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

Degree requirements

Sociology M.A./M.S.

Sociology Ph.D.

Candidates for the Ph.D. must earn a minimum of 108 graduate credits. The 54 credits from the PSU Sociology Master’s with thesis will automatically count towards the Sociology Ph.D. Students with other prior Master’s degrees can request to waive up to 45 credits towards the Ph.D. based on equivalent prior graduate coursework.

Requirements

Core

Soc 590	Social Research Strategies	4
Soc 591	Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology	4
Soc 592	Qualitative Methods	4
Soc 593	Quantitative Methods	4
Soc 507 or Soc 607	Professionalization Seminar	9
Soc 537 or Soc 637	Qualitative Data Analysis	4
Soc 595 or Soc 695	Advanced Quantitative Methods	4
Total Credit Hours:		33

Electives

Ten 500- or 600-level elective courses, at least twenty credits must be in Sociology. Elective courses outside Sociology must be approved by the student’s adviser.

Total Credit Hours:

Thesis

Soc 503	Thesis	8
Total Credit Hours:		8

Dissertation

Soc 603	Dissertation	27
Total Credit Hours:		27

Total Credit Hours: 108

The details of all requirements are outlined in the Graduate Student Handbook which can be found on the graduate page of the department website at https://www.pdx.edu/sociology.