Graduate Program in Sociology at Northeastern University
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Northeastern University is home to a distinguished graduate program that leads to a Ph.D. in Sociology. The scholarly interests of our faculty are diverse. Ongoing research projects range from quantitative analyses of inter-group attitudes to comparative and historical investigations of regional, national, and globally-based institutional changes. Within our graduate program, this diversity is organized around five overarching themes that represent key “areas of concentration”.
In addition to the graduate courses offered in the areas of concentration, the program provides a general background in classical and contemporary sociological theory and quantitative and qualitative research methods. After completing a group of required courses in theory and methods, students work closely with individual faculty members to design their own course of study. In the past, these research areas (inside and outside of the five concentrations) include environmental justice, race and ethnicity, political economy of global capitalism, imperialism and development studies, social inequality, public policy, feminist theory, political sociology, social psychology, violence sociology of work, immigration, social movements, race and racism, and the sociology of law.
The program specializes in making our graduate students into effective teachers, researchers, and writers. The program admits a relatively small number of graduate students each year. This affords students the opportunity to forge close working relationships with the faculty. Many graduate students receive funding assistance by serving as teaching assistants in their first two years of study. Upon completing their course work, students may apply to serve as teaching fellows for another two years. In exchange for a stipend and tuition, the teaching fellow teaches courses in both general sociology and their own area of specialization over the academic year. The program also offers training on how to become an effective instructor. Our goal is to provide our Ph.D.s with the type of teacher training and classroom experiences that prospective academic employers find desirable. The department also conducts a number of workshops on academic writing, teaching, grant writing, media relations, and professional development. We also provide numerous funded research opportunities and other resources for our students with the centers or with individual faculty members. Many or our past and current graduate students are working with faculty around projects of special importance as part of their own dissertation. As a result, our students frequently present papers at professional conferences and publish articles during the course of their graduate studies. In addition, the Sociology Department and affiliated centers often host national and international conferences, furthering enhancing educational opportunities for our graduate students.
The program is primarily interested in accepting students that would like to obtain their Ph.D. in Sociology at Northeastern University. Students with an M.A. may apply to enter the Ph.D. program. Students entering the program without an M.A. will obtain the M.A. degree en route to the Ph.D. Once they have obtained their doctorate, our graduate alumni have been highly successful in both the academic and non-academic worlds.
Graduate Director: Professor Matthew Hunt at m.hunt@neu.edu, 617.373.2686 Administrative Coordinator: Joan Collins at j.collins@neu.edu, 617.373.2686
Application materials must be sent directly to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. All applicants must submit an application form, a one- or two-page personal statement, complete official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate studies undertaken, and three letters of recommendation (at least two of which must be academic references). Aptitude test scores (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are also required. Please consult the chair of the Committee on Graduate Studies (COGS). Applications for admission must be complete and ready for consideration by COGS by February 1 prior to the fall semester you are applying to enter.
Each application is reviewed on its own merits. Any questions concerning the adequacy of the applicant’s undergraduate or graduate background in sociology are considered individually. To ascertain whether their interests coincide with those of the faculty, prospective candidates are urged to learn something about the scholarly interests and writings of the department’s faculty and to talk with graduate students currently in residence, in addition to examining the catalog and course offerings.
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Graduate Program in Sociology at Northeastern University
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Northeastern University is home to a distinguished graduate program that leads to a Ph.D. in Sociology. The scholarly interests of our faculty are diverse. Ongoing research projects range from quantitative analyses of inter-group attitudes to comparative and historical investigations of regional, national, and globally-based institutional changes. Within our graduate program, this diversity is organized around five overarching themes that represent key “areas of concentration”.
In addition to the graduate courses offered in the areas of concentration, the program provides a general background in classical and contemporary sociological theory and quantitative and qualitative research methods. After completing a group of required courses in theory and methods, students work closely with individual faculty members to design their own course of study. In the past, these research areas (inside and outside of the five concentrations) include environmental justice, race and ethnicity, political economy of global capitalism, imperialism and development studies, social inequality, public policy, feminist theory, political sociology, social psychology, violence sociology of work, immigration, social movements, race and racism, and the sociology of law.
Our faculty and graduate students work together in a number of interdisciplinary research projects, programs, and centers, including the Brudnick Center on Violence and Conflict; Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy (CURP); Institute for Urban Health Research; Northeastern Environmental Justice Research Collaborative, the Institute on Race and Justice and the Women’s Studies Program. Many of the faculty in the Sociology Department have additional interests and are affiliated with other departments on campus, including Women’s Studies; Environmental Studies; Law, Policy, and Society; Latino, Latin American and Caribbean Studies; African-American Studies; International Affairs, Jewish Studies; and Criminal Justice. Students who wish to work with faculty in other disciplines are encouraged to enlist the aid of the sociology graduate director or their advisers in contacting individual faculty members.
The program specializes in making our graduate students into effective teachers, researchers, and writers. The program admits a relatively small number of graduate students each year. This affords students the opportunity to forge close working relationships with the faculty. Many graduate students receive funding assistance by serving as teaching assistants in their first two years of study. Upon completing their course work, students may apply to serve as teaching fellows for another two years. In exchange for a stipend and tuition, the teaching fellow teaches courses in both general sociology and their own area of specialization over the academic year. The program also offers training on how to become an effective instructor. Our goal is to provide our Ph.D.s with the type of teacher training and classroom experiences that prospective academic employers find desirable. The department also conducts a number of workshops on academic writing, teaching, grant writing, media relations, and professional development. We also provide numerous funded research opportunities and other resources for our students with the centers or with individual faculty members. Many or our past and current graduate students are working with faculty around projects of special importance as part of their own dissertation. As a result, our students frequently present papers at professional conferences and publish articles during the course of their graduate studies. In addition, the Sociology Department and affiliated centers often host national and international conferences, furthering enhancing educational opportunities for our graduate students.
The program is primarily interested in accepting students that would like to obtain their Ph.D. in Sociology at Northeastern University. Students with an M.A. may apply to enter the Ph.D. program. Students entering the program without an M.A. will obtain the M.A. degree en route to the Ph.D. Once they have obtained their doctorate, our graduate alumni have been highly successful in both the academic and non-academic worlds.
Graduate Director: Professor Matthew Hunt at m.hunt@neu.edu, 617.373.2686
Administrative Coordinator: Joan Collins at j.collins@neu.edu, 617.373.2686
Current Curriculum
Courses
Admission Application Process
Application materials must be sent directly to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. All applicants must submit an application form, a one- or two-page personal statement, complete official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate studies undertaken, and three letters of recommendation (at least two of which must be academic references). Aptitude test scores (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are also required. Please consult the chair of the Committee on Graduate Studies (COGS). Applications for admission must be complete and ready for consideration by COGS by February 1 prior to the fall semester you are applying to enter.
Each application is reviewed on its own merits. Any questions concerning the adequacy of the applicant’s undergraduate or graduate background in sociology are considered individually. To ascertain whether their interests coincide with those of the faculty, prospective candidates are urged to learn something about the scholarly interests and writings of the department’s faculty and to talk with graduate students currently in residence, in addition to examining the catalog and course offerings.
Questions regarding admission can be directed to the graduate coordinator at 617.373.2686.
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