The department of Rural Sociology has been renamed to Community and Environmental Sociology effective fall 2009. The MS program has also been renamed. Online update 6/1/2009 |
College: College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, College of Letters and Science
Designation: Department
Majors and degrees offered: M.S., Ph.D. in Sociology; M.S. in Community and Environmental Sociology
Other: Ph.D. Minors in Sociology, and in Community and Environmental Sociology; dual degree program in Law and Sociology
Program Internal Tracks : Class analysis and historical change; communities and urban sociology; comparative and historical sociology; demography and ecology; deviance, law, and social control; economic sociology; environmental sociology; ethnomethodology and conversation analysis; general social theory; methods and statistics; organizational and occupational analysis; political sociology; race and ethnic studies; social movements and collective action; social psychology and microsociology; social stratification; sociology of agriculture and food systems; sociology of economic change and development; sociology of education; sociology of the family; sociology of gender; sociology of law and society; sociology of medicine; sociology of religion; sociology of science and technology
Faculty: Professors Maynard (sociology chair), Tigges (rural sociology chair), Bell, Collins, DeLamater, Elder, Emirbayer, Erlanger, Ferree, Friedland (Affiliated), Fujimura, Gamoran (Dir, WCER), Gangl, Gerber, Gilbert, Green, Halaby, Hauser, Kleinman, Kloppenburg, Logan, Martin, Maynard, Montgomery, Nordheim (Affiliated), Nowak, Oliver, Olneck (Affiliated), Palloni, Peck (Affiliated), Piliavin, Rogers, Sandefur, Schaeffer, Seidman, Suchman, Thomson, Thornton (Affiliated), Wilson, Wright, Zeitlin; Associate Professors Ermakoff, Freeland (Director of Graduate Studies), Goldberg, Guillot, Merli, Raymo, Stoecker; Assistant Professors Alatout, Dechter, Elwert, Goldrick-Rab (Affiliated), Harrison, Herd, Loveman, Macdonald, Schwartz, Shoemaker (Affiliated), Turley, White, Zeng
The departments of Sociology and Community and Environmental Sociology conduct a combined graduate program designed to prepare students for scholarly research, teaching, or applied work. The program leads to the master of science degree with a major in sociology or rural sociology, and the doctor of philosophy with a major in sociology. All major areas of sociological inquiry are represented in the curriculum. The program consistently ranks at or near the top in studies of U.S. doctoral programs.
Distinguished faculty, outstanding students who learn from and support each other, curriculum covering a broad spectrum of sociological interests, thriving research projects in many areas, and a stimulating campus environment make UW-Madison a good choice for students of sociology and rural sociology.
The departments also participate in a number of interdisciplinary programs. Faculty and students are involved with several research institutes, including the Center for Demography and Ecology, Center for Demography of Health and Aging, Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Institute for Research on Poverty, Institute on Aging, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, and University of Wisconsin Survey Center. Further information about faculty and areas of study is available at the department's Web site (listed below).
The graduate program of the departments of Sociology and Community and Environmental Sociology admits students who intend to obtain a Ph.D. Students complete a master's degree on the way to the Ph.D., or receive a waiver of the program's master's requirements based on a previous master's degree. A few students leave the program after obtaining a master's degree and pursue research or other jobs in the public and private sectors. A majority of our Ph.D. graduates obtain university teaching and/or research positions. Others take research and/or administrative positions in government or private firms.
Many graduate students receive support toward their graduate studies through research, project, or teaching assistantships; lectureships, traineeships, and fellowships (from outside agencies or from the university). Competition for this support is intense. Graduate School fellowships are awarded to a few outstanding entering students. Advanced Opportunity Fellowships are designed to expand graduate education for targeted students. See also Admission and Financial Aid in the front of this catalog. Some incoming students with appropriate skills are offered research assistantships and project assistantships on faculty research projects. A few traineeships are awarded to both entering and continuing students. Some students are hired as teaching assistants and some dissertators are hired as lecturers.
The program receives a large number of applications from highly qualified individuals, requiring the admissions committee to be very selective. A cohort of 25-30 students is ideal, in terms of providing quality training and making financial support available to a large proportion of students. Total graduate enrollment in the program is approximately 180-190 students. An undergraduate degree in sociology is not a prerequisite. The admissions committee looks for academic excellence as indicated by undergraduate GPA and Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores, a writing sample, and references, plus interest in and motivation for graduate study in sociology as indicated by the statement of purpose. Weaknesses in one indicator would need to be balanced by strong evidence of abilities in another indicator. To apply, submit an online application, all transcripts, recommendations, statement of reasons for graduate study, and writing sample. GRE scores (general test only) are required of all applicants and international applicants are additionally required to submit English Proficiency test scores--either TOEFL, MELAB, or IELTS.
For more information: www.ssc.wisc.edu/soc/; .