Sociology

The Department of Sociology offers both a Master’s of Arts (M.A.) degree and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. The M.A. degree can be earned under either Plan A (thesis) or Plan B (non-thesis) options. Students in the Ph.D. program enroll concurrently in the Plan A M.A. program, which is available only to these students. The Plan B M.A. is available only to UConn students who are admitted to the Department’s accelerated (4+1) program (and to Ph.D. students who do not wish to continue in the Ph.D. program).

Accelerated (4+1) Master of Arts in Sociology

The accelerated (4+1) M.A. in Sociology is designed for UConn undergraduates who want to develop the training and skills needed to pursue careers focused on social justice. The program allows students to specialize in one of four available tracks: (1) Gender, Sexuality, and Social Justice; (2) Racism Studies and Inequality; (3) Social Change and Social Justice; and (4) Research Methods. The program requires a total of 30 graduate credits. Up to 12 credits of the required graduate coursework may be used toward both the B.A. and M.A. Plans of Study.

Requirements: To earn the M.A. degree through the 4+1 program, a student must meet the following requirements.

Required Core Graduate Courses: 12 credits of core courses: SOCI 5201, 5203, 5231, and 5895.

Track Courses: nine credits (three courses) from one of the following tracks, chosen in consultation with the student’s major advisor.

Gender, Sexuality, and Social Justice: SOCI 5601, 5602, 5604, 5613, 5614, 5651.

Racism Studies and Inequality: SOCI 5501, 5505, 5515, 5421, 5613.

Social Change and Social Justice: SOCI 5801, 5806, 5809, 5821, 5825, 5829.

Research Methods: SOCI 5210, 6203, 6205, 6231.

Electives:  nine additional credits of graduate-level courses in Sociology, at least three of which must be from one of the tracks above other than the student’s chosen track. In the student’s +1 year, they may, with the consent of their advisor, substitute an approved course in another department for three credits of elective sociology coursework.

Master of Arts in Sociology (with concurrent enrollment in Ph.D. program)

Most Ph.D. students enter with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and obtain the M.A. in Sociology in the first two years of the program, then proceed to the Ph.D. Students who are admitted with the M.A. in Sociology from another institution will typically finish the Ph.D. program in a shorter time. Students entering with the M.A. from other universities may have to take some required coursework in order to cover equivalent material as students who attained their degrees at the University of Connecticut. Students entering with graduate degrees in disciplines other than Sociology must fulfill the requirements of both the M.A. and Ph.D.

In addition to Graduate School requirements, when completed in conjunction with enrollment in the Ph.D. program, the M.A. in Sociology requires a minimum of 37 credits. Fifteen credits are Sociology graduate elective courses. Nine credits are GRAD 5950 Master’s Thesis Research. The other credits are from the following required courses.

Required Courses: SOCI 5001, 5201, 5203, 5231, and 5251.

Plan A. In addition to 37 Sociology credits, students must also complete a M.A. thesis, which includes submitting a written thesis and passing a formal M.A. thesis defense.

Plan B (Terminal). Students who do not wish to continue in the program may submit a portfolio instead of a M.A. thesis, which constitutes a final examination for Plan B students. This should consist of a minimum of three papers that together illustrate a command of sociological theory, research methods, and at least one substantive area. Students cannot move on to the Ph.D. phase of the program if they take the Plan B option.

Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology

The Ph.D. requires a total of 33 credits beyond the Master’s in Sociology degree. These credits include: six credits of required Sociology courses (SOCI 6203, 6231), 12 credits of Sociology electives, and 15 credits of GRAD 6950 (Doctoral Dissertation Research). Students may also take up to six credits of seminars outside of the department, but these may not be used in place of the Sociology elective credits.

General Examination. Students must demonstrate mastery over a particular area of sociological expertise. The General Examination has both a written and oral component.

Dissertation Proposal. Students must also complete a dissertation proposal, which includes submitting a written proposal and passing a formal dissertation proposal defense.

Dissertation. The dissertation has both a written and oral component.

The programs are offered by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.