StudyQA — PhD: Sociology — University of California

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Description Contents Requirements Funding

Our vibrant department has 21 faculty, including leading experts in their subfields of sociology. Each student works with a faculty mentor to chart their course of study and facilitate their development as a sociologist. Many faculty offer opportunities to graduate students to participate in faculty research projects and/or work on collaborative projects. Such opportunities help graduate students gain experience with various aspects of the research process, including research design, data collection and analysis, and dissemination of research findings.

To provide our graduate students with the most solid foundation in the field, the graduate program gives students a strong background in sociological theory and methods (both qualitative and quantitative), as well as in any two of the department’s seven areas of specialization: Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies, Gender Studies, Organizations and Institutions, Political Economy and Global Social Change, Race and Class Inequality, Social Psychology, and Sociological Theory and Evolutionary Sociology. Students normally complete the core program in theory and methods during the first year of study, finish all requirements for the MA by the end of the second year, and pass their qualifying exams in two areas of specialization and commence work on the doctoral dissertation by the end of their fourth year in the program. Normative time for completion of the PhD is six years. During the course of their graduate studies, students are encouraged to present papers at professional conferences and publish scholarly articles both independently and with faculty.

Resources available to our students extend well outside of the department, and include the Institute for Research on World Systems, the Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies, and the Social Psychology Research Lab, as well as interdisciplinary academic departments. Our students and faculty conduct research in the communities around UCR, as well as around the globe.

Opportunities for professional and instructional development are also available through the department and on campus through GradSuccess and the Teaching Assistant Development Program, which offers a certificate in college-level instruction. Graduate students typically work as a Teaching Assistant for at least one quarter during their time in the program, and many also work as Instructors, either during summer session or the normal academic year, in the later stages of the program. Students thus enter the job market with experience teaching undergraduates at a highly diverse public university.

Sociology graduate students participate in self-governance through the Sociology Graduate Student Association (SGSA), which elects representatives who attend faculty meetings, serve on departmental committees, and participate in campus and University-wide organizations. Students also have the opportunity to enjoy the diverse and exciting communities of southern California, including both Riverside and other nearby cities such as Los Angeles, Palm Springs, and San Diego.

M.A.Thesis and Oral Examination Each student must complete a thesis for completion of the master’s degree. This paper reflects the student’s areas of theoretical and substantive interest since entrance into the program, and it is written in a form, content, and style appropriate for publication or presentation to a sociological audience. A three-person faculty committee oversees the evaluation of the paper and the oral defense of the thesis. The thesis must be completed by the end of the student’s sixth quarter of enrollment. The thesis must be submitted electronically to the Graduate Division, following the formatting guidelines provided on the Graduate Division web page. On the basis of a favorable recommendation from the three-person faculty committee, the faculty votes to recommend the awarding of the M.A. degree in Sociology. If the M.A. is awarded or if the student already has an M.A. in Sociology, the faculty then votes on whether the student should continue in the Ph.D. program. If a student is allowed to continue in the Ph.D. program, the faculty then votes on whether to accept the two areas of specialization in which the student requests to be examined.

Professional Development Training Each student must complete the following professional training courses: SOC 232 and SOC 293. Normally SOC 232 (Proseminar in Sociology) is completed in the fall of the first year as part of the core program. SOC 293 (Research Topics in Sociology) is required once each year until a student is advanced to candidacy. In addition. SOC 301: Directed Studies in the Teaching of Sociology is required prior to or concurrent with the completion of teaching assistantships in the program

Period of Specialization After admission to two areas of specialization (see M.A. Thesis and Oral Examination, above), students are expected to consult with faculty who constitute the membership of each standing specialization committee. Under the faculty’s guidance, a student is expected to work out a program of graduate seminars, directed reading courses, and research experiences that prepare the student for examination in the chosen two areas of specialization. The primary areas of specialization offered in the department are as follows:

Criminology and Sociolegal Studies
Social Psychology
Gender Studies
Organizations and Institutions
Political Economy and Global Social Change
Race and Class Inequality
Sociological Theory and Evolutionary Sociology

A student’s program must include at least one academic quarter of classroom teaching experience at the college level. A student must complete three courses in a primary specialization area and two courses in a secondary specialization area (see the Graduate Student Handbook on the department’s website for the course requirements and options for each specialization) with a grade of “B” or better in each course. In addition, students are required to take one course outside their two areas of specialization and at least one course (or the equivalent. 4 units) of advanced methods with a grade of “B” or better in each course.

Dissertation and Final Oral Examination The dissertation is normally completed within one year after advancement to candidacy. After the dissertation is prepared according to the rules and format of the Graduate Division and signed and approved by a student’s dissertation committee, an oral defense of the dissertation is held. The defense may be waived in exceptional circumstances. The dissertation must be filed electronically with the Graduate Division.

Requirements

The nonrefundable $100.00 application fee ($125.00 for M.B.A./M.P.Ac./M.Fin./Flex M.B.A. applicants only) must be paid by credit card (VISA, MasterCard, or Discover) prior to submission of your application.
Applicants are required to submit an official copy of transcripts and degree certificates (in original language accompanied by certified English translations) from each academic institution attended after secondary school. These records should be sent directly from the Registrars Office of the academic institutions you have attended to the academic department to which you are applying. If this service is not available, applicants may also request official copies and send them in the institutions' original sealed and certified institution envelopes. Official records are original documents issued by the institution which bear the actual signature of the registrar in ink and the original wet ink stamp/seal of the issuing institution. The institution envelope must also bear that institution's appropriate authenticity indicator (original wet ink stamp and/or signature, etc.) from the appropriate department at that institution to consider the provided certified transcripts and degree certificates provided by the institution as official. Notarized documents are not acceptable. Credential evaluations by WES (World Education Services) or similar credential evaluation services are also not acceptable.
Statement of Purpose/Personal History Statement
Graduate programs require three (3) letters of recommendation. Applicants will be able to enter their recommenders' information directly into their electronic application. Recommenders will be notified electronically and provided instructions on how to submit a letter online. All letters of recommendation must be received electronically so they are attached to the applicants file for review.
The GRE general test is required of all applicants with the exceptions noted below. Some programs also require applicants submit scores from the Subject Test of the GRE. Consult the program to which you are applying for its requirements. Although current scores are preferred, some graduate programs will accept scores from tests taken within the last five years.
All applicants whose first language is not English and who have not earned an advanced degree at an institution where English is the exclusive language of instruction must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). This exam is administered by the Educational Testing Service and offered in nearly every country abroad. This exam must be taken within two years of the time you intend to enroll at UCR. The minimum acceptable scores are: 550 for the written exam; 213 for the computer-based exam, and 80 for the internet-based exam (iBT). We strongly advise you to be aware of the deadline for the program to which you are applying. Dates and information for TOEFL may be obtained by contacting the Educational Testing Service (ETS) at the address below, by calling 1-877-863-3546, or by consulting the TOEFL Web site. Fellowship applicants should take the exam in time to meet the program deadline. Keep in mind that it may take up to two weeks for test scores to reach us from ETS.
Beginning with the Fall 2011 application cycle, UCR will accept scores from the Academic Modules of the International English Language Testing System IELTS) which is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP:IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. The exam must be taken within two years of the time you intend to enroll at UCR. The minimum acceptable scores are: overall band score of 7 with no individual section score less than 6. Please request an official Test Report Form (TRF) of your IELTS.