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Program Description
The Doctor of Philosophy is a research degree. It signifies that the recipient can conduct independent research, has a broad basic knowledge of sociology, and has a comprehensive knowledge of at least one chosen area of specialization. The PhD degree requires 72 credits of graduate work (at least 32 in residence at New York University). At least 48 of the credits required for the PhD degree must be in Sociology courses. Students must achieve a B or better in all required courses. Up to 12 credits may be reading or dissertation courses that involve individual work with a member of the faculty. The acceptability of courses outside sociology depends on the relevance of the work to sociology as judged by the Director of Graduate Studies. Credit for course work done at other universities requires the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. Students who have done graduate work before entering the doctoral program should see the Director of Graduate Studies when first registering in order to determine what courses may be required of them.
Dual Degree
The Sociology Department offers a dual degree with the NYU School of Law: Sociology PhD/Law JD.
See Sociology for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.
Admissions
All applicants to the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) are required to submit the general application requirements, which include:
See Sociology for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.
Program Requirements
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| SOC-GA 3925 | Miniseminar: | 4 |
| SOC-GA 2332 | Intro to Statistics | 4 |
| SOC-GA 2330 | Intro to Methods of Sociological Research | 4 |
| SOC-GA 2111 | Classical Theory | 4 |
| SOC-GA 3112 | Research and Writing Seminar (4-credit course taken twice, for a total of 8 credits) | 8 |
| 48 |
| Total Credits | 72 |
Additional Program Requirements
Comprehensive Examination
Students select one of the broad areas of Sociology in which to take the written comprehensive examination, given by the end of the second year. Each student selects two Sociology faculty readers. The readers aid the student in preparing a reading list and studying for the exam, compose the exam, and determine whether the student has passed the exam.
Dissertation
The proposal for the dissertation and the dissertation itself are researched and written in consultation with a committee of at least three advisors. Students defend their proposal before their advisors who decide if they may proceed. Upon approval of the dissertation by the advisors, the dissertation is defended before an examining committee of five faculty members (including at least three dissertation advisors). At least four affirmative votes are required to pass.
Departmental Approval
All Graduate School of Arts & Science doctoral candidates must be approved for graduation by their department for the degree to be awarded.
Sample Plan of Study
Plan of Study Grid
| 1st Semester/Term |
|---|
| SOC-GA 2332 |
Intro to Statistics |
4 |
| SOC-GA 2111 |
Classical Theory |
4 |
| SOC-GA 3925 |
Miniseminar: |
4 |
| | Credits | 12 |
| 2nd Semester/Term |
|---|
| SOC-GA 2330 |
Intro to Methods of Sociological Research |
4 |
|
4 |
|
4 |
| | Credits | 12 |
| 3rd Semester/Term |
|---|
|
4 |
|
4 |
|
4 |
| | Credits | 12 |
| 4th Semester/Term |
|---|
| SOC-GA 3112 |
Research and Writing Seminar |
4 |
|
4 |
|
4 |
| | Credits | 12 |
| 5th Semester/Term |
|---|
| SOC-GA 3112 |
Research and Writing Seminar |
4 |
|
4 |
|
4 |
| | Credits | 12 |
| 6th Semester/Term |
|---|
|
4 |
|
4 |
|
4 |
| | Credits | 12 |
| | Total Credits | 72 |
Following completion of the required coursework for the PhD, students are expected to maintain active status at New York University by enrolling in a research/writing course or a Maintain Matriculation (MAINT-GA 4747) course. All non-course requirements must be fulfilled prior to degree conferral, although the specific timing of completion may vary from student-to-student.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:
- Develop knowledge of fundamental concepts and theoretical perspectives in Sociology. They should also gain familiarity with several subfields in the discipline and achieve mastery of the central debates and research findings in at least one such active area of research.
- Draw on and engage in dialogue with existing scholarship in their own research efforts in order to contribute to the creation of new knowledge, as well as to critically assess the contributions of others. In so doing, students should develop the ability to ask clear, theoretically driven, and substantively important research questions and to explore them with appropriate empirical research designs.
- Have a general understanding of the major empirical research strategies used in sociology, including, but not limited to, qualitative field observations and interviews, statistical analyses of survey data, experimental methods, computational analyses of digital text corpora, and comparative and historical methods. Students should become expert at the application of at least one of these approaches for designing and executing their own empirical research, and in evaluating the empirical strategies used in published research.
- Effectively communicate their research to others in the form of articles published in sociological journals, books published by academic presses, and reports issued for government agencies or non-profit research centers. They should also be adept at sharing their research findings through verbal presentations at professional meetings and other academic venues.
- Gain teaching experience and develop pedagogical skills that enable them to effectively design and teach lecture and seminar courses on core sociological topics, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Policies
NYU Policies
University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.
Graduate School of Arts and Science Policies
Academic Policies for the Graduate School of Arts and Science can be found on the Academic Policies page.