Are you curious about social problems? Do you have ideas about how to improve society? Are you interested in social policies and their effects? If so, sociology may be for you. A sociology degree prepares you for a wide range of careers in the following areas: business and industry, government, community and social services, the legal system, education, and research. Our graduates work in nonprofit organizations, government, marketing, urban planning, and human resources. They also work with at-risk youth, senior citizens and people struggling with substance abuse. Our faculty specializes in family sociology, medical sociology, immigration, religion, race and ethnic relations, social inequality, complex organizations and nonprofit organizations, and conflict resolution.
The Candidate Plan of Study (CPS) must include the following requirements:
1. Students must complete a minimum of 12 undergraduate upper-level hours in the behavioral sciences (anthropology, psychology, and sociology). If this requirement has not been met prior to admission, then such courses should be completed before beginning work toward the SOCI M.A. degree.
2. No more than 6 credit hours may be transferred toward the SOCI M.A. Courses may be transferred if:
a. The courses are pertinent to the degree.
b. The courses were taken no more than five years before admission to graduate study at UHCL.
c. Grades of B- or better were earned.
d. The courses were not applied to a graduate degree already earned.
e. The courses were not taken by correspondence or extension.
3. At least 24 credits of the degree plan must be earned at UHCL.
4. Grades of B- or better must be earned for all coursework.
5. Students must complete a capstone in order to earn the SOCI MA. Registering for a capstone should not be seen as a right. Prior to beginning a capstone, students must make arrangements with a graduate faculty adviser and complete the online graduate course option form, which will be routed to the instructor of record for approval.
- Students wishing to complete a master’s thesis must submit a 3-6 page project proposal, which includes a literature review with references and a statement of the proposed methodology for carrying out the thesis.
- Students wishing to complete an internship must work with a graduate faculty adviser to select an internship site. Students must meet all required criteria, including a grade point average of 3.00 or better. The university reserves the right to deny admittance to or to remove a student from an internship.
- Students wishing to pursue the coursework option must work with a graduate faculty adviser who agrees to oversee either a written comprehensive exam or a detailed research proposal during the student’s final semester of enrollment.
Completion of GRE is not required for applicants to this program. Applicants with a last 60-hour GPA of 3.0 or higher and those who have completed advanced degrees will be automatically admitted. Applicants with a last 60-hour GPA below 3.0 or without prior completion of advanced degrees will undergo individual review. To complete individual review, applicants should submit a statement of purpose, not to exceed two single-spaced pages, describing the reasons for desiring this degree and how it fits into the applicant’s career goals. Personal statements should be emailed directly to the Director of the Sociology program, Dr. Mike McMullen at McMullen@uhcl.edu.
