Critical Global Studies

M.A. Program

1. Curriculum

1) Required credits: 24 credits.

(1) Required course: 3 credits (CGS 6001 What is Critical Global Studies?).

(2) Electives: 21 credits.

2) Course Registration & Approval of External/Exchange Credits

(1) Students must consult with their advisor and receive approval of course selections before registering for courses each semester. (See 2-1 below for detailed information about advisors for M.A. students.)

(2) Students must take at least one CGS course every semester while doing their coursework. (The course number/code for CGS courses start with “CGS”; students need to register with the CGS course number/code and not that of cross-listed courses.)

(3) Students who want to take a course offered by another graduate program, department, or university must receive approval from their advisor before registering for classes and submit a completed “Application for Approval of External/Exchange Credits” to the Department Chair no later than the first day of drop/add period.

(4) Students can apply no more than a total of nine credits from courses taken with other graduate programs, departments, or universities towards their CGS degree. Exceptions may be made to this limit, however, with the approval of the CGS Steering Committee if a student’s field and availability of necessary courses warrants it.

(5) Independent Study courses can not be included in the minimum of 24 credits required for the M.A. degree.

2. Advisor & Academic Advising Committee

1) Advisor

(1) Qualifications: Only CGS Core Faculty members who are also fulltime TT Sogang faculty can serve as a student’s advisor.

(2) If a student is unable to choose an advisor appropriate to their field from among CGS Core Faculty at the time they are admitted to the CGS M.A. program, the CGS Steering Committee will appoint a Core Faculty member to supervise their first semester course registration based on the admissions interview and the student’s application materials.

(3) If a student admitted to the CGS M.A. program can not choose an advisor by the advisor registration period set by the Graduate School Office during their first semester of enrollment, said student should register the temporary advisor assigned them by the CGS Steering Committee for course registration or the Department Chair as their temporary advisor and change that registration as soon as they find an advisor, following the Graduate School’s regulations and procedures governing such changes.

(4) M.A. students must choose an advisor by the time they complete nine credits.

2) Academic Advising Committee

(1) M.A. students must have a three-member academic advising committee approved by their advisor and registered with the department at least one semester before they take the comprehensive exam. The student’s advisor serves as the Chair of the academic advising committee. (Submit a completed “Academic Advising Committee Application” with advisor’s approval signature to the Department Chair within the registration period.)

(2) Qualifications: All three members of the academic advising committee should be CGS Core Faculty. One of the three members, however, can be CGS Affiliated Faculty or external faculty approved by the student’s advisor.

(3) In principle, a student’s academic advising committee also serves as their M.A. thesis defense committee. Students can, however, organize a defense committee that differs from their academic advising committee if necessary, within the permissible boundaries of the Graduate School’s regulations and with their advisor’s approval.

3. Qualifying Exams

1) Comprehensive Exam

(1) Eligibility: Students who have completed 18 credits or more and also have been registered for at least two semesters.

(2) Applying to take the comprehensive exam: M.A. students who wish to take the comprehensive exam must submit a completed “Comprehensive Exam Application” to the Department Chair at least one month prior to their desired exam date.

(3) Exam date: The first day of the semester following the semester in which a student became eligible and has applied to take the comprehensive exam.

(4) Exam details:

A. Number of exams: One.

B. Exam: A detailed M.A. thesis proposal that meets the requirements set by the department.

C. Submission of exam: Students submit a detailed M.A. thesis proposal that meets the requirements set by the department to the Department Chair on the first day of the semester following the semester in which they became eligible and have applied to take the comprehensive exam.

(5) Evaluation: The two members of a student’s academic advising committee who are not the student’s advisor will submit their written evaluation and a 100-point scale grade to the CGS Chair within two weeks of receiving the exam, and pass/fail status will be determined by the Chair and all three members of the student’s academic advising committee together.

(6) Retaking the comprehensive exam: Students who have failed the comprehensive exam may retake it the next semester. The comprehensive exam may be retaken only once.

2) Foreign Language Exams: None.

4. M.A. Thesis

1) Students must submit and successfully defend a thesis that meets the degree requirements set by departmental regulations, following the procedures stipulated by the Graduate School’s bylaws, in order to earn an M.A. degree. (See section 9 of the Graduate School’s bylaws.)

2) Students must pass their comprehensive exam before holding a thesis defense.

3) Students may hold their thesis defense in the same semester that they passed their comprehensive exam.

4) A student’s advisor can not serve as the Chair of the defense committee; the defense committee Chair must be fulltime TT faculty at Sogang University.

5. Credit Transfers, Accelerated Completion, and Early Degree Conferral

1) Students who hold an M.A. degree from Sogang University earned in another graduate program or department can have up to a total of nine credits transferred and acknowledged as coursework for the CGS M.A. degree with the department’s approval. (See 4.3.48 of the Graduate School’s bylaws.)

2) Students who have earned credits in an M.A. program in a field related to Critical Global Studies at another university can have up to a total of nine credits transferred and acknowledged as coursework for the CGS M.A. degree with the department’s approval. (See 4.3.47 and 4.3.48 of the Graduate School’s bylaws.)

3) Students who have acquired eligibility for accelerated completion or early degree conferral according to the Graduate School’s bylaws, rules, and regulations can be granted their M.A. degree one or two semesters early. Students who wish to complete or graduate early must submit an “Application for Accelerated Completion” or an “Application for Early Graduation” to the Graduate School Office during the application period set by the GSO at the beginning of the semester in which they wish to acquire such status. (See 4.3.50 of the Graduate School’s bylaws.)

6. Scholarships

1) All Sogang scholarships excluding the Youngone scholarship, the CGS TA scholarship, and the CGSI GA scholarship are governed by the Graduate School; students should check the GSO website for announcements and notices and apply to the GSO accordingly. (See https://gradsch.sogang.ac.kr/gradsch/gradsch04_3_2.html)

2) Youngone scholarship and CGSI GA scholarship

(1) New students: New incoming students must send their scholarship application form via email to the CGS Chair within a week of the GSO announcing acceptances, and submit a signed print copy of the application, complete with student ID number and information for the bank account registered on SAINT, at the CGS New Student Orientation.

(2) Continuing students: Continuing students must send their scholarship application form via email to the CGS Chair within two weeks of the last day of the period to confirm course grades of the previous semester.

(3) Application form: Please download from the CGS website. (https://cgsen.sogang.ac.kr/front/cmsboardview.do?currentPage=1&searchField=ALL&searchValue=&searchLowItem=ALL&bbsConfigFK=5734&siteId=cgsen&pkid=889509)

(4) Appointment period and work hours for CGSI GAs: Determined by the Critical Global Studies Institute.

(5) Eligibility for scholarships: CGS follows the eligibility requirements set by the Graduate School for scholarships, including minimum number of completed credits and CGPA requirements. (https://gradsch.sogang.ac.kr/gradsch/gradsch04_3_2.html)

3) CGA TA scholarships:

(1) Applications: Continuing students who wish to apply to work as a department TA must apply by email to the CGS Chair within two weeks of the last day of midterm exam period of the previous semester.

(2) Appointment period and work hours for CGS TAs: Appointments are by semester and start one month before the first day of each semester and end one month before the start of the next semester. TAs do not have set hours but work the equivalent of 10 hours per week assisting the CGS Chair, helping run the department, and assisting with department events.

(3) Eligibility for scholarships: CGS follows the eligibility requirements set by the Graduate School for scholarships, including minimum number of completed credits and CGPA requirements. (https://gradsch.sogang.ac.kr/gradsch/gradsch04_3_2.html)

7. Miscellaneous

1) All matters not stipulated in this handbook are governed by the bylaws, rules, and regulations of the Graduate School and Sogang University.

Ph.D Program

1. Curriculum

1) Required credits: 36 credits.

(1) Required course: 3 credits (CGS 6001 What is Critical Global Studies?).

(2) Electives: 33 credits.

2) Course Registration & Approval of External/Exchange Credits

(4) Students can apply no more than a total of 12 credits from courses taken with other graduate programs, departments, or universities towards their CGS degree. Exceptions may be made to this limit, however, with the approval of the CGS Steering Committee if a student’s field and availability of necessary courses warrants it.

(5) Ph.D students can take Independent Study courses up to a total of six credits.

2. Advisor & Academic Advising Committee

1) Advisor

(1) Qualifications: Only CGS Core Faculty members who are also fulltime TT Sogang faculty can serve as a student’s advisor.

(2) If a student is unable to choose an advisor appropriate to their field from among CGS Core Faculty at the time they are admitted to the CGS Ph.D program, the CGS Steering Committee will appoint a Core Faculty member to supervise their first semester course registration based on the admissions interview and the student’s application materials.

(3) If a student admitted to the CGS Ph.D program can not choose an advisor by the advisor registration period set by the Graduate School Office during their first semester of enrollment, said student should register the temporary advisor assigned them by the CGS Steering Committee for course registration or the Department Chair as their temporary advisor and change that registration as soon as they find an advisor, following the Graduate School’s regulations and procedures governing such changes.

(4) Ph.D students must choose an advisor by the time they complete their second semester.

2) Academic Advising Committee

(1) Ph.D students must have a three-member academic advising committee approved by their advisor and registered with the department at least two semesters before they take their comprehensive exams. The student’s advisor serves as the Chair of the academic advising committee. (Submit a completed “Academic Advising Committee Application” with advisor’s approval signature to the Department Chair within the registration period.)

(3) In principle, a Ph.D student’s dissertation defense committee will be organized by adding two members to the existing three-member academic advising committee. Students can, however, choose to substitute new members for some of their academic advising committee members when organizing their defense committee if necessary, within the permissible boundaries of the Graduate School’s regulations and with their advisor’s approval.

3. Qualifying Exams

1) Comprehensive Exams

(1) Eligibility: Students who have completed 36 credits or more and also have been registered for at least four semesters.

(2) Applying to take comprehensive exams: Ph.D students who wish to take their comprehensive exams must submit a completed “Comprehensive Exam Application” to the Department Chair no later than the last day of classes of the semester preceding their desired exam date.

(3) Exam date and method: Ph.D students sit for their comprehensive exams on the first Friday and Saturday of the semester following that in which they acquired eligibility and submitted a “Comprehensive Exam Application.”

(4) Comprehensive Exam Fields: Ph.D students take comprehensive exams in three fields.

A. Common exam in critical global studies theory: This exam is based on the reading list set by the department.

B. Exam in area of specialization: The perimeters of this exam are set by the Ph.D student’s academic advising committee.

C. Exam in related field: The perimeters of this exam are set by the Ph.D student’s academic advising committee.

(5) Evaluation: Each of the three exams are graded independently, with the marks given by the exam committee for each exam averaged to determine respective pass/fail status.

(6) All three comprehensive exams must be passed at least one semester before a student can hold their dissertation defense.

(7) Retaking comprehensive exams: Students who have failed any of the three comprehensive exams may take the one(s) they failed again the next semester. Students are allowed to retake a failed exam only once.

2) Foreign Language Exams

(1) English: Required. Students must apply to the Graduate School to take the English exam administered by the GSO.

(2) Second Foreign Language: Required. Students will choose one of the foreign languages listed in 5.1.51 of the Graduate School’s bylaws that their advisor deems relevant to their area of specialization for this second foreign language exam. Restrictions based on a student’s first language are governed by 5.1.55 of the Graduate School’s bylaws.

(3) Ph.D students must pass both the English and the second foreign language exams before they hold their dissertation defense.

(4) Applying to take foreign language exams: Submit applications to the Graduate School Office during the first week of each semester (March and September).

(5) The level and duration time of the foreign language exams are governed by the standards set in 5.1.53 of the Graduate School’s bylaws.

(6) Exemptions: Exemptions can be granted in accordance with 5.1.54 and 5.1.55 of the Graduate School’s bylaws.

4. Other Degree Requirements

1) Students must pass all of their comprehensive exams and both foreign language exams before holding their dissertation defenses.

2) Ph.D students must publish an academic article in a peer reviewed and reputable academic journal recognized by the department before they can hold their dissertation defense.

5. Dissertation

1) Students must submit and successfully defend a doctoral dissertation that meets the degree requirements set by departmental regulations, following the procedures stipulated by the Graduate School’s bylaws, in order to earn a Ph.D degree. (See section 9 of the Graduate School’s bylaws.)

2) Students must pass all three of their comprehensive exams before they can apply to have their dissertation prospectus approved. Students can apply for dissertation prospectus approval in the same semester as passing their last comprehensive exam.

3) Students must successfully defend their dissertation prospectus before they can hold their dissertation-in-progress review. Dissertation-in-progress reviews can be held starting the semester after a student receives dissertation prospectus approval.

4) Students can hold their dissertation defense in the same semester that they passed their dissertation-in-progress review.

5) Dissertation defense committees must have five members, including the Ph.D candidate’s advisor. At least two of the dissertation committee members must be CGS Core Faculty who are fulltime TT faculty at Sogang University. A student’s advisor can not serve as the Chair of the defense committee; the defense committee Chair must be fulltime TT faculty at Sogang University. Some of the defense committee members can be selected from outside of Sogang University; the Graduate School’s bylaws govern all matters related to external members.

6. Credit Transfers, Accelerated Completion, and Early Degree Conferral

1) Students who have earned credits in a Ph.D program in a field related to their CGS area of specialization at another university can have up to a total of nine credits transferred and acknowledged as coursework for the CGS Ph.D degree with the department’s approval. (See 4.3.47 and 4.3.48 of the Graduate School’s bylaws.)

2) Students who have acquired eligibility for accelerated completion or early degree conferral according to the Graduate School’s bylaws, rules, and regulations can be granted their Ph.D degree one semester early. Students who wish to complete or graduate early must submit an “Application for Accelerated Completion” or an “Application for Early Graduation” to the Graduate School Office during the application period set by the GSO at the beginning of the semester in which they wish to acquire such status. (See 4.3.50 of the Graduate School’s bylaws.)

7. Scholarships

2) Youngone scholarship and CGSI GA scholarship

(4) Appointment period and work hours for CGSI GAs: Determined by the Critical Global Studies Institute.

3) CGA TA scholarships:

8. Miscellaneous

1) All matters not stipulated in this handbook are governed by the bylaws, rules, and regulations of the Graduate School and Sogang University.