The Graduate School Bulletin
Department of Sociology
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Admissions Information
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Faculty
Overview
Requirements for the Master of Arts in Sociology
Criminology Concentration
SOC Sociology Courses
Faculty
Professors
Rebecca G. Adams, Ph.D.
Friendship, popular culture, community, aging (Director of Graduate Study).
Steve Kroll-Smith, Ph.D.
Social psychology, environment, health.
William T. Markham, Ph.D.
Stratification, non-government organizations, environmental sociology, globalization, voluntary associations, community.
James C. Petersen, Ph.D.
Applied sociology, organizations, science and technology studies, medical sociology.
Associate Professors
Kenneth D. Allan, Ph.D.
Theory, culture, self, institutions.
Julie V. Brown, Ph.D.
Sociology of health, Soviet and Russian society, occupations and professions, comparative and historical sociology (Head of Department).
Shelly L. Brown-Jeffy, Ph.D.
Sociology of education, race and ethnicity, research methods.
Steven R. Cureton, Ph.D.
Criminology and the family.
Gwen Hunnicutt, Ph.D.
Homicide studies, stratification and crime, cross-national crime.
Paul Luebke, Ph.D.
Sociology of politics, social movements, social change, and comparative societies.
Saundra D. Westervelt, Ph.D.
Sociology of law, crime and deviance, miscarriages of justice.
Assistant Professors
Sarah C. Daynes, Ph.D.
Cultural sociology, theory, ethnography.
Jenifer L. Hamil-Luker, Ph.D.
Life course studies, crime, gender, health.
David F. Mitchell, Ph.D.
Urban sociology, population studies, research methods, data analysis.
Stephen J. Sills, Ph.D
Globalization, international migration, visual sociology, evaluation research.
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Janice Wassel, Ph.D.
Retirement, work and caregiving, financial gerontology and sociology, demography of aging, business and aging.
Overview
The program leading to a Master of Arts degree in sociology prepares students for further study, for research and administrative positions in public or private organizations, and for teaching sociology in a variety of settings. All of the students in the program acquire a general foundation in sociology, and some elect to complete a concentration in criminology. Other special interests may be pursued in particular substantive, applied, or cognate courses and extended in the writing of a thesis or completion of an internship.
Requirements for the Master of Arts in Sociology
The Department of Sociology offers a graduate program of study leading to a Master of Arts degree. Two options are available: Thesis option requiring 30 hours of graduate study including 6 hours of thesis. At least 15 hours must be at the 600 level. Non-thesis option requiring 36 hours of graduate study including a 6 hour internship. At least 18 hours must be at the 600 level or above.
Required Core Courses (12 hours)
SOC 614 Contemporary Sociological Theory (3)
SOC 616 Advanced Research Methods (3)
SOC 618 Advanced Data Analysis (3)
SOC 620 Seminar in Sociology (3)
Electives
Thesis Option (12 hours)
With prior approval of the advisor, a student will select a minimum of 12 hours from other 500- or 600-level sociology courses, or from other social science courses.
Non-thesis Option (18 hours)
With prior approval of the advisor, a student will select a minimum of 18 hours from other 500- or 600-level sociology courses, or from other social science courses.
Comprehensive Examination
Successful completion of a thesis-proposal or internship-proposal defense satisfies the comprehensive examination requirement.
Capstone Experience
Thesis Option (6 hours)
SOC 699 Thesis (6)
Non-thesis Option (6 hours)
SOC 695 Internship (6)
The Department of Sociology offers a concentration in criminology. Students completing this concentration may elect either the thesis or non-thesis option. The requirements are as follows:
Required Core Courses (21 hours)
SOC 614 Contemporary Sociological Theory (3)
SOC 616 Advanced Research Methods (3)
SOC 618 Advanced Data Analysis (3)
SOC 620 Seminar in Sociology (3)
SOC 651 Criminology (3)
SOC 653 Deviance and Social Control (3)
SOC 655 The Sociology of Law (3)
Electives
Thesis Option (3 hours)
With prior approval of the advisor, a student will select a minimum of 3 hours from other 500- or 600-level sociology courses, or from other social science courses.
Non-thesis Option (9 hours)
With prior approval of the advisor, a student will select a minimum of 9 hours from other 500- or 600-level sociology courses, or from other social science courses.
Comprehensive Examination
Successful completion of a thesis-proposal or internship-proposal defense satisfies the comprehensive examination requirement.
Capstone Expensive
Thesis Option (6 hours)
SOC 699 Thesis (6)
Non-thesis Option (6 hours)
SOC 695 Internship (6)
SOC Sociology Courses
| 501, 502 | Selected Topics in Sociology (3:3), (3:3) |
| Pr. major in sociology or permission of instructor Opportunity for advanced students to study topics or issues of special interest in a formally organized course. | |
| 526 | Comparative Minority Relations (3:3) |
| Pr. 6 hours in sociology or permission of instructor Comparative study of ethnic, class, and cultural conflict in developing and developed societies. Attention is given to the impact of ethnicity and class conflict upon societal development and change in the international setting. | |
| 533 | Political Sociology (3:3) |
| Pr. one course in the field of large-scale social organization, or permission of instructor Influence of social values and social forces upon government policy, and of government policy upon society. Examination of conflicting political sociological theories. | |
| 552 | Sociology of Science and Technology (3:3) |
| Pr. 6 hours of sociology at 300 level or above, or permission of the instructor Nature and origins of modern science; relations of science and technology; science in democratic and authoritarian societies; images of scientists; origins and recruitment of scientists; career patterns; the organizational setting. | |
| 553 | Sociology of Occupations and Professions (3:3) |
| Pr. 3 hours of sociology or permission of instructor Nature and significance of work; cultural perspectives on work; occupational choice; socialization into work endeavors; career patterns; control of occupations and professions; labor and leisure; relationships to community and society. | |
| 555 | Sociology of the Family (3:3) |
| Pr. 301, 302, and 335, or permission of instructor Critical examination of various ways of studying the family, with consideration given to methodology, statistical treatment of the data, and substantive findings. | |
| 562 | Sociology of Education (3:3) |
| Pr. 6 hours of sociology at 300 level or above, or permission of instructor Education as a dynamic and changing social system. Internal processes and structure of educational institutions and their interdependent relations with the environing society. | |
| 571 | Advanced Topics in Social Psychology (3:3) |
| Pr. 3 hours in sociology and 3 hours in psychology or permission of instructor Social impact, exchange, equity, and attribution theories intensively examined as basic in understanding specific substantive problems of reciprocal influences of groups and individuals in socio-cultural context. | |
| 589 | Experimental Course |
| This number reserved for experimental courses. Refer to the Course Schedule for current offerings. | |
| 601 | Seminar in Sociological or Criminological Analysis (3:3) |
| Pr. 618 or permission of instructor Intensive work at an advanced level on a selected topic in sociology or criminology. | |
| 605 | Sociology of Organizations (3:3) |
| Pr. permission of instructor Organization theory and structure. Construction of organizational models. | |
| 614 | Contemporary Sociological Theory (3:3) |
| Pr. 490 or permission of the instructor Selected major theoretical perspectives: functionalism, conflict, and alternative models. | |
| 615 | The Logic of Social Inquiry (3:3) |
| Logical bases of conceptualization and theory formulation. Both sociological theory and methods of research will be considered from the perspectives of philosophies of sciences. | |
| 616 | Advanced Research Methods (3:3) |
| The function of theory in research, concept formation, study design, data collection and analysis. | |
| 618 | Advanced Data Analysis (3:2:2) |
| Pr. 302 or permission of instructor Application of advanced statistical concepts and procedures in multivariate analyses of discrete and continuous data. | |
| 619 | Practicum in Evaluative Research (3:1:6) |
| Pr. permission of the instructor and one course in statistics and research methods Organizations and social action programs. Students prepare, organize, and carry out evaluative research of their own interest under the guidance of the instructor. | |
| 620 | Seminar in Sociology (3:3) |
| Pr. twelve hours of sociology at the undergraduate level Fundamental theory in three substantive areas with application to specific research problems. May be repeated once for credit when topic varies. | |
| 621 | Advanced Topics in Juvenile Delinquency (3:3) |
| Social dimensions of juvenile delinquency; causation, prevalence, current trends. Legal processing of delinquents by police, courts, and correctional agencies, including diversion from the courts and alternatives to incarceration. (Formerly SOC 521) | |
| 628 | Social Movements (3:3) |
| Pr. one course in large-scale organization or permission of instructor Sociological approaches to social movements and social conflict emphasizing their genesis, structure, resources, and consequences for simple and complex societies. | |
| 632 | Advanced Study of Gender, Crime, and Deviance (3:3) |
| Explore key questions in scholarly literature on gender, crime, and deviance. Primarily concerned with how gender socialization, gender roles, and institutions affect males’ and females’ offending, deviant behavior and victimization. | |
| 636 | Seminar in Stratification Theory and Research (3:3) |
| Pr. six hours of sociology at the undergraduate or graduate level. Basic systems of social inequality, including social class, race, and gender. Trends in theory and research. | |
| 643 | Urban Sociology (3) |
| Pr. graduate standing and background in sociology or other social or behavior science. Contemporary theory and research on urban social structure, conflict, and change. | |
| 646 | Teaching and Learning Sociological Concepts (3:3) |
| Pr. admission to graduate program in sociology Goals, methods, and evaluation in teaching and learning sociology at the college level. Students prepare course objectives and outlines, select instructional materials, and present demonstration lectures and discussions. | |
| 651 | Criminology (3:3) |
| Pr. six hours of sociology at 300-level or permission of instructor Critical examination of central sociological formulations of criminal behavior and victimization, and societal responses to each; integration of theories of criminal behavior with appropriate research strategies for theory advancement. | |
| 653 | Deviance and Social Control (3:3) |
| Pr. six hours of sociology at 300-level or permission of instructor Comparative examination of societal responses to deviance. Theoretical and empirical analysis of conceptions of deviance and institutions of social control in different types of societies. Globalization and social control. | |
| 655 | The Sociology of Law (3:3) |
| Social influences on the legal system are analyzed. Attention given to: social organization of law; legal and extra-legal considerations; and law as a means of social control and change. (Formerly Law and Society) | |
| 661 | Sociology of Health (3:3) |
| Pr. 101 or permission of instructor American Health Care System. Organization, utilization, effectiveness, cost; roles of providers, consumers; the context of care and the place of government. | |
| 686 | Social Aspects of Aging (3:3) |
| Pr. 3 hours in sociology or permission of instructor Structural and social psychological theories of aging. Substantive topics determined by students. Focus on critical review of current research. | |
| 695 | Internship (3-6) |
| Pr. twenty-one hours in sociology at 500-level or above Directed practical experience in a professional setting in the student’s area of interest. Includes written paper(s) applying sociological theories and methodologies to analysis of the setting. | |
| 697, 698 | Special Problems in Sociology (3:3), (3:3) |
| Pr. permission of faculty member with whom students wish to work Independent study or research. | |
| 699 | Thesis (1-6) |
| 711 | Experimental Course |
| This number reserved for experimental courses. Refer to the Course Schedule for current offerings. | |
| 801 | Thesis Extension (1-3) |
| 803 | Research Extension (1-3) |