DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
Master of Science Degree in Sociology
The Master of Science degree in Sociology is designed to prepare graduates with the skills necessary to enter the professional workforce as sociologists or to pursue further study at the doctoral level. Students have the opportunity to acquire a knowledge base in sociological methods, theory and in areas of growing community concern, including health, aging, religion, socioeconomic development, gender issues, and race and ethnic relations. They will have the necessary research skills to define social issues and problems, select data collection techniques, establish appropriate analysis methods, develop statistical reports, and undertake policy analyses for businesses, governmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
Program Admission Requirements. To qualify for unconditional admission, applicants must satisfy University-wide and College-wide graduate admission requirements, and be recommended for admission by the Graduate Program Committee. Applicants must have completed 18 semester credit hours of undergraduate courses, 12 of which must be at the upper-division level in sociology or related areas, including a course in research methods or statistics. Applicants who do not meet these requirements will be considered for conditional admission. Conditional applicants must submit indicators of preparation for graduate study, such as completion of additional undergraduate coursework to remove deficiencies, completion of 9 or more semester credit hours of graduate courses, and the achievement of a 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale). An applicant not eligible for either unconditional or conditional admission may be recommended for admission as a special graduate student. This does not guarantee subsequent admission as a degree-seeking graduate student; such students must reapply for degree-seeking status.
Degree Requirements. The minimum number of semester credit hours required for the degree, exclusive of coursework or other study required to remove deficiencies, is 36.
Degree candidates must complete the following requirements:
- 6 semester credit hours of core courses:
SOC 5003 Sociological Theory
SOC 5013 Advanced Conceptualization and Measurement
or
SOC 5033 Qualitative Research Methods
- 18 semester credit hours of prescribed electives from the following courses:
SOC 5023 Quantitative Research Methods
SOC 5043 Evaluation Research
SOC 5103 Complex Organizations
SOC 5123 Family Contexts and Social Change
SOC 5133 Sociology of Health and Health Care
SOC 5143 Demography and Community Trends
SOC 5203 Social Stratification
SOC 5213 Race and Ethnic Relations
SOC 5223 Mexican Americans: Community, Culture, and Class
SOC 5233 Sociology of Gender
SOC 5253 Border Studies
SOC 5263 Cultural Studies
SOC 5323 Sociology of Childhood
SOC 5333 Language and Society
SOC 5343 Education and Reproduction of Inequality
SOC 5353 Crime and Delinquency
SOC 5363 Theory Building and Methods
SOC 5403 Social Movements
SOC 5423 Social Psychology
SOC 6043 Immigration and Society
SOC 6053 Political Sociology
SOC 6063 Health and Health Disparities
SOC 6143 Sociology of Religion
SOC 6903 Topics in Advanced Sociology
SOC 6973 Special Problems
- 6 semester credit hours of additional electives in sociology or other approved discipline(s)
- 6 semester credit hours of Internship or Thesis
Internship option. Students may participate in an internship (the nonthesis option) after completion of 18 semester credit hours. Internships offer work-oriented experiences in local organizational settings where the principles, theories, concepts, and methods of the discipline can be applied. A research paper under the supervision of assigned faculty is required.
Thesis option. Students may select the thesis option after they have completed 24 semester credit hours.
- Comprehensive examination. Degree candidates are required to pass both written and oral comprehensive examinations. Examinations are scheduled after a student has completed at least 30 semester credit hours in the program. Registration for SOC 6961 Comprehensive Examination is only required if the student is not registered for any other course in the semester he or she is taking the comprehensive examination.
