PhD in Sociology
The Department of Sociology offers only a PhD. We do not admit students to a terminal master's degree; however, students in the PhD program may earn a master’s degree on the way to their doctorate.
PhD Program at a Glance
- Job placement rate: The University of Minnesota is proud of the placement record of our recent Ph.D. students.
- Average cohort size: 10
- Number of active students in program: 66
- Typical funding guarantee: 5 years
- A PhD typically takes 5-8 years to complete
Graduate students and faculty in the sociology department often focus their work in one or more research specialties.
PhD Degree Requirements
For your PhD, you will be expected to meet the following requirements:
- 14 credits of core requirements, 3 credits of advanced qualitative methods
- 12 credits from outside the sociology department related to your course of study
- 12 sociology credits
- 24 thesis credits
- Reading list
- Completion of preliminary written and oral exams
- Prospectus hearing
- Completion of the dissertation
- Final oral dissertation defense
Equity & Diversity in Sociology
We strive to provide a supportive environment for student scholars from varying racial, ethnic, religious, social class, sexual identity, and national backgrounds.
MA Degree Option
Students interested in completing a Master of Arts degree along the way may do so. A Plan B project is completed via the written and oral preliminary exams.
Graduate Minor in Sociology
If you are pursuing a graduate degree in another department, you may minor in sociology. Contact Becky Drasin at drasi001@umn.edu, sociology's graduate program coordinator, for more information about our graduate minor.
Through the exploration of social and individual dynamics, we prepare our students to enrich social scientific understandings of the complex problems societies face today. Research specialties include:
1. Demography, family, and life course
2. Global, transnational, and comparative sociology
3. Inequalities and culture
4. Law, crime, punishment, and human rights
Students interested in the minor are strongly encouraged to confer with their major field advisor and director of graduate studies, and the Sociology graduate program coordinator regarding feasibility and requirements.
Students pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Minnesota in areas outside of sociology are invited to consider a master’s or doctoral minor in Sociology.
At the master’s level, you must complete a minimum of 6 graduate-level credits in Sociology at the 5000 or 8000-level.
At the PhD level, you must complete a minimum of 12 graduate-level credits in Sociology at the 5000 or 8000-level.
You must have a member of the sociology faculty serve on your examination committee. Courses used toward the minor on the graduate degree plan must be approved by the Department of Sociology’s director of graduate studies.
The graduate program coordinator must approve each student's GPAS plan at the time of submission to certify that the Sociology graduate minor requirements have been fulfilled.