33 credits
Degree requirements
The master of arts in sociology requires 33 credits. Students must complete a 18-credit core of required courses. To complete the remaining 15 credits, students will choose one of the following concentrations, depending on their needs and backgrounds: thesis, institutional research certificate, teaching certificate, or directed electives in methods and statistics. The research methodology course requirement is met by SOC 681.
Graduate Assistantships
A limited number of graduate assistantships are available each year to students who have maintained a minimum undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) of 2.75 on a scale of 4.0. There is a stipend, and part of the tuition is waived. Graduate assistants should plan for and expect assistantships to begin in the fall semester and end at the close of the spring semester. Renewal of the assistantship for a second year is available.
Core requirements, 18 credits
| SOC 600 | Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative | 3 |
| SOC 603 | Readings in Sociological Theory | 3 |
| SOC 681 | Survey Research Methods | 3 |
| SOC 682 | Social Statistics | 3 |
| SOC 684 | Advanced Sociological Data Analysis | 3 |
| SOC 699 | Seminar in Selected Topics in Sociology | 3 |
Complete one concentration
Thesis concentration, 15 credits
| THES 698 | Thesis | 1 TO 6 |
| | Electives | 9 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 33 |
Institutional research certificate concentration, 15 credits
| ID 602 | Institutional Research | 3 |
| SOC 588 | Internship 3: Field Experience | 1 TO 3 |
| | Electives | 9 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 33 |
Certificate in college and university teaching concentration, 15 credits
| EDHI 609 | Preparing for the Professoriate: Teaching in Higher Education | 3 |
| EDHI 610 | Issues in Higher Education | 3 |
| ID 601 | Teaching Practicum in Higher Education | 3 |
6 credits from
| EDAC 634 | The Adult as a Learner | 3 |
| EDAC 635 | Strategies for Teaching Adults | 3 |
| EDAC 699 | Internship in Adult and Community Education | 2 TO 6 |
| EDCC 640 | The Community College | 3 |
| EDFO 610 | Women, Gender, and Education | 3 |
| EDHI 611 | Teaching and Curriculum Issues in Higher Education | 3 |
| EDHI 613 | Administration and Finance in Higher Education | 3 |
| EDTE 660 | Instructional Design and Technology | 3 |
| EDTE 690 | Practicum in Educational Technology | 2 TO 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 33 |
Directed electives in methods and statistics concentration, 15 credits
6 credits from
| COMM 602 | Quantitative Research in Communication | 3 |
| COMM 605 | Qualitative Research in Communication | 3 |
| EDPS 730 | Introduction to Nonparametric Statistics | 3 |
| EDST 660 | Ethnographic Research in Education | 3 |
| EDST 697 | The Grant Process and Research | 3 |
| GEOG 544 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems Analysis | 3 |
| HSC 670 | Health Science Research Techniques | 3 |
| PSYS 680 | Research Methods in Psychology | 3 |
| | or | |
| | equivalent courses to be determined with advisor | 6 |
Electives, 9 credits
Certificate in interpretive ethnography concentration, 15 credits
| ANTH 601 | Topics in Contemporary Applied Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
3 credits from
9 credits from
| ANTH 550 | Ethnographic Field Study | 3 TO 6 |
| COMM 605 | Qualitative Research in Communication | 3 |
| EDEL 676 | Research in Elementary Education | 3 |
| EDST 650 | Introduction to Qualitative Research | 3 |
| EDST 660 | Ethnographic Research in Education | 3 |
| PSYS 595 | Special Topics in Psychology | 1 TO 12 |
| RELS 503 | Reading and Special Study | 3 |
| SOC 681 | Survey Research Methods | 3 |
| SOC 683 | Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 33 |