The department offers graduate programs leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. The Ph.D. degree is offered jointly with the University of Akron (Ohio) located approximately 8 miles from Kent. The department offers specialties in three areas: (1) the sociology of health and health care, (2) social psychology, and (3) social inequalities. The department at the University of Akron offers additional specializations in the areas of deviance and the family. Thus, the joint doctoral program offers specialties in five areas of sociology. Students wishing to pursue a doctoral degree in the joint doctoral program must be admitted to either Kent State University OR the University of Akron. While the degree is earned at the university of admittance, once admitted to the program, students, faculty, and courses are treated as a single graduate department. Coursework is offered at both campuses and faculty and students interchange freely.