phd sociology worth it

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What's it like to study a PhD in sociology?

UQ people Published 28 Aug, 2020  ·  7-minute read

Ever wondered what it's like to do a sociology PhD at UQ? Choosing the right pathway can be hard, especially when there are so many unknowns out there.

How do you choose one of the many possible PhD research topics in sociology? How do you find the right supervisor ? How do you  pitch your sociology PhD topic ?

PhD candidate Emma and her supervisor Dr Sally Staton have teamed up to answer some of your questions to help you decide what’s right for you.

Why did you choose to do a sociology PhD?

Emma: I enjoyed my honours year. But the thing about an honours year is it's quite rushed, so you only really have about 9 months to create your project and then write up your thesis. I had a few things that I wanted to explore in more depth, and the PhD is useful because you have that time to really explore your topic.

What's your favourite thing about being a PhD supervisor?

Sally: I think it's learning about the students and their personalities. Every student comes in with a really different set of skills and life experiences; they don’t all come in the same way and they have different ways that they look at the world. It's really nice to learn with them and go through that journey of understanding what they bring and what I can help bring out.

I have students who think really big; they have big ideas and then you have to bring them down to thinking about all the detail in between. And then other students are so detail orientated and you have to encourage them to think big and own big ideas and be okay with that, so I kind of love that process.

How is your PhD different to your undergraduate studies?

Emma: For the PhD, it’s a lot more independent and you get to have a lot of control over what you want to explore. Something else that's nice is you get to have that relationship with your supervisory team, and it's nice because you have the support around you to explore what you're really interested in.

"Also, with the support of a scholarship , you can kind of treat it like a job working 9 to 5, Monday to Friday, so you can really focus on the topic that you love."

How did you make the progression from a Bachelor of Creative Industries (Dance) to a PhD in psychology/sociology? What sparked a passion for research?

Sally: I have absolutely no idea how I got here. If you had asked me at the beginning of my university studies, when I was studying a degree in dance, I would not have thought I would end up doing a sociology PhD and then becoming a researcher in developmental psychology. That was not the plan.

But I guess as part of my studies I got really interested initially in psychology, so I went from dance to psychology first – I have a degree in psychology also. Then through that I was really interested in research and how research can inform some of the world around us and the decisions we make, particularly around small children.

Emma Cooke discusses potential sociology PhD topics with her supervisor, Dr Sally Staton.

Do you ever draw upon the skills from your first degree in your PhD?

Sally: I actually think I do. Possibly not my dance skills, but certainly the creativity part of it. I do actually think it's part of research. We often think of research as something we do just in a lab and it's very sort of sterile and rigorous. And whilst there is an element of that, a big part of research is that creative spark of asking unique questions and coming up with new ideas, and there's a certain level of creativity required for that, so I don't think it's irrelevant.

What scholarship have you been awarded and how did you find out about it?

Emma: I'm on the research training program scholarship , the RTP, and I found out about it when I applied for the PhD. It's pretty straightforward and it's very helpful to have that support, because that's really what helps you to just focus on your PhD. Even though I do a bit of research assistant work and that's fun, you have to keep that to a minimum because there's always a million shiny distractions. You’re there to do your PhD and that scholarship allows you to really focus on it.

Find out more about PhD scholarships, fellowships and funding .

Who do you think should do a PhD?

Sally : I think anyone who is really interested in a topic or has a burning question that they want to answer or contribute to our understanding of – that's really what it comes down to. It's a big commitment. You commit for 3 years or longer to do a PhD.

"What you need to bring with it is a genuine interest in what you're doing, and then beyond that your supervisors really step in and can help you with all the other skills you need to make that work."

How did you come up with your PhD research topic in sociology?

Emma: It was really just by chance when I started my honours. My honours supervisor at the time told me that she had a project coming up about childcare flexibility. She asked if I'd be interested and I was reading about childcare flexibility and I could see why it’s really important, but the policy analysis wasn't really my passion.

Then I saw one of the project aims was to understand children's perspectives and that really fascinated me, because in my undergraduate degree in sociology, we didn't focus on children's perspectives. That was really exciting for me because I had this whole new literature I was really interested in exploring. Honours was my taste of that body of research and then I got to really explore that more in my PhD.

For Emma, the sociology of early childhood was an obvious choice for her PhD topic.

What made you decide to be Emma's supervisor?

Sally: Emma came to me actually. What resonated for me is that when Emma came in, she was deeply interested and had this idea of what she wanted to do. And I think when people have that passion, you can tell straight away because the way they talk about it is animated, and that was a very easy decision from my perspective. To have someone come to you and articulate what they're interested in, in a way that shows that they're really dedicated and committed to that, made it very easy to say yes.

Emma: I was working as a research assistant for Sally before she became my PhD supervisor.

Sally: I had a little insider knowledge of Emma's skills, which is always helpful.

Emma: That's probably good advice for prospective PhD students. If you’ve finished your honours and you just want to explore a bit of your research topic or suss out who could be a good supervisor, sometimes doing some research assistant work in areas that you're interested in can be a great way to get that foot in the door and take it from there.

Sally: Yeah, and it certainly helps from our end because then we get to know you, know what your skills are and where we can help you.

Discover what makes a good PhD supervisor .

Your research interests include child wellbeing and sociology of children. How did you find a supervisor with aligned interests?

Emma: I found Karen through the Institute for Social Science Researchers newsletter that announced that Professor Karen Thorpe and her team, including Dr. Sally Staton, were moving across to UQ. So I think it's important to read those newsletters. I got the newsletter because I had connections with a friend from honours who forwarded it to me, so that's another example of maintaining those connections; they’re really helpful because people will share resources with you. That was a link to early childhood research, and to complement the team, we also have a sociologist to bring in that sociological perspective.

Sally:  And challenge our thinking because we don't always understand sociology very well, but we're learning a lot.

Emma: I think it's good for me, though, because I'm always thinking about how to explain where I'm coming from. I think it's kind of nice if your supervisor might have a slightly different discipline of expertise, then that's actually good because it always keeps you on your toes. I always have to be thinking about how to explain what I'm doing and why I'm doing it, we're not just accepting that 'oh we're just going to do research in this particular way because that's how it's always been done'. We're always critically evaluating it, and I think that's when the really exciting research ideas come to fruition.

Sally: It's nice for us too because we get opportunities to learn new things that we're not usually exposed to.

Was your undergraduate degree in social science or did your passion to study a PhD in sociology come from somewhere else?

Emma: My undergraduate degree was in sociology, but that was through a Bachelor of Arts . The way the Bachelor of Arts is designed is quite broad, so I got to try a whole bunch of different subjects my first year, and I only discovered sociology in my second semester.

I was really interested in sociology and now my PhD is in the sociology of early childhood. That interest in early childhood all came not from my studies – I did a lot of volunteering with children throughout my undergraduate degree, and a PhD has been useful because I've been able to bring those two interests of early childhood and sociology together.

Your research career begins here at UQ.  Explore our scholarships or apply now.

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2024 Best Online PhD in Sociology [Doctorate Guide]

With an online PhD in Sociology, you may earn a respected degree in a manner that suits your on-the-go lifestyle.

Earning a doctorate in sociology can help prepare you to accept academic positions or to serve as a leader in government, business, or nonprofit organizations.

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By going through an online doctorate program in sociology, you may sharpen your research skills. With this terminal degree, you may also prove yourself an expert in social dynamics and may set yourself up for a rewarding career inside or outside of academia.

Universities Offering Online PhD in Sociology Degree Programs

Methodology: The following school list is in alphabetical order. To be included, a college or university must be regionally accredited and offer sociology degree programs online or in a hybrid format.

California Institute of Technology

The Doctorate of Sociology program at the California Institute of Technology usually takes three years to complete. It is uniquely designed to address subjects related to law, economics, history, anthropology and political science.

Students are encouraged to start their research early and to connect with mentors who can help them with post-graduation employment opportunities.

Caltech is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.

Capella University

Capella University offers a PhD in Human Services program that combines core classes with electives, specializations, research seminars, and dissertation preparation. Everything is online, including virtual simulations of real-world scenarios that students might encounter in the future. The program consists of 77 quarter credits.

Capella University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Colorado State University

Colorado State University has multiple specializations for its PhD of Sociology program. These include Food and Agriculture, Crime and Law, Environmental and Natural Resources, and Social Justice and Governance.

Students are expected to learn both theory and practice as they explore everything from research methodologies to contemporary practices in human services.

Colorado State  is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission.

Johns Hopkins University

There are two doctorate-level sociology programs at Johns Hopkins University: the Program on Global Social Change (PGSC) and the Program on Social Inequality (PSI). There’s also a joint program that combines sociology with applied mathematics and statistics.

Depending on your area of focus, you can study things like globalization, diversity, government reform, and linear models for social sciences.

The Johns Hopkins University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Louisiana State University

The PhD of Sociology program at Louisiana State University offers a well-rounded curriculum in theory, practice, research, tools, and methods. The program usually requires five years to complete.

Students are encouraged to choose a specialty area and work with faculty advisors to prepare grants, co-author papers, and make presentations at industry conferences.

Louisiana State University  is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

University of Iowa

The University of Iowa offers both a Master’s and a PhD in Sociology. Classes are available online or in person, and subjects cover topics such as economics, policy, inequality, global affairs, and human rights.

Students are encouraged to choose a focus area for their studies to maximize their opportunities for research and employment.

The University of Iowa is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

University of New Mexico

Though it doesn’t offer a separate PhD program for sociology, the University of New Mexico offers a combined master’s and PhD program for extended graduate-level study. From statistics to methods of social research, a variety of important topics in sociology are covered in this well-rounded program. Online classes must be approved by the faculty.

UNM is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

University of Tennessee – Knoxville

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville offers a PhD in Sociology program that consists of 51 credits. These are halfway divided between graduate coursework and dissertation research and preparation.

Specializations include Criminology, Political Economy, Environmental Sociology, and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies.

The University of Tennessee – Knoxville is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Walden University

Walden University offers a hybrid degree program that is designed to prepare students for a variety of health services careers. This program is a mix of online coursework and real-world residencies.

It’s a PhD in Social Work rather than Sociology, but many of the subjects and skills are also relevant to sociology students. It includes specializations in sociology-related concepts, such as public policy and administration.

Walden is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission.

Wilmington University

Wilmington University offers a unique doctorate program for students interested in social science called Prevention Science.

This program focuses on identifying and evaluating the various personal, financial, and social risks faced by individuals and families within broader communities. Classes are 100% online, and students can create their own study areas or choose from pre-established ones.

Wilmington University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Online PhD in Sociology Programs

A terminal degree in sociology can help pave the way for an academic career or a leadership role in government or the private sector.

Since a PhD is the top degree in this field, many schools expect students to have a master’s degree before diving into more advanced studies. If you don’t yet hold a master’s degree, you may be able to earn one in conjunction with your doctoral studies at select schools.

During a sociology doctoral program, you’ll often study the ways that people behave and interact in society and organizations. Most students take one or more courses on the major theories in sociological thought.

Research is a critical component of earning a PhD, so you’ll probably take several classes dedicated to enhancing your research skills. You may learn to perform statistical analysis, conduct interviews, and write scientific papers.

Most PhD candidates choose a particular focus area for their studies. Options at your school may include urban development, politics and government, race and equality, family structure, healthcare, or religion. Some universities may allow you to choose two specialization areas.

The focus you choose may influence your PhD coursework. Possible class topics could include gender, race, family, and class structure. You might also gain new insights into political systems or regional development. Other courses in your school’s sociology department may address immigration, aging, or crime.

Once you’ve completed your coursework and successfully defended your dissertation, you might secure a job in academia. If you’re working for a college, your responsibilities may include teaching classes and conducting research.

Sociology jobs may also be found in other sectors. You might work for a think tank to produce sociological insights that inform policy decisions, head up a social services agency, or spearhead initiatives that support urban development.

Other jobs may be available in marketing, human resources, or publishing. For those roles, you might lean heavily on the research and communications skills that you may acquire during your doctoral program.

Sociology Careers & Salaries

Many people equate a Ph.D. in Sociology with an academic career. That’s not an unreasonable assumption. Most people with this degree do pursue academic work after graduation.

In higher education institutions, you may serve on the faculty or carry out research. With a PhD, you may eventually qualify for a tenured position. Not all graduates have their sights set on an academic track, though. If you start exploring the opportunities for sociologists outside of higher education, you might find a variety of intriguing possibilities.

Universities aren’t the only organizations that hire sociologists and other social scientists. Government agencies, private research organizations, and think tanks rely on these experts too. Your skills in data collection and research may translate into a career as a professional who analyzes market demographics or designs insightful survey questions.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , sociologists earn an average annual salary of $86,110. Various jobs you may pursue with a sociology PhD include:

Sociologist jobs are growing at the average 4% rate, but other roles are increasing significantly more quickly. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is predicting an 18% growth rate for market research analyst positions.

Your sociology training may help prepare you to understand the ways that people respond to life circumstances and interact in relationships. That knowledge might be advantageous for a career as a human resources manager or a nonprofit director. It might also be useful in an urban planning role.

Doctoral programs emphasize writing and communication skills. Publishing companies might appreciate such abilities and hire you to work as a writer or an editor. You may be involved with publishing texts related to your area of training or other types of books.

Your sociology background may also lead to a career as a counselor or a high school teacher. Additional training and certification would be required, though.

Sociology Doctoral Curriculum & Courses

You’ll earn credits for your online PhD degree in sociology by taking classes and completing your doctoral dissertation. The courses in your program may include:

• Criminology : You’ll study theories about the criminal mind and criminal behavior, and you may also explore how governments respond to crime.
• Family Structure : Your time in this course may survey various family structures and consider how family relationships influence children’s outcomes.
• Gender Topics : This class may discuss how perceived gender roles affect society or compare attitudes toward gender in various societies.
• Inequality in Society : You’ll explore how gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and other factors lead to societal rankings and divisions.
• Politics and Sociology : A political course may cover the ways that sociological theories intersect with governing and leadership decisions around the world and in your local community.
• Race and Racism : You will learn how historical racial issues and contemporary views on the matter affect people and shape communities.
• Research Methods for the Social Sciences : In preparation for your dissertation, you’ll study quantitative and qualitative approaches to conducting research.
• Rural Studies : This course will provide insights into contemporary rural communities and how to foster regional development.
• Social Theories : Early in your doctoral studies, you may take a class that covers the teachings of various classic and contemporary thinkers in the field of sociology.
• Urban Studies : You’ll investigate how metropolitan regions develop and consider how to shape effective policies for urban areas.

You may have the option to take electives from the sociology department or other departments whose courses align with your interests and career goals.

Admissions Requirements

Admission to a sociology PhD program can be competitive. If you want to earn your doctorate, you’ll often need to showcase your strengths through materials like:

• Essay that states your sociology goals
• Letters of reference from supervisors
• Resume or curriculum vitae that shows your educational and work history
• Transcripts that list previous undergraduate and graduate work

Whether you need to submit GRE scores varies from one institution to the next. While it’s a firm requirement at some schools, other colleges don’t take standardized tests into account. Some list test scores as an optional requirement or grant waivers to qualified applicants.

Accreditation

One of the most important factors to consider when comparing sociology PhD programs is whether the schools hold regional accreditation.

All reputable colleges are approved by one of the seven regional accrediting agencies in the US. Regional accreditation means that you can count on a college to provide a sound education. Your coursework is more likely to transfer to another school.

Academic institutions and employers will likely recognize your status as an expert who’s earned the highest possible degree in this field.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

There are steps you may take to secure funding assistance for your doctoral studies in sociology.

Government student aid is a primary source of assistance for many graduate students. To learn whether you qualify, you can fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) . You may also be able to receive state loans or other types of government funding, such as federal work-study or state grants.

Private sources of assistance may include scholarships and fellowships. These financial gifts may help subsidize your tuition or your research. You can apply and may receive these awards if you’re selected as a recipient.

Your college might be another potential source of tuition help. Some doctoral programs grant stipends to students who work as teaching or research assistants. Finally, your employer may be a valuable contributor to your academic pursuits. Workplaces often help fund studies that can benefit the organization.

What Can You Do with a PhD in Sociology?

Working in academia is a popular career option for people with doctoral degrees in sociology. You might teach or conduct research at a college.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, sociology department faculty earn between $38,910 and $145,990 each year. Sociologists may also work as researchers in nonacademic settings.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that 38% of sociologists are employed in research and development organizations, and 15% are employed by state governments. Self-employment may be an option for sociologists as well.

Other job options may include urban planner, market research analyst, human resources director, and social services manager.

How Much Do You Make with a PhD in Sociology?

Based on figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary for a sociologist is $86,110. The typical salary ranges from $52,640 to $143,020.

Some of the highest sociology earnings are in research and development firms. The median salary for sociologist jobs in that sector is $96,620. State government agencies come in as a close second with average annual earnings of $92,530 for sociologists.

Working as a human resources manager may be a top-paying career prospect for those with a sociology background. Those jobs often pay between $71,180 and $208,000. HR managers in scientific or technical organizations may bring in an average salary of $138,030 each year.

How Long Does It Take to Get a PhD in Sociology?

The length of time required for sociology doctoral programs varies from one student to the next.

The coursework typically takes 2 to 3 years, but you may be able to shorten that timeframe by enrolling in an accelerated sociology degree online program at an accredited university. After wrapping up the coursework, you may work on your dissertation, which can take longer for some students than for others.

Getting a PhD is often a 3 year to 5 year process. Some students need as few as 4 years or as many as 8. Earning a master’s on the way to getting a doctorate may extend your program by about 2 years.

What Is the Difference Between Sociology vs. Psychology?

Sociology and psychology are both considered social sciences. In either field, you’d study people and their behaviors and interactions. Sociology deals with these topics on a larger scale. The focus is on interactions and dynamics that shape major institutions, communities, and society as a whole.

Psychologists address interactions on a more personal level. The individual is the main focus of psychology studies. At times, psychologists do explore group dynamics, but the groups are usually small in size and limited in scope.

For example, psychologists might study individual families’ interactions while sociologists might investigate how family structures shape society.

Is a PhD in Sociology Worth It?

Yes, a sociology Ph.D. is worth it for many students. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is projecting 5% job growth in life, physical, and social science occupations over the next 10 years. Common careers in this field include sociologist, sociology professor, survey researcher, market research analyst, and community services manager.

The work that sociologists do may have far-reaching effects. As a researcher or a practitioner in this field, you might influence policies or make decisions that increase social equity or improve community life for many people.

Getting Your PhD in Sociology Online

A sociology PhD is a terminal degree that can help equip you for a career as a professor or a practitioner. With this degree, you might teach college courses, lead research studies, influence policies, or head up nonprofit institutions.

Getting your doctorate in sociology online, much like getting an online masters in sociology , may help you balance your professional obligations with your educational endeavors. Through online studies, you may take classes, communicate with your professors, and complete your dissertation from afar.

If you’re interested in earning a respected sociology PhD on a schedule that suits your needs, you may want to take a look at accredited online universities.

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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

Questions about the program.

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

Department of Sociology

Graduate Program Guide

Faculty Advisers | M.A. Requirements | M.A. Transfer Credits | Advancement to the Ph.D. | Ph.D. Requirements | Additional Requirements | Program Standing | Requirements Timeline | Other Matters

These requirements apply to students who either opted into the new program or joined the Sociology PhD program in Fall 2023 or later. Students are responsible to learn departmental degree requirements, to be familiar with rules for determining standing in the program, and to understand the consequences of not meeting these standards. Failure to meet these standards may lead to incidents of probation or dismissal from the program.

FACULTY ADVISERS AND MENTORING 

First-Year Students:  In a student’s first year in the program, the DGS and Graduate Program Committee serve as their faculty mentors as part of the First-Year Mentoring Committee (FYMC). The FYMC meets collectively with the first-year cohort twice a month in the first semester, and once a month in the second semester. In addition, FYMC members are also available for one-on-one mentoring. At the end of the first year, the FYMC will help first-year students connect with a faculty member who will serve as their primary advisor/mentor in their second year in the program. (This faculty member is likely to be the advisor/mentor for the RC1 but does not have to be.)

The FYMC will also consult with the student as the student selects members for their Faculty Mentoring Committee (FMC) for the student’s second year in the program. The FMC is typically composed of two to three sociology faculty members. During the student’s second and third years in the program their RC faculty advisors/mentors (RC advisor) will likely be members of their FMC.

More Advanced Students:  For all students beyond the first-year students, each student will meet bi-annually with the student’s mentors/committee members (the FMC). The FMC is typically two to three sociology faculty members.  During the second and third years, the FMC typically includes the research collaborative advisor, and in later years, the special area paper and dissertation committee members (see below). The graduate student is responsible for scheduling the meetings.  The graduate student will share with committee members in advance of the meeting a document outlining the student’s expectations and plans for the coming academic year or summer.  The first meeting will take place at the beginning of the fall semester (no later than the end of September). In this meeting the student mentors will set expectations and define a plan for the coming academic year. The second meeting will take place at the end of the spring semester to evaluate progress and give advice for use of summertime. Mentoring committees will share progress reports with the DGS after the spring meeting to inform the letters of standing.

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OVERVIEW OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER’S (M.A.) DEGREE IN SOCIOLOGY

The master’s degree is earned in passing to the Ph.D. and requires 33 hours of formal, didactic coursework, including 12 hours of core courses with at least a B, and 21 hours of electives (6 credits must be methods focused, 9 credits must be theory focused). Transfer credits are not allowed for the master’s degree. Students must produce a paper by the end of their 4 th semester, as part of a successful Research Collaboration with a faculty member.  Research Collaboratives are official collaborations between the graduate student and a faculty member that take place in the student’s second and third years in the program.

Research Requirements for MA Degree

Research Collaboratives are official collaborations between the graduate student and a faculty member that take place in the student’s second and third years in the program.

Research Collaborative 1 (RC1) starts at the beginning of the summer after the student’s first year and continues through the student’s second year in the program. The student collaborates on research with a faculty advisor/mentor. At the end of RC1, the student in collaboration with the faculty advisor must have a paper completed that will be submitted to a peer-review academic journal. This paper is a requirement for the master’s degree.

RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH (RCR)

Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) training

RCRG 6303, 6304, 6305, 6306, and 6307.

CORE COURSES – B OR HIGHER (12 credit hours)

SOC 6301 Theoretical Foundations of Sociology (3)

SOC 6310 Second Year Research Practicum (3)

SOC 6311 Multivariate Analysis I (3)

SOC 6312 Multivariate Analysis 2 (3)

Elective COURSES (21 Credit hours)

Methods Focused Electives (6)

Theory Focused Electives (9)

Methods Focused, Theory Focused, Independent Study, or Approved Courses in other Departments (6)

33 total credit hours required for M.A.

All core courses must be passed with a grade of B or better to make satisfactory progress in the program. Grades lower than B will appear in the graduate student’s record at the Graduate School as having earned the student the credit hours corresponding to the course in question. However, students earn zero hours toward the department’s required 33 hours for the M.A. (72 hours for the Ph.D.) degree and must retake the course. Failing to earn a minimum course grade of B in the retaken course will result in the student’s termination from the program.

Participation in Department Colloquium Series and First-Year Professionalization Seminars is required. Consistent unexcused absences, lateness, or early departures are indicators of unsatisfactory performance and will result in an automatic instance of probation.

MA Required Courses

Theoretical Foundations of Sociology . The goal of this course (SOC 6301) is to produce scholars who think sociologically. The course gives students a foundation in the important classic and contemporary works of the discipline and introduces them to the intellectual history of sociology.

Second-Year Research Practicum . This course (SOC 6310) guides students as they conduct a research project and write a research paper suitable for submission to a peer-review journal. The course provides hands-on training in sociological research, including reviewing the literature, theorizing, methods of data gathering and analysis, and writing and revising the final research paper.

Statistical Analysis . Two statistics seminars are required for the M.A. degree: Multivariate Analysis I (SOC 6311) and Multivariate Analysis II (SOC 6312). The courses provide students with a firm foundation in statistical analysis, with special attention to the general linear model and the use of computer-based statistical programs. Students take these courses in the fall and spring semesters of their first year in the program

MA Elective Courses

Research Methods . Special Topics Seminars (SOC 9361-9371) provide deep focus on different research methods, with the goal of providing opportunities for students to develop both broad and specialized expertise in a number of methods. Examples of courses offered are Social Network Analysis, Survey Methods, Ethnography, and Historical Comparative Methods. At least 6 of the 21 hours of MA electives must be in Research Methods courses.

Intellectual History and Theory Construction . Survey Seminars (SOC 8329-8359) provide the intellectual history, foundational theories, and theory construction related to different substantive fields of study in the discipline of Sociology. These courses introduce students to different fields of study, while also giving them the tools to build and test theory that helps advance knowledge in these fields. At least 9 of the 21 hours of MA electives must be in Intellectual History and Theory Construction courses.

Sociological Theory:  Two theory courses are required for the M.A. degree: Classical Theory (S6301) and Contemporary Theory (S6302). These courses give students a foundation in the classic works of the discipline and in recent developments in social theory. The two courses will be offered sequentially every other year and both are 3-credit hour courses.

Research Methods:  All students will take Sociological Inquiry (S6310) which is an introduction to research methods, including theory construction, sociological reasoning, study design, and specific research techniques. This course will be offered at least every other fall semester and is worth 3 credits.

Statistical Analysis:  Two statistics seminars are required for the M.A. degree: Multivariate Analysis I (S6311) and Multivariate Analysis II (S6312). The courses provides students with a firm foundation in statistical analysis, with special attention to the general linear model and the use of computer-based statistical programs. Students will take these courses in the fall and spring semesters of their first year in the program; both are 3-credit courses.

Sociological Criticis:  The Workshop on Sociological Criticism (S7500) is an intensive introduction to peer review for publication, using materials from journal submissions to editorial correspondence. The 3- credit course will be offered at least every other spring semester.

Students must take eighteen hours of elective credit. Twelve of these credits must include any combination of Sociology’s Special Methods Workshops, Survey Seminars, or Special Topic Seminars. The remaining credits may be drawn from either directed study courses taught by Sociology faculty, one 3000-level undergraduate Sociology course that has been approved for graduate credit, or one graduate course in another department. Students must submit a Course Petition Form to the DGS for approval in order to take graduate courses in other departments. The Course Petition Form is available in Vanderbilt Box (the SOC. GRAD STUDENTS folder).

Special Methods Workshops: The department offers two special methods workshops: the Quantitative Methods Workshop (S7600) and the Qualitative Methods Workshop (S7700). These courses introduce students to specific research methods including, but not limited to, the following: comparative historical methods, ethnographic methods, survey construction, and advanced statistical methods such as event-history analysis, categorical analysis, and time series analysis. One of these courses will be offered at least every other year.

Survey Seminar:  These courses (S8329 – S8359) introduce students to a particular field of sociology and require them to write on aspects of that field. The seminars cover the major areas in sociology as they are represented at Vanderbilt and facilitate students’ ability to accumulate broad knowledge in a range of sociological literatures. At least four of these classes will be offered each year.

Special Topic Seminars and Directed Studies Courses:  Both Special Topic Seminars (S9361 – S9371) and Directed Studies courses (S9888-S9889) provide the opportunity for students and faculty to focus on substantive topics of mutual interest. Students may enroll in more than one section of either of these courses in a semester. Special Topic Seminars are 3-credit formal offerings which will be listed—with their special focus—in the course catalog. Directed Studies courses are tutorial relationships one or more students arrange with an individual faculty member; students may earn only up to 3 credits of directed study in a semester. Students must file a Request for Directed Studies  with the Graduate School. In the form, students must indicate the final products of the requested Directed Studies courses.

3000-Level Undergraduate Courses:  For the M.A., students may petition to take one 3000-level substantive area (i.e., non-methods or theory) course taught by Sociology graduate faculty. They must receive the consent of both the instructor and the DGS. The faculty member shall decide which undergraduate requirements the graduate student must meet, but the petition must reflect a higher level of requirements (e.g., assignments, readings) than those met by undergraduate students. A student can only take one of these during their graduate career and it must be taken in the first two years of the program.

Master’s Paper

Purpose . The master’s paper is intended to involve the student actively in research early in his/her graduate career. It is conceived as a high quality, empirical study that demonstrates the student’s mastery of research design and analysis. It may use original (qualitative or quantitative) data collected by the student or be an original analysis of secondary data. The bulk of the work on the paper should be carried out after the student’s matriculation to the program.

Timing . The student will develop the idea for a proposal for the master’s paper by the end of his/her first year, in consultation with a faculty member who will act as advisor to the project. The student will name his/her master’s committee chair and submit a two-page abstract of the proposed project by May 1 in the first spring semester to the DGS (with a copy to his/her committee chair). This abstract must include a timeline for completion of the project; work in the summer between the first and second year should be a major factor in this timeline. The student must begin proactively and consistently working with the chair of the master’s committee at this point. By October 1 in the first semester of the student’s second year, s/he will identify the additional members of the master’s paper committee for the DGS. The master’s paper committee will consist of at least two, but no more than three, faculty members including the chair. If the student includes a faculty member from outside the department on the committee, then s/he must include two faculty members from the sociology department. The committee will guide and give feedback on the project as it develops. In order to facilitate this, committees may establish deadlines for drafts and revisions of the paper in advance of the evaluated version’s deadline.

The master’s paper will be due to the committee for evaluation no later than June 1 following the spring semester of the student’s second year. The committee will evaluate the paper by June 15 (see Procedures below). If the paper does not receive a unanimous pass, a revision is due by June 30. A final version of the master’s paper must be completed by July 15 in order for the student to meet the filing deadline for an August conferral of the M.A. degree.

Procedures . All committee members should provide comments on earlier drafts of the paper. First exposure to the paper at the June deadline is likely not sufficient for the student to meet the requirement. The master’s paper will be read independently by the members of the student’s master’s paper committee, who will evaluate it as “pass with distinction,” “pass,” “conditional pass,” or “fail.” Students will receive explicit feedback from the examining committee on their papers. Evaluations of and comments on the student’s master’s paper will be available no later than two weeks (June 15) after it is submitted to the committee. In order to receive a unanimous “pass,” the paper must be of high quality (i.e., after revision in light of committee members’ comments, the paper could be submitted to a journal for publication). The suggested length will be 25 pages or more (i.e., typical length for submission to a journal).

Any evaluation other than unanimous “pass” or “pass with distinction” means that the student must revise the paper. The revised paper will be due on June 30. Again, evaluations of and comments on the student’s paper will be available no later than two weeks after it is submitted to the committee. If a student receives a “conditional pass” or “fail” on the revised master’s paper, s/he will be required to leave the program before the beginning of their third year.

If the paper is of such poor quality as to receive an evaluation of “fail,” the student must leave the program before the beginning of their third year. If the student misses the June 1 deadline, they will go on probation immediately, but will still be required to meet the July 15 deadline for revisions. If that deadline is missed, the student must leave the program before the beginning of their third year.

Submitting The Master’s Paper . A student who completes the master’s paper entirely in the department must submit the paper to the Graduate School for cataloging. A student whose master’s thesis from another university is accepted by the department should not submit the paper to the Graduate School, but is eligible (once s/he completes or transfers the coursework required for the master’s) for the M.A. degree in sociology from Vanderbilt.

In order to remain in FERPA compliance, please see the following guidelines for electronic approvals and the submission of the Completion of Master’s Degree form:

• Student - Complete the fillable initial information of the Completion of Master’s Degree form (Student's Name, Student's ID Number, Department/Program, and Academic/Research Adviser) and email the form to the Committee Chair.
• Committee Chair - Fill in other fillable required information and share the form with the entire committee, the DGS, and the program coordinator in .
• Committee Members - Sign for approval (electronic signature accepted).
• DGS - Sign for approval (electronic signature accepted).
• Program Coordinator - Submit the Results of Qualifying Examination form to the Graduate School.  

TRANSFER OF M.A. CREDITS OR THESIS FROM OTHER INSTITUTIONS

Transfer Credits . Students can petition to waive up to three of the courses required for the M.A. degree. These courses can be waived if the student has taken the course or its equivalent elsewhere with a grade of B or better. The decision to waive the course requires a review of the replacement-course syllabus and, when applicable, written materials produced for the course by both the DGS and a faculty member who teaches the course being waived. Students receive course credit for each waived required course and the grade earned in the previous incarnation of the course is added to the calculation for the student’s Vanderbilt GPA.

ADVANCEMENT TO DOCTORAL STUDY

The receipt of a VU Sociology M.A. degree is required for a student to obtain a Ph.D. at Vanderbilt. All M.A. degree candidates, whether the degree is terminal (rare) or the student is receiving the M.A. degree-in-passing, must file an  Intent to Graduate Form  with the Graduate School. Students receiving the degree-in-passing are able to, but not required to, participate in Commencement. Students are expected to file this form by the Graduate School’s mid-June deadline for an August conferral of the M.A. degree. In exceptional circumstances, this form will be filed by the Graduate School’s mid-September deadline for a December conferral of the M.A. degree.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DOCTORAL (Ph.D.) DEGREE IN SOCIOLOGY

Students must satisfy all the master’s degree requirements to receive a Ph.D. Seventy-two total credit hours are required for the Ph.D., including 51 hours of formal, didactic coursework. In addition to the core coursework required of the Master’s, students must earn at least a B in the 6 credit hours of core Ph.D. coursework. Core coursework consists of a teaching workshop (7400) and a Dissertation Proposal Workshop (7500). In addition, the student must pass 33 hours of electives (up to 21 hours of which may be research, 8999 or 9999). Students must take part in a second Research Collaborative, complete a Special Area Paper, and have two Independent Research papers under review by the end of their 5 th year in the program. In addition, students must defend a dissertation proposal, complete a dissertation, and defend a dissertation to receive a Ph.D. degree. Students must meet with their FMC bi-annually, attend Professionalization Seminars, and attend the Department Colloquium Series each year.

Students may request the transfer of up to 18 credit hours (9 required and 9 elective hours) of eligible graduate coursework from another institution, subject to the approval of the director of graduate studies, the department chair, and the Graduate School.

Non-Dissertation Research Requirements for the PhD

The second Research Collaborative (RC2) starts at the beginning of the summer after the student’s second year in the program and continues through the student’s third year. The student either collaborates on research with a faculty advisor/mentor or prepares a sole-authored paper with guidance from the faculty advisor. At the end of RC2, the student must have a paper completed for which they are lead author (if the paper is written in collaboration with the faculty advisor) or sole author, that will be submitted to a peer-review academic journal for publication.

The Independent Research (IR1 and IR2) requirements entail having a) a sole-authored paper under review at a peer-review academic journal by the end of the student’s fourth year, and b) another sole-authored paper under review at a peer-review academic journal by the end of their fifth year in the program.

CORE COURSES – B OR HIGHER (6 credit hours)

SOC 9400 Dissertation Proposal Workshop (3)

SOC 7400 Teaching Workshop (3)

Elective COURSES (12 Credit hours)

Methods Focused, Theory Focused, Independent Study, or Approved Courses in other Departments.

RESEARCH (Up to 21 CREDIT HOURS)

SOC 8999 Non-candidate Research (0-12)

SOC 9999 Ph.D. Dissertation Research (0-12)

72 total credit hours required for Ph.D. (including 33 for the M.A.)

Participation in the Department Colloquium Series is required, except for students conducting field research. Consistent unexcused absences, lateness, or early departures are indicators of unsatisfactory performance and will result in an automatic instance of probation.

Ph.D. Required and Elective Courses

Teaching Workshop . The required Teaching Workshop (SOC 7400) is an introduction to all aspects of effective teaching and to the techniques of oral presentation. For those students who lack demonstrated proficiency in teaching, the Workshop is a prerequisite of teaching at Vanderbilt. This 3-credit course is taken Pass/Fail. Students with considerable experience teaching or who have taken a similar course at another institution may petition to waive this requirement. A waiver does not replace the credits; the student will have to make up the credits with another course.

Dissertation Proposal Workshop . This course (SOC 7500) guides students as they design their dissertation project and write a dissertation proposal. The course provides a space for brainstorming, receiving peer feedback, and revising under faculty supervision, a proposal for their dissertation research. Students will receive hands-on training on how to write a proposal that is animated by a clear research question, demonstrates a potential contribution to Sociological theory and empirical knowledge in specific Sociological sub-fields, and lays out the appropriate methods for conducting the research.

Special Area Paper (SAP)

To gain deep knowledge in the student’s areas of research and teaching expertise, the student is required to write a Special Area Paper (SAP). The paper enables the student to demonstrate mastery of two or more broad substantive areas. The SAP requires the student to read, organize, and critically assess key concepts, theoretical approaches, research methods, and empirical findings in the paper’s areas. The student is required to submit the SAP by August 15, prior to the beginning of their 7 th semester in the program. The SAP is designed to prepare the student not only for teaching but for their dissertation research.

With the assistance of the DGS, the student asks two faculty members in sociology to serve on their SAP committee. The student then defines the broad areas in consultation with their SAP Committee Chair. Reading lists will be developed by the student and committee members jointly.

The completed SAP is similar to an article in the Annual Review of Sociology; it should organize, summarize/synthesize, and critique the broad literatures and should suggest lines for future research. The SAP should be 35-40 double-spaced pages in length. The SAP prepares the student to teach in their substantive areas of focus and, ideally, provides the student with a first draft of the literature review for the student’s dissertation proposal.

The SAP is evaluated by the faculty members on the student’s SAP committee. Possible SAP grades are:

• pass with distinction
• conditional pass

Committee evaluations of “pass with distinction”, “pass”, or “fail” must be unanimous, or the student must rewrite the SAP. A “conditional pass” means that a student must revise the SAP; a satisfactory rewrite changes the SAP grade to a pass. For a student who receives a conditional pass, committee members will provide the student with written feedback and the committee chair should meet with the student to answer any questions. Students who rewrite their SAP must complete the rewrite within three weeks of receiving their grade and committee feedback. Students who fail the SAP will be terminated from the program. Those who pass or who pass with distinction may seek feedback or advice from the examining committee, if they wish. The SAP committee chair notifies the student and the DGS of the SAP grade no later than three weeks after the SAP is handed in to the committee

Qualifying Examination/Dissertation Proposal

After completion of the Special Area Paper, the student prepares a dissertation proposal describing his or her dissertation topic and the project’s research question(s), the extant literature further developed or challenged by the project, and the methodological approach(es) used to answer the project’s questions. The dissertation proposal must also include a timeline for completion which details a schedule of tasks including data collection, writing, and revisions.

In consultation with their dissertation advisor, the student will recruit a dissertation committee of 3 or more graduate faculty. The student must file a  Request To Appoint Ph.D. Committee   form with the  Graduate School online . The committee must include a faculty member outside of the sociology department. If this scholar is not Vanderbilt faculty, the student must provide a rationale (in third person writing style) for their inclusion and a copy of their CV to the DGS. The student then submits the copy of their CV and the justification letter together with a Request To Appoint Ph.D. Committee to the  Graduate School online .

The student should submit their full dissertation proposal to the dissertation committee no later than two weeks prior to the oral qualifying examination. The student’s dissertation advisor should receive a full dissertation proposal well prior to this (about 8 weeks) allowing time for the advisor to comment on the proposal, the student to make revisions, and the advisor to read the revised draft and give permission when the draft is ready for the student to share with the full committee. More than one revision may be needed. This committee administers the oral qualifying examination and, once the student passes it, guides the student in his or her dissertation research.

Two weeks prior to the oral proposal defense, the student must file a  Request To Schedule Qualifying Examination  with the  Graduate School online . The proposal must be defended and approved no later than the end of the student’s eighth semester (May 15).

The student is allowed one retake of the proposal defense. Passing the dissertation proposal defense constitutes admission to candidacy. Students who fail to pass the retake of the proposal defense will be terminated from the program.

Dissertation Defense

The dissertation must be completed by the end of the student’s 12 th semester in the program. The student should make themselves fully aware of all Graduate School deadlines for completing the dissertation well in advance of these deadlines. Upon petition by the student’s dissertation chair to the DGS and chair, the department may grant an extension beyond the 12 th semester to a date no more than four years after advancement to candidacy. If such a period has expired without successful completion of the dissertation, the student may be dismissed from the program.

The student must submit the completed dissertation to the dissertation committee at least one month prior to the oral dissertation defense. Well prior to this (about 8 weeks) the student’s dissertation advisor should receive a full draft of the dissertation to allow the advisor to comment on the dissertation, the student to make revisions, and the advisor to read the revised draft and give permission when the draft is ready for the student to share with the full committee. More than one revision may and likely will be needed.

Two weeks prior to the oral defense of the dissertation, the student must file a  Request To Schedule Final Defense  with the  Graduate School online . The committee reviews the dissertation and conducts the final oral dissertation defense examination. After successfully defending their dissertations, students obtain signatures and approvals on dissertation title pages and abstracts and then sends to the DGS for signature and submission to the Graduate School.

Teaching Workshop:  The required Teaching Workshop (S7400) is an introduction to all aspects of effective teaching and to the techniques of oral presentation. For those students who lack demonstrated proficiency in teaching, the Workshop is a prerequisite of teaching at Vanderbilt. This 3-credit course is taken pass/fail and is offered every other year. Students with considerable experience teaching or who have taken a similar course at another institution may petition to waive this requirement. A waiver does not replace the credits; the student will have to make up the credits with another course.

Elective Course Work:  Students must take 15 hours of elective credit beyond the M.A. requirements. These credits may be drawn from any combination of the following options (see descriptions above): Special Methods Workshops, Survey Seminars, Special Topic Seminars, Directed Study courses, graduate courses in other departments, or courses accepted for transfer credit from previous institutions. A maximum of 9 credits can be earned for courses not taught by Vanderbilt sociology graduate faculty. This limitation does not preclude taking more courses outside of the department (e.g., for a certificate), but extra credits will not count towards the Ph.D. requirements. The 15 credits must be completed by the end of the student’s sixth semester in the program. Students can take more than 15 elective course credits to reach the 72 credits required for the Ph.D. degree.

Pre-Dissertation and Dissertation Research:  Students must register for Pre-Dissertation Research (SOC 8999) after passing the two Special Area Examinations (normally during the fourth year) and Dissertation Research (S9999) after successfully defending the dissertation proposal (normally during and after the fifth year). Students must take no more than 18 credits of Pre-Dissertation Research (S8999) or Dissertation Research (S9999) in order to reach the 72 credits required for the Ph.D. degree. Once they have met the credit requirement, students should register for zero credits of research in order to maintain their full-time student status.

Special Area Examinations (SAE)

Purpose . The Special Area Exams enable the student to demonstrate the mastery of two broad and different substantive areas. Each Special Area Exam requires a student to read, organize, and critically assess key ideas and findings in a broad area. Reading and preparation for the exams should lay solid foundations for future research and teaching in these fields. Students are strongly urged to take relevant survey seminars or special topic seminars in their special area fields prior to meeting the exam requirements. Ideally, both areas of specialization should be tied to his/her dissertation interests, but this is not a requirement.

Timing . Students are required to take both Special Area Exams prior to the beginning of their seventh semester in the program. Exams will only be offered on one of three dates each year. While specific dates will be announced annually at the beginning of each academic year, these dates will always be scheduled for the middle of each semester. Third-year students must take their first SAE on either the fall (normally in November) or spring semester date (normally in March). Their second SAE must be taken on either the spring or summer date (normally in July).

Format . One exam will be a take-home, 72-hour exam, restricted to a total of 3 to 4 questions to be answered, with a page limit of 10-12 double-spaced pages per question. The second exam may be the same format, or, if the student chooses, may be a special area paper instead. A special area paper is similar to an article in the Annual Review of Sociology; it should organize, summarize/synthesize, and critique a broad literature.

Procedures . The exams will be based on no less than 2,500 pages and no more than 3,500 pages of reading per area. With the assistance of the DGS, the student will ask two faculty members in sociology to serve on his/her exam committee (not all members of the committee need to be specialists in the topic area). One faculty member will serve as chair. With the agreement of all concerned, and after the reading list has been approved in the department, an additional (third) committee member may be drawn from faculty outside the department. The student will likely select a partially or wholly different set of committee members and chair for his/her second exam.

The student defines each broad area in consultation with his/her Special Area Exam Committee Chair. Reading lists will be developed by the student and exam committee members jointly. Copies of earlier Special Area reading lists are kept online in Vanderbilt Box (the SOC. GRAD STUDENTS folder), to assist subsequent students in developing their own lists.

The student must include with the Special Area Exam reading list a brief (no more than one page) description of the substantive focus (or foci) of the readings, and an identification of the student’s specific interests within the broader area of the exam. This statement should be written early in the process of developing the reading list and provided (both with draft and final readings lists) to faculty on the committee and to the DGS.

The student will have a meeting with his/her committee to finalize the reading list for the exam; this meeting should occur no later than three months prior to the exam date, and preferably by the beginning of the semester in which the exam will be taken. Students are encouraged to meet regularly with committee members to discuss questions, insights, and progress as they read materials on the reading list. Two weeks before the exam, students are encouraged to construct their own exam questions and discuss them with their committee members. These questions (or revised versions of them) may be used as exam questions at the discretion of the examining committee.

The examining committee chair will email the student and the DGS the exam. The examination consists of 3 or 4 essay questions to be answered within a 72-hour period. Students will be given some choice in the questions to be answered; typically, they will be asked to choose 3 or 4 of six or eight possibilities. With the aid of the DGS, students will secure appropriate space and computers (if they choose) for the exam. The student will email the examination to the examining committee and the DGS at the end of the 72-hour period. Those who write their exams on computers may turn in storage media (e.g., CD or flash drive) containing their exam answers or submit them electronically to the examining committee and the DGS at the end of the 72-hour period.

Students may bring any notes, books, or other printed matter that they may wish to consult during the period. The Honor Code is in effect and the student taking the exam may not ask for or receive any assistance in answering the exam questions. Any person helping a student during the exam period is as guilty of an Honor-Code violation as is the person asking for assistance.

The Special Area Exam will be graded by the faculty members on the student’s exam committee. Possible grades on the exam are: pass with distinction, pass, conditional pass, or fail. Committee evaluations of “pass” must be unanimous, or the student must rewrite part or all of the exam. A “conditional pass” means that a student must rewrite one of the exam questions; a satisfactory rewrite will change the exam grade to a pass. Students who conditionally pass or who fail the exam will receive explicit feedback and advice from the examining committee. (Those who pass or who pass with distinction may seek feedback or advice from the examining committee, if they wish.) The examining committee chair will notify the student and the DGS the grades on the exam no later than three weeks after it is taken.

Students who fail the first Special Area Exam must retake and pass it by the end of the seventh semester in order to remain in the program; those who fail the second Exam must retake and pass it by the end of the eighth semester. Students who rewrite a question must complete that rewrite within two weeks of receiving their exam grade and committee feedback; the student will have a 24-hour period in which to rewrite the question. Students who fail a Special Area Exam or a question on the Special Area Exam twice will be terminated from the program.

After completion of the second Special Area Examination, the student prepares a dissertation proposal describing his or her dissertation topic and the project’s research question(s), the extant literature further developed or challenged by the project, and the methodological approach(es) used to answer the project’s questions. The dissertation proposal must also include a timeline for completion which details a schedule of tasks including data collection, writing, and revisions.

In consultation with their dissertation advisor, the student will recruit a dissertation committee of 3 or more graduate faculty. The student must file a Request To Appoint Ph.D. Committee  form with the Graduate School online . The committee must include a faculty member outside of the sociology department. If this scholar is not Vanderbilt faculty, the student must provide a rationale (in third person writing style) for their inclusion and a copy of their CV to the DGS. The DGS writes a short letter of justification. The student then submits the copy of their CV and the DGS justification letter together with a Request To Appoint Ph.D. Committee to the Graduate School online .

The student should submit their full dissertation proposal to the dissertation committee no later than two weeks prior to the oral qualifying examination. The student’s dissertation advisor should receive a full dissertation proposal well prior to this allowing time for the advisor to comment on the proposal and the student to make revisions. This committee administers the oral qualifying examination and, once the student passes it, guides the student in his or her dissertation research.

Two weeks prior to the oral proposal defense, the student must file a Request To Schedule Qualifying Examination  with the Graduate School online . The proposal must be defended and approved no later than the end of the student’s eighth semester (May 15). The student is allowed one retake of the proposal defense. Passing the dissertation proposal defense constitutes admission to candidacy. Students who fail to pass the retake of the proposal defense will be terminated from the program.

In order to remain in FERPA compliance, qualifying exam results and approvals may not be emailed. Please see the following guidelines for electronic approvals and submissions:

• Student – Complete the fillable initial information of the Results of Qualifying Examination form (except for the signature in the grade, Passed or Failed) and email it to the Committee Chair.
• Committee Chair – Fill in the grade, passed or failed, and share the form with the entire committee, the DGS, and the program coordinator in Vanderbilt BOX.
• Committee Members – Sign for approval (electronic signature accepted).
• DGS – Sign for approval (electronic signature accepted)
• Program Coordinator – Submit the Results of Qualifying Examination form to the Graduate School online .

The dissertation must be completed within four years after a student has been admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Upon petition to the Graduate School, a one-year extension of candidacy may be granted. If such a period has expired without successful completion of the dissertation, the student may be dismissed from the Graduate School. Readmission to the Graduate School, and to candidacy, requires application to the Graduate School, with approval of the faculty in the sociology department. In such cases the student may be required, by the Graduate School or by the Ph.D. committee, to demonstrate competence for readmission by taking a qualifying examination or additional course work.

The student must submit the completed dissertation to the dissertation committee at least one month prior to the oral dissertation defense. Well prior to this the student’s dissertation advisor should receive drafts of the dissertation to allow the advisor to comment on the dissertation and the student to make revisions.

Two weeks prior to the oral defense of the dissertation, the student must file a Request To Schedule Final Defense  with the Graduate School online . The committee reviews the dissertation and conducts the final oral dissertation defense examination. After successfully defending their dissertations, students obtain signatures and approvals on dissertation title pages and abstracts via email:

• Students – Email the title page and abstract to the entire committee for approval and copy [email protected] .
• Committee Members – REPLY ALL with the approval or disapproval.
• Students – Combine the title page, abstract, and all email responses into one PDF and upload to their VIREO submission as an Administrative file.

In order to remain in FERPA compliance, dissertation defense results and approvals may not be emailed. Please see the following guidelines for electronic approvals and submission:

• Student – Complete the fillable initial information of the Results of Dissertation Defense form (except for the signatures and the grade, passed or failed) and email it to the Committee Chair.
• Committee Members – Sign for approval (electronic signature accepted)
• Program Coordinator – Submit the Results of Dissertation Defense form to the Graduate School online .

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SATISFACTORY PROGRESS

Residency . Full-time students are expected to enroll in the Graduate School during each fall and spring semester. After completion of the required 72 hours for the Ph.D. degree, full-time students register for 0 hours of dissertation research at the minimum tuition rate of $200 each semester. Candidates for the Ph.D. degree who are away from the university must continue to register for 0 hours of dissertation research to remain in good standing.

Grade Point Averages . In order to make satisfactory progress in the program, students must earn a cumulative grade point average (GPA) and departmental grade point average (DGA) of 3.00 by the end of each semester. The GPA does not include research courses (e.g., S8999) or transfer credits (unless the course substitutes for an MA requirement). The DGA does not include directed studies courses (S9888- S9889) or undergraduate courses approved for graduate credit.

Teaching and Research Assistantships . Teaching (TA) and research (RA) assistantships are awarded for students to obtain academic and/or research experience beyond their coursework. Teaching assistants assist faculty with teaching a course. Research assistants assist or collaborate with faculty in research. These are professional roles and will be evaluated as such at the end of each semester. Consistent evidence of incompetence, neglect of duty, inefficiency, or other deficiencies are indicators of unsatisfactory performance of the student’s assigned duties and responsibilities. Assistantships are renewable, not guaranteed, and are subject to termination by the Department Chair and the DGS if the student’s performance is deemed substandard. Students work for 20 hours per week in each semester as teaching or research assistants.

RESEARCH EXPECTATIONS

A main driver of tenure-track employment for new PhDs in sociology is publication during graduate school of high-quality research in peer-review journals. To that end, the PhD program has the following research requirements:

Students must take part in two Research Collaboratives and have two Independent Research papers under review by the end of their 5 th year in the program.

Research Collaboratives (RC1 and RC2) are official collaborations between the graduate student and a faculty member that take place in the student’s second and third years in the program.

RC1 starts at the beginning of the summer after the student’s first year and continues through the student’s second year in the program. The student collaborates on research with a faculty advisor/mentor. At the end of RC1, the student in collaboration with the faculty advisor must have a paper completed that will be submitted to a peer-review academic journal. This paper is a requirement for the master’s degree.

RC2 starts at the beginning of the summer after the student’s second year in the program and continues through the student’s third year. The student either collaborates on research with a faculty advisor/mentor or prepares a sole-authored paper with guidance from the faculty advisor. At the end of RC2, the student must have a paper completed for which they are lead author (if the paper is written in collaboration with the faculty advisor) or sole author, that will be submitted to a peer-review academic journal for publication.

In some instances, deviations from these RC1 and RC2 requirements better provide for the student’s research training. Faculty mentors should discuss such possible deviations with the director of graduate studies.

The Independent Research (IR1 and IR2) requirements entail having a) a sole-authored paper under review at a peer-review academic journal by the end of the student’s fourth year, and b) another sole-authored paper under review at a peer-review academic journal by the end of their fifth year in the program. For each IR, the student will also form a 2-person committee made up of sociology faculty. This committee will review the IR papers to confirm that they are A) ready to submit to a journal, B) at a later date, under review at a peer reviewed academic journal, and C) of acceptable quality to count for the IR requirement.

In some instances, deviations from these IR1 and IR2 requirements better provide for the student’s research training. Faculty mentors should discuss such possible deviations with the director of graduate studies.

The ability to obtain external funding is another key ingredient to a successful academic career in Sociology. To that end, the program has the following external funding requirement:

Students must apply for one external grant or fellowship before the end of their 10 th semester in the program.

TRAINING FOR THE PROFESSION

Integral to success as a scholar on the tenure track at research-intensive universities is deep expertise in at least two sub-fields within the Sociology discipline, along with an ability to share that knowledge through presentation (primarily in the classroom setting). To help train students to have deep knowledge and an ability to present on and teach that knowledge, the program has the following requirements:

Teaching Expectations

Students will typically serve as teaching assistants through their graduate assistantships for four (and no more than six) semesters. These teaching assistantships will typically take place in their first, fifth, and sixth years in the program.

Students will take a required 3-credit Teaching Workshop. The required Teaching Workshop (SOC 7400) introduces students to all aspects of effective teaching and the techniques of oral presentation. For those students who lack demonstrated proficiency in teaching, the Workshop is a prerequisite of teaching at Vanderbilt.

Other Training Expectations

Professionalization Seminar:

Each semester, the DGS, Graduate Program Committee members, and other faculty will hold a number of one-hour seminars, in the format of panel discussions, on matters of professionalization (examples of topics include how to plan your career, where do research ideas come from, how to apply for external funding, how to submit papers to peer-review journals, how to work on work/life balance, etc.). All students must attend the seminars. For students in their second year and beyond, many seminar topics will be repeats, but different faculty may present the topics and different aspects of the topic become important in different ways as one goes through their graduate career.

Department Colloquia:

Observing and engaging with visiting speakers is an excellent way to learn how to give polished presentations and to develop a professional network. To that end, all students must attend the Department Colloquium series (this includes any department event that has an academic speaker and is open to the entire department).

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STANDING IN THE GRADUATE PROGRAM

It is each student’s responsibility to learn and comply with department degree requirements, to be familiar with rules for determining standing in the program, and to understand the consequences of not meeting these standards.

At the end of each semester, a student may be either “in good standing” or “on probation” in the graduate sociology program. Academic standing is determined by:

• a) timeliness in completing the minimum required number of semester credit hours; b) timeliness in completing coursework and other requirements; and c) the quality of performance in coursework and in other requirements.

If a student is on probation at the end of two consecutive semesters, the student will be reviewed by the DGS, Chair, and an ad-hoc faculty committee for potential termination from the program. This review will also take place if the student is on probation three times, regardless of the sequencing of the incidents. Extenuating circumstances will be taken into account.

After the end of each spring semester, each student in the program receives an end of the year letter of standing (LOS) from the DGS telling the student whether or not the student is in good standing and reminding the student of upcoming deadlines.

TIMELINE OF REQUIREMENTS

Failure to meet any of the following deadlines will result in an automatic instance of probation.

OTHER MATTERS

Graduate Student Professional Activities Fund. The Department has an annual fund dedicated to helping to pay the costs of activities that enhance the professional training and goals of our graduate students. To apply for funds, Graduate students should send a formal request to the DGS, which includes how much money is being requested, what the money will be used for, and how the use will serve the professional training and development of the student. The DGS will approve based on the following criteria: 1) there is enough money left in the fund. It is first come, first serve; 2) that the planned use of funds is related to professional activities and enhances the training of the student; 3) the planned use of the fund is allowable per university rules. The annual limit per student is $600, although the DGS may remove this cap in late Spring if there is enough money left in the fund to support this.

Bi-Annual Mentoring Committee Meetings. Each academic year, the student and their Faculty Mentoring Committee (FMC) will meet at least twice. The academic year begins with a mentoring committee meeting between the student and their FMC (i.e., two to three sociology faculty members, typically including during the second and third years, the RC advisor; in later years, SAP and dissertation committee members). The first meeting takes place at the beginning of the fall semester (no later than the end of September). Graduate students should share with committee members in advance of the meeting a document outlining their expectations and plans for the coming academic year. In this meeting, the student and mentors set expectations and define a plan for the coming academic year and for later phases of the graduate career. The second meeting takes place at the end of the spring semester (no later than the end of May) to evaluate progress and give advice for use of summertime and later phases of the program. Again, the graduate student should share with committee members in advance of the meeting a document outlining their expectations and plans for use of summertime and later phases of the program. In a student’s first year, as mentioned, mentoring meetings will take place as part of the FYMC. The chair of the student’s FMC will send a letter summarizing the meeting to the DGS.

Leaves of Absence . After commencing graduate studies at Vanderbilt, a student may be granted a leave of absence by the Graduate School for a maximum of one year. This is granted upon the recommendation of the department and must be agreed to by both the DGS and the Department Chair. The student must provide the DGS a formal leave of absence request and describe the reason for the request and the beginning and end of the requested leave. After the Graduate School approves a leave of absence, the DGS contacts the College of Arts and Science for the approval of deferred funding for the student.

Incompletes . An incomplete must be completed and a grade officially recorded no later than eight weeks from the first day of classes in the semester following the one in which a student received an incomplete. A student who receives an incomplete at the end of the semester must complete the required work and deliver it to the supervising faculty member in time for the faculty member to read and evaluate the work, and file the final grade, by the eighth-week deadline. Any incomplete course not finished within this time frame will result in an F for the course. It will be the responsibility of students to ensure that they deliver work in time for the supervising faculty member to submit a grade by the deadline, and the responsibility of faculty to notify the DGS (not just the Graduate School) of the grade. At the beginning of each semester, the DGS will remind students and faculty of the deadline for completing and grading incompletes. Students may appeal, in writing, to the Graduate Program Committee (GPC) for more than eight weeks in which to finish incompletes (and have them graded). Appeals should be delivered to the GPC no later than October 1 (for incompletes due to expire in a fall semester) and February 15 (for those expiring in the spring).

Remote Assistantships . Vanderbilt University Graduate School Policy requires funded students, who are not on a Leave of Absence, to be in residence. The only exception to this is if field work requires the student to work remotely. Under these exceptional circumstances, students may petition the DGS and the Department Chair to meet the work requirements of their graduate assistantship or research assistantship remotely. The student must provide the DGS a formal petition letter. This petition must be accompanied by a faculty sponsor’s signed agreement letter to accept the student as their GA/RA for the duration of the student’s time away from campus. If approved by the DGS and Chair, the DGS will then petition the Graduate School for approval.

Terminal Master’s Degrees . Occasionally, early-career students make the determination that they should not advance further in the Ph.D. program. Students should consult with the DGS to determine if the receipt of a terminal M.A. degree is necessary and possible as soon as s/he is convinced that this may be the best course of action. This is especially important because—as explained above—all of the requirements for the M.A. (terminal or not) must be completed by July 15 following the second year.

Concerns and Issues . Students are welcome to discuss concerns and issues (in confidence) with the faculty adviser(s), the DGS, or the Department Chair. If the student’s concerns and issues cannot be resolved at the departmental level, as stated on page 5 in the  Graduate School Resource Guide :

“The student may schedule a meeting with the Graduate Life Coach, Graduate School Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, or the Dean of the Graduate School to discuss further steps. Situations may arise in which students believe that they have not received fair treatment by a representative of the University, or they may have a complaint about the performance, action, or inaction of a member of the staff or faculty that has affected them. Students who wish to have a complaint addressed by the University should first use the Complaint Procedure. If the Complaint Procedure proves unsatisfactory, then students may use the Grievance Procedure.”

Relevant information is also available in the Graduate School Catalog and the Student Handbook .

Is an Online PhD in Sociology Worth It?

Blog summary.

Sociologists play an essential role in helping others understand people in large groups and how they work in various situations. This understanding allows researchers, mass media, products and service providers, medical professionals, environmentalists, NGOs, rehabilitators, lawmakers, and planners to tune their offerings to serve and aid the masses effectively. A PhD in sociology employs an interdisciplinary approach to holistic understanding, a unique opportunity to specialize and develop an essential skillset, and field-oriented education. Explore jobs in academics, research, consulting, non-profits, government organizations, entrepreneurship, etc. Pursue a PhD in sociology from TSL-UCN and develop a deeper understanding of how families operate within cultural, social, ethical, and economic frameworks. Work with minority populations, gain research skills, and develop advanced observation and self-awareness.

So, Why Should One Pursue a PhD in Sociology Degree?

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Are you wondering whether an online PhD in sociology worth it or not? If yes, this article is exclusively for you!

Sociology is the science of human societies, their interactions, and the means of processes that initiate changes and what preserves them utilizing the data collected by examining the dynamics of society’s integral parts such as communities, institutions and gender, age, and racial groups.

Sociologists play an essential role in helping others understand people in large groups and how they work in various situations. This understanding allows researchers, mass media, products and service providers, medical professionals, environmentalists, NGOs, rehabilitators, lawmakers, and planners to tune their offerings to serve and aid the masses more effectively.

Sociology also examines stratification, social status, social movements, and social change in great detail and a standard and niche societal disorder in the form of deviance, crime, and even revolution.

While many tend to believe that a bachelor’s or a postgraduate course on sociology would equip graduates with all the knowledge, they might be surprised to learn that a PhD would open up a new door of academic and research opportunities. If you are one of those who wondered if a PhD in sociology is worth pursuing, you should keep reading.

Gaining a PhD in sociology allows professionals to expand upon their knowledge of the human mind and society in general and gives them access to courses that help them understand the best ways to analyze and collect data. The human mind is one of the leases known about in our modern age. Learning advanced concepts and conduction research would allow PhD in sociology graduates to find critical data that would further deepen our understanding of society.

Unlike a UG and PG degree, a PhD in sociology offers better opportunities for becoming a sociologist, social care worker, or sociology professor due to their advanced knowledge and expertise in the human psyche area. Having advanced experience in both the societal structures, laws, and the human mind will enable graduates of sociology degree courses to offer their unique expertise while working with lawmakers, probation offices, and correctional treatment specialists to better their understanding and offerings.

Sociology in African countries has been a mixed bag as the continent is home to many urban and rural areas. There is so much one can discover as the continent offers a broad yet diverse set of communities with unique traditions and societal practices that will add more to the sociology community’s collective understanding.

Organizations such as the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) and the Organization for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA) take on various research and analyses of the social structure growth across multiple countries of the continent.

They have provided opportunities for local researchers and other organizations to compile groundbreaking data and improve the overall understanding of the society in which they live. These insights have brought many positive changes and provided much-needed clarity to professionals from other sectors to better themselves and their offerings to their audience.

Many sociology graduates wonder if pursuing a PhD in sociology makes sense for them as there is no definitive career progression on offer similar to medicine, law, or engineering. Though vocational orientation in many universities is few and far between, there is much to gain with a sociology degree. Professionals should not get discouraged from pursuing a PhD in sociology.

Pursuing a PhD in sociology equips scholars with tangible and intangible skills in advanced research and data analysis. As the modern world is now increasingly digitized, the job landscape and its requirements have evolved, with its careers involving data analysis has become a significant part of sociologists. This skill set on research and analysis could be the most valuable skill that scholars could acquire.

Some benefits of studying a PhD in sociology are as follows:

• Quantitative literacy critical thinking and statistical reasoning skills
• Research skills (e.g., data collection, literature review, and data analysis)
• Academic-level research and dissertation capacity
• Social skills (e.g., ability to interact with people from various social backgrounds, communication skills, cultural competence, and empathy)

Online learning has become the norm for many years. The recent pandemic has only familiarized it with the broader audience. This opportunity is especially beneficial for PhD scholars who wish to keep their job while pursuing a higher degree.

Utilizing the latest advances in communication tech, an online PhD in sociology also helps professionals save on time, fees, and money compared to a traditional program. It is also a great way to build your professional network as you will be among highly qualified professionals worldwide.

Pursuing an online PhD in sociology will require scholars to conduct extensive original research on their chosen topic scholars will do this online, which might sound to be limiting. However, many would soon realize the abundance of data on offer, combined with their advanced skills, and produce something groundbreaking.

The PhD in sociology program will predominantly focus its study on psychology, family and relationships, social work, and demography. The doctoral programs will allow scholars to pursue a unique specialization in their careers and make new academic discoveries.

There are lots of benefits personally and professionally by pursuing a sociology degree:

• An Interdisciplinary Approach to Holistic Understanding Sociology is an interdisciplinary study of society and it’s inner workings. Scholars who undertake a PhD in sociology learn and work with society’s complex understandings to build qualities to identify interconnections between different parameters and identify patterns that could better understand and predict human culture. They learn to comprehend the social structure as a whole, unlike any other study area—this one of the most genuinely understated benefits of a sociology degree.
• Unique Opportunity to Specialize and Develop an Indispensable Skill Set PhD in sociology allows candidates to learn and develop advanced emotional intelligence and finetune their soft skills; this aids them personally and professionally in the long term. This development also gives us a unique opportunity to specialize and sub-specialize in particular areas of interest and benefit your career. This will be inimitable, which will add more value to you and your profession.
• Field-Oriented Education That Leads to Creative Thinking Benefits of sociology degree include a field-oriented education that helps scholars develop creative thinking, which is a crucial aspect required to succeed as a sociologist and in day-to-day life. Unlike any other discipline, sociology is allowing one to explore the fundamentals of human nature and grow enormously.

One might assume that a PhD in sociology may limit professionals to academia and research; however, that’s not the case as there are also various other career paths one can opt for which would make use of

• Consulting As specialists of a particular field, consultation roles are among the most valuable yet effective jobs that one can undertake. As a consultant, you will be providing expert advice on matters pertaining to the goals of the company or organization, be it education, finance, human resources, marketing, or management; a sociology degree graduate will be able to provide valuable insights to develop, implement and improve a product or service. A consultant’s role can also open up opportunities for more prominent roles with the company or organization if the need arises. In a sea of professionals with various background degrees duking it out in job interviews, you will be able to waltz in with your proven track record from your previous interactions and score a C-level position in the company.
• Nonprofit Organizations Sociology is one of those roles that can serve as a benefactor for many nonprofit organizations focusing on sociological issues and developments. The diverse set of talents of a sociology degree course graduate is suitable for various roles ranging from a lead researcher to a fundraiser in a nonprofit organization.
• The Local or Federal Government Government offices are always on the lookout for certified sociology professionals who can contribute to gaining research-supported insights on society to improve public services and offerings. Professionals from various sectors also collaborate to meet goals, so apart from a thriving environment, there is an excellent opportunity to test and expand your skills.
• Professional Research Research is the bread and butter of a sociology PhD scholar. Pursuing a researcher role is an effortless jump for any graduate. Research positions are available in various industry publishing sectors, think tank organizations, banking, government agencies, education, and many others. All industry areas are interested in hiring highly skilled PhD scholars, who have some exposure in the industry, and readily have the valuable research skills required for the job. Research careers offer a supportive environment, structured promotion systems, and more generous pay are just a few reasons to pursue a research career. It’s now increasingly appealing to be a researcher outside of academia due to these advantages. Additionally, expert industry researchers are usually rewarded, not penalized, for going out of their path and taking innovative initiatives.
• Entrepreneurship Many PhD graduates have transformed themselves into successful entrepreneurs with their skills and resourcefulness. PhD graduates are known and sought after for their transferable skills; this effectively makes them good teachers and good leaders. Entrepreneurship is a great area that will allow PhD graduates to shine with their skills and ability to create.

Taksha Smartlabz in association with the University of Central Nicaragua’s and Its Online PhD in Sociology

In an academic partnership with the University of Central Nicaragua, Taksha Smartlabz (TSL) offers an acclaimed online PhD in sociology degree. It is one of the most coveted sociology programs in Africa. TSL-UCN’s sociology course blends the flexibility of online learning with superior learning methodologies coupled with a state-of-the-art learning management system. It offers one of the best learning experiences one can hope to get. Earning a PhD in sociology will get you a more significant opportunity in the social sector.

To meet the sociology degree requirements, one has to have graduated from a recognized university with a master’s degree and have a few years of relevant sociology experience.

TSL-UCN’s sociology doctoral program is taught by a diverse and highly experienced global faculty with extensive experience and knowledge in their specific field. TSL-UCN’s program has a well-established global reputation, and it is also affordable for international aspirants. Other salient reasons are as below:

• Upon graduation, candidates develop a deeper understanding of how families operate within cultural, social, ethical, and economic frameworks.
• Graduates will also grow as a better human by working with at-risk and oppressed populations.
• Scholars gain skills relating to research analysis and evidence-based social work.
• Scholars develop advanced observation and self-awareness by learning how past experiences push their behavior.

With that, we hope you can now understand if a Sociology PhD Worth It or not and maybe even inclined to pursue the discipline yourself.

Join TSL-UCN to upgrade your skill set and take your career to next level.

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Department of Sociology

Graduate admissions, am i eligible to apply for the ph.d. program in sociology.

You are eligible for admission to graduate programs at Harvard if you have either 1) completed a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association; or 2) completed an international degree that is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a college or university of recognized standing. Students who are unsure of the U.S. equivalency of their degree(s) should consult a reputable credential evaluation service.

How long does it take to get a Ph.D. in Sociology at Harvard?

It is possible to complete all of the degree requirements within five years, however, some... Read more about How long does it take to get a Ph.D. in Sociology at Harvard?

How can I find faculty with research interests in my topic/area of interest?

Sociology faculty members have individual profile pages that highlight their research interests and selected publications.

What are the teaching requirements for the program?

The department requires a minimum of one semester of Teaching Fellowship for the degree. The majority of students serve as Teaching Fellows for 4 to 6 semesters. SOC 3305 (Teaching Practicum) is a required course that prepares graduate students for classroom instruction.

Can I transfer graduate work that I’ve already completed?

Ordinarily the Department of Sociology does not grant credit for work done elsewhere.

Is there an MA degree program in the Department of Sociology?

No, there is not a terminal MA program in Sociology at Harvard. Enrolled doctoral students may be eligible for the Sociology AM after completing eight graduate courses and an approved Master’s thesis.

Do I have to have an M.A. before I apply to the Ph.D. program?

No. Applicants to the Ph.D. program are not required to have an M.A. before applying to the Ph.D. program.

My current degree is not in Sociology. Will this adversely affect my graduate application?

No. Applicants are not required to have a Sociology degree, although a background in the social sciences and statistics can be extremely helpful. It is important, however, that applicants who come from another academic background understand the field of sociology and how it applies to their areas of interest. The Department of Sociology does not have specific course requirements for admission to its doctoral program.

How can I get more information from the Department regarding my interest in graduate studies in Sociology?

Please refer to the other pages on our website and the Harvard Griffin GSAS Admissions website for more information. If you are unable to locate the information you are looking for, contact the Sociology Graduate Program Coordinator .

Do I need to take the GRE?

Yes. The GRE is required of all applicants to the graduate program in Sociology. Per University policy, GRE scores are valid for 5 years from the date of the test.

When do I need to take the GRE?

It is highly recommended that applicants to the PhD program take the GRE no later than mid-November in the year of application. This ensures that your scores will be reported to Harvard Griffin GSAS Admissions and the Sociology Department by the application deadline. We will not accept GRE scores for tests taken after the application deadline.

How do I send my test scores (TOEFL, GRE) to the department?

Applicants need to make arrangements with ETS to send their scores to Harvard University using the University code 3451. Harvard Griffin GSAS Admissions downloads the scores on a weekly basis. Departments and Programs access the scores electronically for the applicant file. No Department code is necessary, as the scores are sent directly to Harvard Griffin GSAS Admissions, not the department.

Please note that Harvard Griffin GSAS does not accept scores from the TOEFL ITP Plus examination. This is because the TOEFL ITP Plus does not provide a robust...

Do I need to take a GRE subject test?

No. Applicants are required to take the GRE General Exam.

What kind of GRE scores do I need to be competitive?

There is not a minimum score required for evaluation of your application by the admissions committee. Scores are reviewed in the context of the applicant’s entire file. Applications and test scores are reviewed and ranked by the Sociology Department’s Admissions Committee on a case-by-case basis.

I am an International applicant who speaks and reads English. Do I need to take the TOEFL?

If you have a four-year degree from an English-speaking institution, you may not have to take the TOEFL. Harvard Griffin GSAS requires that incoming PhD students who are non-native English speakers and who received their undergraduate degree from a non-English speaking institution meet a minimum level of oral English language proficiency . For a ll queries regarding the TOEFL requirement, contact Harvard Griffin GSAS Admissions at  admiss@fas....

• What Can You Do With A PhD In Sociology?
• After a PhD

Introduction

This article will answer “what can you do with a PhD in Sociology?”. First, let’s start with the basics: Sociology is a social science which aims to understand the behaviour of society. This is a very broad definition but captures the essence of the subject. Sociology studies range from the structure of different groups and organisations within society to divisions from religion, class, race, age and gender.

A PhD degree in sociology provides insight into social concepts and requires a strong understanding of research methods, statistics, data collection and analysis. Research shows that most Social science graduates move into academia, though other (non-academic) career options exist.

Data on leavers

The Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Longitudinal Survey, carried out by HSEA, captures information about the activities and perspectives of graduates three and a half years after they completed their studies. Based on over 11,000 responses from 2012/13 Social study leavers, approximately 83% of UK domiciled leavers who achieved a qualification through postgraduate research were in work, with another approx. 7.5% in further study.

Destinations of 2012/13 UK and other EU domiciled leavers with postgraduate research in Social studies.

More information on this data can be found here . The same survey also includes information on those in employment. The table below presents the employment destination (categorised by jobs) of UK domiciled Social study leavers (2012/13) who obtained postgraduate qualifications.

UK domiciled leavers (Postgraduate Social studies 2012/13) in employment (inc. work and further study) by Standard Industrial Classification of employer

More information on this data can be found here .

We can see the largest four destinations are: 1) Human health and social work activities, 2) Public administration and defence; compulsory social security, 3) Education and 4) Professional, scientific and technical activities. We can also see that some social study graduates take up jobs/roles in financial and insurance activities, retail trade and manufacturing.

Of course, a postgraduate degree is much more specialised than an undergraduate degree, and so your PhD programme can be tailored to particular career options if you already have long-term aspirations for your career. For example, a PhD in Sociology with a focus on international relations lends itself to a career in international politics.

Studying sociology equips you with the skills for a career not only in the academic field but also in a wide range of fields including business, health & social care, marketing, public relations, education and politics. Examples of typical first roles post-graduation for sociology doctorates includes lecturers, researchers, positions in government, youth workers and public health services.

The analytical nature of sociology studies lends itself to a career in business. Business is a very broad term – think statistics, public relations, human resources etc. The ability to emphasise and understand human behaviour is important in the last two examples, and business often looks to sociology students at university for these attributes. Due to the competitive nature of business jobs, PhD students should look to undertake work experience which would support their academic work before applying.

Marketing is the art of understanding social behaviour and human thinking to best develop campaigns to target these attributes. A PhD degree in sociology provides a strong foundation of knowledge in gender, race, age and human behaviour etc. which enables you to use your research skills to more accurately forecast the effectiveness of marketing campaigns to target demographics. This understanding, combined with the analytical skills gained from a PhD makes a career in marketing a suitable destination for sociology graduates.

Social & social care

Social researchers are able to transition into social care roles such as community development officers, welfare officers, counsellors as well as careers in the public health service, the criminal justice service and in rehabilitation. These roles let you make the most of the ‘human’ side of your research programme and allow you to interact with members of the public (from varying backgrounds) in a more intimate nature. If you are a student who particularly enjoyed the health oriented aspects of your PhD study, this could be the right career path for you.

A Sociology PhD degree can prepare you in a career in education at any level. As a research student you are likely to have knowledge of child behaviour and the learning process in children which can be used (alongside a professional teaching qualification) to land you a teaching role in primary and secondary education.

In terms of higher education, a research degree typically forms part of the entry requirements for a teaching role in universities. Generally, university lecturers have much more freedom in the contents and coursework of their course than lower education teachers, which allows you to focus on your chosen speciality and tailor research training to your research interest. Universities often offer their doctorates part time teaching positions as a way of assisting in the transition from student to teacher.

It is important to note that an educational role in higher education is not just limited to lecturing at a university, but also includes supervising research projects, tutoring students and running research programmes.

Similar to marketing, a successful politician needs to have a strong understanding of social culture and be in tune with the values of different demographics. A career in politics can range from being an activist to engaging with charities, regardless of the level of involvement – a PhD in sociology gives you the perspective of different cultures and can allow you to use this insight to contribute to society. Whether your postgraduate research area is directly related to politics or not, looking for work experience is advised as it often forms part of entry requirements for political roles.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

Skills for your CV

It is important to remember that whilst most Sociology doctorates pursue a career in academia, holding a PhD in the subject gives you a number of skills and attributes which make you desirable to a wide range of employers. You must be able to recognise these skills when preparing your CV and job applications.

Examples of skills you will learn as a sociology PhD student during your postgraduate study include:

• An understanding of the social concepts and current issues faced in society,
• The ability to emphasise and use information to make strong arguments,
• An understanding and application of statistical methods and analytical techniques,
• Appreciate the diversity and range of cultures in the world,
• Use the above knowledge to become more influential in society and relate your knowledge to public policy.

In addition to the above having a PhD also equips you with several transferable skills . These are skills which a vital in the professional working environment and can be used in any sector. Examples of transferable skills postgraduate research students possess include communication, team working, work ethic, time management, problem-solving and the ability to carry out independent research.

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Essential information about the PhD in Sociology program.

Specific information about the program.

General information and program requirements

Program information.

• Comprehensive examinations
• Suggested progress
• Guidelines for the prep of the proposal
• Supervision agreement

PhD Thesis (THD 9999)

A doctoral thesis must make a significant contribution to knowledge in a field of study, embody the results of original investigation and analysis, and be of such quality as to merit publication. The doctoral thesis is usually about 250–300 pages. Students are usually expected to complete their programs within four years.  The writing of the thesis must conform to the rules of methodology established by the academic unit.  If the thesis consists of a series of published articles, it must conform to university and academic unit guidelines for such theses.  It is important that the manuscript be of good quality in order to permit its reproduction.

Thesis by articles

Students have the option of submitting a traditional thesis or a thesis by articles. The conditions for theses by articles are:

• The plan to write a thesis by articles must be approved by the supervisor and by the Program Coordinator.  The request must be submitted in writing no less than six months prior to the final submission of the thesis.
• The articles replace the chapters of a traditional thesis.  The thesis by articles must include all of the information normally found in a traditional thesis, namely a unifying sociological problem or question, a detailed presentation of methods, discussion and analysis of findings, a general conclusion that articulates the sociological impact of the whole thesis.
• The articles must have been written for publication in peer-reviewed scholarly journals.  At a minimum, the articles must have been submitted to eligible journals at the moment of submission.
• To be included in the thesis, articles must represent original work, have been written in the course of the student’s doctoral program, and not have been accepted for publication prior to approval of the research proposal (SOC 9930).
• The thesis must comprise of at least 3 articles.
• Of these, the student must be the sole author of at least two articles, and the first author of each article written collaboratively.
• The articles in the thesis are to be evaluated by the Thesis Committee in the same manner as other parts of the thesis, regardless of their publication status.  The Committee may require modification even if the articles have been accepted or already appear in print.

Before beginning your thesis, please read  all instructions on the Submission and Evaluation site , taking into account the important academic dates and deadlines. Prior to submitting the thesis, students must have completed all of the program’s requirements and have submitted the list of examiners.

Thesis Proposal (SOC 9930)

The thesis proposal must demonstrate:

• The ability to clearly articulate a research program, including a theoretical orientation, a research questions, and an appropriate methodological plan;
• A knowledge of the relevant scholarly literature;
• An awareness of the scope and limitations of the project, both conceptually and methodologically;
• A plan for moving from the proposal stage to final submission of the thesis.

If relevant, the proposal must also contain a plan and timetable for gaining the approval of the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Ottawa.

The thesis proposal must be approved by the thesis committee. A student whose proposal is not accepted on the first submission may be allowed to submit it a second time.  A student whose proposal is rejected a second time must withdraw from the program.

Make-up of doctoral committees

Structure of doctoral committees with directors, internal/external members, according to academic stages.

Comprehensive Exam Committee

Supervisor + Co-supervisor (if applicable) + 2 other professors of  the school + (1 member external of the school (optional) 

*All committee members must be members of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Thesis Proposal Committee

Supervisor + Co-supervisor (if applicable) + 2 other professors of the school + 1 professor external of the school

Thesis Committee

Supervisor + Co-supervisor (if applicable) + 2 other professors of the school + 1 professor external of the school + 1 final evaluator external to the university

*The external evaluator must be approved by the Graduate office of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the time of the submission of the thesis. Neither the student nor any member of the committee may communicate with the external evaluator prior to submission of his or her final report.

The purpose of the comprehensive examinations is to test the candidate’s capacity to deepen and broaden their understanding of the theoretical and empirical debates in the scholarly fields of interest to the candidate. It is not the place to present their proposed research.

The exam questions may have different dimensions (theoretical, epistemological, methodological, empirical or field specific) depending on each candidate's particular contexts, research interests and the needs identified by the committee members. The comprehensive examinations require a) a response to the two questions formulated by the committee b) a synthesis of the relevant literature necessary to respond each of the questions c) an account of the development of the field of knowledge and the key debates that have structured it.

The format permits the exam to be tailored to the specific research context of individual candidates. It remains, however, an exam that assesses a candidate’s capacity to answer the comprehensive exam questions according to a relevant bibliography.

The objectives of the two exam options are essentially the same, i.e., to test the candidate’s capacity to produce answers that synthesize and map the fields of knowledge targeted by the committee’s questions. However, the relationship to the proposed bibliographies differ. In Option 1, where the writing is undertaken over a period of five and a-half months, the candidate draws heavily on the bibliography proposed by the committee but can amend as necessary. In option 2, written over a four-day period, following an equivalent reading period to Option 1, the candidate is limited to the works included in the bibliography proposed by the committee.

Comprehensive Examinations (SOC 9910)

The information provided here applies only to students who began the PhD program after May 1,  2012.  For the older rules and regulations, please contact the Program Coordinator.

The Comprehensive Examination (SOC 9910) is comprised of two separate questions, each requiring a written answer, and one oral defence of both answers.  The two questions must be grounded in two distinct sub-disciplines of sociology.

• The exam committee is comprised of: Supervisor + 2 other professors of  the school (if applicable + co-supervisor)
• Students have the right to choose between two options (see next).  The choice must be made at the beginning of the process in consultation with the committee.  There is no form to complete at this point, but the student’s choice will be noted by the supervisor and is considered final.
• Option 1: The student receives the two reading lists and the two questions at the same time, on May 1 at the latest.  The reading lists are considered to be  suggestive , and students are free to go beyond them in answering the questions.  Each answer is expected to be between 12,000-15,000 words long, double-spaced.
• Option 2: The student receives the two reading lists on May 1 at the latest. Students are expected to prepare for the exam without advance knowledge of the questions. The reading lists are considered  fixed , and students are not expected to read beyond them.  The questions are communicated at the beginning of the exam period (see below), and the answers must be submitted within 96 hours (4 days). Each answer is expected to be between 6,000 and 8,000 words, double-spaced.
• The exam is graded S/NS (satisfactory or unsatisfactory); and the grade is determined after the oral defence.
• Students are required to complete the exam before the end of their sixth session of enrollment.  At the end of the sixth session, a grade of NS will be assigned. Students who began the program on a January date, or who were required to take extra courses as a condition of their admittance, must complete the exam before the end of their eighth session.
• For Option 1: Answers may only be handed on  November 1 . In cases where these date fall on a weekend, the submission date will be the following Monday.
• For Option 2: There are only one window each year for taking the exam, during the week of  November 1.
• Barring exceptional circumstances, the oral defence must take place at most  one month  following submission of answers.
• The exam committee is chaired by the supervisor, who identifies the relevant sub-disciplines in consultation with the student.  The supervisor is responsible for organizing the communication of the reading lists and questions to the student, and for scheduling the oral defence.
• The exam committee collaborates in compiling the reading lists and determining the questions posed to the student.  It is recommended that the student participate in compiling the reading lists  but not  the questions.  Final authority rests with the committee.
• In contrast with the thesis proposal, the supervisor  does not  read or approve the student’s answers prior to submission.  The answers are accepted as is and forwarded to oral defence.  The exam committee does not formally meet between submission and defence.  However, students are free to discuss the evolution of their thinking with members of the committee prior to submission.  Students who have chosen  Option 2  are barred from communicating with their supervisor or members of the committee during the 96 hours of the exam.
• A typical oral defence is approximately 2 hours in length.
• Each member of the committee may vote on the final grade (including the supervisor).
• In case of failure of the comprehensive examination, there is a possibility of one re-take if the student does not have another failure in the program. Two failures in the program, either for course, comprehensive examination or the thesis proposal, lead to the withdrawal of the program.
• Normally, both answers are handed in to the committee at the same time, with one oral defence.  For students who have chosen  Option 1 , the Program Coordinator will consider requests to submit and orally defend one answer at a time.  This is only to be done in exceptional circumstances (medical leave, parental leave, or other temporary disruption of studies).  This possibility is not open to students electing  Option 2.
• The student is responsible for sending the answers to his/her supervisor, committee members and the School Secretariat by email. A member who wishes to obtain a paper copy must inform the student at the time of the submission.

** For more information about the comprehensive examination, contact the Program Coordinator.

PhD in Sociology

*One elective course at the graduate level (3 units) from another program may count as part of the coursework for the PhD program, subject to the approval of the supervisor of graduate studies in sociology, and after consultation with the department responsible for the course.

**All seminars should normally be successful before starting the Comprehensive examination.

***The mandatory seminars (SOC 8510/SOC 8511) and the Comprehensive examination must be completed before the registration to the thesis proposal.

These guidelines outline the format that students and supervisors should follow when preparing the dissertation research proposal for the doctoral program in sociology. The proposal consists of 25 to 40 pages (excluding the bibliography, the timetable, and the methodological tools –questionnaire, interview grid, etc.). The document should be formatted as follows: 1.5-line spacing, title page, numbered pages, 12-point font, 1-inch margins. Please refer to the APA or Chicago-style manuals for reference presentation and general presentation rules.

The components of the proposal are presented below. Explanatory approaches in sociology, however, can exist on a continuum ranging from an inductive and iterative approach to a strict hypothetico-deductive logic. Consequently, though all proposals will have the components listed below, their order of appearance can vary.

Objective(s), question(s), key arguments and/or hypotheses and their relevance : Indicate the principal objective(s) that guide your research proposal: what is the social, theoretical and empirical relevance of your proposed research? Formulate the specific research question (s) that you will try to answer with your study. State the central conceptual ideas, explanatory strategies, or hypotheses that structure your proposed research, providing a general indication of the direction you propose to follow. Establish the scope of the proposed research: how will your research help to produce original knowledge? And especially how will it contribute to the advancement of knowledge / knowledge in sociology theoretically and empirically?

Literature Review and Statement of the Problem (Problematization):  Introduce the topic proposed for your dissertation.

If you are proposing empirical research, identify your empirical question and discuss how it is covered and discussed in the sociological and other pertinent literatures. Take stock of the relevant literature on the subject and describe the main questions, disputes or debates they raise: survey what is known about your subject and identify what merits further research. Specify the research problem that your dissertation seeks to address and explain its relevance (lacuna in our empirical knowledge, insufficient current understanding of the subject, etc.). This section should convincingly present the "what" and "why" of the topic of your dissertation.

If you are proposing theoretical research, introduce the problem, and discuss how it is covered and discussed in the sociological and other pertinent literatures. Examine the most salient and significant theoretical contribution to the problem under study; describe the main questions or debates it raises: explain the current state of the field(s) in which your problem is embedded and account for its (their) development. Specify the research problem that your dissertation seeks to address and identify its contemporary relevance (lack of theoretical knowledge, lack of current understanding of the subject, new social perspectives and insights, unexplored interpretative repertoires, etc.). This section should convincingly present the "what" and "why" of dissertation topic.

Framework or theoretical context : Identify the concepts or the theoretical framework(s) relevant to your proposed research – traditions or lineages, debates, theoretical and conceptual strategies, and key concepts from previous research in sociology (and in other areas where appropriate). Your goal is not only to explain the theoretical tools you intend to mobilize, but also to identify the traditions, or lineages, and concepts fueling your inquiry, explaining why and how you position yourself epistemologically  and conceptually. A theoretical framework is not a catalogue of concepts; it is a hierarchical network of well-defined conceptual relations that are assumed to have explanatory power. For some authors, the framework or the theoretical context is part of the literature review and statement of the problem (the problematization), especially in the proposals following an inductive approach.

Methodological framework : Present the methodological strategy that you plan to use to meet the objective (s) of your study - approach, method (s), type (s) and data sources, spatial and temporal dimensions, and ethical issues. Show clearly how this methodological strategy will allow you to gather and analyze the data required to test, broadly understood, your central explanatory strategy and answer your research question (s). Explain how it is aligned with your theoretical framework. Show its feasibility in terms of temporal, economic limits and access to information. If applicable, discuss methodological concerns relevant to your study (ethics, power, otherness, etc.). In a theoretical dissertation, explain how your explanatory approach provides evidence for your arguments.

Preliminary plan of the dissertation : Propose the title of the dissertation, chapters titles and a brief overview of the proposed content for each chapter.

Dissertation Production Schedule:  This timeline should include all the necessary steps in your research process (from ethical approval to completion of the dissertation through data collection, processing and analysis, and the writing of chapters).

Bibliography: Include bibliographic references from all sources cited in the research proposal.

If a dissertation research proposal is not successful, i.e., receives a grade of non-satisfactory, candidates are entitled to a second attempt if and only if they do not already have a failing grade in the program. Two failing grades in the program, either for a course, the comprehensive examination or the dissertation research proposal, leads to withdrawal from the program.

Students are responsible for sending their dissertation research proposal to their supervisor, committee members and the School by email. Committee members who wish to obtain a paper copy must inform the students at the time of submission.

Students must submit their dissertation research proposal before the end of their eighth session after registration. After the end of the eighth session, an NS (non-satisfactory) will be given, i.e., a failing grade. In cases where students have started the program in January, or a qualifying program has been completed, the deadline is the end of the tenth session after registration. Any waivers or exceptions must be approved by the Director of the Graduate Studies. The above information applies to students who started the program after September 1, 2019.

Regular progress of a doctoral student; Roles and tasks of the student, supervisor, the committee and the school

Supervision agreement between student and supervisor, for the comprehensive exam (provided by the supervisor to the student on may 1 st at the very latest).

• As early as the beginning of the 2 nd  term (January), at least one or two meetings must be held between the student and the supervisor to discuss the comprehensive examination topics;
• By March 1, the student and supervisor must agree on the framework for the comprehensive exam questions;
• By March 15, the student must submit a draft reading list to the supervisor;
• By April 1, the supervisor must prepare the questions and reading lists, and forward them to the committee members for their input, suggestions, and feedback.
• By April 15, committee members must provide their feedback and suggestions to the supervisor;
• By May 1, the supervisor must forward the questions and reading lists to the student;
• There is no formal meeting scheduled between the student and the members of the examination committee (including the supervisor) after the examination questions have been submitted. However, there is nothing to prevent students from discussing the progress of their work and asking for clarification. The submission of drafts/answers for comment is not permitted.
• Students must forward their responses to their supervisor, committee members and the School Secretariat by email by November 1 at the latest. 
• The supervisor organizes the oral defence of the comprehensive examinations.

The research proposal:

• Depending on the student's needs and learning style, regular meetings should be scheduled. It is the supervisor's responsibility to ensure that these meetings take place.
• The supervisor and the student are both responsible for responding to each other’s emails (and other forms of communication) in a timely manner.
• The supervisor is responsible for identifying and proposing a calendar of meetings in consultation with the student.

The student is responsible for keeping the supervisor regularly informed of both progress and emerging difficulties or obstacles.

The student should send drafts at appropriate intervals, in accordance the discussed timeline of progress. The supervisor must provide comments within a reasonable time frame (normally about four (4) weeks); if the supervisor requires more time, the student should be informed as soon as possible.

• Before accepting the research proposal for defence, the supervisor is responsible for confirming their satisfaction by signing the form to this effect. The signature indicates a reasonable expectation on the part of the supervisor that the committee will also find the project satisfactory during the oral defence. Student should be aware that the supervisors will refuse to allow a project to proceed if they are not satisfied with it.
• The supervisor understands that the proposal is not the supervisor’s but the student's proposal. A proposal should not be approved or refused because it does or does not correspond to what the supervisor would do. Its evaluation must be based on the fulfillment of criteria found in the document "Guidelines for the preparation of a dissertation research proposal.”
• The supervisor organizes the oral defence with the help of the secretariat.

Researching and writing the dissertation:

• The supervisor and the student must agree on the ''internal external'', a 4 th committee member from outside the unit.
• The supervisor is responsible for responding to emails (and other forms of communication) in a timely manner.
• The supervisor is responsible for identifying and proposing a calendar of meetings in consultation with the student. The student is responsible for keeping the supervisor regularly informed of both progress and emerging difficulties or obstacles.
• The student should send drafts at appropriate intervals, in accordance with the discussed timeline of progress. The supervisor must provide comments within a reasonable time frame (normally about four (4) weeks); if the supervisor requires more time, the student should be informed as soon as possible.
• Before accepting that the dissertation proceed to oral defence, supervisor is responsible for confirming their satisfaction by signing the form to this effect. This includes a reasonable expectation on the part of the supervisor that the committee will also find the dissertation satisfactory for defence. The student should be aware that the supervisor will refuse to allow a dissertation, with which they are not satisfied, to go forward.
• The supervisor understands that the dissertation is not the supervisor’s but the student's dissertation. A dissertation should not be approved or refused because it does or does not correspond to what the supervisor would do. Its evaluation must be based on the attainment of the objectives defined in the dissertation proposal, considering the normal affordances associated with researching and writing a dissertation.
• The supervisor organizes the defence, with the support of the secretariat.

We hereby affirm that we have discussed the above issues, challenges and commitments, and will work in good faith to respect them.

Student name:                                                         Student signature :

Supervisor name:                                                        Supervisor signature :

PhD: How to Apply

The Sociology Department recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

The Sociology Department welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars, and we are committed to providing a supportive environment for all students whom we admit. Review of applications is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, and admissions essays in order to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field .

Minimizing pre-admission communication with faculty: We appreciate that prospective graduate students are often instructed to reach out to faculty in advance of applying. However, our policy is to avoid any protracted discussions between faculty and candidates prior to admission since research shows that fair and transparent process can easily be clouded by back-channel communications.  We don’t mean to be off-putting! Instead, our goal is to ensure that everyone has equal opportunity and is considered fairly. For more information, you can review Stanford's Guide to Getting into Grad School.

Application Requirements

The 2024-25 Sociology Ph.D. applications are now closed.

Please be aware that you must submit your online application by the deadline.  Incomplete applications cannot be completed or submitted after the deadline. Recommendation letters and official test scores from ETS can be submitted by faculty and ETS after the application deadline date. 

PhD Admissions FAQs

Join dozens of  Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences students  who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as  Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS).

KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your PhD studies at Stanford.Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment.If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023. Learn more about  KHS admission .

The fee to apply for graduate study at Stanford is $125 .  You may submit only one application per year (unless one of the applications is to one of the professional schools (Law, Medicine or Business). Acceptable form of payment is by credit/debit card (Visa or MasterCard only.) We do not accept electronic check payments or checks by mail. 

The fee is non-refundable and must be received by the application deadline. 

Many applicants qualify for application fee waivers. Stanford offers several application fee waiver options to ensure that the application process is available to everyone who wishes to apply. 

In the electronic application, you will be asked to upload scans of transcripts (see specific information below), a statement of purpose, a writing sample, and your CV or resume. When preparing your application materials to be uploaded into the electronic application, please note the following:

• File size must be 10MB or LESS
• Files cannot be password protected
• PDF files cannot have a digital signature
• Save each document separately

When scanning hard copy materials to upload into your electronic application please note the following:

• Resolution should be no more than 300dpi
• Scan in black and white only
• Removing images will help reduce file size

The statement of purpose (also known as a "personal statement") should describe your reasons for applying to the Doctoral Program in Sociology at Stanford.  This document is not to exceed two pages in length (single-spaced).  You should include details regarding your qualifications, academic and research interests, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid our admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for pursuing a Ph.D. in Sociology. You will be asked to upload your statement of purpose in the online application.

You must upload one scanned version of your transcript(s) in the online application. Please read the  Applying  section of this website for important information submitting transcripts.

If offered admission:  Please see this page for information on submitting final official transcripts .

Stanford accepts electronic letters of recommendation via Stanford online application system - we no longer accept paper letters.

Three letters of recommendation are required, and they must be submitted using the online service.

As part of the online application, you will be required to register the name and contact information, including e-mail address, of each of your recommenders. Recommenders will then receive an e-mail with directions on how to proceed. At least one letter should be a faculty member at the last school you attended as a full-time student (unless you have been out of school for more than five years.)

• Please inform letter writers of the application deadline.
• Letters of recommendation cannot be mailed, e-mailed, or faxed; they will be rejected.
• Substitutions for faculty recommendations may include work associates or others who can comment on your academic potential for graduate work.

GRE (Graduate Record Examination) General Test

* GRE Fee Reduction Waiver

Register early to maximize the chances of scheduling your preferred test date and time

We strongly advise you to take the GRE no later than September, so that your scores will be received by the application deadline.

Late test scores may disqualify you from admission.

We require the GRE General Test only - we do not require the subject test.

Scores must be from an examination taken within the last five years. No exceptions.

Scores must be reported directly to Stanford from the Educational Testing Service.

The Stanford institution code is 4704 .  Please do not specify  a department code.

For more information regarding the GRE, please contact ETS directly.

GRE scores from ETS are valid for five years.  For questions about the validity of GRE scores, please contact ETS. If ETS can send your GRE scores, we will accept them.

Arrangements to take the GRE General Test can be made online or by writing:

P.O. Box 600, Princeton, NJ 08541-6000, USA

Adequate command of spoken and written English is required for admission.

TOEFL scores are required of all applicants whose first language is not English. Stanford does not accept IELTS scores.

TOEFL EXEMPTIONS:

You are  exempt  from submitting a TOEFL score if you meet one the following criteria:     A. You (will) have a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a regionally- accredited college or university in the United States (territories and possessions excluded).     B. You (will) have an equivalent degree from an English-language university in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

You may request a  waiver  if you (will) have an equivalent degree from a recognized institution in a country other than Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom in which English was the language of instruction.

NOTE: Being a U.S. citizen does not automatically exempt an applicant from taking the TOEFL; if the applicant’s first language is not English, the applicant must meet the exception above or submit the TOEFL.

TOEFL scores must be submitted from a test taken within the last eighteen months.

We urge you to take the TOEFL by November to be eligible for admission for the following Autumn Quarter. Evidence of adequate proficiency must be submitted before enrollment is approved by Graduate Admissions.

The TOEFL is administered through: EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICES, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151

Information on registration, test centers, dates, and test formats .

The University Minimum TOEFL Score for Doctoral programs is 250 for Computer-based test, 600 for paper-based test, and 100 for Internet-based test. More information is available via the Stanford University Office of Graduate Admissions web site.

• Scores must be reported directly to Stanford from Educational Testing Service (ETS)

The Stanford score recipient number ( also called "Institution Code")  is  4704.  You do not need to specify a department code.

All scores are sent electronically to the Graduate Admissions Office, which will share your scores with your department.

Evidence of adequate English proficiency must be submitted before enrollment is approved by Graduate Admissions.

TOEFL scores are retained for 20 months by ETS. For questions about the validity of TOEFL scores, please contact ETS. If ETS can send your TOEFL scores, we will accept them.

The Department of Sociology requires a writing sample from all applicants to the Ph.D. Program. The Admissions Committee will be looking for original work giving evidence of both writing ability and the capacity for research, analysis, and original thought at the graduate level. Your writing sample could be an honors or master’s thesis, published paper, co-written paper, or comparable article.

• Papers originally written in a language other than English must be submitted in English Translation.
• Samples may be up to 50 pages long.  Other things equal, a short, effectively written sample is preferable to a longer sample. If you decide to submit a longer sample, please indicate which pages should be reviewed by the admissions committee. Your writing sample can be uploaded with your online application as a text file as an addendum to your personal statement or under 'additional information'. Writing samples can be single or double spaced.
• You must upload your writing sample in the online application per "supporting documents" instructions above.

We do not require a CV or resume for application, but you may upload your CV or resume per the "supporting documents" instructions above.

The  2024-25 Graduate Admissions Application  will open on September 15, 2023.

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What Can You Do with a PhD in Psychology?

Key Takeaways

• A PhD in psychology will open career opportunities in the fields of research psychology, psychotherapy, forensic psychology, neuropsychology, and even management consultancy.
• Psychology positions have a projected job growth of 6% over the next decade.
• Those who earn a PhD in psychology work in medical settings, government agencies, educational institutions, or in private practice.

If you’re passionate about building a successful career in psychology, earning a doctorate in psychology could get you there. For those who are passionate about the subject but wonder, “What can you do with a PhD in psychology?“, we’ll help you explore your options so you can decide whether a PhD in psychology is worth the shot. 

Featured Programs

With a PhD in psychology, you can pursue various career paths, including research psychology, psychotherapy, forensic psychology, neuropsychology, and even management consultancy. Alternatively, a doctorate also helps you pursue different areas of specialization within the field of psychology.

If you are considering a PhD degree in psychology, you’ve likely already earned your bachelor’s and master’s degrees. However, to progress further into the roles of research, academia, authorship, or lectureship, you have to take the next step. If you’re already employed in a field of psychology, earning a PhD helps you level up.

While a doctoral degree gears you up to become a licensed clinical psychologist, there are plenty of other career options to explore. Here’s a list of the most popular career pathways you can pursue with a PhD in psychology, along with their salaries and growth statistics.

Psychological Researcher

Psychological researchers, or research psychologists, deeply understand the human mind. Their primary duties include conducting experiments to test procedures to explore various aspects of psychology. This includes selecting candidates for clinical trials, administering tests, and carefully observing and documenting the outcomes of their research.

By the time they are done with PhD, psychological researchers are capable enough to review existing literature and contribute to scholarly discussions. Some may serve at universities, while others may work for hospitals or government agencies. If you’re passionate about research and writing, this might be a pretty lucrative field with tons of career opportunities.

• National average salary: $99,577 per year
• Growth: Projected to grow 14% from 2018 to 2028

Clinical Director or Supervisor

The clinical director is one of the most highly paid yet growing careers in psychology . Clinical supervisors monitor psychologists and other mental health professionals to oversee the quality of clinical care provided. They establish best practices for the workplace and check whether the institution complies with regulations in the mental health field.

As a clinical director, you’ll serve in various settings, including mental health clinics, hospitals, universities, or even private practices. Also, these professionals arrange development opportunities for staff members, gather feedback from patients, and delegate cases to team members.

• National average salary: $120,761 per year
• Growth: Projected to grow 28% from 2021 to 2031

Psychotherapist

Like clinical psychologists, psychotherapists support individuals with mental health conditions and help them live a fulfilling life. Unlike clinical psychologists, psychotherapists diagnose more general mental health issues. They closely monitor their client’s behaviors, emotions, and thoughts to develop specific treatment plans for them.

Additionally, they use different tools and therapeutic techniques to develop coping strategies for their patients and improve the way they regulate emotions. A PhD in psychology potentially makes you a perfect fit to deal with the complexity involved in psychotherapy. Ultimately, you understand your clients better to know where they’re coming from.

• National average salary: $115,281 per year
• Growth: Projected to grow 6% from 2022 to 2032  

Psychometrics Specialist

A psychometric specialist looks at assessments to gather information about a patient’s personality, symptoms, and cognitive abilities. They often join hands with mental health specialists to facilitate research or diagnose and treat patients. On top of that, these professionals play a key role in collecting data for research and ensuring its accuracy.

They use a combination of interviews, examinations, and standardized tests to gather data about a patient’s psychological state and decode it to help clinicians and researchers reach conclusions. As a psychometric specialist, you’ll work in research or educational institutions, clinics, government agencies, or independently as a consultant.

• National average salary: $62,264 per year
• Growth: Projected to grow 6% from 2018 to 2028 

Human Resource Director

If you would rather work in an organizational setting, a PhD in psychology also helps build a mindset that prepares you to work in HR. HR directors are highly paid individuals responsible for shaping the recruitment and selection process in an organization. They create and implement corporate policies in areas like talent management, employee relations, and workplace culture.

With a PhD in psychology, you bring a deep understanding of human behavior, emotions, and motivation to the role. Plus, as an HR director, you can use the knowledge from your doctorate to develop thoughtful policies, systems, and resources to support employee well-being.

• National average salary: $116,601 per year
• Growth: Projected to grow 7% from 2021 to 2031

Marketing Director

With a PhD in psychology, you can also serve as a business or marketing director and build a fruitful career. Marketing directors use the knowledge of psychology to bridge the gap between relevant products and customers. Serving at multiple profit or non-profit sectors, these graduates contribute to public relations, management, and technical services.

As a marketing director, your background in psychology equips you with the right knowledge of consumer behavior and effective ways to communicate with them. This, in turn, helps you develop successful marketing campaigns that resonate perfectly with your audience.

• National average salary: $120,014 per year
• Growth: Expected to grow 10% from 2018 to 2028

Management Consultant

Management consultancy is another productive career path you can choose after a doctorate in psychology. Management consultants improve an organization’s efficiency, productivity, and performance. With a deep understanding of psychology, you can easily identify and deal with the underlying issues and patterns within your company.

Plus, management consultants provide feedback and recommendations on addressing employee and business management problems. They might also join hands with top-level management to devise practical solutions that align with the company’s core values.

• National average salary: $108,555 per year 
• Growth: Projected to grow 10% from 2022 to 2032

Forensic Psychologist

Forensic psychology is a rapidly growing field  that requires individual practitioners to obtain a state license. Psychologists in this field work closely with law enforcement to investigate crimes. For a license, you need to complete a doctoral degree from an APA-approved program and have clinically-supervised work experience.

Licensed forensic psychologists assist legal professionals with addressing the psychological aspects of the cases they’re dealing with. For instance, they conduct evaluations, assessments, and psychological testing to understand the case. Once they have come up with logical reasons, they present their findings and opinions to judges and juries.

• National average salary: $87,877 per year
• Growth: Expected to grow 6% between 2021 and 2031

Behavioral Health Specialist

As the name suggests, behavioral health specialists counsel and support individuals with behavioral or mental health problems. They use therapeutic techniques to help patients develop new behaviors and cope with their existing condition. Most importantly, they use their psychological knowledge to identify the root causes of their patient’s behaviors.

If you have a PhD in behavioral health, you can work with patients who have severe mental illness or developmental disorders like autism. The advanced degree helps you set developmental goals for your patients and implement evidence-based treatment plans to guard their well-being.

• National average salary: $54,663 per year
• Growth: Projected to grow 9% between 2018 and 2028

Addiction Counselor

PhD in psychology also enables you to serve as an addiction counselor, where you support patients on their journey to recovery from addictive behaviors. Typically, addiction counselors guide through the rehabilitation process and help manage withdrawal symptoms. They often work together with medical professionals to effectively detoxify clients from drugs and alcohol.

In addition to one-on-one counseling sessions, addiction counselors arrange group therapy sessions. This provides clients with peer support and learning about new experiences and coping mechanisms. They monitor clients throughout the rehabilitation process till they finally achieve sobriety.

• National average salary: $65,310 per year
• Growth: Projected to grow 18% from 2022 to 2032

Prerequisites for Earning a PhD in Psychology

If you’ve made up your mind and want to earn a PhD in psychology, you’ll generally need at least a bachelor’s degree to get in. While some institutions may also require a master’s degree as a prerequisite, it largely depends on the program you’re opting for. Some universities offer combined master’s and doctoral degrees, so you get both degrees at once.

However, the most integral part of your PhD program is the area you’ve chosen. When applying, it’s recommended to thoroughly research the specialties the universities on your radar are offering. This isn’t just about coursework since the topics of your dissertation will also depend on your chosen concentration.

Plus, to make sure you quickly get through the admission process, it’s important to prepare for it beforehand. While the specific requirements depend on your university, here’s a list of some basic prerequisites when applying for a PhD in psychology:

• A bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field
• A master’s degree (depending on the institution)
• Strong academic record
• Letters of recommendation
• Relevant research experience or coursework
• Statement of Purpose (SoP)
• Interview (as a part of the application process)

Benefits of Earning a PhD in Psychology

Even if you’re sure about earning a PhD in psychology, it’s best to take a look at the benefits to check whether they align with your future goals. While the time required to complete a PhD may be significant, the benefits you reap make it worthwhile. Here’s an overview of the pros of getting a PhD in psychology:

Obtaining a License

Earning a doctorate in psychology is the only path to practice independently as a licensed psychologist. A license allows you to diagnose and treat mental disorders and provide therapy sessions to clients.

Better Employment Opportunities

Many employers, including those in the educational sector, prefer PhD holders over candidates with a master’s in psychology . This is due to years of experience and practice acquired through a doctoral program. For instance, PhD holders are often preferred for faculty positions, research roles, and leadership positions.

Skill Development

PhD holders are seen as authorities in the field of psychology  and research. Through extensive training and coursework, PhD students develop advanced knowledge and skills in areas like research methodology, statistical analysis, and clinical assessments.

High Paying Positions

Doctoral degree holders in psychology are paid way higher than those with bachelor’s degrees. The difference in salary reflects the higher earning potential that comes with advanced degrees in psychology. For instance, candidates with a PhD may easily qualify for higher paying positions in academia, clinical practice, research, or consulting.

Related Questions

What do you learn in a doctorate program for psychology.

In a doctorate program in psychology, you dig deeper into the field of psychology. For instance, you study research theories and methods and do your own research for a dissertation. Most PhD programs also allow you to gain hands-on experience in real clinical settings through an internship program.

Where can you work with a doctorate in psychology?

Fortunately, you can choose from plenty of workplace options once you get your PhD in psychology. You may work as a psychologist in a clinic or even begin practicing privately. Some individuals with a doctorate serve at government agencies, hospitals, and even educational institutions.

How long does it take to get a PhD in psychology?

Generally, getting a PhD in psychology takes around 5-8 years , including some hands-on experience and a year-long internship. However, it’s worth noting that PhD programs are highly competitive. So, the earlier you prepare for your dream university for your psychology degree , the sooner you can secure a spot.

We hope we’ve adequately answered the question “What can you do with a PhD in psychology?” for you and you have more clarity about whether this is the right path for you. Whether you’re into clinical practice, research, or social service, a doctorate in psychology can accommodate your personal preferences if you pick the right area for yourself.