Professors: Badahdah, Driscoll, Minnotte, Moen, Staples, Stevens, Stofferahn (Graduate Program Director) and Tiemann (Chair)

Program Description

Thirty graduate credits, including thesis work, are required for a Master of Arts degree. The program of study is divided into four components: scholarly tools, core curriculum, cognate, and thesis. The core courses include sociological thought, social theory, research design, and analytical methods. Courses in the scholarly tools component include one course in statistics and other courses in research methods. The cognate includes nine credits in a minor or cognate; and thesis is comprised of four credits.

Admission Requirements

1. Completion of a minimum of twenty semester hours of undergraduate sociology or related fields with an overall grade point average of 3.00 (A=4.0), a GPA of at least 3.25 for the last two years of undergraduate study; and 3.25 GPA in their major.
   
   
2. Approved status presupposes some undergraduate training in methods of social research, statistics, sociological theory and social psychology with a minimum grade of B in each.

Degree Requirements

1. Program must include a systematic treatment of the field of sociological theory plus sufficient training in research methods and statistical techniques to assure understanding and competence in their use. This is fulfilled upon successful completion of (grade B or higher) in Soc 510, Soc. 511, Soc. 520, Soc. 521, and EFR 516.
   
   
2. One graduate seminar.
   
   
3. Other cognates of a student’s own choosing may be approved by their faculty advisory committee.
   
   
4. Under exceptional circumstances, where the spirit of residency is met, the Department may waive the residence requirements for an M.A. in Sociology. (See the Academic Policies section for a definition of Residence.)

Courses

500. Professional Seminar. 1 credit. Prerequisites: Admission to the graduate program in Sociology. The course is intended as an introduction to graduate studies, the university and to the opportunities in the discipline of Sociology.

510. Sociological Inquiry. 3 credits. This course focuses on the processes by which sociologists perceive, understand, and study social phenomena.

511. Contemporary Sociological Theory. 3 credits. An examination and comparison of the major current sociological theories.

512. Advanced Sociological Theory. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Sociology 511. A critical look at problems of theory development and construction, emphasizing historical social theorists.

520. Advanced Research Design. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Sociology 323 and 326. This course emphasizes the development of research design skills including survey research.

521. Advanced Analytical Methods. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Sociology 323, 326, and 520. An in-depth examination and application of the following topics as they relate to survey research in sociology: data processing; quantification and analysis of data; analytical design; and procedures. The student will apply the various analytical methods to available data.

528. Seminar in Research Methods. 2 to 4 credits. Prerequisite: Sociology 323. An examination of special topics in the field of research methods.

537. Graduate Cooperative Education. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Program of study committee and Director of Graduate Studies approval. A practical work experience with an employer closely associated with the student’s cognate area.

538. Seminar in Social Organization. 2 to 4 credits.

558. Seminar in Social Disorganization. 2 to 4 credits.

568. Seminar in Social Psychology. 2 to 4 credits. Prerequisite: Sociology 361.

598. Individual Research. 1 to 4 credits. Maximum of six credits.

998. Thesis. 4 to 9 credits.

407. Political Sociology. 3 credits.

431. Organizations and Behavior. 3 credits.

435. Racial and Ethnic Relations. 3 credits.

436. Social Inequality. 3 credits.

437. Population. 3 credits.

450. Deviant Behavior. 3 to 4 credits.

492. Practicum in Sociology. 3 credits

494. Readings in Sociology. 1 to 5 credits.