College of Social and Behavioral Science
Department Office: 301 Behavioral Science Building
Mailing address: 380 S. 1530 E. Rm. 301, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0250
Phone: 801-581-6153
Department E-mail: socoff@soc.utah.edu
Department Chair: Akiko Kamimura
Undergraduate Advisor: Samuel Owens 333 BEH S 801-213-1144, advisor@soc.utah.edu;
Director of Graduate Studies: Daniel Adkins, 380 S 1530 E Rm 409 84112, 801-581-6153, daniel.adkins@soc.utah.edu
Research and training facilities include the Department and College computer laboratories and the University Computer Center.
Undergraduate Program
Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Since all human behavior is social, the subject matter of sociology ranges from the intimate family to the hostile mob; from organized crime to religious cults; from the divisions of race, gender, and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture. Today, sociologists embark upon literally hundreds of career paths. Graduates with a B.A. or B.S. in sociology have a strong liberal arts preparation for entry into the service and government worlds. A degree in sociology is also a valuable base for graduate training in law, education, medicine, social work, and the social sciences.
Graduate Program
Students are admitted to Graduate Program in Sociology as doctoral students (unless admitted to the M. Stat program) but may apply for the master's degree in the course of their doctoral studies.
Admission Requirements
Prospective graduate students, including University of Utah seniors, must apply for admission to the Sociology Graduate Program through both the Department of Sociology (www.soc.utah.edu) and the Graduate School, via the University Admissions Office (https://gradschool.utah.edu/future-students/admissions.php). Instructions and forms are available at the web sites noted above.
Department Admission
The Department Graduate Committee must receive all required materials, including the Graduate School referral, by December 15th for Fall term admission.
Application materials are reviewed by the Department Graduate Committee and recommendations for admission are made to the department faculty. Upon final approval by the faculty, the Department Graduate Director issues notifications on admissions by 15 April. Earlier decisions are possible for outstanding applicants.
Admission to the Sociology Graduate Program requires a completed undergraduate (B.A./B.S.) degree or its equivalent from a fully accredited college or university. Except in extraordinary circumstances, students may enter the program only at the beginning of fall term.
Proof of Immunity Requirement
The University requires all new, transfer, and readmitted students born after 31 December 1956 to provide proof of immunity for measles, mumps, and rubella. For a full explanation, see the Graduate School web site under "Students" then "General Catalog Graduate Information."
Continuous Registration Requirement
All graduate students must maintain minimum registration from the time of formal admission through completion of all degree requirements unless granted an official Leave of Absence. If continuous registration is not maintained or an official Leave of Absence is not obtained, the Graduate School terminates the supervisory committee and deactivates the graduate file. Application for readmission is required to reactivate a graduate file.
For more complete explanations on registration and Leaves of Absence, see the Graduate School web site under "Students" then "General Catalog Graduate Information" and "Registration."
Residency Requirement
To complete a master's degree, 24 credit hours in the program of study must be completed at the University of Utah. The doctorate requires that one full year (two consecutive semesters) be spent in fulltime academic work at the University of Utah. When a student proceeds directly from a master's degree to a doctoral program with no break in the program of study (except for official Leaves of Absence), the residency requirement may be fulfilled at any time during the course of study. A full load is nine (9) credit hours. After the residency requirement is fulfilled, three credit hours of thesis/dissertation research or faculty consultation will satisfy the minimum continuing registration requirement.
For complete explanations of Residency and Registration requirements, see the Graduate School web site under "Students," "General Catalog Graduate Information," "Registration" then "Degree Requirements."
Sociology Graduate Programs of Study
The Ph.D. program in the Department of Sociology prepares students to conduct methodologically sound, empirically rigorous, and theoretically grounded research in a variety of substantive domains. We offer foundational training in social theory, research methods, statistical analysis, instructional pedagogy, and research ethics, giving students the skills needed to pursue a range of academic and applied careers. In addition, students work closely with faculty members to pursue specialized training in one or more of the following program areas:
• Environmental Sociology
• Political Sociology
• Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
• Sociology of Development
• Sociology of Gender
• Sociology of Health
• Population Studies
• Criminology
Within each of these areas, many of our faculty study various dimensions of social inequality, often in global and comparative perspective. Students have ample opportunities to take courses in, and conduct research at the intersection of, more than one specialized program area. The program is designed to offer flexibility for students to develop their own research interests and topics.
Environmental sociology studies the relationship between society and the biophysical environment, environmental justice, and sustainability. The field brings together the tools of the social sciences and applies them to these key issues of our day at various levels of analysis, from the local to the global.
Political sociology is broadly concerned with struggles for power, resources, status, recognition, legitimacy, and meaning among social groups within and across nation-states. Faculty in this area use quantitative and qualitative data to conduct empirically rigorous, methodologically diverse, and theoretically grounded research on a range of topics at different levels of analysis.
Faculty in the Sociology of Race and Ethnicity area examine historical and contemporary processes related to ethnic and racial classification, identification, and inequality, both in the United States and beyond.
Sociology of gender is concerned with how society influences perceptions of gender norms, identities, roles, and relations and considers how these intersect with hierarchies of power including sexuality, class, race/ ethnicity, nationality, immigration status, disability, and age. Our faculty examine questions of gender and sexuality in contemporary and historical contexts and employ a range of methodological and theoretical approaches.
Sociology of health is the scientific study of the social causes and consequences of health and illness, as well as the ways social positions and structures influence provider-patient interactions, access to care, and the constitution of “diseases” worth medical or behavioral intervention. The field is methodologically diverse, with some researchers analyzing large databases and others studying micro-level interactions.
Population Studies is a highly interdisciplinary field investigating processes of fertility, migration, and aging (including mortality) as they influence the size, structure, and distribution of populations across time and space. Population Studies scholars address the social structural and contextual determinants of demographic outcomes and their relevance for sustainability, human health, and wellbeing. This program emphasizes family demography, fertility, health and aging, and migration.
Criminology involves the study of crime, deviance, and the making of laws, as well as how society responds to deviant and criminal behavior through punishment and other mechanisms of social control. This program emphasizes criminological theory, research, and policy.
Masters of Statistics in Sociology (MSTAT)
An interdisciplinary degree administered by the University Statistics Committee is also offered. The program is designed for those students whose interest lies in the development and application of statistical methods in sociological research. The course requirements for our MStat Sociology program are at https://soc.utah.edu/graduate/mstat-degree.php. You can find more general information at https://mstat.utah.edu/degree-options/sociology.php.