Portland-State-University 2015-2016 Bulletin

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 to submit as part of a complete application:

  • Sociology online application.
  • Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic performance.
  • Unofficial transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended for evaluation purposes.  Official transcripts will be requested once admitted.

  • Graduate Record Examination scores—General.
  • A letter of application describing his or her sociological interests.
  • A writing sample.
  • A resume, or Curriculum Vita.

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

Students applying for the Ph.D. 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).