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Sociology - M.A. and Ph.D.

COLLEGE: College of Arts and Sciences
DEPARTMENT: Department of Sociology
215 Merrill Hall
Tel: 330-672-2562
Fax: 330-672-4724
Web: http://www.kent.edu/cas/sociology/
 
DESCRIPTION: The Master of Arts in Sociology consists of two concentrations: Sociology and Gerontology.

Sociology offers specializations in crime, deviance, and criminal justice, health and health care (including mental health), social inequalities (race, class, gender), and social psychology, and provides a foundation for a variety of career lines for further graduate study.

Sociology–Gerontology provides a foundation for a variety of career lines for further graduate study. Students concentrate in the substantive and interdisciplinary area of gerontology.

The Ph.D. in Sociology prepares students for research and teaching careers in higher education and for research-based careers in both the public and private sectors. The program offers four specialties: criminology and deviance, health and health care (including mental health), social inequalities (race, class, gender), and social psychology,
ADMISSION
REQUIREMENTS:
 M.A.: official transcript(s); 3.2 GPA; GRE, three letters for recommendations from professors; and 1-2 page statement of career interests and goals.

Ph.D.: official transcript(s), GRE, three letters of recommendation from current/former professors who can adequately evaluate the applicant’s graduate work and potential; 1-2 page goal statement; completed master’s degree or equivalent, or at least one year of full-time coursework or equivalent (18 hours) in an M.A. in Sociology program. The coursework must include the M.A. core sequence. This type of admission is limited to students whose records clearly indicate both scholarly and research potential to do doctoral-level work. If the M.A. is not complete upon admission, students must complete it before the start of the second semester after they begin the Ph.D. program.
GRADUATION
REQUIREMENTS:
 M.A.: Sociology - Requirements for the degree are 34 semester hours. This includes 10 hours of required courses, 6 hours for the project (see below) and 18 hours of electives.

The curriculum consists of a core of required courses: SOC 62002, 62100, 62211, 62217, and 62199 or 62885; elective courses and an individualized project that may be in either thesis or non-thesis format. The required courses provide foundations in social theory, research methods, data analysis and college teaching. For electives, no more than 12 hours may be taken in any outside department for credit toward the M.A. degree. Further, only one 50000-level course may be applied toward the M.A. degree. The individualized project may be an empirical research study, theoretical project, or student-contracted field internship in an agency.

Ph.D.: In addition to meeting the general requirements of the university, students working toward the Doctor of Philosophy degree program in sociology must meet these requirements:
  • One doctoral-level course in theory: SOC 72105.
  • One doctoral-level course in methods/statistics: SOC 72218.
  • Complete courses in the student’s specialty areas.
  • Take the following doctoral-level courses: SOC 72002 and 72894.
  • Complete a minimum total of 34 semester hours of coursework.
  • Pass the doctoral comprehensive examination. This examination will include an evaluation of theory, methodology, analysis, and other topics relevant to the student’s specialty areas.
  • Register for 30 credit hours of Dissertation I (SOC 82199).
THESIS/
DISSERTATION:
 		Complete a dissertation and successfully defend it in an oral examination.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES: Graduate assistantships, Group Processes Research Laboratory, Survey Research Laboratory
PROGRAM FEE: None
STUDENT
ORGANIZATIONS:
 Alpha Kappa Delta, Graduate Student Senate, Pi Gamma Mu, Sociologists for Women in Society