MA in Sociology
Admission to the Program
Applicants must meet the minimum university requirements for admission to graduate study, including a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, with at least a 3.3 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores are required. A background in the social sciences is strongly preferred. Admission to the program is at the discretion of the department’s Graduate Committee and is based on academic record and letters of recommendation from two persons able to evaluate the applicant’s potential for graduate study in sociology. Provisional admission may be considered on a case-by-case basis where minimum university requirements are not fully met.
Degree Requirements
- 36 credit hours of approved graduate work, including the research requirement
- Tool of research: SOCY 621 Quantitative Analysis and SOCY 623 Qualitative Analysis
- One written comprehensive examination covering sociological theory and methods of social research: the comprehensive examination consists of a meeting of the student with his or her faculty committee to discuss the written proposal for the thesis or final project. The proposal and examination shall cover theoretical background, methodological approaches(s), details of the intended study, and an initial bibliography. The exam will emphasize both the students's preperation in theory and methods and the study plan. For full-time students, the examination meeting will take place by the fourth week of the fall semester of the second year. For students who begin in the spring semester, or who study part-time, an equivalent timetable for the examination will be established to assure timely preparation of the propopsal for the thesis or final project.
- Research requirement:
- SOCY-797 Master’s Thesis Independent Study (3 or 6 credit hours), the thesis offers students the opportunity to specialize as well as further develop research skills. Students chose the subject of the thesis in consultation with their advisor. or SOCY-795 Master’s Research: Independent Study (3), completion of a substantial research report related to the student’s field of concentration under the guidance of a professor of the student’s choice and an advanced course in statistical methods, an advanced seminar in the student’s field of concentration, or an independent study course in the field of concentration (3)
- All course work taken for the research requirement must be taken with grades of B or better.
Course Requirements
- SOCY-610 History of Sociological Theory (3)
- SOCY-611 Modern Sociological Theory (3)
- SOCY-620 Social Research Methods (3)
- SOCY-621 Quantitative Analysis (3)
- SOCY-623 Qualitative Analysis (3)
- SOCY-795 Master’s Research: Independent Study (3) or SOCY-797 Master’s Thesis Independent Study (1–6)
