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Demography and Organization Studies
Admission Requirements

The requirements for this degree comply with the general University requirements (refer to Chapter 3, General Academic Regulations, and 6, Doctoral Degree Regulations) of the UTSA Graduate Catalog.

In addition to satisfying the University-wide requirements for admission to graduate programs, all prospective students must have a Bachelor’s degree and a Master of Science or Master of Art degree from an accredited university in demography/sociology, geography, economics, biology, political science, statistics, mathematics, business or similar fields. Students who have not earned a qualifying masters degree may be required to complete the equivalent courses in the appropriate discipline area before admission to the Ph.D. program in Applied Demography.  The official application for The Ph.D. in Applied Demography must include:

  1. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work    completed.
  2. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing).  Scores must be for test taken within the past five years.
  3. Submit a sample written paper or report.
  4. Three letters of recommendation.  At least two letters must assess your academic and research capabilities and others may be from persons representing the work or professional sector.
  5. A letter of application describing the applicant’s academic and work background.  Be specific about your research goals and objectives related to the doctorate in Applied Demography.   
  6. International students from non-English speaking countries must also submit a score of at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).  Score must be for test taken within the past two years.
Admission into the doctoral program does not guarantee advancement to candidacy.  Advancement to candidacy requires that a student complete University and Applied Demography requirements.  All students will be required to complete core courses listed below and a set of specific courses in their chosen track.  The student must choose a graduate committee and designate one faculty member as chair of that committee.  This faculty member must be a member of the graduate faculty of UTSA.  A degree plan must be submitted by each student to his or her specific graduate committee and must be approved by the committee before the end of the second semester of enrollment.  Students will be required to complete a minimum of 48 hours of organized coursework and a minimum of 12 hours of dissertation for a total of at least 60 hours beyond the Master’s degree.  After completing the required course work, as defined by the student’s degree program, and approved by the student’s committee, the student may seek candidacy by taking and passing written and oral qualifying examinations.  The written exam is administered by the graduate faculty of each track. The oral qualifying exam will assess issues not adequately addressed in the student’s written exam.  The student will also submit and undergo an oral exam in defense of the student’s dissertation proposal. Written examinations are scheduled twice a year, where as oral examinations may be scheduled at any time.  However, oral exams are administered at the discretion of the student’s committee and must meet the time line and requirements of the university.  All students must schedule a defense of their dissertation at which all members of their committee are present to examine the student and issue a pass/fail evaluation of the students work.  The Chair of the student’s committee is responsible for approval of the final corrections of the student’s dissertation.
Designed & maintained by COPP webmaster—Last update: May 22, 2008