About the Sociology Master’s Program
Decisions on the program of study, specific courses, and thesis topics are made through consultation with the graduate advisor and other faculty members as appropriate on the basis of the student’s background, interests, and objectives.
Coursework. The sociology program provides coursework concentration in such areas as family, criminology and deviance, sociology of education, inequality and race, demography and migration, medical sociology, and aging. Required courses include SOC 5101 (1 hour), SOC 5303 , SOC 5308 , SOC 5334 , and SOC 5394 . Six of the 36 required hours may be taken outside the department. Selection of a minor requires approval of the Sociology Graduate Committee. In lieu of a foreign language, each student is required to demonstrate proficiency in computer analysis of data. A grade of B or better is required for graduate credit.
Thesis, Non-Thesis Options. Students in the sociology program may select the thesis option or non-thesis option. The thesis option is strongly recommended for students who plan to continue their graduate studies by applying to a doctoral program. Those who have accepted a teaching assistantship must take the thesis track. Students choosing the thesis plan in sociology are required to take 30 hours of coursework (including two required courses in theory and two in methods) plus 6 hours of thesis credit. They are also required to complete a thesis that is acceptable to the student’s thesis committee and demonstrate proficiency in a statistics software program. Students choosing the non-thesis plan are required to take 36 hours of coursework (including one course in theory, two courses in methods, and 3 hours of SOC 5331 ). They are also required to complete a paper on a topic related to their professional interests that is acceptable to the student’s non-thesis committee.
Assessment. In the sociology program, a comprehensive examination is required. The comprehensive examination involves at least two of the various areas in sociology listed above. Students may present at two peer-reviewed conferences in lieu of taking the comprehensive exam.
