Prospective Students

For domestic students, the application must include a) official transcripts, b) a personal statement 2-4 pages in length that describes why you believe our program would be a good fit for you given your interests, which faculty members (if any) you may be interested in working with and why, and your eventual career plans, and, c) three letters of recommendation from individuals (preferably professors of sociology) who can speak to your ability to succeed in a sociology graduate program. A writing sample is not required, but we strongly encourage all applicants to include one. International students must submit all of these materials as well along with evidence of English proficiency. In some cases the English language requirement can be waived. Please note that we no longer require GRE scores.  For more information, click here.

The department typically funds around six new students each fall. Currently a graduate assistantship carries an award of $18,000 per nine-month academic year, a remission of tuition, and health benefits. In addition, the department offers a competitive Chair's Fellowship that adds up to $2,000 to the base stipend, bringing the total award to $20,000. Finally, the university offers a competitive Graduate Dean's Award to support academically excellent applicants with diverse backgrounds. The Graduate Dean's award adds up to $2,500 per academic year to the base stipend, bringing the total award to between $20,500 and $22,500  per academic year depending on whether a Chair's Fellowship is also awarded. Stipends are guaranteed for five years contingent on adequate progress. The Chair's Fellowship and Graduate Dean's Award are guaranteed for two years and are renewable for up to five years contingent on good progress and performance in the program. Students may supplement their awards with summer teaching assignments. In addition, teaching assignments may allow students to extend their funding window beyond five years at the chair's discretion. All graduate applicants are automatically considered  for a graduate assistantship, a Chair's Fellowship, and the Graduate Dean's Award. If you are accepted into the graduate program, the Graduate Coordinator will notify you of the total award offer. More details about assistantships and related duties are available on this page of our website: Graduate Assistantships.

Students with degrees in fields other than sociology are occasionally accepted. For these students, priority is given to applicants who have completed and done well in classes in social research methods and statistics (in sociology or a related field), and classes covering sociological theory. Students without courses in these three basic areas (methods, statistics, theory), may be accepted into the program conditional on successful completion of these courses at the undergraduate level either at their current institution or upon starting our graduate. program. Other requirements may be imposed at the discretion of the Graduate Education Committee (GEC).

Consult the university policy on the transfer of graduate credit. In short, students who are accepted into our program can transfer an M.A. thesis and up to 12 semester credit hours toward the Ph.D. degree (consult with the Graduate Coordinator). Please note these and other conditions that must be satisfied in order to transfer graduate credit. If you are accepted into our graduate program and wish to transfer graduate credit for a degree that you have not yet completed, please complete the Transfer of Graduate Credit form (available here) and submit it along with electronic copies of your M.A. thesis and/or relevant course syllabi to our Graduate Coordinator. Students not eligible for transfer credit can request waivers for required courses in our program that have already been taken elsewhere and are comparable in breadth and depth.

No, due to course sequencing, the department no longer admits students for the spring semester.