Admissions requirements

Students must be admitted to the master’s and Ph.D. programs by the department and by the University. Admission ordinarily is granted only to those students beginning the program in the Fall term. Students are expected to move through the core courses as a cohort and work together with the faculty in a team environment.

In addition to the general University admission requirements for advanced degrees, the applicant for a sociology master’s or Ph.D. degree program must have the following materials sent to the department:

• Sociology Department Application Form.
• Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic performance.
• A complete set of transcripts of college and university work.
• Graduate Record Examination scores (Aptitude sections). GRE scores not required for Ph.D. applicants.
• A letter of application describing his or her sociological interests.
• A writing sample.

Applicants for the master’s degree are normally expected to have a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Students with other undergraduate majors may be accepted, however, if they have completed courses in sociological theory, research methods, and statistics, or their equivalents.

Students applying for the PhD program must have completed a master’s degree (e.g., MA/MS/MPA/MPH/MSW) prior to starting the program. If the master’s degree is not in sociology, additional sociology coursework may be required (see degree requirements section).