MA in Sociology

Admissions for this program have been suspended for the 2023/2024 Academic Year. Please contact the Department of Sociology for further information.

Total units required for MA: 30

Program Description

The Master of Arts Program in Sociology is designed to provide a broad academic foundation for a variety of professional opportunities and community needs such as survey research, evaluation research, social problems analysis, career interest in community organizations, and teaching.

The program offers small seminars and allows for close student-faculty contact. The program encourages students to seek internships and fieldwork, and participate in observation experience among the many government, voluntary, and private agencies in the Sacramento area. Students concentrate on theory and research methods as well as areas of specialization. Following coursework, students write a thesis based on original research.

Some graduates of the program enter Ph.D. programs at a variety of universities throughout the United States and others are employed in many state, local, and city government agencies and private businesses doing evaluation research, systems analysis, social problems analysis, and social impact assessment.

Admission Requirements

Admission as a classified graduate student in Sociology requires:

  • a baccalaureate degree;
  • a minimum 3.0 GPA in the last 60 units attempted;
  • satisfactory completion of a minimum of 18 units of undergraduate work in Sociology, including one course each in theory, statistics, and methodology, with a minimum 3.0 GPA;
  • two letters of recommendation from faculty members in Sociology who know the applicant well enough to assess his/her potential for graduate study.

Students who have deficiencies in admission requirements that can be removed by specified additional preparation may be admitted with conditionally classified graduate status. Any such deficiencies will be noted on a written response to the admission application.

Admission Procedures

Applications are accepted as long as room for new students exists. All prospective graduate students, including Sacramento State graduates, must file the following with the Office of Graduate Studies, River Front Center 215, (916) 278-6470:

  • an online application for admission;
  • two sets of official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, other than Sacramento State; and
  • two letters of recommendation from Sociology faculty members to the Graduate Coordinator in the Sociology Department.

For more admissions information and application deadlines please visit http://www.csus.edu/gradstudies/.

Minimum Units and Grade Requirement for the Degree

Units required for the MA:  30

Minimum Cumulative GPA:  3.0

Advancement to Candidacy

Each student must file an application for Advancement to Candidacy, indicating a proposed program of graduate study. This procedure should begin as soon as the classified graduate student has:

  • removed any deficiencies in admission requirements;
  • completed at least 15 units in the graduate program with a minimum 3.0 GPA;
  • completed a draft of the thesis prospectus; and
  • take a Graduate Writing Intensive (GWI) course in their discipline within the first two semesters of coursework at California State University, Sacramento.

Advancement to candidacy forms are available in the Department Office. The student fills out the form after planning a degree program in consultation with a Sociology Graduate Advisor. The completed form should be returned to the Office of Graduate Studies for approval.

Note: A foreign language is not required for the degree. However, students who plan further graduate study are encouraged to study French, German, or Spanish since proficiency in one of these is sometimes required in doctoral programs.

Program Requirements

Required Core Courses (18 Units)
SOC 200AOrientation to Graduate Studies in Sociology (Remove Course, Replaced with SOC 200)1
SOC 200BThesis Prospectus/Project Preparation Seminar (Remove Course, Replaced with SOC 200)2
SOC 200 ORIENTATION AND WRITING FOR SOCIOLOGY GRADUATE STUDIES (Courses replacing SOC 200A and SOC 200B) Writing Intensive Designation3
SOC 214Research Methods 3
SOC 215Data Analysis3
SOC 235Social Psychology3
SOC 240Seminar: Sociological Theory3
Electives (9 Units)
Select 9 units from the following:9
Urban Sociology
Seminar: Social Change
Social Stratification
Sociology of Gender
Seminar: Social Organization
Environmental Sociology
Social Research in Crime and Deviance
Contemporary Issues of the Middle East and North Africa
Race and Ethnic Relations
Sociology of The Family
Internship and Fieldwork 1
Special Problems 1
Culminating Experience (6 Units)
SOC 500Culminating Experience6
Total Units33