Sociology Graduate Curriculum | Southern Connecticut State University

Overview

Welcome to the graduate program in Sociology at Southern Connecticut State University. We are thrilled you are here! The graduate program in sociology is designed to provide students training in research methods and theories of our discipline that may be used to identify and address a wide range of social issues that directly and indirectly affect individuals and their communities. The program specifically emphasizes social justice, identifying its barriers and constraints, and seeking ways to mitigate them. We have prepared a Graduate Handbook to provide a thorough overview of the program and our requirements. Please review it carefully and always feel free to contact the Graduate Coordinator if you have any questions.

Program Requirements

The M.S. planned program consists of a minimum of 30 credits of study, including 9 credits of core course work and 21 credits oriented toward the unique interests and capstone requirements of individual students.

Core Course Requirements (9 credits)

SOC 500 - Sociology and Social Justice – 3 credits
SOC 570 - Applied Research in Sociology – 3 credits
SOC 580 - Applied Theories of Social Justice – 3 credits

Electives (15-18 credits)

Students must complete 15-18 elective credits (5-6 courses). Total elective credits is determined by capstone selection (see below). Elective coursework in Sociology is listed in the current Graduate Catalog. Students seeking full-time status will need to register for the scheduled elective coursework offered each term.

In the event that the Department of Sociology's elective coursework is inadequate to ensure full-time status (e.g. a student has already completed the Sociology elective coursework offered that term), students may request to take a graduate course from another department in that term. No more than 6 credits of graduate (500-level or higher) coursework outside of Sociology would be permitted. Requests to take graduate courses outside of sociology must be made in writing to the Graduate Coordinator in advance of registration. Students must demonstrate they have previously completed all offered elective coursework scheduled in that term.

Students may request to complete an Independent Study under the supervision of a Sociology Department faculty member. Independent studies should focus on an area of sociological study unexplored in the department curriculum. Students should: 1) initiate discussion with the professor whom they wish to supervise the independent study, 2) complete and submit the Graduate Independent Study Form with the assistance of their supervising faculty member, and 3) request permission from the Graduate Coordinator to apply the Independent Study to their program elective credits.

Capstone Requirement (3-6 credits)

Students must select one of the following capstone experiences: special project (3cr) or thesis (6cr). Students should plan to satisfactorily complete all core course requirements prior to enrolling in capstone.

Grades and Standing

Per university policy, at the graduate level, students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Courses completed with a grade less than a "C" will not be counted toward program requirements. Grade replacement may be pursued only once per course and only for a total of two courses. Students seeking grade replacement in a course must wait for the course to run per the program course rotation plan. Additional information about grades and standing can be found in the Graduate Catalog.

Expiration of Programs
All graduate programs have a fixed active timeframe in which they must be completed. Please see the Expiration of Graduate Programs page for more information.