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Sociology PhD: Application portal opens September 1 to January 5 of each year.
Non-Thesis MS (external applicants): Application portal opens January 6 to June 1 of each year.
Non-Thesis MS (B+M applicants): Application Portal opens January 6 to August 30; closed Sept 1- Jan 5.
Non-Thesis M.S.
Internal applicants through the B+M pathway (PSU sociology majors) must complete an internal departmental application in order to begin taking graduate level coursework as an undergraduate. Internal departmental applications are accepted on a rolling basis and students can begin graduate work in any term after acceptance. Accepted B+M students must then apply to the graduate program through the online application system in their final term of their undergraduate program. These applications are also accepted on a rolling basis. See more information at https://www.pdx.edu/sociology/bachelors-masters-sociology-degree. When formally applying to the graduate program in the online application system, students should apply to the program Sociology, M.S. – Bachelor’s plus Master’s.
Applications from external applicants (students who have already earned a B.A./B.S) are accepted once per year and incoming students start in Fall term. In the online application system, students should apply to the program Sociology, M.S. – Non-Thesis.
Ph.D.
Applications are accepted once per year and incoming students start in Fall term. Students who enter with a M.S. degree in sociology or related social science field (from PSU or other institution) will begin work at the Ph.D. level (year three), although they may need to complete M.S.-level requirements if they did not complete equivalent requirements in their M.S. program. In the online application system, all students should apply to the program Sociology, Ph.D.
Required Application Materials
- Statement of Purpose. Submit an approximately 1,000 word statement of purpose, including all the following elements that are relevant to your experience: Academic and/or life experiences that motivate your interest in sociology; Reasons for pursuing graduate study in sociology; Ultimate career goals once you obtain your terminal degree; Prior academic experiences that have prepared you to do graduate level work in sociology; Research experience, including research in courses, research assistantships, research presentations, and publications (if any); Teaching experience, including teaching assistantships and community-based teaching (if any); Service experience, including volunteer work on campus, in the discipline of sociology, and in the community (if any); Areas of interest within sociology and possible areas of focus for your own research; Reasons for choosing PSU sociology.
- Writing sample. Please attach one recent written scholarly piece. This can be a paper written for a course, an excerpt from your thesis, or an academic publication. 30 pages maximum.
- Transcripts. You must upload transcripts to the application site. These transcripts can be unofficial until the review process is completed. The university will need official transcripts if the department gives you their recommendation for admission.
- CV or Resume. The department requires you to upload an curriculum vitae or resume.
- Three letters of recommendation. Prospective students should request three letters of recommendation from faculty with recent observations of the student's academic ability. Prospective students who do not have three faculty recommenders may request letters from professional contacts (e.g. collaborators, colleagues, supervisors) who can speak to the applicant's skills and experiences relevant for graduate work. The application site manages these recommendations and your recommenders submit their reviews online by uploading their letters directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline to apply?
Are GRE's required?
Do you offer a fee waiver for the application fee?
Can I apply to the Non-Thesis M.S. Program if I am currently a PSU sociology major?
Can I apply to the Non-Thesis M.S. Program if I currently have a Bachelor’s Degree?
Can I apply to the Ph.D. program if I currently have a Bachelor’s Degree?
Can I apply to the Ph.D. program if I currently have a Master’s Degree?
What happens if I begin the Ph.D. program but choose not to continue for the Ph.D. after completing M.S.-level work?
What happens if I begin the Ph.D. program and then I am not approved to continue on from the M.S. to the Ph.D.?
Why would a student not be approved to continue for the Ph.D.?
What happens if I begin the Ph.D. program then want to change to the Non-Thesis M.S. Program?
What happens if I begin the Non-Thesis M.S. program and then want to change to the Ph.D. Program?
Should I contact potential thesis/dissertation advisors prior to submitting my application?
How are thesis/dissertations advisors assigned?
What funding opportunities exist for graduate study in sociology?
What is the deadline to apply?
- Sociology PhD: Application portal opens September 1 to January 5 of each year.
- Non-Thesis MS (external applicants): Application portal opens January 6 to June 1 of each year.
- Non-Thesis MS (B+M applicants): Application Portal opens January 6 to August 30; closed Sept 1- Jan 5.
The department accepts rolling admissions to the Non-Thesis M.S. program for current PSU Sociology majors through the Bachelor’s plus Master’s pathway.
Are GRE's required?
No.
Do you offer a fee waiver for the application fee?
We are currently unable to provide fee waivers, though you may qualify for a fee waiver through the PSU Graduate School. For more information, see here: https://www.pdx.edu/admissions/fee-deferral
Can I apply to the Non-Thesis M.S. Program if I am currently a PSU sociology major?
Yes! Students must complete an internal application to be accepted into the B+M pathway into the Non-Thesis M.S. program. See more information at https://www.pdx.edu/sociology/bachelors-masters-sociology-degree. When you formally apply in the final term of your undergraduate program, you will apply to the program Sociology, M.S. – Bachelor’s plus Master’s. B+M students can apply up to 20 credits of graduate coursework to both the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, which allows students to complete the M.S. degree in as little as one year after completing the Bachelor’s degree. Note that if you think you may want to pursue a Ph.D. at any point in the future, you should apply to the Ph.D. program instead.
Can I apply to the Non-Thesis M.S. Program if I currently have a Bachelor’s Degree?
Yes! In the online application system, apply to the program Sociology, M.S. – Non-Thesis. Note that if you think you may want to pursue a Ph.D. at any point in the future, you should apply to the Ph.D. program instead.
Can I apply to the Ph.D. program if I currently have a Bachelor’s Degree?
Yes! Apply via the PSU online application system to the program labeled Sociology, Ph.D.. You will complete M.S.-level work before continuing on to Ph.D.-level work.
Can I apply to the Ph.D. program if I currently have a Master’s Degree?
Yes! Apply via the PSU online application system to the program labeled Sociology, Ph.D.. Your previous Master’s level work will be reviewed to ensure that you have achieved training equivalent to the M.S.-level work in our Ph.D. program. If you have not completed equivalent work, you may be required to take core courses and/or complete a thesis. You can contact the graduate director if you have questions about your specific situation.
What happens if I begin the Ph.D. program but choose not to continue for the Ph.D. after completing M.S.-level work?
If you complete the M.S.-level requirements of the Ph.D. program (including a thesis), you will graduate with a M.S. in Sociology.
What happens if I begin the Ph.D. program and then I am not approved to continue on from the M.S. to the Ph.D.?
If you complete the M.S.-level work (including a thesis), you will graduate with a M.S. in Sociology.
Why would a student not be approved to continue for the Ph.D.?
Students are evaluated individually for their likelihood of success in completing a Ph.D. as demonstrated by the quality of their M.S.-level work.
What happens if I begin the Ph.D. program then want to change to the Non-Thesis M.S. Program?
A student in the Ph.D. program who enters at year one can request to change to the Non-Thesis M.S. program at any point. If your request is approved and you complete the requirements for the Non-Thesis M.S. (which includes additional required courses but does not include a thesis), you will graduate with a M.S. in Sociology. However, this means that you cannot continue on to do Ph.D.-level work in the PSU sociology program.
What happens if I begin the Non-Thesis M.S. program and then want to change to the Ph.D. Program?
A student in the Non-Thesis M.S. program can request to change to the Ph.D. program. This request will require careful review by the graduate committee and consultation with other faculty members. If a student is permitted to change to the Ph.D. program, they would need to complete all the M.S.-level requirements for the Ph.D. program, including a thesis and six terms of Professionalization Seminar, prior to completing the process to request to continue from the M.S. to the Ph.D. Approval to change programs is separate from approval to continue on from the M.S. to the Ph.D. Students who may want to pursue a Ph.D. (at PSU or elsewhere) at any point in the future should pursue the Ph.D. program rather than the Non-Thesis M.S. program.
Should I contact potential thesis/dissertation advisors prior to submitting my application?
You may contact faculty members prior to submitting your application; however this is not required and not all faculty members will have capacity to meet with prospective students.
How are thesis/dissertations advisors assigned?
Once you begin the program, you will be paired with an initial advisor who you may or may not elect to work with long term. Students will choose their thesis/dissertation advisors during their first year in the program.
What funding opportunities exist for graduate study in sociology?
Every effort will be made to extend offers of employment within the sociology department to students in the Ph.D. program who request funding. Students in the Non-Thesis M.S. program are not eligible for funding from the sociology department but may be employed at PSU outside the department.
The availability of graduate employment in the department will vary depending on university and departmental budgets. There are three options for employment in the sociology department: Graduate Teaching Assistantship; Graduate Teaching Assistantship as Instructor of Record; and Graduate Research Assistantship. There are a number of other possible teaching and research relationships both within and external to the department (e.g., hourly research work, summer research funding) which are not covered by these designations and agreements.