Graduate Admissions Information

Application Procedures

The Graduate Program in Sociology at the University of Miami is designed for students who intend to pursue the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Sociology.  The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree is awarded when a student successfully completes that portion of his or her program. Students who wish to apply for the Ph.D. may apply for either the Fall or Spring semester.  However, while we have a rolling admissions policy, complete applications should be received by February 1st to assure consideration for financial aid for the coming academic year.  Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable fee of $50.00.

Applicants to the graduate program in the Department of Sociology must submit the following materials in addition to the application:

1. Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended.  These are to be sent directly by the Registrar of each institution.  Transcripts sent by an applicant cannot be considered as official.
2. A brief statement, not to exceed three pages, describing the applicant's academic background, aspirations, and professional goals.
   
   * As part of your statement of purpose, the following questions should also be answered:
   
   "What are your professional goals for graduate study in Sociology at the University of Miami (e.g., academic vs. applied or research vs. teaching)?  Given the specialties offered in the Department of Sociology at the University of Miami, how would graduate studies here help you to achieve your professional goals?  Are there particular faculty in the department with whom you hope to study and work?"
3. The official results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Math, Verbal, and Analytic sections.  Scores sent by an applicant cannot be considered as official.
4. Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant's academic work and scholarly potential.
5. Applicants whose native language is not English must be prepared to demonstrate competency in English through satisfactory scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination.

Graduate Admissions Criteria

There is a department wide consideration (after receiving recommendations from the Graduate Committee) of graduate student admission first, and then subsequent department wide ranking of the admitted graduate students for available funding.  Only students seeking the Ph.D. degree are admitted; we do not offer a terminal M.A.  The admissions process includes the following:

1. February 1st deadline for applications for funding.
2. Rolling admission after February 1st to permit qualified students into the graduate program.
3. Letters of acceptance into the graduate program are sent to prospective students by March 31st of each calendar year.
4. All incoming graduate students are admitted to the Ph.D. program and must be committed to pursuing the Ph.D. degree.  The Graduate Program in Sociology at the University of Miami does not accept students who aspire to earn a terminal M.A. degree.  All applicants to the Ph.D. program are evaluated across several indicators of academic potential, including Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, grade point averages (GPA), letters of recommendation, and statements of purpose.  All applicants should score a minimum of 1,000 (at least 450 in each of the verbal and math sections) on the GRE.  Applicants without graduate experience are expected to have a minimum overall GPA of 3.20 in undergraduate coursework. Applicants with graduate experience are expected to have a minimum overall GPA of 3.50 in graduate coursework.  All applicants should provide three (3) letters of recommendation from persons who are familiar with their academic work and scholarly potential.  At least two of these letters should come from professors currently or previously employed in a college or university.  All applicants should provide a brief (no more than three pages), yet compelling, statement of purpose.  This statement should clearly describe the applicant’s academic background, research interests, and professional goals.  It should also clearly indicate how the student’s research interests are consistent with the research strengths of the department. Non-native English speakers should be prepared to demonstrate English language proficiency, as indicated by minimum scores of 80 (internet based), 213 (computer based), or 550 (paper based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination.
5. Under most circumstances, the Graduate Program in Sociology at the University of Miami will accept M.A. and M.S. degrees from other universities.  Although transfer credit is normally not granted, up to six (6) hours of previous graduate work may be transferred with the approval of the Graduate Committee.  All Ph.D. students, including those students with previous graduate work, are required to complete 601, 602, 604, 610, 611, 612, 613, 615, 616, and 622.  Only SOC 615 and SOC 616 may be considered for transfer credit.
   
   A credit transfer petition may be found HERE

Financial Assistance 

Graduate Assistantships, Teaching Assistantships, and University Fellowships are offered each academic year (fall and spring semesters).  Graduate Assistantships require students to assist individual faculty members with their research, teaching, and other professional responsibilities (15 hours per week).  Graduate Assistantships also require students to assist the department in miscellaneous tasks (5 hours per week).  Teaching Assistantships are usually awarded following the completion of the M.A. degree and SOC 622 (Teaching Sociology).  Teaching Assistantships require students to teach their own undergraduate courses.  Teaching Assistants meet periodically with a regular faculty member for supervision and support.  University Fellowships are awarded by the Graduate School on the basis of nominations by the Graduate Committee.  University Fellowships do not entail any formal teaching or research responsibilities for two years.  Research Assistantships are also offered periodically.  When faculty members have financial resources from grants and research accounts, they may employ graduate students to work on special projects.  Regular Graduate Assistantships, Teaching Assistantships, and University Fellowships may be deferred while students are funded under Research Assistantships.

Assistantships and Fellowships are awarded by the department on a competitive basis and normally include a tuition scholarship for full-time enrollment and a stipend for living expenses.  For the 2009/2010 academic year, Graduate Assistantships are worth approximately $42,280.  This financial package includes $24,300 for tuition and fees (18 credit hours) and a stipend of $17,980 (9 months).  Students entering the program with a B.A. or B.S. degree will normally receive continuous funding for five (5) academic years.  Students entering the program with a graduate degree will normally receive three (3) years of continuous funding.  Please note that all funding awards are contingent upon (a) full-time enrollment in at least nine (9) credit hours per semester (fall and spring), (b) satisfactory annual performance evaluations, and (c) adequate progress toward degree completion.  Assistantships are assigned by the Program Director according to the needs of (1) the department, (2) junior faculty, (3) faculty funded by grants, (4) faculty with requests for special research assistance, and (5) faculty with requests for teaching assistance.  Whenever possible, graduate students are assigned to faculty working in their specific areas of concentration. Students and faculty may also request specific assignments.

Advising Structure 

All graduate students are assigned an advisor from the Graduate Committee upon entry into the program.  New students are assigned advisors during the new graduate student orientation prior to the beginning of the fall semester. Continuing graduate students may remain with their original advisor or select another faculty advisor within the Department of Sociology.   After the first year of graduate study, students must maintain an up-to-date advisor election form.  Students are expected to meet with their advisors to develop course schedules and monitor progress in the program.  The student’s advisor must sign off on all program plans and course schedules.