Graduate programs
Graduate training in Sociology prioritizes community engagement and policy-relevant research focused on improving people’s daily lives and society more broadly. Students focus on the integration of theory with a variety of quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches to study the dynamics of social interactions and structures.
Sociology offers two graduate programs:
1) The Non-Thesis Master’s program requires coursework providing advanced training in qualitative and quantitative research methods as well as in theory and substantive areas. This degree is for students seeking to work in applied research or other positions requiring Master’s-level qualifications. This is not an appropriate track for students who may ultimately wish to pursue a Ph.D. Current PSU Sociology majors can enter the Non-Thesis Master’s program via the Bachelor’s plus Master’s (B+M) pathway. B+M students can apply up to 20 credits of graduate coursework to both the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, which allows students to complete the Master’s degree in as little as one year after completing the Bachelor’s degree. Applications from students who have already earned a Bachelor’s degree are accepted once per year and incoming students start in Fall term.
2) The Ph.D. program is a combination Master’s and Doctoral program in which students first complete requirements for a Master’s Degree with thesis (minimum of 54 credits) and then continue on to earn a Ph.D. (minimum of 108 credits, which includes 54 credits from the Master’s). This program provides students with advanced training in qualitative and quantitative research methods as well as in theory and substantive areas. Students in this program design and implement their own research projects for the thesis and dissertation. Students graduating with a Ph.D. from our program find positions as faculty members at colleges and universities or take research focused jobs in the public or private sectors. Applications are accepted once per year and incoming students start in Fall term.
Students working for the Master of Arts degree must satisfy the language requirement.
Admissions requirements
Students must be admitted to the master’s and Ph.D. programs by the department and by the University. Admission ordinarily is granted only to those students beginning the program in the Fall term. Students are expected to move through the core courses as a cohort and work together with the faculty in a team environment.
In addition to the general University admission requirements for advanced degrees, the applicant for a sociology master’s or Ph.D. degree program must have the following materials to submit as part of a complete application:
Applicants for the graduate degree are normally expected to have a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Students with other undergraduate majors may be accepted; however, they must have completed courses in sociological theory, research methods, and statistics, or their equivalents.