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Joint M.A. / Ph.D. Program

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants with Bachelor's degrees in Sociology (or related fields) wishing to complete the requirements for both the Master's and Doctoral degrees in Sociology must:

  1. Submit scores on the verbal, quantitative, and analytical sections of the Graduate Record Examination. 
  2. Complete the supplementary application form. 
  3. Submit three (3) letters of recommendation from faculty personally acquainted with the applicant's academic achievements. 
  4. Submit a sample of written scholarly work (e.g., a term/research paper or scholarly publication).

Although an undergraduate major in sociology is not required, applicants should have completed undergraduate courses in social research methods and social statistics. Applicants who have not completed these courses can complete them at another school, apply for and complete them in postbaccalaureate status at Georgia State University, or complete them during their first semester of the Joint M.A. / Ph.D. program. 

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The Joint M.A./Ph.D. Program is a 108 credit hour degree program beyond the Bachelor's degree (64 credit hours of course work and 44 credit hours of non-course work including thesis proposal hours, thesis research hours, qualifying examination hours, dissertation proposal hours, and dissertation research hours) with at least 96 hours of study in the Department of Sociology at Georgia State University. If a student needs to take Soci 3010: Social Statistics, Soci 3020: Research Methods, and/or Soci 3030: Sociological Theory (or their equivalents, as determined by the Director of Graduate Studies), these courses must be taken as non-credit prerequisites for Soci 8010, Soci 8020, and Soci 8030. The Joint M.A./Ph.D. Program consists of a Master's Core (A), Master's Electives (B), Other Master's Requirements (C), Doctoral Core (D), Doctoral Specialty Core (E, F, or G), Doctoral Electives (H), and Other Doctoral Requirements (I).

Joint M.A. / Ph.D. Graduation Requirements

A. Master's Core Course Work (12 hours):
Soci 8000: Proseminar in Sociology (3)
Soci 8010: Intermediate Social Statistics (3)
Soci 8020: Research Methodology (3)
Soci 8030: Sociological Theory I (3)

B. Master's Elective Course Work (12 hours or 4 courses):
Students with post-Bachelor's degree course work from other accredited (non-online) institutions may petition to transfer up to 6 hours (2 courses) of course work towards the M.A. degree following petition to, and approval by, the departmental Director of Graduate Studies and the Office of Graduate Studies of the College of Arts and Sciences. With the approval of the departmental Director of Graduate Studies, up to 3 hours (one course) may be taken in a related field or fields and/or up to 3 hours of Soci 8970: Directed Readings may be taken.

C. Other Master's Requirements (12 hours of non-course work):
Soci 8998: Thesis Proposal (3)
A thesis proposal and oral defense.
Soci 8999: Thesis Research (9)
A thesis and oral defense.

D. Doctoral Core Course Work (19 hours):
Soci 8201: Social Inequality (3)
Soci 8342: Qualitative Methods (3)
Soci 9010: Multivariate Data Analysis (4)
Soci 9020: Advanced Research Methodology (3)
Soci 9030: Sociological Theory II (3)
Soci 9050: Special Topics in Social Research Methods (3)

E. Family, Health and Life Course (FLC) Specialty Course Work (6 hours):
Soci 8101: Family Sociology (3)
Soci 8102: Life Course Sociology (3)
Soci 9230: Sociology of Health & Illness (3)

F. Gender and Sexuality (GS) Specialty Course Work (6 hours):
Soci 8216: Gender and Society (3)
Soci 8156: Sexuality and Society (3)

G. Race and Urban Studies (RUS) Specialty Course Work (6 hours):
Soci 8212: Race and Ethnic Relations (3)
Soci 8226: Urban Sociology (3)

H. Doctoral Elective Course Work (15 hours or 5 courses):
With the approval of the departmental Director of Graduate Studies, up to 3 hours (one course) may be taken in a related field or fields and/or up to 3 hours of Soci 8970: Directed Readings may be taken.

I. Other Doctoral Requirements (32 hours of non-course work):
Soci 9970: Readings for Qualifying Examination (6)
Written qualifying examinations in theory and methodology.
Soci 9998: Dissertation Proposal (9)
A dissertation proposal and oral defense.
Soci 9999: Dissertation Research (17)
A dissertation and oral defense.

NOTES:

  1. Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 ("B") or better and must receive a grade of "B" or better in each of the required courses. If a student receives a lower grade in a required course, the student must repeat the course the very next time the course is offered to rectify the grade.
  2. The total number of hours must include a minimum of 96 hours in sociology, 55 hours of which must have been earned in regularly scheduled courses in the Department of Sociology at Georgia State University.
  3. Students must register for Soci 9970: Readings for Qualifying Examinations (3-9 hours) in the semester in which they prepare for the Ph.D. qualifying examinations.
  4. Students must register for Soci 8990: Research Practicum (3-9 hours) and Soci 8991: Teaching Practicum (3-9 hours) while they are appointed as a Graduate Assistant.
  5. Students who are appointed as a GTAB must successfully complete Soci 9000: Teaching Sociology and Soci 9001: Teaching Internship prior to their appointment.
  6. Soci 9001: Teaching Internship (3 hours) cannot be applied to the degree.
  7. Students must take 2 hours of Soci 8000 in the Fall semester and 2 hours of Soci 8000 in the Spring semester of their first year in the Joint M.A./Ph.D. Program.