Students apply for admission to candidacy in consultation with the student advisor with approval of the sociology graduate committee. Complete all entry deficiencies before admission to candidacy will be approved. Units earned from these makeup courses cannot apply to the 36 units required for the degree. Select a thesis or project committee and submit a proposal within the second year of graduate residence. A thesis normally involves investigating a significant problem in sociology by means of the scientific method.
Students prepare their proposals in consultation with their committees.
The committee and the proposal must be approved by the sociology graduate committee. These units must be approved by the chair of the thesis or project committee. Upon completion and approval of the thesis or project, the department will recommend the candidate for the master of arts degree in sociology. The graduate committee of the sociology program may dismiss a student who is not making satisfactory progress toward completing the degree. This discipline-specific program is designed to better prepare the graduate student interested in a teaching career at the community college or university level.