Program Overview

Sociology Master's Degree

Program Overview

The Master of Science degree in Sociology is designed to equip students for careers in academia and/or applied sociology. Students have opportunities to work closely with faculty on research projects in areas such as gender, race and ethnicity, globalization studies, urbanization and development, demography, aging, work and organizations, marriage and family, and environmental sociology.

Program Details

• Program Type: Master of Science (M.S.)
• Format: On Campus
• Estimated Time to Complete: 2-3 years
• Credit Hours: 30

Requirements

• Thesis Option: Students who plan to pursue the Ph.D. after completing the master's degree are strongly encouraged to write a master's thesis. With this option, students are required to complete the core courses and an additional 15 hours of substantive courses, and must write and successfully defend a thesis.
• Non-Thesis Option: Students who take this option must complete a total of 30 hours of courses and pass a comprehensive exam designed by their advisory committee at the end of the program.

Research Areas

• Comparative and global sociology
• Demography
• Development and social change
• Environmental sociology
• Health, illness and aging
• Marriage and family
• Race and ethnicity
• Religion
• Social inequality and stratification
• Social media
• Sustainable societies
• Work and organizations

Marketable Skills

• Oral and written communication
• Quantitative and qualitative research design
• Statistical analysis and interpretation
• Conduct research literature reviews
• Empirically-based analytical reasoning

Program Highlights

• Flexible scheduling with classes available in the late afternoon or evening to accommodate work schedules and other personal commitments.
• Students often present their work at national and regional conferences and earn other recognition for their research and teaching.
• Students learn to apply social science perspectives and tools to social problems, thereby improving quality of life.
• UNT's Sociology program is ranked 3rd in Texas, 13th in the South and 49th in the nation.

Career Opportunities

• We train graduate students in the latest sociological theories, methods and research in preparation for careers in higher education, marketing, social services, government, data science, health care and many other fields.

Sample Courses

• Research Methods and Design (3 hrs)
• Introduction to Social Statistics (3hrs)
• Seminar on Race and Ethnicity (3 hrs)
• Criminological Theory (3 hrs)
• Sociology of Education (3 hrs)
• Sociological Theory (3 hrs)