SOCY Graduate Student Handbook 2021
Important Information
- A maximum of two courses may be taken outside the department, but they must be approved by the Graduate Director prior to enrollment
- A full-time course load is 9 credits (3 courses) per semester
- Degree-seeking students are required to complete a Capstone project
- Master’s Thesis option (15 course credits and 6 thesis credits)
- Master’s Paper option (18 course credits and 3 paper credits)
- Both courses of study require 30 hours of course work
- Students should maintain close contact with their faculty advisor in order to develop a viable program of study and avoid graduation delays
- Students should become familiar with the University’s requirements and deadlines for organizing and submitting the capstone project
- Consult the Capstone Requirement Document for detailed information about the capstone project options, guidelines, tasks, timelines, and FAQs
Course of Study
See the Graduate Catalog for a complete listing of all courses and degree requirements, as well as course descriptions. Refer to the Schedule of Classes for current semester offerings.
Required Courses (9 Credits)
- SOCY 600 Research Methodology (3.00)
- SOCY 604 Statistical Analysis (3.00): Prerequisite: SOCY 600
- A third graduate-level methods or statistics course from an approved list
- SOCY 618 – SAS for the Social Sciences
- SOCY 619 – Qualitative Methods in Social Research
Master’s Paper Option (21 credits)
- Six elective courses (18 credits)
- SOCY 711 – Master’s Paper Research (3 credits)
Master’s Paper requires a first and second reader, to be determined once other coursework is finished.
Master’s Thesis Option (21 credits)
- Five Elective Courses (15 credits)
- SOCY 799 – Master’s Thesis Research (6 credits)
Master’s Thesis requires a committee consisting of a chair and two other faculty members, to be determined once other coursework is finished. The committee will approve the thesis proposal.
Elective Courses
Regularly offered elective courses are listed below.
- Key:
Social Dimensions of Health Certificate required course = SDOH
Applied Social Research Methods Certificate required course = ASRM- Social Inequality and Social Policy (SOCY 606) – SDOH option
- Constructing Race, Class, and Gender (SOCY 611) – SDOH option
- SAS for Social Scientists (SOCY 618)
- Qualitative Methods in Social Research (SOCY 619)
- Gender and the Life Course (SOCY/GWST 634 hosted by GWST department)
- Social Dimensions of Health (SOCY 651) – SDOH
- Sociology of Mental Health and Illness (SOCY 658) – SDOH
- Social Ties across the Life Course (SOCY 670)
- Applied Sociology (SOCY 680) – ASRM
- Advanced Selected Topics in Sociology (e.g. Social Networks, Crime, and Health; Politics of Crime and Punishment) (SOCY 698)