M.A. Program

The master's program emphasizes Sociological theory and methods. Some students earn the M.A. to prepare for positions as applied sociologists. Their work often includes field experience. Others view the M.A. degree as preparation for Ph.D. studies. An M.A. thesis or publishable paper describes results from the student's own original research.

M.A. Degree Requirements

Diana Dumais recently earned her M.A. in Sociology. Her master's thesis examined the experiences of women who have undergone abortions. Diana's work won her a Graduate Student Research/Scholarship/Creativity Award from the Graduate School.

1. Seven courses (26 credit hours), consisting of four required courses plus three electives:

Sociology 900 (Proseminar in Sociology)
Sociology 901 (Intermediate Statistics)
Sociology 902 (Research Design)
Sociology 911 (Theory I)
Three additional graduate-level sociology courses

2. Master's Thesis

Establish a committee by the second semester
Develop proposal
Conduct original research
Write thesis
Register for 6-10 thesis credits (Sociology 899)

Full-time students typically complete their course requirements within their first three semesters of graduate study. Subsequently, top priority goes to completion of the M.A. thesis.

See the Graduate Handbook for more in-depth information about the master's thesis.