College of Arts and Sciences

Departmental URL:  www.ipfw.edu/sociology 

Departmental E-mail: morganm [at] ipfw [dot] edu

(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin.)

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

Degree Offered

Master of Arts in Sociological Practice

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). Application for admission must include an essay demonstrating that writing skills and career objectives are in line with the program and three letters of recommendation. Students who have not com­pleted an undergraduate degree in sociology may be admitted contingently if they have completed the courses Methods of Social Research, Sociological Theory, and Sociological Statistics with a B or higher, or agree to complete these undergradu­ate classes before they are allowed to enroll in their graduate equivalents.

Course Requirements

A total of 33 credit hours, including 18 credit hours in the areas of principles of sociological theory and practice, statistical techniques in sociological practice, applied research methods, professional development, and 6 credit hours of practicum in sociological practice or 6 credit hours of master’s thesis research, plus 15 credit hours of electives in other approved graduate courses.

Grades

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

Accelerated B.A./Masters of Art in Sociological Practice

By  joining the Accelerated Program, undergradute students can earn both a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Sociological Practice in less time than these degrees separately would require. Students enrolled in undergraduate programs other than Sociology may also be eligible for the Accelerated Program.

Students accepted into the program can start taking graduate courses in their senior year; the credits obtained (maximum of 15) will count as both undergraduate and graduate credits. Appropriate graduate courses completed will be accepted in fulfillment of sociology elective courses or general elective courses. The number of graduate courses taken during the student's senior year will depend on the courses the student has remaining to complete his/her undergraduate degree. Once a student is accepted into the Accelerated Program, he/she must meet with the Graduate Director or mentor for course selection.

Undergraduate students enrolled in the Accelerated Program will benefit by paying undergraduate tuition for the fifteen (15) credits they are allowed to take of graduate work during their senior year. Once students enter the Manter's degree, they will be subject to graduate tuition fees.

Students will not lose their eligibility for undergraduate financial aid while they remain in the transition stage of the Accelerated Program.

Admission

Admission to the accelerated program is reserved for highly motivated and academically outstanding students. Students must apply to the Master's degree program during their junior year and begin taking graduate courses in their senior year. An admission fee will be charged.

To be admitted to the program, a student must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or better at the time of application. Prospective students must also present a statement of interest for applying to the Accelerated Program and submit three (3) letters of recommendation: one from their undergraduate advisor, two from undergraduate instructors.

At the end of their junior year, students should have completed the following undergraduate courses: Social Theory, Methods and Statistics. Students will officially enter the Graduate Program as soon as they complete their undergraduate degree. Students admitted into the Accelerated Program are strongly encouraged to take the following courses during the transition period: SOC P540 Principles of Sociological Theory and Practice; SOC P550 Statistical Techniques for Sociological Practice; SOC P570 Applied Research Methods; SOC P697 Professional Development; and an Elective Course.

When admitted into the Accelerated Program sociology and non-sociology, undergraduate students should consult the Sociological Practice Graduate Program Director and their major program advisor for course orientation.

Program Restrictions

Once admitted into the Accelerated Program, students must complete their graduate credits with a grade of B or better. Graduate credits completed with less than B will count toward the undergraduate degree only. Students must complete all undergraduate coursework during their senior year. Students not completing these credits will not be admitted into the Graduate Program. A maximum of fifteen (15) credits will be charged at the undergraduate rate. Excess credits, if any, will be charged at the graduate fee. Both degrees will be awarded simultaneously, once all requirements are met.