University General Course Catalog 2023-2024

Nov 25, 2024

University General Course Catalog 2023-2024 ARCHIVED CATALOG: LINKS AND CONTENT ARE OUT OF DATE. CHECK WITH YOUR ADVISOR.

Sociology, M.A.

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The Sociology Department offers courses leading to the Master of Arts degree in Sociology. As part of the School of Social Research and Justice Studies, the department offers a Certificate in Justice Studies at the graduate level. Additionally, the department also participates in the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Social Psychology.

Contact Information

Clayton Peoples, Ph.D., Graduate Program Director
peoplesc@unr.edu
(775) 784-1855

Department of Sociology
1664 N. Virginia Street, Mail Stop 300
Reno, NV 89557

Department Website:
www.unr.edu/cla/soc

Program Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes

Students should be able to discuss the concepts and theories that allow the integration of knowledge attained in various subfields of sociology.
Students should be able to apply successfully to doctoral programs in sociology in any university in the United States or elsewhere.
Students should be able to find employment in their area of specialization in public or private settings (such as in government, a research institute, or a non-profit organization).
Students who graduate with an M.A. degree in Sociology will have skills and experience in conducting original research.

Admissions Requirement

Students wishing to apply to the Master of Arts degree program in Sociology must satisfy all Graduate School requirements and specific departmental requirements as specified on the sociology department web site. Students are admitted to the program in both Fall and Spring semesters. The department deadline for application to the graduate program in Sociology is March 1 for Fall and October 1 for Spring semesters.

I. Program Requirements

Students pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Sociology may opt for Plan A (thesis plan) or Plan B (non-thesis plan).

A. Core Courses (10 units)

Students in both Plan A and Plan B must take the one-credit proseminar and three core graduate courses in theory, research methods and statistics.

SOC 703 - Proseminar (1 unit)
SOC 705 - Seminar in Social Theory (3 units)
SOC 706 - Intermediate Statistics I (3 units)
SOC 719 - Research Methods in Sociology (3 units) OR
SRJS 725 - Research Methods in the Social Sciences (3 units)

B. Plan A - Thesis

1. Thesis (6 units)

SOC 797 - Thesis (1 to 6 units)

2. Courses (14-15 units)

Plan A (thesis) students must also take five additional courses.
Four of the five courses must be 3-unit courses, but the fifth course may be 2 units. See D. Additional Courses for course options.

C. Plan B - Non-Thesis

1. Courses (20 units)

Students must take an additional 20 units of APST/SOC/SRJS course work. See D. Additional Courses for course options.

2. Comprehensive Exam (1 unit)

Students must pass a written comprehensive examination in theory, a substantive area, and research/statistics.

SOC 795 - Comprehensive Examination (1 to 3 units)

D. Additional Courses (14-20 units)

14-15 units are required for Plan A, and 20 units are required for Plan B.
Students who wish to apply other UNR courses towards their degree require written approval from the Director of Graduate Studies.
Acceptable courses include:

APST 663 - Design and Analysis of Experiments (3 units)
APST 665 - Survey Design and Analysis (3 units)
APST 670 - Linear Regression and Time Series (3 units)
APST 705 - Linear and Nonlinear Regression Models (3 units)
APST 755 - Multivariate Statistical Methods (3 units)
SOC 605 - Third-World Societies (3 units)
SOC 609 - Gendered Violence (3 units)
SOC 624 - Race, Family, and Motherhood (3 units)
SOC 653 - Gender and Society (3 units)
SOC 611 - Films and Society (3 units)
SOC 657 - Society and Health (3 units)
SOC 658 - Sociology of Mental Health (3 units)
SOC 660 - Critical Sociology (3 units)
SOC 663 - Social Psychology of Education (3 units)
SOC 680 - The Family (3 units)
SOC 683 - Family Violence (3 units)
SOC 684 - Sociology of Death and Dying (3 units)
SOC 690 - Class, Race and Gender (3 units)
SOC 693 - History, Culture, Politics, and Society in Turkey (3 units)
SOC 695 - Work and Occupations (3 units)
SOC 701 - Individual Reading (1 to 5 units) OR
SOC 702 - Graduate Research (1 to 5 units)
SOC 704 - Seminar in Social Organization (3 units)
SOC 707 - Intermediate Statistics II (3 units)
SOC 708 - Qualitative Research Methods (3 units)
SOC 717 - Comparative Historical Methods (3 units)
SOC 718 - Research Methods in Social Psychology (3 units)
SOC 720 - Seminar in Class Structure (3 units)
SOC 721 - Political Sociology (3 units)
SOC 722 - Attitudes: Structures, Function and Change (3 units)
SOC 725 - Socialization (3 units)
SOC 726 - Interpersonal Transactions (3 units)
SOC 727 - Group Behavior (3 units)
SOC 728 - Collective Behavior and Mass Society (3 units)
SOC 729 - Ethnic and Race Relations (3 units)
SOC 730 - Political Economy of Development (3 units)
SOC 731 - Advanced Design and Data Analysis (3 units)
SOC 732 - Social Psychology and Culture (3 units)
SOC 733 - Social Cognition (3 units)
SOC 734 - Social Psychology of Gender (3 units)
SOC 736 - Social Change (3 units)
SOC 737 - Survey Research Methods (3 units)
SOC 735 - Social Norms and Deviance (3 units)
SRJS 720 - Social Justice Colloquium (3 units)
SRJS 792 - Internship in Social, Research, and Justice Fields (3 units)

II. Program Total Hours

Plan A: 30-31 Units

Plan B: 31 Units

Notes

Plan A (Thesis) requires at least 9 units exclusive of thesis at 700 level. Plan B (non-thesis option) requires at least 12 units at the 700-level.
With advisor approval, as many as 18 graduate units taken at the University in graduate special status or transferred from another institution may be used in a student’s program of study.
On a competitive basis, a limited number of teaching and research assistantships are offered to selected students for a period of two years.