Sociology

Department of Sociology
College of Arts and Sciences
Augusto De Vananzi, Graduate Program Director
260-481-6669 ~ 260-481-0474
www.ipfw.edu/soca/soc ~ Classroom-Medical Building 241

The M.A. in sociological practice at IPFW prepares you to be a skilled practitioner of sociology. As a discipline, sociology examines the structures and dynamics of human life in groups. The goal of the program is to have students apply the sociological perspective to research, analysis, and intervention in the function of social institutions, organizations, and groups.

Successful completion of the M.A. in sociological practice program will enable you to:

Acquire an advanced understanding of sociological practice including history, theory, professionalism, and ethics
Develop skills in the design, implementation, and analysis of social research and in the interpretation of social science research data for a nonacademic audience
Develop skills to design and implement flexible, creative, research-based interventions to affect change in groups, organizations, and societies

Admission

To be considered for regular admission, you must have a baccalaureate degree including a major in sociology or a related discipline with a GPA of B or better (3.0 on a 4.0 scale). GRE scores are optional. Your application for admission must include an essay that will demonstrate that your writing skills and career objectives are in line with the program. An interview is recommended.

If you have not completed an undergraduate degree in sociology, you may be admitted contingently if you have completed the following core undergraduate sociology courses or their approved equivalent with a grade of B or better in each course: sociological theory, sociological methods, and statistics. If you do not have one or all of these core undergraduate classes, you may be admitted with the contingency that you will need to complete these undergraduate courses or their approved equivalent before you are allowed to enroll in the parallel graduate courses.

Academic Regulations

In addition to fulfilling the academic regulations that apply to all Indiana University graduate students, you must earn a grade of B or better in each course applied toward the degree.

Financial Aid

To be considered a full-time student and qualify for financial aid, graduate students must be enrolled for at least 9 credits per semester. Sources of financial aid for graduate students include, but are not limited to, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans, Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans, and Federal Work Study. You may qualify for appointment as a teaching or research aide. Such appointments carry a stipend as well as partial remission of fees.