• The Graduate Program in Sociology is directed primarily toward students whose ultimate goal is to receive a Ph.D. The Master of Arts degree is designed as a preparation for the Ph.D., so we do not have separate M.A. and Ph.D. curricula. Instead, students complete their M.A. en route to the Ph.D. degree. All students entering the program receive strong basic training in research methods, theory, and analytic techniques, as well as instruction in several major substantive areas.
  • Students are expected to complete the M.A. degree in two years, after which time they are reviewed for official entry into the Ph.D. program. Work toward the Ph.D. involves coursework and intensive study in one of the department’s five areas of concentration, completion of written and oral comprehensive exams, and completion of a dissertation.