M.A. Program
The Department of Sociology offers a terminal master's degree that must be completed in three years.
Admission
Applications must be submitted online through the Graduate School website by January 15th of each year. Admissions are for the Fall semester only. There are no Spring Admissions.
For admission to graduate study in Sociology, you must have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent and an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or above. The following documents are required in order to apply:
- Online application
- Application Fee for Graduate Admissions
- Personal statement
- Strong recommendations from three former instructors
- Transcripts of previous academic work
- Official TOEFL scores, if applicable
- Writing samples and CVs are optional
- GRE scores are not required for Fall 2023 admissions
Official transcripts are required and must be sent to:
Stony Brook University
Office of Graduate and Health Sciences Admissions
Computer Science Building, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794
Official E-Transcripts: Should be send to gradadmissions@stonybrook.edu
All questions regarding admission materials should be directed to gradadmissions@stonybrook.edu
Applicants with domestic credentials must submit an official transcript from each undergraduate college or university attended, regardless of whether a degree was conferred. Applicants must also submit an official transcript from each college or university relating to graduate level work, regardless of whether a degree was conferred.
Applicants with international credentials must submit an official English translation of all coursework showing a complete course-by-course record, GPA, degree, and institution, in addition to the original documents. SBU graduate admissions personnel will evaluate coursework, GPA, degree requirements and institutional equivalence. In some instances where the coursework, degree equivalency, GPA, and/or institution cannot be verified, a course-by-course evaluation from one of Stony Brook University's approved NACES members listed below, may be requested from the applicant.
Unofficial copies for both domestic and international credentials are acceptable for an admission decision to be made. If admitted, the applicant must submit final official transcripts/evaluations sent directly from the college/university or evaluation agency as noted above.
If your native or primary language is not English, English proficiency must be established based on the results of the TOEFL exam. A score of 80 is required for admission to the master's program and to be eligible for consideration for TA support. The TOEFL is not required for international students who have a degree from an English-speaking school.
Please see the School of Social Welfare to apply for a master's degree in Social Work.
Requirements for the Master's Degree
In addition to the minimum Graduate School requirements, the following are required:
A. Courses
Course requirements for an M.A. in sociology include four designated courses, two in sociological theory and two in statistics, and an additional six elective courses totaling thirty credits. Students must achieve a minimum 3.0 grade point average for 30 credits of graduate level courses.
B. Writing Requirement
Students are required to write a theoretical/empirical research paper as described in the writing option (Section D, Option 2.1, Mandatory Theoretical/Empirical Paper) for the Ph.D. program. This paper will constitute an original piece of social science research evaluated formally by two faculty members.