Sociology
- Application Deadlines
- Application Requirements
- Contact Information
- Degree Programs (Ph.D., M.A.)
- Faculty
- Overview
Overview
The Department of Sociology at Loyola University Chicago is dedicated to advancing sociological knowledge through research and theoretical reflection and to applying that knowledge in the public arena. We develop skilled social scientists and teachers and prepare people for a wide range of research careers in governmental, ecclesiastical, voluntary, health care, business and social service organizations. We are a comprehensive department, offering training in all the major subfields of sociology, but we offer three distinct special program emphases:
- Urban society and social policy
- Religion, culture and knowledge
- Family, work and gender
These are areas where we have exceptional strengths and can offer students a program of uncommon depth. Our program is also distinctive for its:
- Value-Oriented Research: Our department fully shares Loyola's commitment to research and teaching in the pursuit of social justice. This commitment presents itself in many ways, including the Center for Urban Research and Learning, where our students have the opportunity to participate in collaborative research with local communities and non-profit groups. All students, including those intending to pursue careers in academe, are encouraged to see the sociologist's role in terms of its positive contributions to the wider community
- Methodological Pluralism: All students receive extensive training in qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Field studies, in-depth interviewing, participant observation, archival research, as well as surveys and sophisticated quantitative data analysis are equally stressed and represented in the department's research and teaching agenda
- Location: The city of Chicago is the research site for many of the ongoing research projects in the department and provides a unique setting for students' research training. The city also offers a wide range of archives, libraries, museums and other supporting institutions for sociological research, including a long history of social science investigation
- Worldwide Opportunities: The department has links with a number of academic and research centers in other parts of the world, including Western Europe and India. The graduate student body is diverse: Loyola continues to attract students from the Chicago metropolitan area, from elsewhere in the U.S. and from a number of foreign countries
- Flexible Scheduling: Our graduate program includes both full- and part-time students, recent undergraduates, students who have completed an M.A. degree at a different institution and returning older adults. To accommodate this diverse student body, all courses are scheduled in the evening or late afternoon
Degree Programs (Ph.D., M.A.)
The Department of Sociology offers both a Ph.D. degree and an M.A. degree program in Sociology and an M.A. degree program in Applied Sociology.
Ph.D. in Sociology Degree Program
The Ph.D. degree program in Sociology is designed to produce independent scholars able to research, teach or serve in a variety of settings.
Full-time students entering the doctoral program with a B.A. degree generally complete course work in seven semesters. Doctoral candidates are encouraged to complete the entire program in five years.
Curriculum
The curriculum is designed to equip students with a broad foundation in general sociology and in more specialized knowledge related to students' career interests in teaching, research, governmental work or public service.
Students pursuing the Ph.D. degree in Sociology must complete 60 semester hours of work (20 courses) beyond the B.A. degree, or 30 semester hours (10 courses) beyond the M.A. degree. All doctoral students must take the required coursework for the general M.A. degree and complete a portfolio (see details in the M.A. degree section). An additional course in Statistical Analysis (Statistical Methods of Analysis II) is also required.
After completing the required courses and passing the portfolio requirement at the doctoral level, students take more advanced course work, including specialized courses, individual study and seminars in areas relevant to their scholarly and professional development. Papers reviewing two specialty fields are normally written near the end of course work, and the presentation of a dissertation proposal should follow shortly thereafter.
M.A. Degree in Sociology Program
The general M.A. degree program in sociology is designed to equip students with both a broad foundation in general sociology and a particular focus in a more specialized field of relevance to the student's career interests in teaching, research, governmental work or public service.
Full-time students usually complete the program within eighteen months. Part-time students generally complete the program within two to three years.
Curriculum
The Sociology department will grant the M.A. degree upon completion of 10 courses and a comprehensive review of the student's work.
Portfolio: Near the end of course work and in consultation with her/his advisor, the student will submit a portfolio, consisting of exemplary course papers or a master's thesis; grades; and a personal statement reviewing the student's passage through the department and future career goals. The portfolio functions as a capstone, integrative presentation reflecting methodological, theoretical, and substantive skills expected of individuals who have successfully completed studies for a master’s degree.
In addition, all students are required to take the introductory graduate course Sociological Perspectives and three required methods and research courses — Logic of Sociological Inquiry, Qualitative Methods in Social Research, and Statistical Methods of Analysis I.
M.A. Degree in Applied Sociology Program
Although all aspects of the department's curriculum aim to provide students with a better understanding of social structures and processes, the M.A. degree in Applied Sociology puts special emphasis on the application of sociological knowledge and methods to the development of policies and programs. It provides students with the research skills in both qualitative and quantitative analysis and the substantive sociological background needed to pursue careers in applied research. This degree can be particularly useful for students planning jobs with such organizations as corporations, hospitals, urban police departments, metropolitan archdioceses, social service agencies, labor unions or community organizations.
Completion of this degree normally requires two years as a full-time student. Part-time students generally complete the program within three years.
Curriculum
Students pursuing the M.A. degree in Applied Sociology must complete nine graduate courses in sociology (including the same required courses as the regular master's degree), an internship and a master's project/internship report, which is then included in the required portfolio.
The internship is a unique opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience and to make professional contacts that will facilitate their careers. Interns have worked in organizations such as the Illinois Criminal Justice Authority, the American Medical Association, and the Midwest Women’s Center, as well as for several metropolitan newspapers, fair housing commissions, city government departments and major corporations.
Faculty
The teaching and research interests of the majority of the department’s faculty fit into three special emphases: urban society and social policy; religion, culture and knowledge; and family, work and gender. But these certainly do not limit the range of research and teaching interests of the faculty. Other areas include, for example, health and welfare services, gender, science and technology and patterns of criminal behavior. All students have the opportunity to work with faculty on research projects, ranging from collecting data to writing articles and reports. The department places strong emphasis on helping students plan courses and research experiences that fit their own goals and interests.
Richard Block, Ph.D. (University of Chicago), Professor
Areas of interest: Criminology, research methods, law, society
Anne Figert, Ph.D. (Indiana University), Associate Professor
Areas of interest: Health, medicine, sociology of science, gender
Marcel Fredericks, Ph.D. (Loyola University Chicago), Professor
Areas of interest: Health care, medical sociology, theory, stratification, family
Kevin Henson, Ph.D. (Northwestern University), Associate Professor
Areas of interest: Work, occupations, gender, sexuality
Kenneth Johnson, Ph.D. (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), Professor
Areas of interest: Demography, urban sociology, statistics
Fred Kniss, Ph.D. (University of Chicago), Associate Professor
Areas of interest: Religion/culture, social movements, social change, comparative historical methods
Marilyn Krogh, Ph.D. (University of Chicago), Associate Professor
Areas of interest: Urban sociology, poverty, quantitative methods
Lauren Langman, Ph.D. (University of Chicago), Professor
Areas of interest: Social psychology, critical theory
Philip Nyden, Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania), Professor
Areas of interest: Urban sociology, applied sociology, qualitative methods
Peter Whalley, Ph.D. (Columbia University), Professor
Areas of interest: Sociology of work, sociology of knowledge, expertise, technology, material culture
Judith Wittner, Ph.D. (Northwestern University), Professor
Areas of interest: Families, gender, qualitative methods, popular culture, social theory
J. Talmadge Wright, Ph.D. (University of California, Irvine), Associate Professor
Areas of interest: Homelessness, housing, social inequality, social-cultural theory, social-physical space, city redevelopment, social exclusion
Application Requirements
A few exceptionally well-qualified students may be admitted directly to the doctoral program with only a bachelor's degree, but most students seeking a doctorate are first required to acquire a master's degree. Normally, students applying with a bachelor's degree should apply first to the master's program. Students who do very well in the master's program may apply to transfer to the doctoral program at a later date. We also accept applicants to the doctoral program who have completed a master's degree in Sociology at another school.
Applicants to the M.A. degree programs in Sociology generally have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0; applicants to the Ph.D. degree program generally have a GPA of at least 3.5.
- A $50 application fee
- A completed application form. To apply, go to www.luc.edu/gpem
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work
- Scores for the GRE (general examination)
- Three letters of recommendation (usually from referees familiar with the applicant's academic work)
- A statement of purpose describing academic and research interests, as well as professional goals.
- A writing sample. Submission of a writing sample is recommended for applicants wishing to enter the M.A. degree program and required for applicants wishing to enter the Ph.D. degree program. We recommend that applicants to the M.A. degree program supply a research paper from a sociology course. Applicants to the Ph.D. degree program who have already completed a master’s degree elsewhere should supply a master's essay or thesis, publication, or research paper.
- Either a TOEFL or IELTS score report is required for international applicants whose native language is not English. For the TOEFL, a score of at least 213 on the computer-based test or 550 on the written test is required. The minimum score for the new TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test) is 79. For the IELTS, a minimum score of 6.5 is required
- International applicants, or U.S. applicants who completed school abroad, are required to submit non-U.S. transcripts to Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE). For more information, contact ECE at 414-289-3400 or visit www.ece.org
Please request a general evaluation report and have the official report sent to Loyola University Chicago, Graduate Enrollment Management, 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
Application Deadlines
Fall admission: February 1 (for assistantship applicants) or August 1
Spring admission: December 1
Deadlines and application requirements are subject to change. Visit www.luc.edu/depts/sociology for the most up-to-date information.
Contact Information
The application and all supporting documents must be sent to Graduate Enrollment Management at the following address:
Graduate Enrollment Management
Loyola University Chicago
820 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: 312.915.8950
E-mail: GradApp@luc.edu
For more information about the academic program, or to arrange a visit, contact:
Department of Sociology
Loyola University Chicago
6525 N. Sheridan Road
Chicago, Illinois 60626
Phone: 773.508.3445
Fax: 773.508.7099
www.luc.edu/depts/sociology
Graduate Program Director
Phone: 773.508.3453
Department Chair
Phone: 773.508.3459