Ph.D. in Sociology - Stanford University

Stanford's Sociology Department has a long and rich tradition of scholarship and teaching. In addition to longstanding strengths in economic sociology, political sociology, sex and gender, social psychology, and inequality, the department’s scholars specialize in a broad range of research areas; including demography, immigration, and race and ethnicity. The department is ranked in the top five sociology departments by U.S. News and World Report. 

The department of sociology at Stanford University offers a five to six full-time Ph.D. program, that will equip students with rigorous training in sociological knowledge and research methods, and prepare students to embark on successful professional careers in sociology. Stanford’s program prides itself on world-renowned faculty, cutting-edge research programs, and close interactions between faculty and students. 

The Ph.D. program in sociology at Stanford is defined by a commitment to highly analytical sociology. The program trains graduate students to use a range of methods – quantitative and qualitative – and data – survey, administrative, experimental, interview, direct observation, and more – to answer pressing empirical questions and to advance important theoretical and policy debates. The Ph.D. curriculum and degree requirements provide students with the methodological skills, substantive knowledge, and mentorship to make important and impactful contributions to sociological knowledge. The program guides Ph.D. students to work on ambitious, independent research projects about which students are passionate. Graduates finish the program well-positioned to be leaders in the field of sociology.

Admission Requirements

Academic requirements:

A University degree with four years of study is the minimum level of study required of applicants who wish to apply for graduate study at Stanford.

Stanford’s assessment of a foreign degree is based on the characteristics of a national educational system, the type of institution attended, and the level of studies completed.

GRE (Graduate Record Examination) General Test

The Ph.D. in Sociology program requires the GRE General Test only and does not require the subject test.

English proficiency:

Adequate command of spoken and written English is required for admission. TOEFL scores are required of all applicants whose first language is not English. Stanford does not accept IELTS scores.

The minimum score required for admission is 100 at the Internet-based TOEFL exam.

Course Structure

The Ph.D. program is designed to be completed in five to six years of full-time study. The actual time depends on students' prior background, progress, and research requirements. The minimum residency requirement for the Ph.D. degree is 135 units of completed coursework, which takes approximately three years. The fourth through sixth years are typically spent working on the dissertation.

Students must complete the following department requirements for the Ph.D. degree in Sociology:

• Proseminar: Students must enroll in SOC 305 Graduate Proseminar in the Autumn Quarter of the first year. The course provides an introduction and orientation to the field of sociology, and the department and faculty.
• Colloquium: The Sociology Colloquium is a semi-monthly seminar held throughout the academic year, in which distinguished scholars lecture about their cutting-edge research. This course, SOC 396, is required for all first and second years.
• Minimum sociology units in years 1 and 2: Students are required to complete 45 units of course work in Sociology in the first academic year, then 15 units of Sociology course work in the second academic year.
• Theory: Students are required to take two courses in sociological theory. The first course is macro-sociological theory: SOC 370A Sociological Theory: Social Structure, Inequality, and Conflict, and the second course: SOC 372 Theoretical Analysis and Design, should be taken during the first year of the program. 
• Methodology: Students are required to complete a series of courses in methodology as well as one method elective. Students with little background in statistics are encouraged to take the First-Year Statistics Bootcamp when offered in Sociology before the beginning of the fall quarter. The required methods sequence, to be taken in order, are: 

1. SOC 381 Sociological Methodology I: Introduction, 
2. SOC 382 Sociological Methodology II: Multivariate Regression, 
3. SOC 383 Sociological Methodology III.

• Survey Courses: Students must complete four broad survey courses to demonstrate command of a range of sociological literature.
• Workshops: Beginning in year two, doctoral students are required to enroll in at least one workshop each quarter. 
• Qualifying Exam #1: The first comprehensive examination is designed to ensure that students enter their second year with a firm reading knowledge of two substantive subfields. Students write two essays in response to questions provided by the examining committee. Students choose one of two questions to write on for each subfield. Examinations are offered in a variety of subject areas and are based on comprehensive readings lists that are available at the beginning of each academic year.
• Qualifying Exam #2: In their second year of residence, students must pass qualifying exam #2, which is a research paper that is intended to provide students with a more focused engagement in a specialized subfield or research area, and tests the student’s ability to work and think independently. Second-year students are required to enroll in SOC 385A Research Practicum 1 and SOC 385B Research Practicum II  (both workshops assist in developing the front end of the research paper). Students must submit a one-page proposal to the reading committee that includes a brief statement of the problem; a preliminary research design; a data source and proof of reasonable access to it; and a short reading list. Students should produce a paper that makes an original contribution to sociological knowledge and that is ultimately publishable. That generally means writing a paper that includes data analysis; a full and focused analytic discussion of relevant theory and research; and framing the findings as a contribution to the literature. Students may also produce a paper with a primarily theoretical contribution so long as the prospects for eventual publication are clear to the committee. This paper may not also be employed to meet the Third Year Paper requirement, even in revised form.
• Third Year Paper: In preparation for a career of writing scholarly papers, each student must complete a research paper in the third year of residency. This third-year paper may be on any sociological topic and may address theoretical, empirical, or methodological issues. The paper is expected to reflect original work and be of publishable quality. Students select a committee of at least two Sociology faculty members to serve as third-year paper readers.  
• Conference Presentation: Students are required to present at least two papers at a major professional meeting (e.g., ASA), department workshops, or a combination of the two in their first five years of graduate study.
• Dissertation Prospectus and Prospectus Defense: To demonstrate the ability to conduct independent scholarly work, each student must prepare and defend the dissertation prospectus by the end of May during the fourth year in residence.
• Doctoral Dissertation and Defense: Each student must complete and defend a doctoral dissertation. At the choice of the student (and in consultation with his/her adviser), the dissertation requirement may be met either by (1) submitting a book-length document, or (2) submitting three independent papers. The papers may address the same topic, but should be written as stand-alone, single-authored papers in standard journal format (i.e., AJS or ASR). None of these papers may overlap substantially with one another, and none of them may be co-authored. (The main criterion in judging substantial overlap is whether any standard journal, such as AJS, would regard the papers as too similar to publish both.) The dissertation must be submitted to all committee members at least 30 days in advance of the defense date. The dissertation defense serves as the Oral Examination required by the University. Assessment of satisfactory completion is determined by the student's doctoral committee members. All students are invited to present their dissertation findings at an informal department colloquium.

Tuition Fees

Tuition for students enrolled at the Ph.D. in Sociology at Stanford University are quarterly tuition and are as follows: 

• 8-10 units: $11,770
• 11-18 units: $18,105
• each Graduate unit above 18: $1,207

Scholarships

The department offers a standard funding package over 6 years to incoming students, consisting of a stipend and the payment of tuition and fees. Both domestic and international students are eligible for this standard package. Although the Department cannot formally guarantee support beyond the first year, it expects to continue to provide an additional five years of support to students making satisfactory academic progress. This assistance normally covers the full cost of tuition and an additional amount for living expenses during the academic year, plus health insurance. The latter amount is usually in the form of a stipend, teaching assistantship, or research assistantship. Students are encouraged to pursue prestigious fellowships offered by the University and by national organizations such as the National Science Foundation.

During a student's tenure, the department also provides financial support for all five summers between academic years. In addition to the standard package described above, the Sociology Department will provide each student with travel and research funds towards professional development expenses, faculty-guided research, and fieldwork.