Graduate Program in Sociology


		Graduate Program in Sociology

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The University

Founded in 1963, the University of South Alabama has more than 12,000 students. The University is located twenty-five miles from the Gulf Coast near the western edge of the city of Mobile. The metropolitan area, which includes the port of Mobile, has a population of approximately 500,000 persons. The presence of various ethnic groups and a diverse social life provide many opportunities for social research.

The Department

The Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, which offers the B.A. and M.A. in Sociology and the B.A. in Anthropology, has twelve full-time and five part-time faculty members. The graduate faculty is comprised of seven sociologists and five anthropologists. Graduate students usually work with sociologists, but some participate in cross-disciplinary study and research with anthropologists.

The MA Program in Sociology

The M.A. in sociology is designed to be completed in four academic semesters for the full-time student. Two tracks of study are available: basic research and applied research. The first two semesters for each are identical, but students should choose one or the other track for their second year of study. The applied research track is designed for students who plan to work in the public or private sectors or complete a Ph.D. in Applied Sociology. This track requires completion of a course in Applied Sociology, an internship with an agency or firm, and a research paper that typically is written for the benefit of the internship agency. The basic research track is designed particularly for those students who wish to advance the discipline's knowledge base and intend to pursue a research position, teaching sociology as a career, or an academic Ph.D. after completion of the M.A. This track requires the completion of a thesis.

Academic Atmosphere

The ratio between number of graduate students and number of graduate faculty has remained approximately two to one. This very favorable student-faculty ratio and small class sizes make it possible to give special attention to needs of individual students. Current graduate students have created a friendly atmosphere to work in and have interests ranging from gerontology to criminology.

Core Requirements

All graduate students are obligated to complete core requirements of the curriculum. These include master's level courses in sociological principles, social theory, research methods, and statistics. Students are required to demonstrate competence in theory and methods in a written comprehensive examination.

Areas of Specialization

The Department provides training in several specialized areas of sociology, as well as sociological theory and research methods. There are opportunities for concentrated training in sociological areas such as Applied, Environmental, Maritime, Medical, Family, Gerontology and Criminology. Other individualized specializations may be designed based on student and faculty interests. Graduate students may be enrolled in the University's Gerontology Certification program while pursuing the M.A. in Sociology.

Computing Facilities

Students have access to a range of campus computing services and facilities managed by the University Computer Services Center and the department. These include computer labs with essential research tools such as high-speed Internet connections, statistical packages, and specialized software. The University is connected to the Internet via the Alabama Supercomputer Network. All students are eligible for electronic mailboxes and have access to a variety of information resources such as library collections and full-text journal searches. A computing lab is located in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work. This facility has 24 workstations and an instructor's station along with printing and presentation hardware. The graduate student office is also connected to the internet and provides four individual workstations.

Admission to the Program

Those applying for admission must submit to the Office of Admissions a completed application form, GRE scores, a brief autobiographical statement (1 to 1 1/2 pages), letters of support, and official copies of transcripts for all previous college work. A combined score of 1,000 or better on the verbal and quantitative subtests of the Graduate Record Examination is required for admission with full standing. Applicants who do not qualify for full standing may be conditionally admitted, as specified in the Graduate Bulletin. Students may apply to enter the program during any academic term (Fall, Spring, or Summer).

Financial Assistance

Graduate assistantships and fellowships are available on a competitive basis. Ordinarily, only students who have achieved full standing will be awarded assistantships or fellowships. Stipends for graduate assistants are currently $9,000 (4,500 for fall and spring) for the nine-month academic year. Graduate assistants also receive tuition waivers, in addition to stipends. Fellows receive tuition waivers only. Students holding assistantships and fellowships must carry at least six semester hours (two graduate courses) to receive financial support. Additional opportunities for financial assistance are available through funded research projects. Students are eligible, normally, for up to two academic years of assistantship support. Applications for assistance may be obtained by writing directly to the Graduate Advisor, Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama 36688-0002. The application deadline for financial support for Fall semester is March 30.

Applications for assistance may be obtained online here or by writing directly to:

Graduate Advisor
University of South Alabama
Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Humanities Building, Room 34
Mobile, Alabama 36688-0002

For more information, contact Nicole T Carr, PhD:

Telephone: (251) 460-6347
FAX: (251) 460-7925
E-mail: ntcarr@jaguar1.usouthal.edu

The application deadline for financial support for Fall semester is March 30.

University of South Alabama
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