The Master of Arts in Sociology provides students with theoretical and methodological skills necessary to undertake analysis of contemporary social issues and problems.  The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of students seeking master’s level research skills for occupations requiring such expertise:  in government, marketing, program planning and evaluation, business, the media, and in the non-profit sector.  The curriculum also prepares students who wish to pursue the Ph.D., whether in sociology or a related discipline.  The Department of Sociology is a core part of the Ph.D. programs in Public Policy and Organizational Science at UNC Charlotte. 

Program of Study

Coursework concentrates on building skills in research design, sampling, data analysis, interpretation and sociological theory.  Students complete either a thesis, with oral defense, or a research practicum.  Either option entails the student applying sociological knowledge to a problem/topic of his/her interest.  In addition to traditional classroom courses, students can tailor their coursework to specific areas of interest through individualized tutorials.  A variety of research interests are represented among the Sociology faculty.  Among these are Education, Health Care, Group Processes (Social Psychology), Social Movements, Stratification, Organizations, and Mathematical Sociology.  Through coursework and tutorials students can gain a substantive knowledge base that complements their social research skills.

Additional Admission Requirements

1)       An overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above

2)       Minimum 1000 (math and verbal) score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

3)       Demonstrated undergraduate competence in research methods, theory and statistics for social research.

4)       Eighteen credit hours of social science undergraduate courses.

Prerequisite Requirements

• Research Methods, Theory, Statistics for Social Research

Degree Requirements

The program requires 35 semester hours of coursework. To provide all students with a solid grounding in theory and methods of sociological inquiry, 12 hours of core courses are required (Pro-Seminar, Social Theory, Statistics, and Research Methods). In addition to the core, students must take one additional course in research methods and at least two elective courses in the department.  Students must complete either a thesis (6 hours) or a research practicum (6 hours). The remaining 8 hours are electives.

Core Courses

(Students must take all four)

• SOCY 5151  Pro-Seminar: Social Problems and Social Policy (3)
• SOCY 6651  Social Theory (3)
• SOCY 6652  Issues in Social Research (3)
• SOCY 6653  Advanced Quantitative Analysis (3)

Additional Courses in Research Methods

(Students must take at least one)

• SOCY 6090  Topics in Sociology (as appropriate, and with permission of the Director of Graduate Studies) (3)
• SOCY 6136  Qualitative Research Methods (3)
• SOCY 6617  Data Utilization (3)
• SOCY 6630  Investigating Health and Health Services (3)
• SOCY 6640  Evaluation Research for Applied Sociology (3)

Outside Electives

Students may take electives (up to 6 hours) from other departments as long as courses are at the graduate level (5000 or above).

Students must earn at least a B in each core course. Students earning a C in one of these courses must repeat the course and earn at least a B the next time it is offered. Students earning a C in two of these courses will be suspended from the program.

Admission to Candidacy Requirements

Completion of at least 24 hours of required work.

Assistantships

The Department of Sociology offers both teaching assistantships and research assistantships; the latter are dependent upon faculty research funding. Teaching assistants assist faculty with coursework, or teach the undergraduate lab sections in research methods and statistics. They are paid approximately $9,000.00 for nine months of twenty hours per week work during the academic year. The workload and pay for research assistants varies. Assistantships are awarded on the basis of merit and experience.

Internships

While there is no formal system of ongoing internships, agencies do contact the department to find students who would be interested in an internship. Consequently, internships are optional and dependent upon a match between an agency’s needs and a student’s skills and interests.

Advising

The Graduate Director advises all graduate students until they select a person to serve as their Committee Chair.

Transfer Credit

With departmental approval, students may transfer in up to six hours of graduate work for which the applicant received a grade of B or above from another institution, related UNC Charlotte degree program or related post-baccalaureate work.

Committee

The student’s committee shall consist of three faculty members: the Chair and two other individuals who assist with completion of the thesis or research practicum. One member of the committee, not the chair, may be from outside the department.

Thesis

Students formulate a theoretically motivated or applied research question or argument and collect or analyze existing empirical data to answer that question.

Research Practicum

As an alternative to the traditional thesis, students have the option of a research practicum.  This may be combined with an internship. The student works with an organization or agency to complete a research evaluation project for the agency.

Research Opportunities/Experiences

Faculty members are actively engaged in research and students are strongly recommended to work with faculty to develop research expertise. In addition, a number of faculty members have funded research projects or internships on which qualified graduate students are able to work.

Tuition Waivers

Both out-of-state and in-state tuition assistance may be available and are awarded on the basis of merit and experience.

Financial Assistance

Other than the assistantships and waivers described above, the Department offers the Pearson Fellowship, which is awarded annually to a graduate or undergraduate student who has interests and goals in improving race relations, expanding social justice, and establishing a more peaceful world. The award is made every spring and consists of $500 to be applied to tuition at UNC Charlotte.