Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology
Website: https://twu.edu/sociology/graduate-programs/phd-in-sociology/
The mission of TWU's sociology programs is to provide sociological training primarily for non-traditional, female, minority and underprivileged students, though students from all backgrounds are welcome.
The objective of the sociology program is to produce intellectually well-rounded graduates capable of (1) analyzing human social groups and relationships between groups, (2) evaluating the influence of social factors on social situations, and (3) functioning effectively in either an academic milieu or in a sociological practice setting. Doctoral students are required to study core sociological theory, social research methods, and statistics, and must concentrate further in two specialty areas.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Apply main sociological theories in analyzing social phenomena, interpreting social events, and solving social problems.
- Choose appropriate statistical techniques to answer more complex research questions, perform intermediate-level statistical analysis using computer software, and interpret results.
- Design an advanced research project, carry out the research, write a report, and present findings that make an original contribution.
Admissions
All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.
This academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.
Degree Requirements
Effective August 24, 2020: The Ph.D. degree requirements have been revised and can be viewed on the Ph.D. in Sociology Degree Requirements webpage.
Total Semester Credit Hours Required
91 semester credit hours, including up to 30 semester credit hours from a Master's degree (either taken at TWU or transferred from another accredited institution, and approved by the department.)
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Master's degree (up to 30 SCH, with committee approval) | 30 | |
| Required Courses | ||
| SOCI 6123 | Advanced Classical Sociological Theories | 3 |
| SOCI 6133 | Advanced Contemporary Sociological Theories | 3 |
| SOCI 6321 | Pro Seminar in Sociology | 1 |
| SOCI 6353 | Qualitative Research in Sociology | 3 |
| SOCI 6363 | Intermediate Social Statistics (or equivalent) | 3 |
| SOCI 6373 | Quantitative Methods and Design | 3 |
| Major/First Area | 12 | |
Students must select 12 SCH in one of the following four areas of concentration. Independent study courses may not be counted toward this area. A variety of Special Topics as well as courses taken at UNT or A&M Commerce may potentially be accepted for one of these four major areas. | ||
| Social Stratification/Inequality | ||
| Social Stratification (required) | ||
| Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration | ||
| Race and Ethnic Groups in the United States | ||
| Feminist Theories | ||
| Race, Crime, and Justice | ||
| Special Topics (Gender and Sexualities) | ||
| Special Topics (Sociology of Hate Crime) | ||
| Special Topics (Social Structure, Drug Use, and Health) | ||
| Global and Comparative Sociology | ||
| Global and Comparative Sociology (required) | ||
| Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration | ||
| Sociology of Terrorism | ||
| Globalization, Crime, and Justice | ||
| Comparative Criminology | ||
| Special Topics (Sociology of Religion) | ||
| Special Topics (Sociology of Islam) | ||
| Medical Sociology | ||
| Health and Illness (required) | ||
| Deviant Behavior | ||
| Special Topics (Social Structure, Drug Use, and Health) | ||
| Special Topics (Sociology of Disabilities) | ||
| Criminology | ||
| Criminology Theories (required) | ||
| Sociology of Terrorism | ||
| Globalization, Crime, and Justice | ||
| Comparative Criminology | ||
| Deviant Behavior | ||
| Contemporary Criminology | ||
| Race, Crime, and Justice | ||
| Special Topics (Sociology of Religion) | ||
| Special Topics (Sociology of Islam) | ||
| Special Topics (Sociology of Hate Crime) | ||
| Special Topics (Social Structure, Drug Use, and Health) | ||
| Minor/Second Area | 12 | |
May be in sociology, another academic discipline, or a certificate program. No more than three SCH of independent study may contribute to this area. | ||
| Electives | 9 | |
Electives must have a SOCI prefix. | ||
| Research Tools | ||
All 12 SCH may be met and applied from the above required methods/statistics courses. Six of these 12 SCH must be in one of the following areas: statistics, research methods, pedagogy, information retrieval, or foreign language, and the other six SCH may be across two other areas. | ||
| Dissertation | 12 | |
| Dissertation (to be taken once or twice) | ||
| Dissertation (to be taken twice or three times) | ||
| Total SCHs | 91 | |
Required Sociology Courses
16 semester credit hours. Required sociology courses may be taken at TWU and/or UNT.
Exams
- Major/First Area Exam: Developed and administered by the student's advisory committee.
- Minor/Second Area Exam: Developed and administered by the student's advisory committee.
