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Sociology - Ph.D.

The Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology program is designed to prepare students for advanced research and teaching positions in the field. With a focus on original research and a diverse range of specializations, this program provides students with the skills needed to make a lasting impact in sociology.

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Message From Our Graduate Coordinator

Susan Roxburgh smiling with red framed glasses and a black and white striped shirt.
Dr. Susan Roxburgh
Professor & Graduate Coordinator

Thank you for your interest in the MA and PhD programs in Sociology and Criminology at Kent State University.  Our MA program was founded in 1939 and the PhD program was established in 1973.  Sociology has a venerable history at Kent State.  When the university first opened in 1912 as the Kent State Normal School the first semester consisted of four courses; Agriculture, History of Education, Psychology, and Sociology. 

Distinguished alumni of our graduate program include Oscar Ritchie, the first African American to attain the rank of full professor in the Ohio Education System; Glen H. Elder, the Howard Odum Research Professor of Sociology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Bertice Berry, award-winning entertainer, lecturer and comedienne; Neal Krause, Professor Emeritus and Marshall H. Becker Collegiate Professor of Public Health, University of Michigan; Annette Schwabe, Professor, Florida State University, and Kathleen Piker-King, Professor, Mount Union University. For information on students currently on the job market please see our Grad Students on the Market webpage. For a description of where our recent graduates are working, see our Recent Grads in the World webpage.

The Sociology Department is housed in Merrill Hall which is the oldest permanent structure on the Kent campus and the first academic building on the campus.  As our home since the building was renovated in 1995, Merrill Hall houses state-of-the-art research facilities, including the Survey Research Laboratory and the Electrophysiological Neuroscience Laboratory.  

The Ph.D. program at Kent State University focuses on four main areas:

Our graduate program gives students a specialized background in one of these areas along with a broad base of knowledge in the core areas of research methods, statistics, and classical and contemporary theory. More information about our graduate program (including details about how to apply, when to apply, etc.) are available on our prospective students page. If you have any questions not covered by the FAQs, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Dr. Susan Roxburgh
Graduate Coordinator

Program Information

Program Description

Full Description

The Ph.D. degree in Sociology provides students with advanced training for research and teaching careers in higher education and for research-based careers in both the public and private sectors. The program offers specializations in criminology and deviance, the sociology of health and mental health, social inequalities (race, class, gender) and social psychology.

Admissions

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

  • Master's degree from an accredited college or university1
  • Minimum 2.750 GPA on a 4.000 point scale
  • Official transcripts(s)
  • GRE scores (taken within the last five years)
  • Goal statement (1-2 pages), describing current academic interests, research interests, long-range career goals and how admission to the Department of Sociology at Kent State University will facilitate the achievement of these goals
  • Three letters of recommendation from current/former professors who can adequately evaluate the applicant's past work and potential
  • English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning one of the following:
    • Minimum 587 TOEFL PBT score (paper-based version)
    • Minimum 94 TOEFL IBT score (Internet-based version)
    • Minimum 82 MELAB score
    • Minimum 7.0 IELTS score
    • Minimum 65 PTE score
    • Minimum 120 Duolingo English Test score

Admission to the Ph.D. degree is limited to students whose records clearly indicate both scholarly and research potential to do doctoral-level work. For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admission, visit the Office of Global Education website.

1

Applications for admission are accepted from those who will have a completed a master's degree upon starting the program. It is limited to students whose records clearly indicate both scholarly and research potential to do doctoral-level work.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Priority deadline: December 1
      Applications submitted by this deadline will receive the strongest consideration for admission.
Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of sociological theory by using it to better understand social phenomena and human behavior, develop new theoretical arguments and pose and attempt to answer research questions.
  2. Demonstrate a an advanced understanding of research methods in sociology, including both quantitative methods (e.g., survey, experimental) and qualitative methods (e.g., participant observation, content analysis).
  3. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of statistics in application to social research, including advanced techniques (e.g., structural equation modeling, hierarchical linear modeling).
  4. Demonstrate the ability to synthesize complex scientific literatures and execute sophisticated original research through the successful completion of a dissertation project.
Coursework

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements
SOC 72002PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN SOCIOLOGY 10-3
SOC 72105CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL THOUGHT 3
SOC 72218ADVANCED DATA ANALYSIS 4
SOC 72219QUALITATIVE METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY 4
SOC 72894COLLEGE TEACHING OF SOCIOLOGY 3
Electives 316
Culminating Requirement
SOC 82199DISSERTATION I 230
Minimum Total Credit Hours:60
1

All students who entered the program with an M.A. degree earned at another institution must take SOC 72002. This course will not be waived.

2

Each doctoral candidate, upon admission to candidacy, must register for SOC 82199 for a total of 30 credit hours. It is expected that a doctoral candidate will continuously register for SOC 82199, and thereafter SOC 82299, each semester, until all requirements for the degree have been met. After completing the dissertation, students must successfully defend it in an oral examination. The exam will include an evaluation of theory, methodology, analysis and other topics relevant to the student's specialty area.

3

Students who have already completed a master's degree in sociology are required to take a minimum of 16 elective credit hours, 9 of which must be in a specialization area.

4

No more than 6 credit hours of SOC 72896 and/or SOC 72898 may be applied toward the degree as elective credit. No more than 6 credit hours of graduate-level coursework outside the department may be applied toward the degree as elective credit. These limits include courses taken while earning a master’s degree in sociology.

Candidacy Requirement

To earn the Ph.D. degree, students must pass the doctoral candidacy examination. The examination will include an evaluation of theory, methodology, analysis and other topics relevant to the student’s specialty area.

Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries

Social science research assistants

5.8%

faster than the average

40,100

number of jobs

$49,210

potential earnings

Sociologists

3.6%

about as fast as the average

3,200

number of jobs

$86,110

potential earnings

Sociology teachers, postsecondary

3.8%

about as fast as the average

17,000

number of jobs

$75,610

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
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