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The Department of Sociology offers a graduate program leading to a Master of Arts degree in Applied Sociology. This Applied Sociology MA program provides training in the skills necessary to secure careers in both academic and non-academic professions and emphasizes applied research in community-based settings. The program is organized around a curriculum that provides grounding in the theoretical perspectives and methodological skills of the discipline with advanced study in one or more of the department’s five primary areas of specialization: Crime and Deviance; Domestic Violence; Medical Sociology; Social Inequalities; Spatial Sociology and Geographic Information Systems.

A primary focus of the program is the examination and analysis of a variety of social problems in society. Toward this objective, the program promotes the application of sociological knowledge, principles, and research skills that can be used in a variety of organizational, community, and institutional settings. Examples of competencies in applied sociology include effective skills in program design and evaluation research; planning, feasibility and needs assessment studies; data management, analysis and presentation; and the application of structural, social conflict and interactionist theories to organizational problems, community development and planned change.

The five primary areas of specialization are organized around the themes mentioned below. Students are not required to identify a Primary Area of Specialization in the Applied MA program and are able to take courses across areas. All courses in these areas count toward the 12 required program electives.

Crime and Deviance: The Crime and Deviance area of specialization comprises a broad analysis of criminal and deviant behavior including the locations of crime, fluctuations in crime rates, and the experiences of crime victims. This research promotes a deeper understanding of the power dynamics involved in the labeling and definition of crime and the social factors that make some people more likely than others to commit different crimes, experience victimization, and have differential experiences with the criminal justice/legal system. The study of crime and deviance is multidisciplinary, and the department's contribution includes a focus on the profound impact social location has on criminal behavior and victimization. Faculty in this area emphasize critical approaches and applied research that contribute to policy and practice.

Domestic Violence: The Domestic Violence area of specialization encompasses a social-ecological approach to the understanding of the patterns, sources, and consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV). In addition, faculty in this area consider the reactions of social institutions – including the criminal justice and health care systems – to the associated consequences of IPV. This includes a focus on critically examining prevention and intervention efforts meant to reduce the amount and impact of intimate partner violence, as well as contributing to policy and practice in this field.

Medical Sociology: The Medical Sociology area of specialization examines the ways connecting social statuses relate to health, illness, and medical care. This area includes analysis of social, political, economic, and environmental factors that impact health and illness; societal structures and forces that constrain medical care; people’s subjective experiences of health, illness, and healthcare; and social movements related to health and healthcare. Areas of emphasis include reproductive health, environment, substance use, and health and healthcare among minoritized populations.

Social Inequalities: The Social Inequalities area of specialization examines how power, social, and spatial inequalities are manifested, reinforced, and contested in contemporary society. It seeks to understand how inequalities are structured within social institutions; how and why power relationships have shifted over time; how they manifest in contemporary institutions, groups, and interactions; how social inequalities vary across space and place; and how social forces perpetuate and challenge social inequalities. While all major systems of inequality are explored, particular focus is placed on how race, gender, and social class converged within institutions, and the resulting consequences of such inequalities for individuals, groups, and communities.

Spatial Sociology and Geographic Information Systems: The Spatial Sociology and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) area of specialization examines the convergence of GIS and related geospatial technologies and society. The area considers how such technologies: interact with social groups and society; create space and place; and can be applied to examine social and environmental disparities, public health issues, and crime patterns. The area emphasizes theoretical, critical, community-based, and applied foundations of spatial sociology, GIS, and related geospatial technologies.

Degree seeking students in the Applied Sociology MA Program complete an MA Final Product (6 Credits) including SYA 6507 Academic Writing in Sociology and SYA6909 Research Report. Students must complete a final research report and enroll in the two research credit courses listed above.

The degree of Master of Arts is conferred when students have fulfilled the requirements of 30 credits for the program.

Total Credit Hours Required: 30 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree

Degree Requirements

Required Courses

• Complete all of the following
  • Student receive core knowledge in the 12 hours of required courses.
  • Complete the following:
    • SYA5625 - ProSeminar (3)
    • SYA6126 - Social Theory (3)
  • Complete at least 2 of the following:
    • SYA6305 - Quantitative Social Research Methods (3)
    • SYA6315 - Qualitative Research Methods (3)
    • SYA6356 - Geographic Information Systems in Society (3)

Elective Courses

• Earn at least 12 credits from the following types of courses: All Sociology graduate electives listed as SYA, SYD, SYP 5000, 6000 or 7000). Students will select a minimum of 12 credit hours of unrestricted electives in consultation with their faculty advisor. No more than 3 hours may be taken in related social science ¼¤Çé¿ì²¥ graduate programs outside the Department of Sociology (i.e. Anthropology, Political Science and/or Women's and Gender Studies). The department's graduate director and graduate committee must approve all courses taken outside the department prior to enrollment. Internship and Directed Research cannot be counted toward the required unrestricted elective courses for the degree. Students can enroll in up to 6 credit hours of Independent Study for an MA degree.

MA Final Product (6 Credits)

• Complete all of the following
  • Earn at least 6 credits from the following:
    • SYA6909 - Research Report (1 - 99)
    • SYA6507 - Academic Writing in Sociology (3)
  • To fulfill the Research Report requirement, students must complete a final research report and enroll in the two research credit courses listed above (SYA 6507, 3 credits and SYA 6909, 3 credits). The structure of the report will be determined by the student, their advisor, and their committee. Before students may begin the research report, they must earn a grade of "B" (3.0) or better in each of the four required courses. A research report must meet the following requirements and be evaluated by a three-person committee of ¼¤Çé¿ì²¥ Sociology faculty. Outside committee members may be approved in limited scenarios by the ¼¤Çé¿ì²¥ Sociology Graduate Committee. The research report consists of: 1) a 2-3 page proposal describing what the project and the final product will entail, which must be approved by the committee and 2) a research report approved and evaluated by the committee. The grading system for the project is Pass/No Pass. Students who receive a grade of Pass will be allowed to graduate assuming all other requirements are met.

Equipment Fee

• Full-time students in the Applied Sociology MA program pay a $39 equipment fee each semester that they are enrolled. Part-time students pay $19.50 per semester.

Independent Learning

• As with all graduate programs, independent learning is an important component in the Applied Sociology master's program. Students will demonstrate independent learning through research seminars and research experiences with faculty and colleagues.

Grand Total Credits: 30

Application Requirements

Application Deadlines

Financial Information

Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at ¼¤Çé¿ì²¥ and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.

Fellowship Information

Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see ¼¤Çé¿ì²¥ Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.