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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?
Is there additional advice for international applicants?
What are the prerequisites necessary to matriculate?
A background in basic sociology, usually 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 generally 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?
Only students already enrolled in The Department of Sociology's Ph.D. program can apply for a Master's degree. Applicants interested only in applying for a terminal Master's degree are never admitted to the graduate program and their applications will likely be summarily disqualified and dismissed. 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 four courses in sociology, at least one of which is atthe 8xxx level. 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 near 600, Quantitative scores near 650, and Analytical scores near 5.3. 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 any offer of admission for a particular year.
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 statement of professional objectives, 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 need not identify specific faculty with whom they would like to work; however, some idea about the areas of sociology in which an applicant has interest should be provided 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 statement of professional objectives.
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 (e.g. December 1, 2009 for the program beginning in the fall of 2010). 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. Further, only the applicants who designate they are applying to the Ph.D. program beginning in the fall of the year following the year in which they are submitting their application 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. Students take six required core courses (17 credits), including two courses on professional skills development. Beyond that, each student's program is individually planned in consultation with the adviser and program committee to meet both the student's goals and broad program requirements. Those requirements include four substantive courses in sociology (12 credits minimum) and at least one semester of training in advanced methods (3 credits minimum). Students must also complete a minimum of 12 credits in a minor or supporting program and register for 24 thesis credits. Students who enter the program with an M.A. in sociology must earn a minimum of 18 credits in the department regardless of the number of courses for which they have approved equivalents from other institutions. Midway through the program, students prepare for a written preliminary examination by developing in close consultation with the adviser a reading list covering the scope of the preliminary exam paper. The reading list selections and the preliminary exam paper cover specific subfields (e.g. stratification, gender, deviance) to orient the dissertation research. The written examination is defended orally and usually held during the third year of study. Three representatives from the sociology department must serve on the student's preliminary oral examining and prospectus hearing committees. Approval of the dissertation prospectus occurs after the preliminary oral examination is passed and prior to dissertation research beginning. Students defend their doctoral dissertations in a final oral examination.
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: Family and Life Course; Inequality: Race, Class, and Gender; Law, Criminology, and Deviance; Organizations, Work, and Markets; and Political Sociology and Social Movements. Faculty profiles can be found by clicking here.
What should I include in my statement of professional objectives?
To be clear, what the Department of Sociology at the University of Minnesota refers to as a "professional objectives statement," some applicants call a "statement of purpose" or a "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, or would you be better served by pursuing a graduate degree in law, public policy, social work, history, etc.? 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, Robert Fox, at 612-624-2093 or robfox@umn.edu. Mr. Fox 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 Penny Edgell, Director of Graduate Studies, at edgell@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?
Submit a strong sample of your written work. 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 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. You may have them do this in one of two ways: have them mail their letters directly to the department or have them submit their letters online through the ApplyYourself system. When asking your recommenders to mail their letters to the department, it is often helpful if you provide your recommenders with a pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelope. There is no specific form or format for letters of recommendation submitted via the mail. While completing your Graduate School Application, you may choose to 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.
In general, when making admissions decisions, the Committee is looking to reduce risk to the department resources. Each year countless hours of time and professional/academic support are devoted to each student in the program. Further, financial support of up to sixty thousand dollars per student per year is covered by the department. The committee wants to feel confident that the students to whom they extend offers of admission will see the program through to completion, be successful in the program, and go on to be an exemplary representative of the program. Tailor your application in such a manner that you will stand out as a "safe bet."
Is there additional advice for international applicants?
The Department of Sociology recommends that you submit your application to the Graduate School six weeks before the December 1 application deadline to ensure that you have enough time to fix any errors in your application submission. When submitting your application, please do not confuse the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the University of Minnesota-Crookston, etc. The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is where the sociology PhD program is offered and if you apply to any other University of Minnesota school, your application may not be reviewed.
The Graduate School will not begin to process any application without the application fee ($100 US for international students, submitted by credit card once you have completed your online application). If you do not have a major credit card or cannot use a card belonging to a friend or relative, the department can help you make the payment through a Western Union money order. Contact Robert Fox, robfox@umn.edu>, in order to find out more information about this option. In extremely rare cases, the department has paid the application fee for exceptionally promising incoming international students. In these instances, it is vital that prospective students contact Robert Fox before November 15.
Prior to matriculation, The Graduate School requires that international applicants have their transcripts sent directly to the Graduate School from the applicant's previous school(s). Transcripts that are provided to the student and then forwarded to the Graduate School will not be considered official. When possible, international applicants should submit to the Graduate School an official English translation of their official transcript(s).
Discuss with the persons submitting your letters of recommendation the importance of providing specific information about your academic work and professional experiences. It is a good idea to provide your recommenders with your statement of professional objectives so they can refer to it when writing their recommendation.
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a general requirement of the department. It is one way that the Admission Committee evaluates students from differing undergraduate schools, countries, and majors. The department's policy is that in cases where taking the GRE test imposes unusual difficulty, for example, in countries where it is not regularly administered, an applicant may petition for waiver of this requirement. If you do not have the ability to take the GRE and wish to submit a petition to have waived the GRE requirement, you must write your request on a single sheet of paper and send it to the department of sociology (not the Graduate School). There is no petition form. It will be wise of you to also include with your petition additional material that addresses your quantitative abilities as well as your written communication abilities. This additional information could be the methodology portion of a paper, an exercise from training in advanced mathematics, a detailed discussion of how results of a survey were analyzed, or similar examples of proficiency. The admissions committee will decide whether your petition (and the supporting materials) is strong enough to warrant waiving the GRE requirement.
The TOEFL is required of all international applicants whose native language is not English, except those who will have completed 24 quarter credits / 16 semester credits in residence as a full-time student at a recognized institution of higher learning in the United States at least 24 months prior to entering the University of Minnesota. This requirement will not be waived. An official report of the TOEFL scores should be sent to The Graduate School; our TOEFL institutional code is 6874. Please note that test scores may not be available for 4-6 weeks after you take the test, and plan accordingly. The operational standard or admission to The Graduate School is a score of at least 79 on the Internet based TOEFL with section scores of 21 on writing and 19 on reading (550 on the paper based TOEFL).
