Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology - Race and Ethnicity Research

The Department of Sociology offers a Ph.D. program in Sociology. Particular emphases include social networks, gender, race/ethnicity, labor, social movements, family, migration, population, political economy, and states and global transformation. The program provides structured training in sociological theory, statistics, and qualitative and quantitative research methods. While the core of the program is sociological, it may also include an interdisciplinary component, incorporating links to anthropology, education, law, political science, history, criminology, and urban planning. Small entering cohorts ensure personalized attention for each student and guarantee access to professors, allowing for close mentorship relationships. Program faculty take diverse theoretical and methodological approaches to a variety of substantive issues, are committed to empirical research addressing central sociological issues, and are open to intellectual cross-pollination from cognate disciplines.

Graduate students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of interdisciplinary research units, including the Center for the Study of Democracy, the Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies, the Center for Research on Immigration, Population and Public Policy, and the Center for Demographic and Social Analysis. The Sociology Department maintains ties with Gender and Sexuality Studies and various ethnic studies programs, such as Asian American studies, Chicano/Latino studies, and African American studies. Research and funding opportunities are also available through UC-wide programs like Pacific Rim Studies and the Humanities Research Institute located on the UCI campus.

Hold a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from a recognized academic institution with degree standards equivalent to those of the University of California
Have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0
GRE scores
TOEFL or IELTS
Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
Transcripts
One (1) Writing Sample
The GRE General Test is required of all applicants for PhD admission. We cannot waive this requirement, even when the applicant has completed an advanced degree at another college or university in the United States.
A minimum overall score of 80/120 is required for admission, while a minimum sub-score of 26/30 on the Speaking component of the test is needed to qualify for financial support consideration. We cannot waive either of these minimum score requirements under any circumstances. Neither can we waive the requirement for current TOEFL or IELTS scores.
We can accept current IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores as an alternative to the TOEFL-ibT, in which case a minimum 7/10 (overall) is required for admission, and 8/10 (Speaking component) for financial support consideration.
TOEFL iBT minimum score of 80
IELTS - An overall minimum score of 7.0 for admission, with a score of no less than 6.0 on any individual module.