Required Courses

Core courses are required for all graduate students, regardless of plan. Students who are officially admitted to the program are required to follow a sequential plan. SOCY 5000 must be taken in the first fall semester. Students must take SOCY 5014 before taking SOCY 5015. Similarly, SOCY 5024 must be taken before SOCY 5183. Students must earn a B or better in all core courses.

• SOCY 5000 - Professional Seminar: Sociological Inquiry
• SOCY 5014 - Classical Sociological Theory
• SOCY 5015 - Contemporary Sociological Theory
• SOCY 5024 - Seminar: Research Methods I
• SOCY 5183 - Seminar: Quantitative Data Analysis

PLANS OF STUDY

Students must also choose one of the following options:

Thesis Option Requirements

     Core course requirements            15 Hours

     Five elective courses                    15 Hours

     Master’s thesis                              6 Hours total required

• SOCY 5955 - Master’s Thesis

Nonthesis Option Requirements

     Core course requirements            15 Hours

     Five elective courses                    15 Hours

     Internship                                    3 Hours

     Master’s project                            3 Hours

• SOCY 5964 - Master’s Report

Elective Credit Requirements (15 semester hours for both options)

Students can take an unlimited number of sociology graduate (5000-level) seminars to fulfill their 15 elective semester hours, or a combination of the following:

• Independent study: maximum 6 semester hours
• Graduate level courses in other departments: maximum 6 semester hours
• Internship: maximum 3 semester hours

For further information about the Department of Sociology or the MA program, visit the Sociology website.