sociology programs masters and phd combined

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

• Program Overview

Joint Degree Programs

Management and organizations and sociology.

The Department of Management and Organizations in the Kellogg Graduate School of Management and the Department of Sociology are strongly tied. Organizations play a key role in stratification, social change, and collective behavior, and are themselves shaped by larger sociological and historical processes. The joint program is designed for students who want to gain a disciplinary base in sociology while focusing their doctoral research on organizations and their environments. Specific areas of research include: building and testing theory about organizations, their members and their management; organizational processes; institutions; and the embeddedness of economic action in social structure.

The MORS-Sociology Joint Degree requirements can be found here .

Law and Sociology

The JD/PhD Joint Degree Program is open to a small number of students who intend to pursue an academic career and whose teaching and research will be enriched by both the JD and PhD degrees. Applicants who wish to participate in the program must complete the Graduate School application, submit supplemental application items to the Law School, and meet the admission requirements for both Northwestern's School of Law and the Graduate School.

The JD/PhD Joint Degree requirements can be found here .

The JD/PhD program is one element of training and resources in the sociology of law and the interdisciplinary study of law provided in the Department of Sociology and the Center for Legal Studies .  In addition to JD/PhD students, some graduate students come to the sociology program with a JD and many graduate students working in sociology of law do not pursue JD degrees.  Graduates of the sociology program doing research on law have enjoyed considerable success in obtaining academic positions in sociology, law schools, interdisciplinary law and society departments, criminology, and applied settings.  Graduates of the JD/PhD program often take positions as judicial clerks or in law practice as steps toward an academic career in law teaching. For more information on the JD/PhD program  please consult the Director of Graduate Studies in Sociology and the Director of the JD/PhD Program.  For more information on support and opportunities for graduate students doing research on law please see information on the Center for Legal Studies ( https://www.legalstudies.northwestern.edu ).

MS Program in Statistics

The Northwestern Department of Statistics offers a program to receive an MS in statistics for students concurrently receiving a Ph.D. in another department.  The requirements for the MS in statistics are discussed here .  Sociology course waivers for students combining the MS in statistics with the Ph.D. in sociology are discussed in The Whole Hooey .

Certificate Programs

Graduate program in comparative-historical social science.

Co-sponsored by the Departments of Political Science and Sociology, the Graduate Program in Comparative-Historical Social Science (CHSS) supports training for graduate students interested in comparative and historical research. Students in the program complete their Ph.D. in either political science or sociology, but also receive a certificate from the University for expertise in the interdisciplinary area of CHSS. The program provides students with a common coursework structure integrated with their departmental curricula; resources for student research, including travel abroad; interdisciplinary venues at which to present work in progress and receive feedback; and opportunities for collaborative research.

The Multidisciplinary Program in Educational Sciences

Northwestern University has initiated an innovative interdisciplinary doctoral training program to develop a cadre of scholars trained to conduct relevant and reliable research on pressing policy and practice issues in education. This Multidisciplinary Program in Education Sciences (MPES) is intended for students who want to pursue a research agenda that focuses on practical questions in U.S. education from a rigorous interdisciplinary perspective. Program hallmarks are interdisciplinary teaching and mentoring of fellows by core and affiliated Northwestern faculty engaged in education-focused research. Successful graduates of the program receive a Certificate in Education Sciences in addition to a doctorate in their discipline. Student fellows enter the program at the beginning of their second year. The program provides a stipend, as well as travel and research funds for three years.

Graduate Program in Gender Studies

The Graduate Certificate in Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary program that provides the perspectives of scholarship in gender studies and makes accessible the growing body of knowledge emerging from feminist thought. The program offers graduate students an opportunity to earn a Certificate in Gender Studies. Interested students would be a Masters or Ph.D. candidate in a home department at Northwestern, and would receive the certificate in Gender Studies once the requirements of the certificate had been completed.

Fields include comparative sociology/macrosociology; cultural and historical sociology; economic sociology; life course/social stratification; mathematical sociology; medical sociology; methodology (qualitative and quantitative approaches); networks; political sociology; race/gender/ethnic/minority relations; social change; social demography; social movements; theory (general, critical, hermeneutic); urban sociology.

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• PhD - Doctor of Philosophy
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Jonathan Wyrtzen

Director of Graduate Studies

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Yashika Williams

Departmental Registrar

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Admission Requirements

Standardized testing requirements.

GRE is optional, but strongly recommended.

Program-Specific Application Requirements

A writing sample is required by this program. 

English Language Requirement

TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic is required of most applicants whose native language is not English.

You may be exempt from this requirement if you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have studied in residence at that institution for at least three years.

Combined Degree Program Application Deadline

*The deadline to submit an application to a combined program is always the earlier deadline of the two individual programs, or December 15, whichever comes first.

Academic Information

Combined phd information.

Sociology offers a combined PhD in conjunction with African American Studies and Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies .

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Academic Resources

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The Graduate School's academic calendar lists important dates and deadlines related to coursework, registration, financial processes, and milestone events such as graduation.

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Students must register every term in which they are enrolled in the Graduate School. Registration for a given term takes place the semester prior, and so it's important to stay on top of your academic plan. The University Registrar's Office oversees the systems that students use to register. Instructions about how to use those systems and the dates during which registration occurs can be found on their registration website.

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Phd stipend & funding.

PhD students at Yale are normally full-funded for a minimum of five years. During that time, our students receive a twelve-month stipend to cover living expenses and a fellowship that covers the full cost of tuition and student healthcare.

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Graduate Program

Graduate Chair: Wendy D. Roth

Graduate Coordinator: Kailey Caldwell

Graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania is conducted through graduate groups formed according to different areas of study. These groups administer programs leading to the AM and PhD degrees. Those seeking a graduate degree in Sociology should apply to the Graduate Group in Sociology. Sociology students earn their MA on the way to the PhD. There is no terminal Master's degree program.

It is possible to earn a joint Ph.D. in Sociology and another discipline by being admitted to and satisfying the requirements of two Ph.D. programs and writing a single dissertation. Currently, students are enrolled in joint degrees with Demography, Education, Communications, and Africana Studies. Students seeking a joint Ph.D. combining Sociology with another program must be admitted in that program (as well as Sociology); admittance to the second program may occur after admission to the Sociology program.

Dual or joint degrees must be sought with the consultation of the Chair of the Graduate Group in Sociology and the Dean of the Graduate Division, School of Arts and Sciences. For admission information for the Department's PhD program or to direct questions to the Graduate Chair, interested parties should contact the Graduate Coordinator.

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• Sociology, M.S.

The Department of Sociology and the Department of Community & Environmental Sociology conduct a combined graduate program in sociology designed to prepare students for scholarly research, teaching, or applied work. The program leads to the Master of Science degree in sociology and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in sociology. It also offers a minor to students earning a doctoral degree in other departments. All major areas of sociological inquiry are represented in the curriculum. The program consistently ranks at or near the top in studies of US doctoral programs.

Distinguished faculty, outstanding students who learn from and support each other, an increasingly multi-ethnic student body, a curriculum covering a broad spectrum of sociological interests, thriving research projects in many areas, and a stimulating campus environment make UW–Madison an excellent choice for students interested in sociology and/or community and environmental sociology.

Members of the departments also participate in a number of interdisciplinary programs. Faculty and students are involved with several research institutes, including the Applied Population Laboratory, the Center for Demography & Ecology, the Center for Demography of Health & Aging, the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, the Center on Wisconsin Strategy, the Holtz Center for Science & Technology Studies, the Institute for Research on Poverty, the Institute on Aging, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, and the University of Wisconsin Survey Center. Further information about faculty and areas of study is available on the department websites: Department of Sociology and Department of Community & Environmental Sociology .

Degrees and Career Goals

The sociology graduate program admits students who intend to earn a Ph.D. Students complete a Master of Science degree on the way to the Ph.D. or receive a waiver of the program’s Master’s requirements based on having written a thesis and obtained a Master’s degree previously.  A few students leave the program after completing the Master’s degree and pursue careers in the public or private sectors. Of those who graduate with the Ph.D., a majority obtain university teaching and/or research positions; others take research and/or administrative positions in government organizations, nonprofit organizations, or private firms.

This Master’s program is offered for work leading to the Ph.D.  Students may not apply directly for the Master’s and should instead see the  admissions information for the  Ph.D.  

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid.  Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Major requirements.

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements , in addition to the program requirements listed below.

MODE OF INSTRUCTION

Mode of instruction definitions.

Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.

Evening/Weekend: ​Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules.  Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.

Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.

Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats.  Contact the program for more specific information.

Online: These programs are offered 100% online.  Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.

CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS

Required courses.

The Departments of Sociology and Community & Environmental Sociology have one graduate program, and we admit only those students who intend to complete a Ph.D.  Students admitted to the doctoral program earn a Master’s degree en route to the Ph.D.  They complete the courses listed below and also write and defend a thesis.  Students who earned a Master’s degree that included a thesis before entering the program may receive a waiver of the thesis requirement.

Master's Degree Course Requirements

Graduate school policies.

The  Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures  provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.

Major-Specific Policies

Prior coursework, graduate work from other institutions.

With Program approval, students may count up to 14 credits of graduate coursework from other institutions toward the minimum 30-credit Master’s degree requirement and the minimum 50% graduate coursework requirement.  Coursework completed five or more years prior to admission to the Master’s program may not be used to satisfy either of these requirements.

UW-Madison Undergraduate

This program follows the Graduate School's policy for Satisfying Requirements with Coursework from Undergraduate Career at UW–Madison.

UW-Madison University Special

This program follows the Graduate School's policy for Transfer from UW–Madison University Special Student Career at UW–Madison.

This program follows the Graduate School's Probation policy.

ADVISOR / COMMITTEE

Each new graduate student is matched with a first-year faculty advisor who shares his or her research interests. The first-year advisor helps with the transition to graduate school, offers an introduction to department culture, provides a structured point of contact should questions or problems arise, and provides information and support as the student selects a permanent advisor and thesis director.  Students are expected to have ongoing contact with their advisor.  All students are required to submit a yearly progress report that is read and discussed by a committee of faculty during the annual review.  In addition, all students are expected to create and regularly update an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and use it as the basis for conversations with their advisor about evolving goals, current strengths, and plans for mastery of new skills.  A student's advisor serves as chair of the thesis committee, which is composed of three graduate faculty members in Sociology and/or Community & Environmental Sociology.

CREDITS PER TERM ALLOWED

15 credits maximum are allowed, but only 12 are recommended.

Time LIMITS

Students are expected to complete the Master’s degree by the end of the summer after their third year in the program.

This program otherwise follows the Graduate School's Time Limits policy.

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These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

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Students should contact the department chair or program director with questions about grievances. They may also contact the L&S Academic Divisional Associate Deans, the L&S Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning Administration, or the L&S Director of Human Resources.

Take advantage of the Graduate School's  professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

Program Resources

The Sociology graduate program offers students an array of professional development opportunities. 

SOC 700 Introductory Proseminar for Graduate Students  provides an overview of the discipline and the graduate program and addresses such professional development issues as teaching strategies and grant proposal writing. The proseminar also explores topics like productive advisor-advisee relationships, working effectively as part of a research team, co-authoring, and other matters important to graduate school success. 

SOC/​C&E SOC  875 Special Topics  (Topic: Professional Development) covers a broad spectrum of topics—e.g., networking and peer support; time management; IRB approval and considering ethics throughout the research process; writing, revising, and submitting papers to scholarly journals; writing for public audiences; doing outreach work; speaking at conferences; investigating careers within and outside academia; and learning how to mentor. 

SOC 910 Teaching Sociology  is a seminar focusing on course development, pedagogy, and evaluation.

SOC/​C&E SOC  995 Research: Methodology Trainees ,  for students affiliated with the Center for Demography & Ecology and the Center for Demography of Health & Aging, covers essential professional development skills such as grant writing, data visualization, presentation design, publication writing, applying for academic and research jobs, and responsible conduct of research.

SOC/​C&E SOC  997 Research: Demography and Ecology Trainees , for students affiliated with the Center for Demography & Ecology and the Center for Demography of Health & Aging, offers presentations of substantive work at the forefront of population sciences.

For students who are teaching for the first time, there is a weekly teaching workshop that focuses on issues typically of concern to new TAs—e.g., developing lesson plans, engaging students, facilitating discussions, and evaluating written work. 

Students are encouraged to participate in “Working Groups” each semester. The departments offer nine of these training groups, each focusing on a different sociology subfield. The groups meet weekly and involve presentation and discussion of student and faculty work-in-progress as well as analysis of current developments and debates; often guest speakers from other universities join the conversation. 

The departments host scholars from other institutions who speak at departmental colloquia as well as speakers from campus units such as the Havens-Wright Center for Social Justice and the Institute for Research on Poverty.  Students are encouraged to attend these events. They are also advised to participate in the graduate program's workshops on career exploration and creating a professional website. Students are invited to collaborate with faculty and staff serving on department committees, and they are encouraged to develop leadership skills by becoming involved in the Sociology Graduate Student Association. 

The departments provide small grants that assist students with research expenses and support those who are traveling to present their work at professional conferences.  

The Sociology Department website includes several pages containing valuable resources for graduate students—e.g., Diversity & Inclusion Resources for the Classroom, Collected Wisdom, Academic Job Market, and Blogs on Academia. 

All graduate students are expected to create an Individual Development Plan to help them define interests and values, evaluate skills, develop specific plans for meeting degree milestones and professional goals, and communicate effectively with their advisors. 

• Demonstrate a broad understanding of major theories, methodologies, and research findings in the sociological literature. Develop critical thinking skills that empower them to analyze strengths and weaknesses in the existing literature, identify knowledge gaps, evaluate evidence, synthesize information, and form conclusions. Attain the skills necessary to conduct research with intellectual and ethical rigor, care, and creativity.
• Complete an original research project in one of the subfields of sociology. In doing so, they will learn to formulate ideas and develop research questions, interpret and evaluate existing literature on the topic, design a feasible research project, use an appropriate methodology, analyze and interpret the resulting data, and consider avenues for future research. Write a thesis describing their research project and defend it during a comprehensive oral exam.
• Develop an understanding of the field of sociology by participating in a required introductory proseminar as well as completing required courses in sociological theory, research methods, and statistics along with elective courses in their area of interest. Demonstrate their understanding by working as teaching assistants, project assistants, research assistants, and trainees; by presenting work-in-progress at informal brownbag colloquia; by preparing and submitting manuscripts resulting from their research for publication in respected journals; and by submitting papers for presentation at professional conferences.
• Retrieve, interpret, and evaluate social science literature and use it, along with their own understanding of relevant methodologies, to employ the most appropriate methods and practices in their own research.
• Develop analytical thinking skills that enable them to evaluate information pertinent to their research questions. Develop the breadth of knowledge and experience that empowers them to synthesize disparate information and use the resulting synthesis to respond creatively to challenges in their field of study.
• Communicate in a clear, organized, engaging manner, using language, methods, and critical tools appropriate to the social sciences. Learn to develop grant proposals; gather, manage, and analyze data; write a thesis that is thought-provoking, concise, and persuasive; present research informatively; listen with care and patience; and give and receive feedback orally and in writing.
• Understand, recognize, and apply principles of ethical and professional conduct by developing effective relationships with faculty mentors, graduate student colleagues, and the undergraduate students whom they teach. Design research, collect and analyze data, and interpret and report results with honesty and scientific rigor.

Faculty: see Sociology

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Contact Information

Sociology College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, College of Letters & Science Sociology, M.S. https://sociology.wisc.edu

Alice Justice, Graduate Admissions Coordinator [email protected] 608-262-4863 8128 Sewell Social Science, 1180 Observatory Drive Madison, WI 53706

Charlotte Frascona, Graduate Program Manager [email protected] 608-262-3805 8127 Sewell Social Science, 1180 Observatory Drive Madison, WI 53706

Michael Light, Director of Graduate Studies [email protected] 8128 Sewell Social Science, 1180 Observatory Drive Madison, WI 53706

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Graduate Program

Graduate program in sociology.

The Berkeley Sociology Graduate Program is the heart of our collective enterprise. Berkeley welcomes a wide diversity of students with far-ranging research interests and equips them with the sociological training, resources, and supportive community necessary to succeed in academia and beyond. Students who come here find a graduate program that has been carefully designed to offer them a rich and complete sociological education, while simultaneously allowing space and incentives to explore and develop their original ideas. 

Factors distinguishing our graduate program from others nationwide include: 1) our rigorous training in general social theory, 2) our emphasis on public sociology and social justice, and 3) our embeddedness in a vibrant interdisciplinary community. Our emphasis on social theory is demonstrated by our required graduate theory sequence, elective theory courses, qualifying examination in theory, and teaching opportunities within Berkeley’s undergraduate theory sequence. As a department, we also maintain an abiding focus on public sociology and offer a number of fellowships, grants, and awards for students pursuing research that advances social justice. Finally, beyond the department, many students and faculty engage with university-wide institutes and clusters including the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues, the Institute of Governmental Studies, the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, the Latin America research cluster, and many others.

Students admitted to Berkeley sociology receive a competitive funding package which includes six years of full support (including tuition and a living stipend) through a combination of fellowships and teaching, with many opportunities to secure funding past year six. Additionally, students are mentored in the skills needed to secure nationally competitive fellowships. In the past dozen years, Berkeley graduate students were awarded nearly one-quarter of the National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships in Sociology (53 of 226), almost double that of any other program. In addition, our students support their research with fellowships from the Ford Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, the Fulbright Graduate Student Program, and more.  They also receive funding for their dissertation research from the National Science Foundation, the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, the Charlotte Newcombe Foundation, the American-Scandinavian Foundation, the German Marshall Fund, and the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.

Berkeley graduate students receive mentorship to publish widely and influence the field. In the 24 years that the American Sociological Association has awarded an annual prize for the best dissertation in sociology, Berkeley graduate students have won a quarter of the time (6), far more than any other department. The “News” section of this site details some recent graduate student publications. Following completion of their Ph.D.s, Berkeley graduate students frequently end up publishing their dissertations as books. For example, the students who finished from 2000 through 2007 currently have 34 books published or in press.

Training in our department has prepared many of our graduates to obtain research and teaching positions in research-oriented universities; recent graduates currently hold faculty positions at Harvard, Michigan, Stanford, Chicago, Northwestern, UCLA, Columbia, Cornell, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCSF, UCSC, Syracuse, USC, Arizona, Washington, Illinois Urbana-Champaign, MIT, Georgetown, Boston U, SUNY Albany, UMass Amherst, William and Mary, Tufts and Oregon. Other students have taken jobs at more teaching-oriented schools, such as the Cal State campuses, Oberlin, Wellesley, Barnard, Boston College, Wesleyan and Sarah Lawrence.  Outside the US, students have taken jobs at McGill (Montreal), University College (Dublin), Universidad Carlos III (Madrid) and Tsinghua (Beijing).  A smaller but significant number have pursued careers in research institutes, business, government, and nonprofits.

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Our faculty encourages you to become a creative independent researcher. During your graduate career, you will read broadly across fields and generate work that is theoretically, empirically, and analytically rigorous. The program provides advanced training in quantitative and qualitative research methods as well as mixed methods.

Students in the program have conducted research on a variety of projects, including investigating food insecurity in Atlanta, the social effects of climate change, and community policing in a public housing project.

The program has an excellent placement record with graduates securing faculty positions at institutions such as Stanford University, Yale School of Management, Harvard Business School, University of Chicago, and University of Toronto. Others have gone on to non-academic careers at organizations such as The Urban Institute, Abt Associates, and Facebook.

Related Programs

Students considering the PhD program in sociology may also be interested in the PhD programs in Sociology and Social Policy or Organizational Behavior , both of which are offered jointly with the Department of Sociology . Students who wish to apply to one of these programs in addition to the PhD program in sociology may do so.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Sociology and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Admissions Requirements

Please review admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Sociology .

Writing Sample

A writing sample is required as part of the application and should be a term paper, senior thesis, master’s essay, or similar written work. Citations and references are not included in the page limit.

Standardized Tests

GRE General: Required

Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Sociology

See list of Sociology faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

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Department of   Sociology and Criminology

Ma/phd in sociology and demography.

The dual degrees of MA in Sociology and Demography and PhD in Sociology and Demography combine standard Sociology requirements with those of the interdisciplinary  Demography  program, one of the top four population graduate programs. Dual-degree students declare demography as their major area, which leaves them free to choose a minor area from the many offered by the department.  In addition to a course that provides an introduction to the field and a methods class in Demographic Techniques, students choose from a wide array of classes offered in different departments.  tudents in the dual-degree program have the same average time-to-degree as other students. The primary difference is that dual-degree students use demography classes in lieu of electives.

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Graduate Program

The Duke University Department of Sociology is committed to maintaining its Ph.D. program at the highest level of quality, and entrance into our program is highly competitive. To those who are accepted and enroll at Duke, we offer an intensive program of study, a supportive research environment, and the opportunity to learn the craft of scholarship from Duke's productive and diverse faculty. Our placements of recent Ph.D.s in excellent jobs within academia and elsewhere is for us a source of pride and professional satisfaction.

The Sociology Department at Duke University believes in fostering an inclusive environment where differences are respected, valued and integrated into every facet of the graduate experience. Through our commitment to diversity, we hope to create an atmosphere conducive to high quality education and research that supports the broad spectrum of differences of our students, faculty and staff. 

The Department of Sociology offers a challenging and rigorous program of study and research training leading to the Ph.D. degree. Although graduate students headed for the Ph.D. receive a Master’s degree at an appropriate point in their graduate careers here, our program of study is organized primarily for Ph.D. candidates. 

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Department of Sociology

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Harvard is one of the world’s leading centers for training and mentoring the next generation of sociologists. The Department of Sociology offers several programs of graduate study leading to the Ph.D. in Sociology , the Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Policy , and the Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior .

The aim of the Graduate Program in Sociology is to prepare students for scholarly and applied research and for teaching in sociology. The program combines an emphasis on competence in social theory and research methods with opportunities for the development of each student's own interest.

Doctoral candidates are expected to achieve a solid proficiency in fundamentals that will enable them to teach basic and advanced sociology courses and engage in both quantitative and qualitative research. Students are trained in several sub fields of sociology in which the faculty has concentrations of expertise. Among these are social stratification and inequality (including race and ethnic relations), the study of complex organizations, economic sociology, political sociology, comparative/historical sociology, health and social policy, cultural analysis, urban sociology, criminology, and life course. The program includes a sequence of required courses on theory and theory construction, designed to acquaint every student with skills necessary for developing social explanations, and required courses in both qualitative methods and advanced statistics to familiarize students with techniques for collecting and analyzing data.

Sociology Faculty and Student Involvement in University Initiatives

For further information on the research topics that Harvard students have explored and the careers of some recent graduates, see Graduate Degrees Awarded .

• Undergraduate
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• Sociology Courses 2023-24

PhDs on the Market

• Elena Ayala-Hurtado
• Eun Se Baik
• Nicolette Bardele
• Derick S. Baum
• Maleah Fekete
• Ohjae Gowen
• Holly Hummer
• Dominika Kinga Randle
• Joseph Wallerstein

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Office Hours (Fall 2023) Monday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (remote) Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (on campus) Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (on campus) Thursday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (remote) Friday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (remote)

Email [email protected]

Phone 617.495.3813

Director  David Pedulla

Program Coordinator Jessica Matteson

Cornell’s Graduate Field of Sociology provides top-notch training toward the PhD in Sociology, and has long been known for its emphasis on both theoretical innovation and methodological rigor. The Field, which is much larger than the Department, has close to thirty  faculty  members. 

Explore the Graduate Program

Graduate spotlight: career placement.

Students in the graduate field of sociology have gone on to achieve professional success in academia, industry, and the non-profit and public sectors.  Click here to browse  a comprehensive list of career placements for our graduate students.

The department also actively supports recent Ph.D. and Ph.D. candidates seeking permanent employment.  Click here to explore  profiles of our current job market candidates.

Graduate Students in the News

Grad student receives funding for research on COVID-19, incarceration

Alumna Spotlight: Youngmin Yi, Ph.D.

Soc PhD named to Bouchet Graduate Honor Society

Cornell ranked among best in U.S. News grad school rankings

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College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences > Academics > Sociology > Graduate Programs > Sociology (MA)

Sociology (MA)

Immerse yourself in the study of human society.

DePaul’s master’s in Sociology program is designed to expose you to key sociological methods and theory. Sociologists explore areas such as law and society, health care institutions, family life, criminology, urban development, social psychology, sports, education, political and economic behavior, media, culture and the arts.

The master’s in Sociology program emphasizes

• Sociological theory
• Research methods
• Findings about contemporary society

Courses are offered on weekday evenings at the Lincoln Park Campus and the program can be completed in two years.

Study in a socially dynamic city

With its ethnic diversity and global economic dynamism, Chicago serves as a unique setting for research, public service and career development. You’ll have opportunities to work and intern with community partners like Cabrini-Green Legal Aid, grassroots civic organizations in Roseland and Tinley Park, and the YWCA’s Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention program.

Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Submit an online application, personal statement and official transcripts.

Required Courses

You’ll complete five core courses and seven electives.

of Sociology graduates were employed, continuing their education or pursuing other goals within six months of graduation.

Accomplished researchers and engaged teachers

At DePaul, you will study with professionals like Greg Scott, PhD, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies for Sociology.   Dr. Scott is the founder and president of Sawbuck Productions, Inc., a non-profit organization that produces observational documentary films, experimental art films and other multimedia content. Greg is also the founding editor-in-chief of the  Journal of Video Ethnography , the first-ever academic journal of peer-reviewed ethnographic films.

“My extensive research background in racial inequality has helped me communicate with a diverse group of students and understand their individual needs. I loved my experience at DePaul, and the internship I had [in an] alderman’s office; my advisor/mentor was fantastic as well.”

Keisha, (MA ’15)

Alumni network.

Master’s in Sociology graduates go on to careers in law enforcement, urban planning, public and private administration, marketing, health and welfare services, youth services, community organizations and education. With a network of 8,900 fellow College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences master’s-level graduates in Chicago and beyond, you have a variety of opportunities to grow your professional and academic connections.

Scholarships & Aid

The Sociology department offers graduate assistantships , scholarships , fellowships and financial aid opportunities.

Contact Information

For more information about applying, contact The Office of Graduate Admission at (773) 325-7315 or [email protected] .

Take the next step

We’ll send you information about the degree, admission requirements and upcoming info sessions. Let’s get started.

Sociology, PhD

Zanvyl krieger school of arts and sciences.

The department’s primary educational goal is to train first-class sociology Ph.D. students. The sociology graduate experience at Johns Hopkins University is best characterized as a research apprenticeship – a careful blend of formal instruction, faculty-directed individual study, and supervised as well as self-initiated research. The department’s small size and specific focus areas yield a personalized course of study and close relationships with faculty members and fellow graduate students. The social climate is informal, and the mix of students and faculty, drawn from a wide variety of geographic and social backgrounds, constitutes a rewarding intellectual community. For more details, please visit http://soc.jhu.edu/graduate/ .

Admission Requirements

Applicants must submit an application fee, personal statement, all college transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and a sample of written work. International applicants must also submit a TOEFL score and a financial statement (FS-1G Form: Graduate International Student Notification [F-1/J-1]). GRE scores are optional. Applicants should have a broad background in social science, especially sociology, economics, and psychology. Training in mathematics is encouraged. The department gives greatest weight to an applicant’s demonstrated ability and past performance. For more details, please visit http://soc.jhu.edu/graduate/admissions/ .

Program Requirements

This fall semester course is taken during the first year. Faculty presentations introduce students to the substantive interests, research and professional background of the sociology faculty. It is graded pass/fail.

To count toward degree requirements, core curriculum courses other than the Proseminar (which is graded Pass/Fail) and the Trial Paper Research series of courses must be passed with a grade of B- or higher. After the core course requirement is satisfied, additional methods courses from the list above may be used to fulfill the five-elective course requirement.

In addition to the core curriculum, graduate students must enroll in five additional graduate-level courses. At least four of the five electives must be JHU Sociology department courses. Up to four of the five electives may be fulfilled by a combination of:

• credit awarded for previous graduate coursework that predates matriculation at JHU;
• courses taken outside the department that are permissible under the Handbook rules and with the Departmental advisor’s approval;
• and one directed research and independent study courses within the Department.

All must be passed with a grade of B- or higher. While students are free to select these courses, the department strongly recommends that they be taken from diverse fields of specializations so as to maximize the breadth of exposure to core areas of sociology and other disciplines.

Teaching Assistantships

As part of their preparation for future academic work, graduate students are required to register for  AS.230.811 Teaching Assistantship  and serve as a teaching assistant for at least one semester.

Foreign Language

The Sociology Department no longer requires certification of fluency in a foreign language as part of the Ph.D. requirements. Students should be proactive in gaining the language skills necessary to conduct their TRP and dissertation research, and should work closely with their advisor to determine whether additional language education is needed.

A minimum of two consecutive semesters of full-time residence is mandatory for all degrees. However, at least six semesters of full-time residence is recommended by the department for completion of the core curriculum, electives, and completion of a research apprenticeship and a trial research paper. By the end of the fourth year in the program, the student is expected to have written a dissertation proposal and have defended it successfully before the appropriate examining committees.

Research Assistantship/Apprenticeship

AS.230.801 Research Assistantship  and AS.230.804 Research Apprenticeship

Students are required to develop practical research expertise through professional-level participation (data analysis, literature searches/reviews, non-routine data processing or coding, preparation and refinement of research instruments, and data/file management). This requirement is fulfilled by satisfactorily completing a Research Apprenticeship, which is required during the student’s first year of full-time graduate study in the department. The standard for certification is substantial research accomplishment as judged by the faculty supervisor.

Trial Research Paper

( AS.230.685 TRP Seminar I , AS.230.690 TRP Seminar II , AS.230.815 Trial Research Paper I , AS.230.816 Trial Research Paper II , AS.230.817 Trial Research Paper III )

Students begin working on a Trial Research Paper (TRP) no later than the spring semester of their second year. The TRP affords students the experience of planning and executing a research project that leads to a publishable quality paper. The TRP is expected to be a serious, complete work of scholarship, suitable for conference presentation or journal submission. Whether or not the topic of the TRP is similar to that of the eventual dissertation, we believe all students will benefit from going through this exercise before planning for the dissertation.

By the end of the fall semester of their second year, students should invite a faculty TRP advisor to supervise the design and execution of the TRP project. Regular or adjunct faculty members whose positions entitle them to serve as dissertation advisors are eligible to serve as faculty TRP advisors. Work on the TRP generally will be done over three semesters. In order to facilitate progress on the TRP, students register for courses that are meant to consist of one-on-one meetings with their TRP advisor (TRP I, AS.230.815 Trial Research Paper I in the spring of your second year, TRP II, AS.230.816 Trial Research Paper II in the fall of your third year, and TRP III, AS.230.817 Trial Research Paper III in the spring of your third year.)

In order to facilitate student progress on the TRP, the department has also introduced two required TRP seminars, for which all students register in the spring of their second and third year. These are:   AS.230.685 TRP Seminar I (spring of second year) & AS.230.690 TRP Seminar II (spring of third year). These courses will be graded pass/fail and will not count toward the fulfillment of the elective courses required for the Ph.D.

A TRP proposal must be approved by the faculty TRP advisor by the end of the spring semester of the second year. By the end of the fall semester of the third year, the TRP advisor must approve a draft of the paper which will then be reviewed by another department faculty member. The TRP advisor, at their discretion, may extend this deadline to the end of the intersession period following the fall semester. The faculty reviewer will evaluate the paper and, if necessary, recommend revisions that should be made before the paper is certified. The TRP advisor will determine required revisions and must certify a final TRP by the end of the spring semester of the third year.

Dissertation

The student must propose and conduct original research presented in a dissertation suitable for publication. The department administers an oral examination which must be passed before the student is allowed to defend before a university board. The dissertation must then be defended either at a Graduate Board preliminary oral examination, based on the dissertation proposal, or at a Graduate Board final oral examination, based on the completed dissertation.

Special Programs

The department offers two special programs that coordinate activities in its two focus areas. Doctoral students may affiliate with one or both of these programs at their discretion. These programs function as fields of doctoral specialization within the Department of Sociology.

Program on Global Social Change (PGSC)

This focus area of graduate study focuses on cross-national, comparative research and long-term, world-scale social change. The goal of the program is to give students knowledge of the various theoretical perspectives in these areas, experience in data collection and analysis, and expertise in one or more substantive fields.

The program does not focus on a particular geographic area, although faculty members have conducted extensive research on Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern and Southeastern Europe. Instead of a geographical approach, the emphasis is on issues of development and social change that cut across different countries and world regions. Examples are globalization and regionalization, labor and development, city systems and urban primacy, social movements and revolutions, state violence, migration and labor force formation, family structure and change, social structure and personality, and national and international stratification. Students enroll in a sequence of courses and seminars and participate actively in ongoing faculty projects dealing with one or more of the above issues.

In addition, the interdisciplinary character of graduate education at Johns Hopkins University offers students ample opportunity to enroll in courses or collaborate in research of faculty in other departments. Faculty associates of the program include distinguished scholars in anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, and public health.

A graduate focus area is not required of Ph.D. students.

Program on Social Inequality (PSI)

This focus area of graduate study focuses on the causes and consequences of social inequality, the social processes that sustain it, and how social policies can reduce it. These questions are addressed in terms of class, gender, race, ethnicity, and immigration status/citizenship.

The program is designed to train students in the sociological analysis of social inequality among individuals and groups. This training includes course work in areas such as social stratification, the sociology of the family, the sociology of education, sociology of immigration, social structure and personality, social policy, and research design and methods. Students in the PSI program enroll in a sequence of courses and seminars and participate actively in ongoing faculty projects dealing with one or more of the above issues.

In addition, the interdisciplinary character of graduate education at Johns Hopkins University offers students ample opportunity to enroll in courses or collaborate in research with faculty in other departments. Faculty associates of the program include distinguished scholars in anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, and public health.

Master's Degree Programs

A Stanford master’s degree in sociology is a degree with an extremely broad application. Whether you are thinking of law school or medical school, working in the non-profit or business world, or changing the world (Nobel Prize Winner Emily Balch, Rev. Martin Luther King, and Former First Lady Michelle Obama were all sociology majors) a master’s degree in sociology gives you the opportunity to focus on an area of particular interest to you, and gain theoretical and methodological expertise that is easily applied to real-world challenges.

Please note:  The Department of Sociology does not offer a terminal M.A. degree for external applicants.  Only currently enrolled Stanford students may apply for an MA.Ca Sociology M.A. graduates:

Career Options for Sociology M. A. graduates: 

Business and nonprofit.

Sociologists enter the corporate and nonprofit worlds as research analysts, consultants, human resource managers, and program managers.

If you are contemplating becoming a teacher or working in the school system, sociology can help you to understand how the educational system as an institution can affect students’ career and lifestyle choices. You can also study the extent to which factors other than school play a part in an individual’s likelihood of graduating from high school or going to college.

An MA in sociology offers the chance to study the structure and consequences of the criminal justice system with a critical eye. How does a conviction affect an individual’s life chances? How does an individual’s race or ethnicity affect their likelihood for conviction? These are just a few questions you might want to investigate as you embark on your legal career.

A master’s degree in sociology is also helpful when applying to medical school. Central topics include the social determinants of health and health disparities; the subjective experience of health and illness; and the organization of medical care.

Public Policy

Sociology can help you better understand how institutional inertia affects public policy initiatives, how government organizations are effectively suited for certain tasks and not others, and how businesses in the free market interface with government institutions.

PhD in Sociology

Considering a Sociology Ph.D.?  An MA in sociology offers opportunities to learn more about the discipline through coursework, engage with department faculty, and gain research experience - which can be especially helpful if your undergraduate major was in a different field.

Graduate Programs

M.a. program.

Our program emphasizes methodological skills and academic scholarship creating a strong basis for a professional career as a sociologist in university and applied settings. We provide students with advanced education in Sociology and in the subfields of crime and deviance, domestic violence, social inequalities (i.e. race, class, gender, age), and urban and environmental sociology.

Degree-seeking students in the Applied Sociology program complete a nonthesis course of study. The program requires 24 hours of course work, at least half of which must be at the 6000 level or above, and 6 hours of applied project work.

Ph.D. Program

The UCF Sociology 5-Year Bachelor’s to Ph.D. program provides training in the skills necessary to secure research careers in both academic and non-academic professions and emphasizes applied research in community-based settings. The program is organized around a curriculum combining grounding in the acquisition of theoretical and methodological skills with advanced study in one of the department’s five primary areas of specialization.

Students will develop a Primary Area of Specialization from the five primary areas in the department: Crime and Deviance; Domestic Violence; Medical Sociology; Social Inequalities; Spatial Sociology and Geographic Information Systems. Additional Primary Areas of Specialization can be assembled by students based on course offerings pending approval by the graduate committee.

Students will also create a Secondary Area of Specialization. A Secondary Area of Specialization may be a substantive topic area (e.g., Medical Sociology), a research approach (e.g., Quantitative Methods), sociological theory, or an approach to knowledge dissemination (e.g., Public Sociology, Applied Sociology). Secondary Areas can be created from the list of primary areas (e.g., Crime and Deviance, Social Inequalities, etc.) or they can be assembled by the student to reflect their interests. The Secondary Area may include 1 or more courses from outside the department, but in most cases a student must include at least 2 courses from inside the department. Some examples of possible Secondary Areas of Specialization include racial/ethnic inequalities, gender and sexuality, intersectionality, global sociology, criminology, and health.

The program is one of only a few Sociology programs in the United States focusing on applied research. Students are trained in specific applied research skills such as data analysis, qualitative methods, quantitative methods, mixed methods, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and/or program evaluation. Combined with course work in one of the five primary areas of specialization and a secondary area of specialization, graduates will be trained for employment in the following settings: the academy, industry, business, government, and/or nonprofit agencies. The program provides training in the skills necessary to secure advanced careers in academic and non-academic professions and emphasizes applied research in community-based settings.

The Sociology PhD requires a minimum of 90 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree, which include the courses below. Those students with an M.A. or M.S. degree in Sociology or a closely related field can transfer up to 30 graduate credit hours into their PhD program with consent of the Sociology graduate committee and UCF College of Graduate Studies.

After entering the PhD program and successfully completing 30 credit hours, including 12 hours in a primary area of specialization and SYA 6909 Research Report (3 credit hours) where students will execute a research deliverable (i.e., paper, applied project, thesis, etc.) to demonstrate their knowledge gained in a research topic agreed upon and approved by their advisory committee, the student will be awarded an MA degree and may discontinue their work toward the remaining PhD requirements and leave the program.

Research Smarts Graduate Certificate

The Graduate Certificate in Research Smarts provides students with the essential skills and critical thinking needed by today’s consumers of news and information.

Increasing one’s Research Smarts will provide students with the practical skills and critical thinking necessary to produce and to consume findings, facts, and information with the assurance that it was arrived at systematically. These skills are not only useful in daily life, as we wade through the mass of news and information that comes our way, but also in private business, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and other employment opportunities. Students seeking employment, those with jobs currently, or those working toward advancement can benefit from a critical examination of how knowledge is gained and which sources of information can be trusted. This is because nearly all employers value employees who are confident in their understanding and use of scientific research skills.

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Public AdministrationMPA/ Sociology MA Dual Degree

Public administration, mpa/ sociology ma dual degree.

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The School of Public Affairs in collaboration with the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences offers a dual graduate degree in Public Administration and Sociology.

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a generalist degree designed to prepare students for a variety of positions in public and nonprofit management and policy analysis. The Master of Arts in Sociology (MA in Sociology) provides methodological and theoretical frameworks to transcend individual experience in order to understand social life and is guided by a vision of social justice. Together, the two disciplines offer students a strong foundation to advance public service, work collaboratively to meet social challenges, and better understand key social phenomena using multiple lenses. Graduates will be equipped to hold leadership positions in public and nonprofit programs designed to ameliorate important social problems. Students enrolled in the dual MPA and MA in Sociology program complete both programs simultaneously in 53 credit hours, instead of the 66 credit hours required if each degree is completed separately.

Students complete foundation coursework in both degrees, but have the flexibility to customize their programs by choosing elective coursework in public administration and sociology that best suits their interests and career objectives. The research methods requirements are taken in sociology and the culminating experience (e.g., capstone or thesis) is a collaboration between the two programs. Students without significant professional experience in public service will be required to take an additional 3-credit hour internship.

General Requirements

A minimum of 53 credit hours of appropriate graduate study, including a minimum of 15 core hours in public administration, 4 core hours in sociology, and 7-8 hours of research methods from sociology. In addition, students will complete a minimum of 6 elective credit hours in public administration and a minimum of 6 elective credit hours in sociology. Additional electives will be selected from either public administration or sociology, depending on the student’s personal and career goals.

Students enrolled in the dual MPA/MA in Sociology program must maintain academic standards for both programs.

• A grade point average of B (3.0 on a 4-point scale) or better is required for degree candidacy.
• Students must earn grades of B- or better in all public administration courses
• Students must earn grades of B or better for all sociology courses

Course Requirements

All courses are 3 credit hours unless otherwise noted.

Dual MPA/Sociology MA Core Courses (15 credit hours)

• PAD 5001 - Introduction to Public Administration and Public Service* *PAD 5001 should be taken within the first two semesters.
• PAD 5002 - Organizational Management and Behavior
• PAD 5004 - Economics and Public Finance
• PAD 5005 - The Policy Process and Democracy
• PAD 5006 - Ethics and Leadership MA in Sociology Core Courses (4 credit hours)
• *SOC 5050 must be taken in the student’s first fall semester .
• SOC 5160 - Social Theory II  **  **Incoming graduate students who have not taken an undergraduate course in Social Theory are also required to take SOC 5150 Social Theory I (1 credit hour).

Methods Courses (7-8 credit hours)

• Incoming graduate students who have not taken an undergraduate course in Social Statistics are also required to take SOC 5020 Social Statistics (1 credit hour)

AND one of these Advanced Methods courses

• SOC 5170 - Advanced Statistics and Research (4 credit hours)
• SOC 5180 - Community Organization and Analysis (Ethnography)
• SOC 5200 - Program Evaluation
• SOC 5370 - Sociology of Media and Popular Culture (Content Analysis)
• SOC 5830 - Race and Ethnic Relations (Participant Observation)
• SOC 5950 - Inequality, Crime, and Justice

Internship (3 credit hours, unless waived. Increases the total degree requirements by 3 credit hours.)

• PAD 6910 Field Study in Public Administration

Required for students lacking significant professional experience in public service. May be waived for students with at least 1 year of public or nonprofit professional experience.

Elective Courses (21-24 credit hours, depending on choice of Capstone or Thesis)

A minimum of 6 of these elective credits will be in public administration and a minimum of 6 of these elective credits will be in sociology. Additional electives will be selected from either public administration or sociology, depending on the student’s interests as identified in their degree plan. Elective courses include a mixture of specialized public administration and/or sociology courses, workshops, and other formats. Students may choose to focus these elective hours around a particular area based on their interests and career goals.

Internship (3 credit hours, unless waived) in Public Administration

Students are determined to be “pre-service” or “in-service” by the MPA program director and Sociology graduate program director at the time of admission. Pre-service students lack significant experience in public service and must complete PAD 6910 Internship for an additional 3 credit hours above the minimum 53 credit hours required for the dual degree. In-service students have significant relevant work experience and are not eligible to take PAD 6910. To enroll in PAD 6910, pre-service students must have completed at least 9 hours of coursework. Internship is graded on a Pass/Fail basis. Internship guidelines are set forth in the MPA Handbook at  http://www.uccs.edu/spa .

Capstone Requirements: Capstone or Thesis (3-6 credit hours)

Dual MPA/MA in Sociology students are required to complete either the Capstone Seminar or Master’s Thesis as their culminating experience. Capstone Seminar In PAD 5361 Capstone Seminar, students work with a client in a public service/nonprofit agency of these elective to identify a problem and then, using the knowledge and skills they have gained in the program, carry out a project and write a paper to address the problem. The Capstone Seminar requires three hours of credit and should be taken after all MPA core courses have been completed with a grade of B- or better, and preferably during the final semester in the Dual MPA/MA in Sociology program. Capstone Seminar is offered ONLY in the fall and spring semesters.

Students should complete the following steps no later than the semester prior to enrolling in PAD 5361 Capstone Seminar:

• Attend a Capstone Orientation hosted by the School of Public Affairs.
• Identify a partner agency for the Capstone project.
• Obtain an agreement form from a UCCS faculty member to serve as a second reader on the Capstone project.
• Work with the faculty member serving as the Capstone second reader to draft a proposal and assess the need for an IRB application for the Capstone project.
• Work with the Capstone Seminar instructor to submit an IRB proposal for review prior to the start of the semester in which they will enroll in the Capstone Seminar.

In PAD 6950 Master’s Thesis, students conduct a comprehensive review of the theoretical and research literature in the subject area of their thesis and collect original data or analyze existing data in new ways. The thesis requires six hours of credit that normally spans two semesters. The thesis option is available to Dual MPA/MA in Sociology students who have achieved an exceptional academic record and who wish to pursue independent research in greater depth than would normally be possible in Capstone Seminar. It is suited for students who intend to pursue a PhD degree or to enter a research or policy environment upon completion of the Dual MPA/ MA in Sociology program.

Minimum eligibility requirements for pursuing a thesis include:

• Matriculation in the Dual MPA/ MA in Sociology program.
• Successful completion of all core courses.
• Overall GPA of 3.5 or higher.
• Demonstrated ability to pursue research work.
• Preliminary identification of a thesis topic or area of interest.
• Agreement from a public administration or sociology faculty member to serve as the thesis committee chair along with agreement from two additional public administration or sociology faculty members to serve on the thesis committee. Integration of faculty from both Sociology and Public Administration is required.
• Students pursuing a Master’s Thesis will take both PAD 6950 Master’s Thesis (3 credit hours) and SOC 7000 Master’s Thesis (3 credit hours), typically during the final two semesters of the program.
• Minor exceptions to the above criteria may be made in exceptional circumstances.

A student wishing to undertake the thesis option applies formally through her/his faculty advisor to establish eligibility under the above criteria. After establishing eligibility, the student should recruit three faculty members to serve on the student’s thesis committee --- one public administration faculty member and one sociology faculty member to co-chair the committee and one to serve on the committee -- and then complete a thesis application form. Before the student is allowed to enroll in PAD 6950 or SOC 7000 Master’s Thesis, he or she must complete the required approval processes for both the MPA and the MA in Sociology.

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Career Information Explore Possible Careers Sociology is is a broad science, covering many different disciplines the social sciences. Sociology is the study of group life. As a social science, it combines scientific and humanistic perspectives in the study of urban, and rural life, family patterns and relationships, social change, social policy, intergroup relations, social class, environment, technology and communications, health care and illness, social movements, community responses to disasters, and many other social issues. Possible Careers

Apply Apply to become a Sociology student We believe UCCS could be the perfect fit for you, based on our award-winning academics, our awe-inspiring campus and the natural beauty of Colorado Springs. You’ll come away from UCCS with a University of Colorado degree, as well as a degree that will empower your career. Apply Today

Sociology, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Doctoral students are required to complete a total of 56 credits including 12 credits of SOCY899 . In addition, students must complete a Second-Year Research Paper and pass two specialty exams.

After completion of the coursework, doctoral students must pass two examinations qualifying them to write their dissertations in the specialties of their choice. Upon the recommendation of the appropriate faculty members, the Department Graduate Committee approves the coursework qualifying students to take the two examinations.

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Combined Degrees

Earn two degrees in less time by pursuing a combined degree program

Contact the Combined Degree Program staff

79 John F. Kennedy Street Littauer Building Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

Broaden your insight with a second discipline

Our combined degree programs allow you to explore how to address the world’s most pressing challenges at the intersection of public policy and business, law, medicine, or design.

You will earn two degrees in less time through reduced coursework and residency requirements. For example, it would take four years to complete an MPA and MBA separately—two years for each degree. Combined degree candidates earn both degrees in three years.

Embarking on two degree programs can be rewarding but also challenging. Combined degree students commit to two programs at two institutions and graduate upon fulfilling the requirements for both degrees.

“By spending three years deeply exploring the public and private sectors, you’ll gain a unique agility to operate across sectors. It’s an incredibly holistic education that adds value to nearly any career path.” — Brandon Moore MPP/MBA 2025

About our combined degree programs

Joint degrees (mpp and mpa/id).

MPP  and  MPA/ID  students can pursue a joint degree involving carefully crafted and integrated coursework. You can choose between an MBA at  Harvard Business School  (HBS) or a JD at  Harvard Law School  (HLS).

HKS/HBS Joint Degree Program

As an HKS/HBS student, you spend your first year at HKS, your second at HBS, and split your final year between the two campuses. You must apply to HKS and HBS separately and be admitted to both in the same admissions cycle.

If you are interested in getting a first-hand account of the HKS/HBS joint degree student experience,  complete this brief form  to connect with a current student.

HKS/HLS Joint Degree Program

As an HKS/HLS student, you spend your first two years completing core courses at HKS and HLS—one year at each school. After that, you will be based at HLS and will take courses at HKS to complete your MPP or MPA/ID degree requirements. You can apply to both schools at the same time or apply to one while enrolled in the other. 

Capstone Seminar

Students in both joint degree programs must complete a capstone seminar, involving the  Policy Analysis Exercise  or  Second Year Policy Analysis  for HKS/HBS students and the Integrated Written Project for HKS/HLS students. 

Concurrent Degrees (MPP, MPA/ID, and MPA)

MPP ,  MPA/ID , and  MPA  students can pursue a concurrent degree in business, law, medicine, design, or another field—as long as it is:

• A professional degree (for example, an MBA, MD, or JD; not a PhD or an academic master’s degree)
• At least a two-year program
• Completed at a partner institution (see our list below)

You can apply to HKS and the partner institution simultaneously or apply to one school while enrolled in your first year at the other. If you are already in medical school, you should apply to HKS during the admission cycle before you would like to enroll. 

As a concurrent degree student, you:

• Weave together the two halves of your learning experience on your own
• Will study at HKS and your other school throughout your degree program
• Must complete at least three semesters at HKS
• Cannot complete the course requirements for one degree before beginning coursework for the other
• Will have reduced coursework and residency requirements, but the number and type of courses will depend on your degree program

Splitting Your Time

• MPP and MPA/ID students spend a full academic year at HKS completing the core curriculum during the first or second year of the combined program, then split the final year between the two programs. 
• MPA students can decide to split either their first or final year at HKS. If you split your first year, you must be in-residence at HKS for the fall semester.

Partner Institutions

Concurrent degree students pursue a second graduate degree at one of our partner institutions.

• Harvard Divinity School (HDS)
• Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD)
• Harvard Medical School (HMS)
• Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM)

If you are an HKS/HDS or HKS/GSD student, you spend a full year at each school in the first two years and one semester at each school for your final year. If you are an HKS/HMS or HKS/HSDM student, you spend a full academic year at HKS; after that, you will be based at HMS or HSDM and will take courses at HKS to complete your MPP, MPA/ID, or MPA degree.

Other Partner Institutions

• MIT Sloan School of Management
• Stanford Graduate School of Business
• Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
• Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
• Berkeley Law, University of California
• Columbia Law School
• Duke University School of Law
• Georgetown Law
• New York University School of Law
• Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
• Stanford Law School
• University of Michigan Law School
• University of Pennsylvania Law School
• Yale Law School

United States-based Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited schools.  See the school list here . 

Dual Degree (MC/MPA)

MC/MPA students can pursue a dual degree with the Geneva Graduate Institute.

You will spend your first year at the  Geneva Graduate Institute  studying in the  Master in International and Development Studies  Program. Your second and final year is spent at HKS in the  Mid-Career Master in Public Administration  Program, where you are part of an extraordinary cohort of accomplished and forward-looking professionals—all sharing the same commitment to public service.

You may apply to both programs at the same time or apply to HKS while enrolled at the Geneva Graduate Institute.

Featured combined degree stories

Fighting for equitable policies in health care.

LaShyra Nolen MPP/MD 2024 steps into the ring to fight for equitable policies in health care.

Designing the future of cities

Jorge Silva MPA/MUP 2018 focuses on the role of housing policy to create cities that thrive.

Seeking justice

An indefatigable defender of the powerless, Bryan Stevenson MPP/JD 1985 worked for decades to bring justice via the courtroom. 

Applying to a combined degree program

How to apply.

You must apply and be admitted to HKS and the partner institution. Being admitted to one program does not guarantee you admission to the other.

A complete application to HKS includes: 

• Online application
• Three letters of recommendation
• If you are an HKS/HLS applicant, you may submit LSAT scores only if you are a first-year at HLS; however, you must submit a written request to the HLS admissions office to have your LSAT scores sent to HKS.  You must submit GRE or GMAT scores if you are an applicant not enrolled at HLS.
• If you are an HKS/HMS applicant, you may submit your MCAT score rather than the GRE or GMAT; however, you must submit a written request to the HMS admissions office to have your MCAT scores sent to HKS. Contact the HKS admissions office if you are applying from medical schools other than HMS and do not have valid GRE or GMAT scores.
• The MPA/ID Program does not accept LSAT or MCAT scores.
• Academic transcripts
• $100 application fee or waiver

Read more about how to apply .

The application for the 2025-2026 academic year will be available in September 2024.  There is one admission application deadline and one start date for each degree program per year. You may apply to only one master’s degree program per admissions cycle. 

Tuition & Fees

As a combined degree student, you will be charged HKS tuition and fees for the semesters you are enrolled at HKS. 

The cost of attendance for the 2024-2025 academic year is outlined in  Funding Your Master’s Education  to help you plan financially for our master’s degree programs. Living expense costs are based on residence in Cambridge. The 2025-2026 academic year rates will be published in March 2025. HKS tuition and fees are subject to change without notice. 

Financing your education is a partnership—we are here to help guide you. You are strongly encouraged to explore all  funding opportunities . If you are awarded financial assistance from HKS, this funding can only be applied while you are enrolled at HKS. 

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