Regular admission to the Master of Arts and Master of Arts and Education degree programs in Sociology requires meeting the admission requirements of the College of Graduate Studies, including presentation of scores on the aptitude sections of the GRE for any applicant with an undergraduate GPA below 2.7.

The program requirements are:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Orientation
SOC 6000	Introduction To Graduate Studies In Sociology	0
A. Required Background Courses		0-9
For students who have not completed these or equivalent undergraduate courses. If you need to take these courses, then you will reduce the number of program electives needed.
SOC 5040	Classical Theory
SOC 5270	Social Research Methods
SOC 5290	Social Research Statistics
B. Core Courses		9
SOC 6040	Advanced Sociological Theory
or SOC 6050	Advanced Social Theory And Political Economy
SOC 6270	Advanced Social Research Methods
SOC 6290	Advanced Social Research Statistics
C. Program Electives		0-9
Select courses from 5000- and 6000-level courses offered in sociology (See below)
D. Seminars		6
SOC 6640	Seminar in Diversity and Inequality
SOC 6800	Seminar In Theories In Social Psychology
or SOC 6930	Seminars In Sociology
E. Thesis/Internship/Academic Project		6
Select one of the following (See below):
Complete a thesis
SOC 6960	Thesis
Complete an internship
SOC 6940	Graduate Internship
Complete a special project
SOC 6970	Master of Sociology Project

Program Electives

These courses may be completed by choosing from 5000- and 6000-level courses offered in sociology. Two courses must be Sociology seminar courses (e.g.SOC 6930). Students may use their elective hours to focus on a substantive area of the discipline, such as social inequality, disabilities, education, and community-based development towards electives.

Generally, students may take no more than six hours of independent study or research (SOC 5990, SOC 6900, SOC 6990) to complete their degree requirements. Also, students may apply no more than six hours taken outside the department toward completion of the degree requirements. Exceptions may be approved by the graduate adviser to a maximum of six hours.

Typically, students may apply no more than six hours taken outside the department toward completion of the degree requirements. Exceptions may be approved by the graduate committee.

Thesis/Internship/Academic Project

Students may choose to complete a thesis, an internship, or an academic project.  Each option will be graded on a S/U basis. The master’s thesis is an original piece of research developed in collaboration with a full-time member of the departmental faculty who serves as thesis committee chair. Two additional full-time faculty members (at least one of whom is a member of the departmental faculty) must also serve as advisers to the student and are members of the thesis committee.

Students selecting the internship must develop this option in concert with a full-time faculty member, the Sociology Director of Graduate Studies, and a person from the field in which the internship is located. Examples of internship settings include community organizations, health facilities, criminal justice facilities, and government offices. Internships must place students in a position to make sociological observations about the setting. Students should incorporate these observations in the work  that they submit to the faculty advisor (e.g., journals, progress reports, papers).

The academic project is a rigorous investigation of a sociological topic or concept done in collaboration with a full-time member of the departmental faculty who serves as the advisor.

4+1 BA to MA in Sociology

Undergraduate students at the University of Toledo interested in pursuing a Master’s of Arts Degree in Sociology may apply for the 4+1 BA to MA in Sociology program option.  If accepted, students are allowed to complete up to three graduate level classes (nine hours) during their final academic year of undergraduate studies. They will then continue in the 4+1 BA to MA in Sociology program upon completion of their undergraduate degree requirements.

In order to be accepted into this program, students must have: (1) a minimum 3.2 cumulative undergraduate grade point average (including credits transferred to UT); (2) undergraduate advisor's approval; and (3) permission of the chair of each department in which graduate credit is desired.

Applied Social Research Certificate

The Applied Social Research Certificate is an interdisciplinary, 15-hour program of study administered by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.  It is designed to provide students with the opportunity to acquire practical and communicative research tools.  Students must complete SOC 6270 (Advanced Social Research Methods), SOC 6290 (Advanced Social Research Statistics), and at least nine hours of electives.

To be accepted into the certificate program, students must have earned at least nine hours of graduate credit and a graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.  Those who have not earned at least nine hours of graduate credit are required to have a baccalaureate degree.  Applicants with an undergraduate GPA of less than 3.0 must submit GRE scores.

Students should consult with the graduate director for additional information about program requirements and options.

• PLO 1: Statistical Knowledge: Students will be able to model causal relationships, make inferences and predictions, and interpret findings. They also will be able to employ statistical software packages such as SPSS.
• PLO 2: Theoretical Knowledge: Students will apply, critique, debate, and share opinions on multiple theoretical perspectives, and innovate new insights on those perspectives.
• PLO 3: Methodological Knowledge: Students will describe and employ various methodologies used to collect, analyze, and interpret empirical evidence in sociological research. They also will be able to appraise the rigor of other scholars' methods and design their own research projects.
• PLO 4: Communication and Critical Thinking: Be able to explain and debate complex ideas - both verbally and in writing effectively; be able to disseminate sociological understandings to other scholars and the general public; and be able to critically assess social relationships and the work in the discipline.