Sociology, M.A.

General Program Information

Graduate School Contact:

Gail Powers; powers@etsu.edu; 423-439-4703

Leslie McCallister, Ph.D., Graduate Coordinator

223-C Rogers-Stout Hall
Box 70644
(423) 439-4998
e-mail: mccallis@etsu.edu

Martha Copp, Ph.D., Chair

223-H Rogers-Stout Hall
Box 70644
(423) 439-7056
e-mail: coppm@etsu.edu

Faculty:

Scott Beck; Anthony P. Cavender; Martha Copp; William Duncan; Jay Franklin; Paul Kamolnick; C. Lindsey King; Robert Leger; Leslie McCallister, Melissa Schrift.

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology offers two (2) Master of Arts degree options. The general sociology option is primarily for students intending to continue graduate training leading to the Ph.D.; the applied sociology option is oriented toward students interested in gaining competency in applied social research skills relevant to a variety of private and public sector settings. Graduates of the department have obtained jobs such as federal probation officers, director of residential treatment centers, research analyst, superintendent of a juvenile correction facility, as well as a variety of positions with departments of human services in Tennessee and neighboring states. Graduates have continued their studies in sociology by pursuing the Ph.D. at institutions such as Duke, Stanford, Kentucky, Indiana, Kansas, and Tennessee. For more information contact the department’s graduate coordinator.

Program Admission Requirements

1. Submit scores on the verbal, quantitative, and analytical sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Scores of at least 400 on each section (verbal and quantitative) and a score of 4 or higher on the analytical section preferred.
2. A 3.0 overall undergraduate grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
3. An undergraduate major or minor in sociology. In lieu of this requirement, students who majored and minored in related subjects (social work, psychology, criminal justice) and who complete at least three (3) courses in sociology may be admitted under the condition that they enroll in and complete, with at least a grade of “B”, two (2) upper-level undergraduate courses.
4. Three (3) letters of recommendation.

Thesis Option Requirements

All students selecting the thesis option must complete a minimum of 30 semester credits, 21 of which must be in sociology.

• SOCI 5110 - Contemporary Social Theory (3 credits)
• SOCI 5210 - Sociological Research (3 credits)
• SOCI 5960 - Thesis (1-3 credits)
• Electives (18-21 credits)

Total Hours—Thesis Option: 30 Credit Hours

Note:

Students may take no more than nine (9) credits outside the department. Those students who are deemed to have had insufficient coursework in sociology at the undergraduate-level may be required to take between one (1) and three (3) “5xx7” courses before enrolling in the required courses. Students, in consultation with the graduate coordinator, shall select an advisory committee for their thesis. The formation of the thesis committee should be done by the end of the second semester of study. Working closely with the chair of their thesis committee, students are to prepare and present to the graduate faculty of the department a prospectus for their thesis, which must be approved before they can proceed with their thesis research. A written comprehensive examination is required to successfully complete the degree program.

Non-Thesis Option Requirements

All students selecting the non-thesis option must complete a minimum of 36 semester credits, 27 of which must be in sociology.

• SOCI 5110 - Contemporary Social Theory (3 credits)
• SOCI 5210 - Sociological Research (3 credits)
• SOAA 5820 - Skills in Applied Sociology and Anthropology (3 credits)
• SOCI 5320 - Program Evaluation (3 credits)
• SOCI 5850 - Supervised Internship (1-6 credits)
• SOCI 5870 - Internship Placement Report (3 credits)

Total Hours—Non-Thesis Option: 36 Credit Hours

Additional Information

Any exceptions to these “core” courses must be approved by the graduate coordinator and the student’s advisory committee chair. As with the thesis option, those students deemed to have had insufficient coursework in sociology at the undergraduate-level may be required to enroll in one (1) to three (3) “5xx7” courses.

The special feature of the applied sociology concentration is a supervised internship. Students, in conjunction with the internship coordinator and their advisory committee, will select an appropriate placement in an agency or organization in which they will work, under supervision, for a total of 280 - 300 hours. Students will receive six (6) credits by enrolling in SOCI 5850  - Supervised Internship. The culmination of the applied sociology concentration is an analytical report based on the student’s internship experience and knowledge gained from previous coursework for which they receive three (3)-credits by taking SOCI 5870  - Internship Placement Report. Students interested in the applied sociology concentration should indicate so in their first semester of study and a screening interview will be conducted by the second semester.

As with the thesis option, a written comprehensive examination is required to successfully complete the degree program.