Graduate Requirements Handbook
Graduate Study Admissions FAQs
When is the application deadline for admission to the Ph.D. program in Sociology?
Applications and supporting documentation must be received by January 2, 2009. This is also the deadline for application to the Ph.D. Program in Sociology and Social Policy, and the Ph.D. Program in Organizational Behavior.
Does the Sociology Department have a Masters Program?
No. The graduate program admits only students seeking the Ph.D.
What are considered acceptable GRE scores for admission to the program?
The GRE is only one component of the application. Your undergraduate scholastic record, letters of recommendation, and particularly the personal statement—why you want to study sociology—are all equally important and jointly evaluated by the admissions committee.
What is the average GRE score for students previously admitted to the program?
The Department does not keep statistics on GRE scores for students who have been admitted into the program.
Does the Department require an interview prior to admission?
No, there is no interview included as part of the admissions procedure. After applicants are accepted into the program the Department invites them to visit on a special day in March. The Chair and Director of Graduate Studies present an overview of the program, and you will have an opportunity to meet with current faculty and graduate students, and gain more insight and information before making your final decision.
May I make a special visit prior to being admitted?
We strongly discourage prospective students from visiting prior to admission to the program. Faculty receive many more requests for meetings from prospective students than they can accommodate, and these meetings have no effect whatsoever on the admission process. In general, applicants should wait until after admission to visit campus. The special day set aside for getting acquainted with the program is designed to aid those accepted in making an informed decision about their graduate studies.
What kind of background is required? What if I didn't major in Sociology?
Successful applicants come from a wide variety of academic backgrounds. Undergraduate work in the social sciences, the humanities, the natural sciences, and mathematics are all considered appropriate. Some students enter the program directly from their undergraduate institutions, while others have a Masters degree or several years of work experience. Regardless of undergraduate academic background, an applicant's personal statement about the aspect of sociology s/he wishes to study, and why s/he wishes to study it, is taken very seriously in the admissions process.
How many people apply? What percentage of applicants is accepted?
Typically the Department receives several hundred applications, and 5%-10% of these applicants are offered admission.
Can I get financial aid?
All students admitted to the program will receive, at minimum, full financial aid throughout the first four years. In Years 1 and 2, this consists of full tuition plus a stipend (currently $19,000—2006-07 rates). There are also summer research awards of for the summers following the G-1 and G-2 years. In Years 3 and 4, students receive full tuition plus the opportunity for appointment as a teaching fellow, which pays $17,880 per year for an average of 20 hours of work per week during each semester and will be "topped off" so that students will not receive less than the full stipend amount ($19,000). All students who qualify and apply for them will also receive a dissertation completion fellowship to be taken in their fifth or final year of study. Considerable resources, from the graduate school and other agencies, are also available for dissertation research and completion, additional summer study, and conference travel. For more information see the GSAS web site section on Financial Aid for Prospective Students.
What exams do I have to take to apply?
All applicants are required to take the GRE General Test. Applicants whose native language is other than English and who do not hold a degree from an institution at which English is the language of instruction must submit TOEFL scores.
Should I send a writing sample?
A writing sample is not required, but you may submit one if you wish. A short essay or an excerpt from a longer paper is best.
Should I send my supporting documents to the Department or to the Admissions Office?
All application materials that you submit, including transcripts and test scores, must be sent directly to the Admissions Office of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and should not be sent to the department.
For more information and FAQs on admissions, please refer to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Updated: July 2008