Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology

Our department has an accomplished faculty with important research and publication agendas, a wide variety of stimulating courses, and an active and diverse graduate student body in a large public university. UMass Sociology is deeply committed to its graduate students, offering financial support and professional development opportunities to ensure that students achieve career goals.
A highly engaged academic culture, which operates both within research clusters and in the department at large. Graduate students and faculty participate in our brown bag series, sharing their work in progress, as well as more finished products. We have a number of research clusters: Gender, Sexuality, and Families, Race, Immigration, and Citizenship, Culture, Identity, and Social Psychology, Crime, Law, and Deviance, Politics, Movements, & Global and Transnational Sociology, Labor, Work, and Organizations, Social Networks, and Social Demography. A colloquium series invites scholars from across the country to present their research, followed by lively discussions. There are also other opportunities, such as faculty and student-led writing, reading, and data analysis groups, that provide support and intellectual camaraderie.

Application form
Personal statement (no more than 3 single-spaced pages)
At least three letters of recommendation
A writing sample (in English, preferably 25-30 double-spaced pages)
Transcripts of all previous academic study (where you earned more than 9 credits)
TOEFL scores for international students
The Graduate Records Examination (GRE) is not required for admission, but applicants are welcome to submit scores with their application.

We accept students with a bachelor's or master's degree in a field other than Sociology, as long as they indicate how their current interests led them to apply. However, we do expect candidates to have some coursework in Sociology or evidence of familiarity with sociological theories and methods.
IELTS - 6.5, TOEFL IBT- 80