Sociology of Education (MA)

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Program Description
Career Opportunities
Admissions

Program Description

Founded in the 1920s, the MA Program in Sociology of Education is one of the nation’s oldest professional programs applying sociology to the study of education. It remains focused on helping educators and others to better understand the social aspects of educational problems.

The program provides students with a solid foundation in sociology as it applies to education and related fields. Students develop strong analytical and methodological skills in a sociological approach to education-related questions and problems. Areas of specialization include education and social inequality, education and social organization, education and social change, qualitative research methods, statistics and quantitative methods, and policy analysis and program evaluation.

Course opportunities draw on the resources of the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development as well as the Department of Sociology in the Graduate School of Arts and Science and the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Students interested in the development and analysis of educational policy and its effects will find this program particularly useful.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the master’s program are well-equipped to pursue careers in research and evaluation, education policy, government agencies, and youth and community service organizations. Many also are well-equipped to pursue and succeed in doctoral-level work in the sociology of education or a related field.

Admissions

Admission to graduate programs in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development requires the following minimum components:

Résumé/CV
Statement of Purpose
Letters of Recommendation
Transcripts
Proficiency in English

See NYU Steinhardt's Graduate Admissions website for additional information on school-wide admission. Some programs may require additional components for admissions.

See How to Apply for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

Program Requirements

The program requires the completion of 36 credits, comprised of the following:

Course List
Course	Title	Credits
Core Requirements
SOED-GE 2002	Sociology of Education	3
SOED-GE 2325	Social and Cultural Studies in Education	3
SOED-GE 2372	Critical Social Theory and Education	3
SOED-GE 3030	Classical Social Theory	3
or EDPLY-GE 2030	Education and Social Policy
Research Methods
APSTA-GE 2001	Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences I ¹	3
RESCH-GE 2140	Approaches/Qualitative Inquiry	3
Select one of the following: ²		2-4
APSTA-GE 2002	Statistics for Behav and Social Sciences II
APSTA-GE 2139	Survey Research Methods
INTE-GE 2007	Qualitative Methods in International Education
INTE-GE 2008	Quantitative Methods in International Education
RESCH-GE 2147	Fieldwork Data Collection
RESCH-GE 2148	Fldwrk: Data Analysis
Culminating Experience
SOED-GE 2510	Thesis Seminar I	3
Area of Specialization
Select 13-15 elective credits by advisement ³		13-15
Total Credits		36

¹: Or equivalent graduate-level Statistics course, by advisement.
²: Additional courses available by advisement.
³: In addition to the core requirements, students select elective courses to create an area of specialization. Students may select from one of the suggested areas, or build their own specialization based on their interests and in consultation with their academic adviser. Most students use their area of specialization to help prepare for and support their thesis work, such as additional methodology courses or that help students further explore themes and connect with experts in their area of interest.

Additional Program Information

Students have considerable flexibility in designing and carrying out their own research; all students complete a semester- or year-long, fully supervised research thesis that provides an invaluable experience of working closely with a faculty mentor and of developing research skills essential to both professional practice and advanced scholarship. SOED-GE 2510 Thesis Seminar I is required.

The program offers a global sequence for those who want to experience study abroad in their graduate studies.

Sample Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid
1st Semester/Term		Credits
SOED-GE 2002	Sociology of Education	3
SOED-GE 2325	Social and Cultural Studies in Education	3
APSTA-GE 2085	Basic Statistics	3
Elective		3
	Credits	12
2nd Semester/Term
SOED-GE 2372	Critical Social Theory and Education	3
RESCH-GE 2140	Approaches/Qualitative Inquiry	3
SOED-GE 3030 or EDPLY-GE 2030	Classical Social Theory or Education and Social Policy	3
Elective		3
	Credits	12
3rd Semester/Term
SOED-GE 2510	Thesis Seminar I	3
3rd Research Methods Course		2-4
Elective		3
Elective		3
	Credits	11
4th Semester/Term
SOED-GE 2300	Ind Study	1-6
	Credits	1
	Total Credits	36

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

Analyze educational problems and issues using the knowledge, concepts, and research methodology of sociology.
Acquire habits of critical thinking and systematic investigation to critique the role of education in society.
Identify the larger social and cultural contexts that shape educational institutions.
Develop effective written and oral communications skills by applying the conventions of the discipline of sociology.
Demonstrate an expertise in an area of specialization in the sociology of education through the production of a high-quality MA thesis.

Policies

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NYU Policies
Steinhardt Academic Policies

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

Steinhardt Academic Policies

Additional academic policies can be found the Steinhardt academic policies page.