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University of Wyoming

Graduate Students–Master of Arts Program

 

About the program
The UW graduate program in sociology is an exceptionally strong one for students wishing to earn a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree. Our program concentrates on building both skills and theoretical knowledge, so graduates may easily move either into a professional position or a doctoral program. At any time, approximately 20 graduate students are in residence, with about half of those students receiving departmental assistance.

Requirements
To earn a Master of Arts in Sociology, students must complete 26 hours of advanced course work. Required classes are SOC 5000 (Advanced Sociological Theory), SOC 5100 (Advanced Social Research Methods), SOC/STAT 5070 (Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences) and at least two seminars. Seminars cover the broad areas of social problems, organizations, institutions, and social change. Students take the remaining 11 hours of course work as electives within the department, and in some cases as many as eight hours of graduate course work outside the department.

In addition, a master's thesis is required, for which students receive four hours of academic credit. Before undertaking the thesis work, the student must write and defend a thesis prospectus before a select faculty committee.

Financial aid
The UW Department of Sociology provides graduate assistantships for a majority of its M.A. students-incoming, as well as continuing students. Continued support for a maximum total of four semesters is contingent upon adequate progress in the program. Stipends are comparable to those offered by other major universities, while the cost of living in Laramie is generally lower than elsewhere. Tuition and fees at UW are also lower than many other universities, and graduate assistants are usually exempted from tuition and fees altogether.

Application dates
Applicants to the graduate program can be admitted at any time throughout the year. Students wishing to apply for financial aid should submit their completed applications no later than March 1 to insure consideration in the first round of graduate assistant awards for the following academic year. Graduate assistantship awards may also be made at any time prior to the start of the fall or spring semester depending on available resources. Students are encouraged to submit an application directly to the Department of Sociology. An online application form (www.uwyo.edu/UWGrad/) may be downloaded and sent directly to the department.

To contact the Department of Sociology directly, please write, call, or send a fax to:

Department of Sociology
Graduate Admissions
University of Wyoming
Dept. 3293
1000 E. University Avenue
Laramie, Wyoming 82071

phone: (307) 766-3342
fax: (307) 766-3812

The sociology graduate advisor is Professor Malcolm Holmes. If you have specific questions, you may contact Holmes by e-mail at: mholmes@uwyo.edu

To see a listing of current graduate students click HERE