StudyQA — PhD: Sociology — Princeton University

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The Princeton University Sociology Program offers a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum designed to explore the complex structures and processes that shape society. Students in this program delve into a wide range of topics including social inequality, culture, institutions, social change, and social theory. The program seeks to develop critical thinking, analytical skills, and a deep understanding of social dynamics through a variety of courses, research opportunities, and engaging discussions. Undergraduates are encouraged to investigate issues pertinent to contemporary society, such as race and ethnicity, gender, class, urbanization, and globalization, providing them with a nuanced perspective on the social world. The curriculum combines strong foundational courses in social theory and research methods with specialized electives allowing students to pursue their individual interests within sociology. The program also emphasizes the importance of empirical research, data analysis, and fieldwork, equipping students with practical skills highly valued in academia, policy-making, and related fields. Students have access to distinguished faculty members who are leaders in their areas of expertise, offering mentorship and guidance throughout their academic journey. The program encourages interdisciplinary approaches, drawing insights from history, political science, economics, anthropology, and other disciplines to enrich students’ understanding of social phenomena. Opportunities for advanced research projects, senior theses, and participation in seminars further enhance the educational experience. Graduates of the Sociology Program at Princeton are prepared for diverse career paths including academia, public policy, social research, non-profit work, journalism, and law. They leave with a critical awareness of social issues, methodological proficiency, and a commitment to addressing social challenges in their future endeavors. The program fosters a vibrant intellectual community dedicated to understanding and improving society.

Courses:

Students’ programs of study are established in consultation with their academic advisers and with the director of graduate studies and vary according to individual interests, capabilities, and prior training. The program does not accept transfer credits for previous graduate work at other institutions.

Students normally establish competency in theory by completing the work of the following seminar courses: SOC 501 Classical Sociological Theory, and SOC 502 Contemporary Sociological Theory.

All students must take SOC 503 Techniques and Methods of Social Science and at least two semesters of work in quantitative methods, beginning at an appropriate level given their previous training. In additionl to required courses, students are encouraged to consider additional methodological courses (in statistics, as well as such methods as ethnography, historical methods, network analysis, computational modeling, microsociological analysis, or machine learning) offered in the Department of Sociology and throughout the University.

Language(s):

Students are expected to master langauge skills necessary for satisfactory dissertation research.

Pre-Generals Requirements(s):

Writing Requirement

Each student is expected to write two empirical papers, exemplifying distinctive modes of sociological inquiry. The papers should be written in a form suitable for submission for publication and may deal with any legitimate topic within the discipline. One of the papers must be a quantitative study, written in conjunction with SOC 505 Research Seminar in Empirical Investigation. The other may be quantitative or qualitative, and is ordinarily advised by two department faculty members with relevant expertise. The second paper must be completed no later than the end of the third year of enrollment.

General Exam:

The general examination is normally taken in the third year, but can be taken as early as the end of the second year if all prerequisites have been fulfilled. It includes both a written and an oral component. Several options for the written component are available.

Qualifying for the M.A.:

The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree is normally an incidental degree on the way to full Ph.D. candidacy and is earned after a student successfully completes all coursework, passes the general examination, and completes the two empirical papers at a satisfactory level. It may also be awarded to students who, for various reasons, leave the Ph.D. program, provided that these requirements have been met.

Teaching:

All students are required to serve as “preceptors” (assistants in instruction) in courses taught by department faculty on several occasions, ordinarily during their second and third years of study.

Post-Generals Requirement(s):

Students must choose a dissertation committee and submit a draft dissertation prospectus no later than the end of this first semester of their fourth year of enrollment (that is, normally by January 15 of the fourth year). They must submit a final dissertation prospectus to their committee members and meet with their committee no later than two months after the draft prospectus is due (that is, normally by March 15 of the fourth year). The prospectus contains a statement of the problem to be studied, an explanation of its theoretical relevance to sociology, a survey of pertinent literature, and a statement about the sources of data and methodological procedures to be employed. Dissertation plans must be approved by the student's committee before the student is permitted to re-enroll for the fifth year of study.

Dissertation and FPO:

In their dissertation, students are expected to demonstrate command of a major theoretical issue in sociology and control of the empirical and theoretical literature relevant to their research topic. They must show high-level competence in research procedures, including design, analysis, and evaluation.

The Ph.D. is awarded only after the candidate’s doctoral dissertation has been accepted and the final public oral examination sustained.