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SOCIOLOGY 287
Graduate Program
Graduate Advisor
John Roberts
Review of Applications
Fall Admission: For best consideration all materials must be
received by February 1. Application files that are completed
between February 1 and April 1 will be considered pending
space availability. Spring Admission: These dates are
September 30 and November 1.
Degrees Offered
The graduate program in sociology leads to a Master of Arts
degree and/or to a Ph.D. degree. Admission to graduate work
for the M.A. degree in sociology is independent and separate
from admission to graduate work for the Ph.D. in sociology.
The M.A. degree in sociology is offered under the regulations
described earlier in this catalog.
The M.A. Program
Admission to the sociology M.A. program depends on a
strong record of academic performance at the undergraduate
level. While the entire application is considered, and no
precise GPA cutoff is used, competitive applicants generally
have at least a B average (3.0 in a 4.0 system) in previous
academic work. GRE scores (general test) are also evaluated
as part of the application procedure. Applicants are also
asked to submit a letter of intent, three letters of recommendation
and two writing samples.
Entering graduate students are expected to have had at
least 12 semester hours of advanced undergraduate work
in sociology, especially including satisfactory performance in
sociological research methods and theory. A graduate student
admitted with deficiencies in any of these prerequisites must
remove the deficiencies by satisfactorily completing (with
a grade of at least B, 3.0) the appropriate undergraduate
course work. Credit hours earned in courses taken to remove
such deficiencies do not apply to the minimum hours required
for a master’s degree.
Plan I: Under this plan, the M.A. degree requires 24 hours
of course work, 6 hours of thesis, a written thesis and passing
the Final examination for the Thesis. Students need to
maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, and all required
courses must be completed with a grade of at least B-. After
completing 12 hours of course work, and in consultation with
the major advisor, students must file a Program of Studies
with the Office of Graduate Studies. Before writing a thesis,
students must appoint a thesis committee consisting of a
chairperson and at least two additional faculty members. At
least two of the committee members must hold regular fulltime
faculty appointments at The University of New Mexico.
Plan I is the normal track for students interested in pursuing
a Ph.D. in sociology.
Plan II: Under this plan, the M.A. degree requires 26 hours
of course work, 6 hours of professional paper course work,
a professional paper and passing the Final Examination for
the Professional Paper. Students need to maintain a cumulative
GPA of at least 3.0, and all required courses must be
completed with a grade of at least B-. After completing 12
hours of course work, and in consultation with the major advisor,
students must file a Program of Studies with the Office
of Graduate Studies. Before writing a professional paper,
students must appoint a committee consisting of a chairperson
and at least two additional faculty members. At least two
of the committee members must hold regular full-time faculty
appointments at The University of New Mexico.
Core course requirements for all student seeking a master’s
degree in sociology consist of (i) 6 hours of graduate
sociological theory from two of the following three courses:
Sociology 500 Classical Sociological Theory, Sociology
513 Constructing and Analyzing Contemporary Sociological
Theory (Contemporary Social Thought I) and Sociology
514 20th Century European Theory (Contemporary Social
Thought II); (ii) Sociology 523 Proseminar (students should
take this as early in their career as possible); (iii) Sociology
580 Methods of Social Research I, (iv) Sociology 581
Advanced Social Statistics I; and (v) at least 9 hours of substantive
courses in the social sciences, as approved by the
Department’s Graduate Committee.
In addition to these 22 core hours required of all M.A. students,
Plan I students must complete at least 8 more hours
of course work, including 6 hours of thesis credit (Sociology
599). Plan II students must complete at least 10 more hours
of course work, including 6 hours of professional paper credit
(Sociology 596). Note that once in enrolled in Sociology 596
or 599, candidates must stay continuously enrolled in that
course each semester, including the semester (Fall, Spring or
Summer) in which they complete degree requirements.
The Ph.D. Program
The Ph.D. program is highly selective. All formal requirements
for admission to the M.A. program are necessary but not sufficient
for admission to the Ph.D. program. Ph.D. students must
first obtain a master’s degree at the University of New Mexico
or at another institution. Successful completion of the M.A.
program does not ensure admission to the Ph.D. program.
General requirements for the Ph.D. are set forth in earlier
pages of this catalog. The Ph.D. degree requires 48 hours of
course work and 18 hours of dissertation. Students must also
pass comprehensive examinations and write and successfully
defend a dissertation. Specific requirements for all students
seeking a Ph.D. in Sociology include: Sociology 500 Classical
Social Theory; Sociology 513 Constructing and Analyzing
Contemporary Sociological Theory (Contemporary Social
Theory I); Sociology 514 20th Century European Theory
(Contemporary Social Theory II); Sociology 523 Proseminar
(students should take this course as early in their careers
as possible); Sociology 580 Methods of Social Research;
Sociology 581 Advanced Social Statistics I; Sociology 582
Advanced Social Statistics II; and another methods or statistics
course approved by the Graduate Advisor; 18 units
of Sociology 699 Dissertation; passing all required courses
with at least a grade of B-; Comprehensive Examinations
(written and oral); a Ph.D. dissertation and passing the Final
Examination for Doctorate. Prior to taking the comprehensive
examinations, a Committee of Studies must be appointed
which consists of at least three University of New Mexico
faculty members approved for graduate instruction. The
chairperson must be a regular faculty member approved by
the student’s graduate unit. A doctoral student must apply for
and be admitted to doctoral candidacy after completing all
course work and passing the comprehensive examination.
The Dissertation Committee will consist of at least four members
approved for graduate instruction: two members must
hold regular, full-time faculty appointments at the University
of New Mexico; one member must be from the student’s
graduate unit; the dissertation chairperson must be a regular
(tenured or tenure-track), full-time member of the University of
New Mexico faculty; a required external member must hold a
regular full-time appointment outside the student’s unit/department
at the University of New Mexico. This member may be
from the University of New Mexico or from another accredited
institution; one member may be a non-faculty expert in the
student’s major research area. Doctoral candidates must be
enrolled during the semester in which they complete degree
requirements, including the summer session.
Sociology (SOC)
101. Introduction to Sociology. (3) Fiala, Lopez, Tiano
Basic concepts, topics and theories of contemporary sociology.
Meets New Mexico Lower Division General Education
Common Core Curriculum Area IV: Social/Behavioral
Sciences (NMCCN 1113).
Prerequisite for more advanced courses in sociology.
{Summer, Fall, Spring}
ARTS AND
SCIENCES
UNM CATALOG 2006–2007 Symbols, page 611.