The master's degree requires thirty semester hours of graduate work, including six hours in the thesis course. The degree program usually takes two years. Students often enter the graduate program with a master's degree from another university. Such students must take the required courses at the University or transfer credit for them as described in chapter 3 . The coursework requirements include the twenty-four semester hours of work required for the master's degree, one additional course in methods, an additional graduate course outside the department, and a variety of substantive courses in sociology.
Additional information is available from the department.
To be admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree, the student must have completed all master's degree requirements and the doctoral course requirements, must satisfy a foreign language requirement, must pass a comprehensive examination in the area of specialization, and must defend a dissertation proposal. The degree is awarded after completion and defense of the dissertation. Most students need three or four years beyond the master's degree to complete the doctorate.