Sociology - Ph.D.

Applications are due by January 15.   

This degree provides advanced training in theory, research methodology, and substantive fields to prepare sociologists for leadership positions in teaching and research. Our interdisciplinary-based degree in sociology features sociological training in an interdisciplinary environment. We offer research-intensive training in the study of individuals, families, social institutions and societies, with special emphasis on demography, family and health.

Admission: Admission to the program is determined by the following criteria: Graduate Record Examination scores (GRE) (verbal, quantitative, and writing), three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic background, a curriculum vitae, valid transcripts of the student’s academic record, a writing sample and a statement of purpose provided by each applicant.  View more details on admission materials. 

Applicants should have a master's degree or its equivalent in sociology or a related field, or have an unusually strong undergraduate record. January 15 is the deadline for consideration for admission and funding for the next academic year. 

Program of Study: The doctorate requires 54 semester hours beyond the master’s degree. Three hours each of theory, methods, statistics, and research are required, and 12 hours are earned through dissertation and research. The remaining 30 hours are in substantive courses reflecting the student’s specialization. First-year doctoral students are required to take Sociology as a Profession (SOC 503). A minimum of 30 semester hours of the approved doctoral program, exclusive of dissertation and research hours, must be completed after admission to the doctoral program at ASU.

Foreign Language Requirements: None.

Comprehensive Examinations: The students are required to take two written comprehensive examinations or one written examination and a statistics course sequence. The written examination options are in the areas of demography, family and health. The statistics course sequence is: STP 507 Categorical Data Analysis, STP 508 Structural Equation Modeling, and STP 509 Event History Analysis, and one additional course chosen by the student in conjunction with the statistics faculty. An oral defense of the dissertation proposal is required. After passing the comprehensive examinations and obtaining a formal approval of the dissertation proposal, the student is eligible to apply for candidacy.

Dissertation requirements: A dissertation based on original work demonstrating creativity in research and scholarly proficiency in the subject area is required.

Final examination: A final oral examination in defense of the dissertation is required.

Research facilities: Department research facilities consist of a graduate offices with high-speed internet connections, a graduate computer laboratory, and a demography center with computers. We also are connected with the Institute for Social Research (ISSR), which gives us access to focus group facilities with observational windows and videotaping equipment, access to the data holdings of the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, and Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing hardware and software. The ISSR also has Web-based survey capabilities.
 

Search for graduate faculty members in the sociology doctoral program.