University Catalog

Objectives: M.A. in Sociology

Admissions Requirements: Sociology

Applicants must apply for admission through, and supply all information required by  Graduate Admissions. The Sociology Graduate Advisor, in consultation with other members of the faculty, decides on each applicant.

All of the following criteria will be considered in determining program admission status:

1. Undergraduate grade point average
2. Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores
3. Letters of recommendation from faculty
4. Preparation in sociology and satisfactory performance in sociology courses and/or courses in related disciplines
5. A statement (2-3 pages) describing the applicant’s academic background, research/study interests, and professional goals

Criteria for Unconditional Admission

For unconditional admission, the student must satisfy each of the following criteria.

1. Minimum GPA of 3.0, as calculated by Graduate Studies.
2. Preferred GRE score of at least 150 on the verbal subtest (500 on the prior scale) and 144 on the quantitative subtest (500 on the prior scale).
3. Satisfactory letters of recommendation.
4. Adequate preparation in sociology and satisfactory performance in sociology courses and/or those in related disciplines.
5. Satisfactory statement (2-3 pages) describing the applicant’s academic background, research/study interests, and professional goals

CRITERIA FOR AUTOMATIC UNCONDITIONAL ADMISSION

Sociology students who completed their undergraduate degree in Sociology at UT Arlington with a 3.0 overall GPA, a 3.0 GPA in advanced hours, a B or better in SOCI 3372 SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY, SOCI 3352 SOCIAL STATISTICS and SOCI 3462 SOCIAL RESEARCH and satisfactory letters of recommendation from UT Arlington faculty qualify for automatic unconditional admission, pending submission of all required materials.

Criteria for Probationary Admission

Students who do not qualify for unconditional admission may be admitted on probation if they satisfy any 4 of the 5 criteria for unconditional admission.

Those entering the program under probationary status will be granted unconditional admission only after completing 12 hours of graduate sociology courses, approved by the Graduate Advisor, earning no grade below a B.

Provisional Admission

An applicant unable to supply all required information prior to the admission deadline but who otherwise appears to meet admission requirements may be granted provisional admission.

Deferred Admission

A deferred decision may be granted when a file is incomplete or when a denied decision is not appropriate.

Denied Admission

Applicants who do not satisfy the requirements for any of the aforementioned forms of admission will not be admitted.

International Students

To qualify for admission, international students must score 550 or above on the TOEFL.

Degree Requirements: Sociology

Students may select from three options: the non-thesis, thesis substitute, or thesis degree plan.

The Non-Thesis degree plan is designed for students who wish to complete a written essay synthesizing their coursework in response to one of two supplied prompts.  The non-thesis degree plan requires satisfactory completion of a minimum of 36 hours of coursework, including core courses in theory, methods, and statistics, and the three hour non-thesis course SOCI 5385. Non-thesis students must form a non-thesis faculty committee, consisting of a non-thesis chair and two additional members of the graduate faculty. Non-thesis degree seeking students are required to give a presentation on their written essay to their non-thesis faculty committee. The scope, content, and form of the non-thesis document must be approved by the student’s non-thesis committee chair.​SOCI 5385 NON-THESIS PROJECT.

The Thesis-substitute degree plan is designed for students who wish to complete an academic literature review, research design, or an internship report on a selected sociological topic of personal interest. The thesis-substitute degree plan requires satisfactory completion of a minimum of 33 hours of coursework, including core courses in theory, methods, and statistics, and the three hour thesis substitute course SOCI 5393. Thesis-substitute degree students are required to write and orally defend a proposal for their thesis-substitute project in addition to writing and orally defending their thesis-substitute document. Thesis-substitute students must form a thesis-substitute faculty committee, consisting of a thesis-substitute chair and two additional members of the graduate faculty. The scope, content, and form of the thesis-substitute document shall be determined by the student’s thesis committee.SOCI 5393 THESIS SUBSTITUTE.

The Thesis degree plan is designed for students who wish to research and write a substantial, original empirical or theoretical work on a sociological topic of personal interest. The thesis degree plan requires satisfactory completion of a minimum of 30 hours of coursework, including core courses in theory, methods, and statistics, and the six hour thesis course SOCI 5698. Thesis degree students are required to write and orally defend a proposal for their research project in addition to completing original research and writing and orally defending their thesis. Thesis students must form a thesis faculty committee, consisting of a thesis chair and two additional members of the graduate faculty. The scope, content, and form of the thesis shall be determined by the student’s thesis committee.SOCI 5698 THESIS.

Dual Degree Program

Students in sociology may participate in a dual degree program where by they can earn a Master of Arts in Sociology and another field, such as Master of Public Administration or Master of Science in Social Work. By participating in a dual degree program, students can apply a number of semester hours jointly to meet the requirements of both degrees, thus reducing the total number of hours which would be required to earn both degrees separately. Six or more hours may be jointly applied depending on the total number of hours required for both degrees, and subject to the approval of graduate advisors from both programs.

To participate in the dual degree option, students must make separate application to each program and must submit a separate Program of Work for each program. Admission to and enrollment in the two programs must be concurrent (admitted to the second program before completing more than 24 hours in the first). Those interested should consult each of the appropriate graduate advisors for coursework requirements and refer to Graduate Studies catalog entry on Dual Degree Program in the Advanced Degrees and Requirements section for further details.

Fast Track Program in Sociology

The Fast Track Program allows outstanding undergraduate students in sociology at UT Arlington to take up to three graduate seminars in sociology that will earn credit toward both the Bachelor’s degree and the Master’s degree in Sociology. It is designed to encourage high standards of performance, to facilitate the transition from undergraduate to graduate study, and to reduce time needed to complete the MA . Interested undergraduate students should apply for the Fast Track Program when they are within 30 hours of completing the Bachelor’s degree. To qualify, students must have completed at least 30 hours at UTA with a GPA of 3.0 in all courses and 3.25 in the last 30 hours. Before entering the Fast Track, students must also have completed the four required core courses in the Sociology major with a GPA of at least 3.5, or three of the four with a GPA of 3.66 or more. Additionally, they must have already taken at least two non-core sociology courses with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Students who successfully complete the Fast Track Program will be admitted automatically to Graduate Studies to continue their graduate work in the Sociology MA Program once the Bachelor’s degree is awarded. They will not be required to take the GRE, complete an additional application for admission to Graduate Studies, supply letters of recommendation, or pay an application fee. An undergraduate student completing the maximum of nine graduate hours would be admitted to the Sociology MA Program with only five additional courses and a thesis remaining to complete the requirements for the thesis option.

To remain in the Fast Track Program, students must receive no grade lower than a B in any graduate seminars taken as an undergraduate, selected with the advice and approval of the Sociology Graduate Advisor. Undergraduate students who do not maintain grades of B or A in the graduate courses taken will be unable to continue in the Fast Track Program but, if the courses are completed passing, will still receive credit toward their undergraduate degree requirements. Students originally denied entry into the Fast Track Program, discontinued after provisional admission, subsequently dropped or opting out are still welcome to apply to the Sociology MA Program in the usual way and will be considered without prejudice.

For an application form or to obtain more details about this program, contact the Sociology Undergraduate Advisor.