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Department of Sociology
soc@umn.edu
612-624-4300
soc@umn.edu
612-624-4300
Common Questions
Contents
What are the prerequisites necessary to matriculate?
Can I apply to the department for a Masters degree?
Can I obtain a graduate minor in sociology?
What are the average GRE scores among students who are admitted to the program?
What should I emphasize in my application?
What are the deadlines for submitting application materials?
What are the requirements once admitted to the program?
What are the specialty areas of the department?
What should I include in my statement of professional objectives?
How may I obtain additional information about the program?
How can I present the strongest possible application?
What are the prerequisites necessary to matriculate?
A background in sociology consisting of the equivalent of 18 credits in undergraduate work, including 9 credits of social science statistical methods, or an M.A. degree in sociology or a closely related field is recommended. Individuals who have completed fewer than 18 sociology undergraduate credits may be admitted but are required to complete background coursework in theory and statistics during their first year of residence.
Can I apply to the department for a Masters degree?
Applicants are only admitted to the department's Ph.D. program and under the assumption that they plan to pursue the Ph.D. to its completion. In other words, all applicants must apply to the Ph.D. program and will be evaluated relative to their abilities to complete the requirements for the Ph.D. The optional M.A. degree may be, but need not be, earned en route to the Ph.D. degree.
Can I obtain a graduate minor in sociology?
Yes, students currently enrolled in another University of Minnesota doctoral program can minor in sociology. A doctoral minor requires 12 credits in sociology. Course choices are subject to the approval of the sociology department's director of graduate studies (who must sign the degree program form).
What are the average GRE scores among students who are admitted to the program?
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores of admitted students vary from year to year. However, on average, successful applicants to the program have Verbal scores of 640/162 (old/new scoring system), Quantitative scores of 700/155, and Analytical scores of 5.0. When reviewing these averages, please bear in mind that GRE scores represent only one of the many factors the department considers when choosing students for the doctoral program. Considerable variation occurs around the averages. The department reviews every completed application file very carefully before deciding on extending an offer of admission.
What should I emphasize in my application?
All applicants to the graduate program in sociology submit GRE scores, transcripts from undergraduate and (if relevant) graduate institutions, three letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and a sample of written work. The admissions committee carefully reviews all materials submitted. The committee members look for evidence that applicants have the academic preparation and skills necessary to succeed in the program, and that the program can offer the training specific applicants desire. In keeping with the latter, the admissions committee evaluates how well applicant's interests match with the interests of department faculty. Applicants should identify specific faculty with whom they would like to work and some idea about the areas of sociology in which an applicant has interest, so the committee can evaluate the department's ability to offer training in those areas. The admissions committee evaluates applications in total, so no one part of an application will decide an applicant's fate. For example, GRE scores are important, but the committee will discount low GRE scores for applicants who submit strong writing samples or whose letters of recommendation describe remarkable strengths in the areas in which applicants received low GRE scores. In general, the best advice for an applicant is to self-identify the weakest area of the application and to then draw the committee's attention to those parts of the application that compensate for the weakness. Alternatively, one can attempt to persuade the committee of the inadequacies of an indicator for evaluating a particular poorly assessed competency. For example, if a quantitative GRE score is low, an applicant could point out high grades received in math or statistics courses, or discuss relevant quantitative research experience, as a way of arguing that the admissions committee should pay less attention to the low GRE score as an indicator of statistical aptitude. All such points can be made in the personal statement.
What are the deadlines for submitting application materials?
The deadline for the submission of application materials is December 1 of each year for the program beginning in the fall of the following year. Applications are submitted using The Graduate School's ApplyYourself system. The Department of Sociology only reviews applications for admission once per year and does not engage in rolling admissions. Only applications submitted on-time and containing all the information and supplemental materials required by the department's admissions committee are guaranteed a review.
What are the requirements once admitted to the program?
The doctoral program is designed for students planning to do research or teach in academic settings.
Ph.D. students are required to take five core courses (14 credits):
- 8701: Sociological Theory
- 8801: Sociological Research Methods
- 8811: Advanced Social Statistics
- 8001: Sociology as a Profession (two semesters)
In addition, Ph.D. students complete at least one three credit course in advanced methodological training (through an advanced statistics course, or an independent research training experience), take 12 credits in sociology, and at least 12 credits of coursework in related fields or a minor. After passing the prelim written and oral exam students register for 24 doctoral thesis credits. Students are also required to prepare a reading list, take the preliminary written and oral examinations, complete a prospectus and defend their dissertation in a final oral exam.
What are the specialty areas of the department?
Faculty of the University of Minnesota Department of Sociology have diverse interests, which can be broadly grouped into the following categories:
Global, Transnational & Comparative Sociology; |
Faculty profiles can be found by clicking here.
What should I include in my personal statement?
Most submitted statements are one to two pages in length. Statements vary tremendously in content; only you know how you came to be interested in sociology and what you want to accomplish by receiving a Ph.D. in the discipline. Nevertheless, all statements should contain some basic information. The admissions committee should be informed of why you want to study sociology at the graduate level. You should be specific about your core areas of research/teaching interest within the field (do not worry if your interests end up changing; the members of the committee know this is a common occurrence). If your research interests are not yet formed, at the very least, you should convey why sociology is attractive to you as an intellectual discipline. You might also think to include a paragraph about what sociology offers you as a discipline that related disciplines do not. Based upon your statement, the Admissions Committee will try to evaluate whether sociology seems like the right "home" for you—will you be able to accomplish what you want to accomplish through sociology. In your statement you should also attempt to reveal some of your most sophisticated sociological thoughts, your grasp of sociological theory, and a sense of your sociological "imagination."
How may I obtain additional information about the program?
Please contact the Graduate Program Associate, Becky Drasin, at 612-624-2093 or drasi001@umn.edu. Becky manages the Graduate Program Office and can explain to you the program policies and procedures, the program timelines, the admissions process, the typical funding packages, and other pertinent information. Questions can also be directed to Professor Ann Meier, Director of Graduate Studies, at meierann@umn.edu. All of our faculty members are quite accessible, and if you are interested in meeting with one of them, simply send a request via email. Faculty contact information may be found by clicking on the "Faculty" tab in the left hand menu at the top of this page.
How can I present the strongest possible application?
The written works most often submitted are term papers or Master's theses. Your written work should deal with an intellectual problem related to the social sciences and should demonstrate your analytic abilities. It should not be a book review or a summary of others' thinking. Faculty readers will consider the level of sociological sophistication, abstraction, creativity, organization, and writing style.
Provide a short one- or two-page personal statement of your professional objectives that clearly indicates your goals and commitment to sociological training. This statement could address potential deficiencies in your standardized test scores, statistics and/or sociological theory preparation. It is also the place for you to indicate how you fit in with the program and why you chose to apply to the U. of M. department. Provide information about the schools for which you submitted transcripts, as well as your standing within your graduating class (if helpful to your case).
Have your recommenders submit their letters before the December 1 deadline. While completing your Graduate School Application, have the ApplyYourself system send an email to your recommenders which will provide them with directions on how to submit their recommendations electronically. This system of recommendation letter submission does have a specific form that may be completed by your recommender, but at the present time, the completion of that form is optional. The required letter of recommendation can be uploaded to the system and will be forwarded to the department of sociology. Your recommenders should have earned a Ph.D. or a similar terminal degree and will be most helpful to you if they specifically address your academic work and professional experiences. It would be wise for you to provide them with your statement of professional objectives so that your comments are complimentary and relate to each other.
The Graduate Admissions Committee evaluates each applicant's prior academic performance including the location, quality, and strengths of the applicant's undergraduate and/or graduate program(s). The undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of recent top applicants has been 3.6 on a 4.0 scale. Graduate applicants typically have GPA's of 3.9 on a 4.0 scale. If your GPA is not of this quality it will behoove you to address this deficiency in your Statement of Professional Objectives.
The Committee also evaluates applicants' scores on the general test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Considering average scores received by applicants admitted in prior years, the department prefers students with consistent verbal and quantitative scores of 650 or better, and analytical scores of 5.0 or better.
