Join our Graduate Program

We pride ourselves in a strong culture of student mentoring and support, and faculty-student collaboration.

Ph.D Requirements

Complete required coursework
Prepare a Professional Portfolio
Write and successfully defend a master's thesis
Complete examination requirements in two areas of specialization
Draft and successfully defend a dissertation proposal
Successfully complete a doctoral dissertation

***Students who enter the graduate program with a master's degree and thesis in sociology or a closely-related field may be exempt from the MA level requirements.

Get Involved

Serve on departmental committees, participate in the Sociology Graduate Student Association (SGSA), edit a research journal - Social Thought and Research (STAR)

Professional Opportunities

Attend professional meetings (e.g., Midwest Sociological Society, American Sociological Association, Sociologists for Women in Society), submit your work for publication, host the annual Blackmar Lecture Series

FAQ

Funding is available through fellowships and multi-year teaching and research assistantships that include full tuition waivers & stipends. The current stipend for GTAs is $18,650.
Scholarships and awards are available each year to defray the cost of conference travel and research from the department, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the Office of Graduate Studies, and other KU sources.