IPFW Fort Wayne
College of Arts and Sciences

Chairperson
Professor Peter Iadicola

School of Arts and Sciences
Fort Wayne

Graduate Faculty

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

Associate Professors
Patrick Ashton, Judith DiIorio

Graduate Advisor
Kathy Trier, 2101 E. Coliseum Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499, (219) 481-6842

Degrees 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); minimum scores of 500 on the GRE math 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 Introductory Sociology, Sociological Theory, Sociological Methods, Statistics, Social Stratification, and Social Psychology with a B or better, or agree to complete these undergraduate classes before they are allowed to enroll in graduate classes.

Course Requirement
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 hour 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 better.

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

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.
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).
P570 Applied Research Methods (3 cr.) Prerequisite: 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.

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