Sociological Practice

School of Arts and Sciences
Fort Wayne

Chairperson
Professor Peter Iadicola

Departmental URL
www.ipfw.edu/soca/soc/

Departmental E-mail
iadicola@ipfw.edu

Graduate Faculty
Degree Offered
Special Departmental Requirements
Courses

Graduate Faculty

Professors
Peter Iadicola, Michael Nusbaumer, Anson Shupe, Wen-hui Tsai

Associate Professors
Patrick Ashton, Judith DiIorio

Graduate Advisor
Patrick Ashton, 2101 E. Coliseum Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499, (219) 481-6669

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Degree Offered

Master of Arts in Sociological Practice

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Special Departmental Requirements

(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)

Admission Requirements
Baccalaureate degree including a major in sociology or related discipline with a grade point average of 3.0 (B); minimum scores of 500 on the GRE mathematics subtest and verbal subtest. Application for admission must include an essay demonstrating that writing skills and career objectives are in line with the program, three letters of recommendation, and an interview with graduate advisor or other faculty member. Students who have not completed an undergraduate degree in sociology may be admitted contingently if they have completed the courses Introductory Sociology, Sociological Theory, Sociological Methods, Statistics, Social Stratification, and Social Psychology with a B or higher, or agree to complete these undergraduate classes before they are allowed to enroll in graduate classes.

Course Requirements
A total of 33 credit hours, including 24 credit hours in the following topic areas (Principles of Sociological Theory and Practice; Organizations and the Individual; Social Stratification; Statistical Techniques in Sociology; Applied Research Methods; Clinical Methods in Sociological Practice; and 6 credit hours of Practicum in Sociological Practice) and 9 credit hours of electives in Applied and Clinical Sociology or other approved graduate courses.

Grades
Students must complete each course with a grade of B or higher.

Thesis
The thesis requirement is fulfilled by completion of Practicum, which includes a written and oral presentation.

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Courses

P510 Seminar on Organizations and the Individual (3 cr.) Focuses on the interplay between social structural factors and individual actions. Examines basic principles of social organizations as well as variations in types of organizational arrangements. Explores impact of organizational structures on individual behavior and attributes, and the implications of various behavioral strategies adopted by individuals functioning within organizations.

P514 Health and Health Care Issues (3 cr.) P: graduate standing. An investigation of health and the health care system in the U.S. with focus on issues, problems, and alternatives for policy reform.

P517 Social Stratification and Social Practice (3 cr.) This course examines social stratification as both an area of scientific inquiry and sociological practice. Course content covers the historical and cross-cultural variations in social stratification, systems of inequality, and the social policies associated with addressing inequality.

P540 Principles of Sociological Theory and Practice (3 cr.) This course will introduce graduate students to the theoretically informed practice of sociology. Students will develop the ability to use social theory in the analysis of society and social life. Prerequisite: undergraduate course in social theory.

P550 Statistical Techniques for Sociological Practice I (3 cr.) Prerequisite: one basic undergraduate statistics course. Course focuses on how to use statistical analysis to answer common questions in the practice of sociology, as well as on what statistical techniques are useful to answer sociological practice questions, how to apply them and interpret their results. Specific methods to be covered include documentary, ethnographic, survey, experimental design, secondary data analysis, social indicators, focused literature reviews, and library research techniques.

P560 Topics in Sociological Practice (3 cr.) This is a graduate seminar in selected topic areas in sociology, exploring the nature of sociological practice within each area (e.g., policy issues and/or intervention strategies as applied to health).

P562 Topics in Policy Analysis (3 cr.) P: graduate standing. Graduate seminar in selected topic areas in sociology, focusing on the analysis of social policy within each area.

P570 Applied Research Methods (3 cr.) P: undergraduate course in sociological research methods. Course covers the methodological tools and practical knowledge needed to conduct applied social research. Students will be exposed to a variety of methods and will learn how to choose the most appropriate method for specific research problems and settings, and understand advantages and disadvantages for each.

P571 Clinical Methods in Sociological Practice (3 cr.) This course introduces the student to the range of methods and practices used in the field of clinical sociology, which focuses on the non-research roles of sociologists. Methods included in this course can be employed in work settings as consultants or staff.

P578 Mediation and Conflict Resolution Strategies (3 cr.) Explores the nature of conflict in human social relations and strategies for conflict resolution. Students will learn and practice techniques for proactively and constructively dealing with interpersonal and intergroup conflict. Successful completion of course will enable student to be a certified community mediator in a variety of disputes.

P650 Statistical Techniques for Sociological Practice II (3 cr.) P: graduate standing and P550 or equivalent. Designed to be a continuation of study of statistics as they are used by the practitioners of social science. Explorers intricacies of statistical procedures most likely needed by practitioners including factor analysis and index construction, measures of association, and simple and multiple regression.

P670 Advanced Applied Research Methods (3 cr.) P: graduate standing and P570. Designed to provide greater depth of knowledge for topics discussed in P570. Designed to provide greater depth of knowledge for topics discussed in P570 such as focus groups, case studies, survey research, needs assessment and outcome evaluations.

P695 Independent Research in Sociological Practice (1-3 cr.) P: permission of instructor and completion of P540, P550, and P570. Provides the student an opportunity to engage in independent research under the guidance of a faculty member. The student works with a faculty member in developing and carrying out a research under the guidance of a faculty member in developing and carrying out a research plan. Course requirements are negotiated between the student and the supervising faculty member.

P696 Independent Clinical Analysis Intervention (1-3 cr.) P: graduate standing. Provides the opportunity to do independent work in the area of clinical sociology on a selected problem/issue under the direction of a faculty advisor.

P698 Practicum in Sociological Practice (3 cr.) P: permission of the program director. Capstone class for the master's degree in sociological practice. Guides the student through the process of working with client organizations or agencies as a practicing sociologist. The course is a one-year, two-semester internship as a practicing sociologist.

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