Sociology Ph.D.

Introduction

Features of the Program

The core curriculum is divided into two parts, 1) basic grounding in sociological theory and methods, and 2) exposure to research in five areas of concentration: a) political economies and political ecologies; b) space, place, and mobility; c) culture, knowledge, and power; d) publics, policy, and law; and e) world building, political imaginaries, and alternative futures. To prepare students to conduct their own research projects, the department trains students in multiple methods—field research, critical ethnography, cultural analysis, comparative historical analysis, and quantitative data analysis.

Graduate students are supported through teaching assistantships, teaching fellowships, research fellowships and other grant/fellowship opportunities. A number of faculty receive research grants that support graduate student research assistantships.

When asked what they most appreciate about the sociology graduate program, most students cite the students’ and faculty’s commitment to social change in combination with their dedication to teaching, scholarly research, and understanding of the social forces of our society. The Sociology Department’s colloquium series enhances scholarship, practice, and collegial networks. The diversity in age, ethnicity, and work experience of the student body creates a vibrant atmosphere for learning.

Many of the faculty in the Sociology Department have affiliations with other departments and programs on campus, and the graduate program consequently encourages interdisciplinary work. Seminars in the anthropology, environmental studies, history, history of consciousness, politics, psychology, and feminist studies programs are open to sociology students. Graduate students in sociology may obtain a designated emphasis on the sociology Ph.D. diploma which indicates that in addition to sociology, they have also specialized in another field , such as feminist studies, Latin American and Latino studies, critical race and ethnic studies, environmental studies, philosophy, or education. Students must meet requirements for the designated emphasis as spelled out by the relevant department. For a complete list of programs that offer a designated emphasis, refer to the fields of study in the General Catalog. Students also participate in research projects under the auspices of a number of interdisciplinary social science research centers including but not limited to: the Science and Justice Research Center; the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems; the Center for Labor and Community; the Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas; and the Affect Studies Working Group. Research opportunities also are available in the areas of environmental studies, feminist studies, and lesbian/gay/queer studies.

Many of our graduate students present papers at professional conferences and publish articles during the course of their graduate studies. The sociology master’s paper is designed to prepare students to write for professional journals. Advanced graduate students also participate in faculty seminars organized around specific research topics.

The sociology program provides graduate students with a diverse range of teaching opportunities so they can practice the skills required for good teaching—the ability to articulate ideas, to organize and present materials in logical sequence, and to listen attentively and discern someone else’s comprehension. Graduate students typically serve as teaching assistants for at least three quarters, if not more, in the department’s core classes of the undergraduate curriculum.

Details of the policies for admission to the graduate program, the requirements for the Ph.D. degree, and information on financial support opportunities are available from the Department of Sociology. For more information, please refer to the Graduate Studies section of the catalog.

Advancement to Candidacy

Course Requirements

Students are required to take at least 10 courses as follows.

A four-course core group:

Two methods courses:

This course

And one of the following eight courses:

Elective Courses

A minimum of four elective graduate seminars, one of which may be from outside sociology (excluding SOCY 250 and SOCY 293). The elective course offerings change yearly. This courses listed are offerings from the recent past.

For more information about courses offered in the 2024-25 academic year, please visit the course listings at the Sociology Department website.

Pre-Qualifying Requirements

Graduate students initiate work on their master's paper by the end of the first year.

Completion of the master’s paper and required coursework is expected by the end of the second year.

Graduate students prepare field statements in two distinct areas of sociology as a written pre-qualifying stage to the oral qualifying examination.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination is an oral defense of the student’s dissertation proposal and occurs one quarter after the pre-qualifying field statement stage has been passed.

Students are expected to take their oral qualifying examination by the end of the third year, and no later than the end of the fourth year.

Dissertation

Dissertation

After passing the qualifying examination, a student advances to candidacy and begins work on the dissertation under the guidance of a three-person dissertation committee.

Dissertation Defense

After the complete dissertation has been submitted to and accepted by the dissertation committee, students must pass an oral dissertation defense.