Sociology Graduate Program
Take me to the Sociology Graduate Program website.
The graduate program in sociology is primarily a doctoral program, although individuals seeking only the MA degree may be admitted under special circumstances. All students entering the program with a bachelor’s degree complete the requirements for the MA en route to the PhD. Those entering with an MA may be required to take additional courses and/or other training if their training and course work differ from the requirements for the MA degree in this department.
Applicants are expected to be familiar with fundamental sociological concepts and literatures. Candidates may be asked to remove deficiencies, without receiving graduate credit, prior to or after admission. They are not evaluated until all credentials have been received. These include Graduate Record Examination scores, two letters of recommendation, and a personal statement explaining reasons for application, plans, and any special circumstances the committee should consider, and transcripts of all previous academic study. Applicants are urged to submit copies of written work (research papers, honors theses, MA theses, etc.) with their applications. Students requesting financial aid are responsible for ensuring that all application materials are on file in the Graduate School by January 15 (for fall entrance). Students are admitted to start their studies in the fall semester. Only in exceptional circumstances are admissions made for study in spring semester.
Applicants from countries whose native language is not English must, in addition to submitting all the above credentials, take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The Graduate School also requires all foreign students to take an English examination at the beginning of their initial semester after admission. Remedial work may be prescribed on the basis of this examination.
Financial support for graduate study is available in the form of scholarships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships, all of which carry tuition remission plus nine-month stipends of approximately $10,700. Health insurance and a curriculum fee waiver also are included.
Interested individuals are urged to write to the Director of Graduate Studies for a brochure and visit the website.
