College of Arts and Sciences

Departmental E-mail: socadm@iu.edu

Departmental URL: https://sociology.indiana.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

Degrees Offered

Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy

Special Departmental Requirements

(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)

Master of Arts Degree

Admission Requirements

 All students are admitted directly to the sociology Ph.D. program and must complete M.A. requirements, including the courses and empirical paper, as part of the Ph.D. Students are awarded the M.A. degree enroute to the Ph.D., unless they already have an M.A. in sociology from another institution when admitted to the Ph.D. program. 

Course Requirements

A total of 30 credit hours, including 9 credit hours of the So­ciological Research Practicum (S566, S567, S568, and/or S569), S554, and either S510 or S530. An introductory undergraduate statistics course, such as S371, is a prerequisite for S554.

Grades

Students must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.3 (B+) in all course work. No grade below B in sociology courses will be counted toward this degree.

Empirical paper

The empirical paper requirement is fulfilled by enrollment and participa­tion in S566, S567, S568, and/or S569 and preparation of an acceptable research paper.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree

Admission Requirements

Completion of a Bachelors degree (or equivalent training) at a recognized institution with a grade point average of 3.3 (B+) or higher, a writing sample, curriculum vitae, personal statement, and three letters of recommendation. Graduate Record Examination General Test scores are optional.

Course Requirements

A total of 90 credit hours, consisting of no fewer than 60 credit hours of course work (including the 30 credit hours counting toward the M.A.) and up to 30 credit hours of dissertation research (S869). The required courses are those specified for the M.A. (including both S510 and S530), a Proseminar series (S500, S501, S502), S540, S558, S650, S700, one advanced methodology course (S651 or S652), two advanced substantive courses (S660 or S617), and one elective course.

Grades

Students must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.3 (B+) in all course work. No grade below B in sociology courses will be counted toward this degree.

Outside Minor

Required (usually 9-15 credit hours); may be chosen from African American and African Diaspora Studies, African Studies, Anthropology, Business, Criminal Justice, Cultural Studies, East Asian Studies, Economics, Education, Gender Studies, Geography, History, History and Philosophy of Science, Human Sexuality, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Latino Studies, Law, Political Science, Public Affairs, Religious Studies, Russian and East European Studies, Social Science Approaches to Health and Healing Systems, Social Science Research Methods, Statistics or European Studies. A field not listed may be chosen with approval of the director of graduate studies.

Qualifying Examinations

All doctoral students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in sociological methods either by achieving a GPA of 3.3 (B+) or above in the required statistics and methods course se­quence (S554, S558, S650, one advanced methods course), or by passing a doctoral examination in methodology. In addition, students must pass a written qualifying exam in a research specialty of their choosing. This qualifying exam is to be com­pleted by the start of the student’s fourth year in the graduate program.

Dissertation Proposal

Students must pass an oral defense of their dissertation pro­posal.

Final Examination

Oral defense of the dissertation.

Ph.D. Minor in Sociology

Students from other departments or schools who wish to minor in sociology should consult with the director of graduate studies, who will ordinarily serve as the minor advisor. Students will be required to complete 12 credit hours of course work; these courses must be completed with a grade point average of at least 3.0 (B). No more than one course should be taken below the 500 level. These requirements may be modified in particular cases by the director of graduate studies.