Graduate Sociology Program
Overview
Financial Assistance
Getting Admitted
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Sociology researchers having distinguished rank at Indiana University.
Shaffer Professor William Corsaro
Rudy Professor Thomas Gieryn
Chancellor's Professor Scott Long
Chancellor's Professor Bernice Pescosolido
Allen D. and Polly S. Grimshaw Professor Brian Powell
Chancellor's Professor Rob Robinson
Rudy Professor Pamela Barnhouse WaltersOverview
The graduate program in Sociology at Indiana University ranked 12th among all American graduate departments in scholarly research and 5th in effective teaching of Ph.D. candidates in a 1995 study by the National Research Council. In the 2006 rankings of U.S. News & World Reports, IU sociology ranked 11th nationally. IU graduate students rank the IU department higher than graduate students of other sociology programs rank their departments, according to a 2001 national survey.
A measure of our success is the placement of our graduates in a wide range of employment opportunities. In recent years, Indiana Ph.D.'s have landed jobs in research universities (University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, University of Wisconsin, University of Minnesota, Emory University, University of Iowa, Duke University, University of Maryland, Ohio State University, University of California - Irvine, and Vanderbilt), teaching-oriented small colleges (Albion College, Winthrop College, Meredith College, Western Maryland College, Depauw University), applied research settings and government agencies (ChildTrends, Center for Disease Control, the State of Indiana) and in the business world.
The sociology faculty assembled in Bloomington consists of a congenial group of researchers and teachers, each with a national reputation in his or her specialty. Faculty members examine a wide range of sociological problems, using a variety of theoretical and methodological orientations. No matter what sociological research interests you might have, you are likely to find someone on the Indiana faculty who shares those interests.
We have a tradition of close collaboration between faculty and students. If you look at recent issues of major sociology journals, you will see that many of our students have co-authored articles with faculty members. At Indiana, students learn sociology not just through formal course work, but also through active participation in faculty research projects. Moreover, our graduate students are prepared well for careers in teaching as well as research. Most will work as teaching assistants for faculty members, as preparation for teaching their own undergraduate courses at IU. In 2001 the department was awarded the American Sociological Association’s Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award for our teacher training program.
During the first year of graduate study, students typically take six courses, most of them required for the Ph.D. During the Fall Semester, most students will take S558 (Research Methods) and either S530 (Introduction to Social Psychology) or S540 (Social Theory). During the Spring Semester, most will take S554 (Statistical Techniques in Sociology I), S510 (Introduction to Social Organization), and participate in the Sociological Research Practicum—the first opportunity to work hands-on with a faculty member on a continuing research project. Students typically select other courses in their areas of interest during the first year. Entering students who have already earned the M.A. degree will pursue a slightly different program of study, depending upon their previous coursework.
(For more details, see the welcoming letters for new graduate students by the Director of Graduate Studies and by the President of the Graduate Student Association.)
Financial Assistance
We provide financial support for virtually all of our full-time students during their first five years in residence (and sometimes after that). Almost all of our students receive fee remissions which cover most tuition costs. In addition, most students are provided a stipend to offset a significant portion of living costs. Most first- and second-year students are funded as Graduate Assistants, assigned for 20 hours per week to assist faculty members with large sections of undergraduate sociology. Students in their third through fifth years are typically funded as Associate Instructors, responsible each semester for teaching a course in their specialty area to 70 Indiana University undergraduates.
Additional financial support for graduate students in Sociology comes from a variety of other sources, both inside and outside the University. In recent years, our advanced graduate students have competed successfully for a number of University fellowships. In addition, the Department of Sociology, in conjunction with the College of Arts and Sciences, offers research fellowships to advanced students.
Extramural support for graduate study also has been abundant. During recent academic years, we have had graduate students supported by the National Science Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, the Fulbright program, the Spencer Foundation, the Sloan Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Javitz fellowship program. The Department also participates in the Minorities Fellowship Program in the Social Sciences, sponsored by the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (Big Ten universities, plus Chicago).
Advanced students also are provided financial assistance through faculty members' research grants. During the past few years, students have been supported by grants from the NIMH, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and others. Our faculty's reputation for outstanding sociological research makes it likely that these (or other) external sources of funding for graduate students will continue in the years ahead.
Getting Admitted
We encourage applications from students with strong academic records. In recent years, about 150 applicants have competed for 12 to 15 openings in the first-year cohort. As a very rough rule of thumb, the chances of admission are improved if: (1) your undergraduate grade point average is at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale; (2) your GRE scores are above the 70th percentile; (3) your letters of recommendation indicate a strong aptitude for graduate study in sociology; (4) your personal statement suggests an awareness of the professional demands and rewards of a career in sociology. Please bear in mind that we examine each application carefully, and idiosyncratic or unusual circumstances are taken into consideration.
For additional information about the Graduate Program in Sociology at Indiana University, contact the Director of Graduate Studies: Patricia McManus —telephone 812-855-8970; email pmcmanus@indiana.edu
