Sociology - PhD

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College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice

The PhD program in Sociology provides a combination of environmental, demographic, organizational, political-economic, and historical orientations to major domestic and global issues. Students have the opportunity to merge foundational coursework in sociological theory and research methods with focused training in a selected specialty area and apprenticeship roles in both basic and applied research projects. Sustained personal interaction between faculty and students is a hallmark and strength of the program.

PhD students are expected to concentrate in and pass a written comprehensive examination in one major specialty area, with additional depth coursework in a second area. The program is sufficiently flexible to permit students with a strong interest in an area other than the established specialty areas to develop their own secondary specialization area, with approval of the graduate director and the supervisory committee. The three established specialization areas are as follows:

Demography

This specialization explores issues of population change, migration, and health outcomes. Graduate coursework is provided in social demography, techniques of demographic analysis, population health, migration, and various special topic seminars.

Environment & Community

This specialization focuses on the sociology of natural resources, environmental sociology, community theory, and applied community development. Faculty and students in this specialization area engage in numerous cooperative research ventures with colleagues in natural resource sciences, water engineering, and other physical and social sciences.

Social Inequality

The area specialization in social inequality allows graduate students to explore how states, policies, organizations and labor markets come together to create differing opportunities and outcomes for diverse groups within society, as well as across societies. Department faculty conduct research on gender, racial, and class inequalities within the United States and other countries, as well as comparative, cross-national research.

Program requirements

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to and completion of a graduate program.

All PhD coursework must be completed with a grade of B or higher. Exceptions for grades below a B can be offered for a maximum of 6 credits, at the discretion of the supervisory committee. Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree. Credits in the following areas are not acceptable in a degree program: foreign languages (unless included in an approved Program of Study), continuing graduate advisement, individual home study, military science, and courses numbered below 3000.

To fulfill USU graduate residence requirements At least 33 semester credits for the doctoral degree must be taken from Utah State University and be part of an approved Program of Study. At least three semesters, two of which must be consecutive, of full-time registration in residence at Utah State University, is required.

Doctoral candidates must pass a written comprehensive examination in their major area of specialization, and successfully write and defend a dissertation proposal and dissertation before their supervisory committee.

Completion of the PhD requires the approval of the following forms by the School of Graduate Studies:

Supervisory Committee
Program of Study
Application for Candidacy
Thesis Approval
Appointment for Examination
Record of Examination
SGS and library review and approval

Requirements for Students Entering With a Master’s Degree

PhD students who have already earned a Master’s degree in sociology or a closely related field are required to earn 51 credits to complete their doctoral degree (48 credits if the student recieved their MS in Sociology from USU). Specific minimum requirements for a PhD in sociology include the following:

1. Theory

Completion of 6 credit hours of theory, including:

Required:
SOC 6760 - Theory and Research in Social Inequality 3 credit(s)
One additional theory-intensive course to be selected from the following list:
SOC 5420 - Gender, Sexuality and Social Inequality 3 credit(s)
SOC 6270 - Global Migration 3 credit(s)
SOC 6310 - Sociology of Work and Occupations 3 credit(s)
SOC 6460 - Sociology of Health 3 credit(s)
SOC 6480 - Seminar in Race and Ethnicity 3 credit(s)
SOC 6620 - Environment, Technology, and Social Change 3 credit(s)
SOC 7720 - Applied Community Theory and Development 3 credit(s)

2. Research Methods

Completion of 6 credit hours of research methods, including:

SOC 7110 - Advanced Quantitative Analysis 3 credit(s)
SOC 7150 - Advanced Qualitative Methods in Sociology 3 credit(s)

3. Electives

Completion of at least 21 credits of electives, including:

At least 12 credits in a major specialization area
At least 9 credits in a minor speicialization area

4. Dissertation Research

Completion of 12-21 total credits of dissertation research

SOC 7970 - Dissertation Research 1-12 credit(s)

Requirements for Students Entering with a Bachelor’s Degree

Exceptionally well-qualified applicants who have completed an undergraduate degree in Sociology or a closely related social science discipline and who demonstrate outstanding potential for success in the pursuit of doctoral-level training may be considered for admission directly into the PhD program. A minimum of 69 credits beyond the Bachelor’s degree are required for the doctoral degree for students who enter the program without first completing a master’s degree. Specific minimum requirements include the following:

1. Theory

Completion of 9 credit hours of theory, including:

Required:
SOC 6010 - Development of Sociological Theory 3 credit(s)
SOC 6760 - Theory and Research in Social Inequality 3 credit(s)
One additional theory-intensive course to be selected from the following list:
SOC 5420 - Gender, Sexuality and Social Inequality 3 credit(s)
SOC 6270 - Global Migration 3 credit(s)
SOC 6310 - Sociology of Work and Occupations 3 credit(s)
SOC 6460 - Sociology of Health 3 credit(s)
SOC 6480 - Seminar in Race and Ethnicity 3 credit(s)
SOC 6620 - Environment, Technology, and Social Change 3 credit(s)
SOC 7720 - Applied Community Theory and Development 3 credit(s)

2. Research Methods

Completion of 12 credit hours of research methods, including:

SOC 6100 - Advanced Methods of Social Research 3 credit(s)
SOC 6150 - Social Statistics II 3 credit(s)
SOC 7110 - Advanced Quantitative Analysis 3 credit(s)
SOC 7150 - Advanced Qualitative Methods in Sociology 3 credit(s)

3. Electives

Completion of at least 21 credits of electives, including:

At least 12 credits in a major specialization area
At least 9 credits in a minor specialization area

4. Thesis Research

Completion of 6 credits of thesis research

*No later than the 5th semester of their program, bachelor’s-level students must successfully write and defend a master’s thesis proposal and thesis before their supervisory committee. Students will only be allowed to continue in the PhD program upon successfull completion of a master’s thesis.

SOC 6970 - Thesis Research 1-12 credit(s)

5. Dissertation Research

Completion of 18-21 total credits of dissertation research

SOC 7970 - Dissertation Research 1-12 credit(s)