to possess knowledge of a broad field of learning that extends well
beyond that attained at the undergraduate level, but is not necessarily
expected to have made a significant original contribution to knowledge in that
field. Students may receive a terminal M.S. degree under either of two
different conditions.
1.
Students may be admitted directly to the graduate program in Social and Cognitive Sciences to work towards a terminal Masters Degree (M.S.).
2.
A Ph.D. student who has been in residence for at least two
semesters, is in good academic standing, has completed PSY 200AB, 201AB, and
202, and who chooses not to complete the doctoral program, may petition the
Admissions Committee to pursue a terminal M.S. degree. In such cases, the
student must meet all of the requirements for the M.S. degree prior to being
awarded the degree.
SELECTION
OF A MAJOR PROFESSOR
Students will be assigned an
interim adviser when they first enroll, unless the student already has chosen a
major professor. Otherwise, selection of a major professor must occur by the
end of the first semester of the first year. The major professor, in
consultation with the student and the appropriate faculty advisory committee as
outlined below, will guide the student’s research and course selection.
REQUIREMENTS
The Social and Cognitive Sciences group has established the following requirements for the
M.S. degree. Two different tracks are
recognized:
1. Complete at least two semesters
of academic residence (24 units total) at UC Merced;
2. Complete PSY 200AB, 201AB and 202
with a letter grade of at least “B”;
3. Complete at least 32 semester
hours of graduate course work with a cumulative grade-point average of at least
3.0. At least 16 semester hours must be
from regular, letter-graded lecture courses, including PSY 200AB, 201AB and 202
while the remaining 16 hours may be research or similar courses;
4. Prepare an acceptable thesis
describing original empirical research.
NON-THESIS OPTION
1. Complete at least two semesters
of academic residence (24 units total) at UC Merced;
2. Complete PSY 200AB, 201AB and 202
with a letter grade of at least “B”;
3. Complete at least 36 semester
hours of graduate course work with a cumulative grade-point average of at least
3.0. At least 20 semester hours must be
from regular, letter-graded lecture courses, while the remaining 16 hours may
be research or similar courses;
4. Pass a comprehensive written and oral
examination administered by a faculty committee. This examination will test the student’s
understanding of the main concepts in the field at the graduate level.
MASTER’S THESIS
The student pursuing the thesis option will organize a master’s thesis
committee of three faculty members, one of whom must be from outside the SCS
major faculty. The major professor will chair the committee. A written thesis
prospectus will be presented to this committee, which will then meet with the
student to discuss the prospectus, and which will then vote to approve the
prospectus or not. A vote to pass the prospectus must be unanimous.
The master’s thesis must be creative work that can stand the test of
peer review. The expectation is that the material will serve as the basis for
publication(s) in a peer-reviewed journal. The work must be original and
defensible, and it may either be the student’s independent work, or represent a
collaboration between the student and the major professor in the latter’s
program of research.
The
student must submit a copy of the thesis to each committee member at least two
weeks prior to the scheduled final examination. The thesis may consist of
either of the following two formats: (1) a series of chapters, each written
specifically for the thesis, or (2) a published or in press journal article
bound together with an introduction and conclusion. In the latter case, the
student must be a co-author on the journal article. Approval of the thesis must
be unanimous. Members of the committee may vote to make conferral of the degree
contingent on corrections and/or revisions to the thesis. In this case, the
committee will select one member, normally the major professor, who will be
responsible for approving the final version of the thesis that is submitted to
Division of Graduate Studies. All members of the degree committee sign the
final thesis.
MASTER’S COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
The
student pursuing the non-thesis option will form a committee of three faculty,
one of whom must be from outside the SCS major faculty. The major professor
will chair the committee.
The
master’s comprehensive examination consists of a written and an oral part. The
written part shall consist of written answers to one question from each of the
three examiners. Upon successful completion of the written exam, the student
will meet for an oral exam with the committee. The oral examination can be
taken no more than twice.
TRANSFER
CREDIT
Though ordinarily all work for a graduate
degree is done in residence, some work taken elsewhere may be credited toward
the degree. The normal limit for such transfer work is four semester units or
six quarter units from another institution or up to one‑half of the unit
requirement from another campus of the
1. Units of work taken elsewhere than the
2. Requests for transfer credit must be made
prior to either the master’s degree oral examination for terminal master’s
students, or prior to advancement to candidacy for doctoral students. Requests
must be approved by the Major Professor and the Dean of Social Sciences,
Humanities, and Arts.
Courses applied toward a previous Master’s or doctorate
degree may not be applied toward a UC Merced Social and Cognitive Sciences graduate
degree.
CHANGES
IN COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
If a committee
member’s absence from campus for an extended period of time makes scheduling of
examinations unreasonably difficult, the student may request that the committee
be reconstituted. Reconstitution of the committee may also be justified by a
substantial change in the student’s research topic or may be required by the
departure of a committee member from the university. When membership changes
must be made, the major professor in consultation with the student should
recommend a new committee member, giving the reason for the change. Changes in
committee membership must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies.
DOCTORAL
DEGREE
SIGNIFICANCE
The Doctor of Philosophy degree is not granted by the
REQUIREMENTS
The SCS group has established the following requirements for the Ph.D.
degree:
SELECTION
OF A MAJOR PROFESSOR
Students will be assigned an
interim adviser when they first enroll, unless the student already has chosen a
major professor. Otherwise, selection of a major professor must occur by the
end of the first semester of the first year. The major professor, in
consultation with the student and the appropriate faculty advisory committee as
outlined below, will guide the student’s research program. Interdisciplinary research
programs are highly encouraged, as are research collaborations with faculty or
senior scientists outside UC Merced.
SECOND YEAR PROJECT
First year: Planning. Every student will register for PSY 596 in the
second semester of the first year, with the goal of planning the second-year
project by frequently meeting with the major professor. The project may take
the form of a theoretical or an empirical inquiry. A brief written proposal
(2-5 pages) for the second-year project must
be approved by the major professor and a second reader from the SCS
faculty by the end of the second semester of the first year.
Second year: Execution. Every student will register for PSY 596 in both
semesters of the second year, with the goal of carrying out the second-year
project with frequent consultation with the major professor. A paper describing
the completed project will be prepared. The paper should be brief (15-25
pages), and should be written in publication style. This paper should be
completed by the end of the second semester of the second year, and must be
approved by the major professor and a second reader. The purpose of this paper
is to provide exercise in the planning, conduct, and write-up of a brief
research project.
PH.D.
QUALIFYING EXAMINATION
Students will sit for the Qualifying Examination in the third year. The
Qualifying Examination cannot be taken if there are any outstanding grades of
Incomplete, or if any of the required first and second year courses have not
been taken. The examining committee will consist of four faculty, one of whom
must be from outside the SCS major faculty. The major professor will chair the
committee.
The Qualifying Examination consists of a written and an oral part. The
written part may be completed in either of two ways: a Major Area Paper or a
formal written examination. The Major Area Paper shall be a critical review
paper, produced in APA publication format and suitable in quality and substance
for submission to a major journal appropriate to its topic. The written
examination shall consist of written answers to one question from each of the
four examiners. Upon successful completion of the written exam, the student
will meet for an oral exam with the committee. The oral examination can be
taken no more than twice.
ADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY
Upon successful completion of the Qualifying
Examination, the student must fill out an application for advancement to
candidacy that is signed by the major professor and the degree committee, and
submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies. Upon advancement to candidacy for
the degree, the degree committee is then charged to guide the student in
research and in the preparation of the dissertation. Advancement to candidacy
must occur no later than the end of the eighth semester of residence in the SCS
program, or the candidate will be automatically terminated from graduate study
in the Ph.D. program. Graduate students who are terminated by this policy and
who wish to appeal termination may do so only after they have been terminated,
and must then prepare an appeal with a rationale for why termination should not
occur, and with an explicit timetable for completion of advancement to
candidacy. Reversal of the termination after appeal must be approved by the
student’s major professor, by the Graduate Advising Committee of the Graduate
Group in Social and Cognitive Sciences, and by the Dean of the School.
DISSERTATION AND FINAL EXAMINATION
Upon advancement to candidacy, the student will organize a dissertation
committee of four faculty members, one of whom must be from outside the SCS
major faculty. The major professor will chair the committee. A written
dissertation prospectus will be presented to this committee, which will then
meet with the student to discuss the proposal, and which will then vote to
approve the prospectus or not. A vote to pass the prospectus must be unanimous.
The Ph.D. dissertation must be creative and independent work that can
stand the test of peer review. The expectation is that the material will serve
as the basis for publication(s) in a peer-reviewed journal. The work must be
the student’s, and it must be original and defensible.
The student must submit a copy of the dissertation to each committee
member at least two weeks prior to the scheduled final examination. The
dissertation may consist of either of the following two formats: (1) a series
of chapters, each written specifically for the dissertation, or (2) several
related published or in press journal articles bound together with an
introduction and conclusion. In the latter case, the student must be first
author on all the journal articles. Approval of the dissertation must be
unanimous. Members of the committee may vote to make conferral of the degree
contingent on corrections and/or revisions to the dissertation. In this case,
the committee will select one member, normally the major professor, who will be
responsible for approving the final version of the dissertation that is
submitted to Division of Graduate Studies. All members of the degree committee
sign the final dissertation, which must occur by the end of the sixth year of
residence in the SCS program.
OPTIONAL MASTER’S DEGREE FOR PH.D STUDENTS
The Master's Degree is not required of
candidates for the Ph.D. However, a student may qualify and apply for the
Master's degree after satisfactory completion of eight courses (32 units) in
the doctoral program, including:
1.
PSY 200AB
2.
PSY 201AB
3.
PSY 202
4.
The
second year project
Courses applied toward a previous MA or
Ph.D. degree may NOT be applied toward this Master’s degree. Students who wish
to apply courses completed in another graduate program that were not applied
toward a previous degree must follow procedures outlined under the transfer
credit section in the Master’s degree program above. An overall GPA of 3.0 is
required in the courses applied toward the Master’s degree.
.