Application Information
To receive full consideration for admission and financial aid for Fall 2018, completed School of Sociology applications for fall admission must be received by January 5, 2018.
NOTE TO APPLICANTS FOR 2018:
- To receive full consideration for financial aid, completed School of Sociology applications for fall admission must be received by January 5, 2018.
- The School of Sociology will be closed for winter break from December 20-January 2. Therefore if you have questions, please contact us as soon as possible.
- We recommend that you initiate an application as soon as possible so that you can generate requests for reference letters well in advance of the deadline. You can do this at any time and prior to paying the application fee or submitting the application.
- Applications submitted by January 5 but with missing test scores or letters will be considered, but late arrivals of such materials could disadvantage your application. Full admissions committee review will begin on January 12.
Only students who expect to obtain the Ph.D. degree are typically admitted to the program. Students are normally admitted to the program only in the fall semester. Applicants must apply to both the Graduate School of the University and the School of Sociology. Students should plan to take the GRE test as early in the year as possible.
Admissions Requirements
A limited number of students are admitted on a competitive basis each year. Admissions and financial aid decisions are made based on the following criteria:
- Statement of purpose and motivation for doctoral study in sociology
- Scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general aptitude test not over three years old. GRE scores are used in conjunction with other application materials; no minimum score is required for admission. However, students with scores below the 50th percentile must offer especially strong supporting materials to be competitive.
- The student's overall GPA, and the student's GPA in sociology and related fields and in previous graduate work. Students must have a minimum of 3.00 to be considered. Students with averages near the bottom of the acceptable range must offer especially strong supporting materials (e.g., GREs and letters of recommendation) to be competitive.
- For International students, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) must show a score of 630 or higher, TOEFL Computer Based a score of 267 or higher, or TOEFL IBT a score of 100 or better. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) a score of 7 or better. Students wishing to be considered for financial aid in the form of an assistanceship must score a minimum of 24 on the speaking session of the TOEFL IBT.
- Recommendations from persons familiar with the applicant's academic or professional competence.
The school also follows affirmative action guidelines in its selection and funding of graduate students.
Application Procedures
There are three steps: first you must complete the general graduate college profile for applications, and then the sociology doctoral program application. Both applications are fully online. Finally, you must submit standardized test scores to the graduate college to complete your application.
NOTE: YOU CAN BEGIN THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND GENERATE REQUESTS FOR REFERENCE LETTERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR FINAL APPLICATION. All you need to do to request letters is to complete the graduate college profile, initiate the sociology application process, and enter contact information for your letter writers. Your application will not be reviewed until you have completed and submitted the entire application, paid the application fee, and test scores and letters have been received.
GRADUATE COLLEGE PROFILE
- Access the online admissions system for the Office of Admissions with the Graduate College at: http://apply.grad.arizona.edu/users/login.
General help with this system is here. - Create a GradApp account
- Complete your GradApp profile (sidebar categories under "My Account": personal information; former names; educational history; ethnicity)
- Select "Apply to a Program" from the sidebar. Choose "Degree Seeking" under application type and "Sociology (PHD)" under program of study. This will direct you to the Sociology program application.
- Choose "Fall 2017" for semester of application. Upon completing this step, you will see "Sociology (PHD)" in the sidebar under "My Active Applications."
SOCIOLOGY DOCTORAL PROGRAM APPLICATION
Please read the instructions carefully and fill out all sections of the application. The sections can be accessed from the "Application Checklist" in the right sidebar. Specific instructions are embedded within the application questions.
Supplemental questions: This is the core section of the application, where you will answer questions and upload documents, including:
- Official or unofficial transcripts from all previous academic institutions you have attended to satisfy your Bachelors Degree (and your Master's Degree, if applicable). If you are recommended to our program and you accept, the Graduate Office of Admission will then and only then require your original transcripts.
- A statement of purpose, 1-2 pages in length, describing your interests and goals in graduate study.
- A curriculum vita or resume summarizing your education, experience, and accomplishments.
- A sample of your previous writing (in English), such as a term paper or thesis.
Letters of Recommendation. A minimum of 3 and maximum of 4 letters of recommendation are required. These letters should be written by faculty or employers that can speak about your academic and research ability. You will list their contact information on the application, and they will receive an automatic email generated from the UA GradApp system.
The application fee ($85 domestic/ $95 international) must be paid before your application will be considered complete and ready for review. Applicants affiliated with certain federally-sponsored programs may apply for an application fee waiver.
Be sure to review and submit your online application. It will not be reviewed or considered complete before you have officially submitted it.
Submitting standardized test scores
- You must submit Graduate Record Examination scores from the general aptitude test, taken within the last three years. If your scores are older than three years, you must retake the GRE to be considered. When you request that Education Testing Service (ETS) forwards your scores, list 2102 as the department code for sociology and 4832 for the school code. Your scores will then be sent electronically to the University of Arizona, where they will be automatically merged with your application.
- If you are an international student, request that your scores be submitted by the testing organization (TOEFL or IELTS). List 2102 as the department code for sociology and 4832 for the school code. Your scores will then be sent electronically to the University of Arizona, where they will be automatically merged with your application.
Financial Aid Available
If you wish to be considered for financial aid, please indicate this on your application (last question under supplemental questions). We offer three form of aid:
- Half-time (20 hours per week) graduate research and teaching assistanceships, which waive nonresident tuition and (for 2015-16) provide stipends of $16,000 for students without an M.A. degree and $16,500 for students with an M.A. degree.
- A limited number of Graduate College Fellowships.
- Tuition and Registration Scholarships, which waive non-resident tuition and fees.
Inquiries about Sociology Application Procedures
Vienna DeLuca, Manager, Administration (vienna@email.arizona.edu)
Phone: (520) 621-3014
Fax: (520) 621-9875
or
Raquel Fareio, Administrative Associate (pinar@email.arizona.edu)
Phone: (520) 621-3531
Inquiries about the Sociology Doctoral Program
Robin Stryker, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies
rstryker@email.arizona.edu
