Program Overview

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School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences

The School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences offers a Master of Science in Applied Sociology, a program that emphasizes the acquisition of theoretical knowledge and social research skills.

Master of Science in Applied Sociology

The Master of Science degree in Applied Sociology (ASOC) is offered under two different options:

• the thesis option, which is primarily designed for students continuing on for a PhD in sociology or other social science program
• the non-thesis option, which is primarily designed to prepare students for careers in policy analysis, program development and evaluation, and quantitative and qualitative data analysis

Objectives

The program aims to train students to apply their knowledge and skills in employment areas including healthcare, local, state and national government, nonprofit social services, community activism, marketing research, human resources, and business administration.

Faculty

The faculty members for this program include:

• Professor: Richard K. Scotch
• Associate Professors:
  • Bobby C. Alexander
  • Sarah Maxwell
  • Sheryl L. Skaggs
• Assistant Professor: Nicholas Vargas

Admission Requirements

The admission requirements for the Master of Science in Applied Sociology include:

• a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education
• a 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (GPA) (on a 4.0 point scale)
• a Graduate Records Examination (GRE) verbal score of 156 and a quantitative score of 152
• all transcripts
• three letters of recommendation
• a one-page essay outlining personal background, education, and professional objectives

Prerequisites

There are no required prerequisite courses in sociology for the Applied Sociology program, although prior coursework in social theory, research methods, and social statistics is desirable.

Grading Policy

To qualify for graduation, students must have earned a grade of B or better in each of the program's core courses plus an aggregate grade point average of 3.0 for all graduate courses taken in the student's degree program at UT Dallas.

Degree Requirements

The program requires the completion of 36 semester credit hours and offers two options:

• the thesis option
• the non-thesis option

Thesis Option

The thesis option requires:

• 12 credit hours of core courses in Applied Sociology and EPPS
• 12 credit hours of Applied Sociology guided electives
• 6 credit hours of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS) electives
• 6 credit hours of thesis research

Non-Thesis Option

The non-thesis option requires:

• 12 credit hours of core courses in Applied Sociology and Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS)
• 15 credit hours of Applied Sociology guided electives
• 9 credit hours of EPPS electives

Facilities

Students have access to the computing facilities in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences and the university's computer labs, which include:

• four computing laboratories with over 24-30 computers
• major social science software packages, including EViews, R, RATS, SPSS, and Stata
• a computerized geographic information system
• the LexisNexis database
• Westlaw

Research Areas

The program focuses on applied sociology, with research areas including:

• social theory
• research methods
• social statistics
• policy analysis
• program development and evaluation
• quantitative and qualitative data analysis

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the ASOC program are trained to fill roles in various employment areas, including:

• healthcare
• local, state, and national government
• nonprofit social services
• community activism
• marketing research
• human resources
• business administration