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Program Coordinator:
Dr. Edna Molina-Jackson
Dorothy Donahoe Hall, Rm. CC201
661 654-6876, FAX 661 654-6909
emolina3@csub.eduOfficial CSUB catalog description - click here.
Applying for the Master's Program in Sociology
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MA Program Application Forms
Application for Admission Part A: Department Application
Application for Admission Part B: Student RecommendationTo Apply by Mail - click here
Other Frequently Used Forms:
Declaration of Committee
Plan of Study - Thesis Option
Plan of Study - Teaching Option
Plan of Study - Special Projects Option
Certificate of Completion - Thesis Option
Certificate of Completion - Teaching Option
Certificate of Completion - Special Projects OptionProgram Description
The Master of Arts in Sociology program is an advanced study of human social relations. It requires in depth study of institutional, structural, and historical patterns that govern human social behavior. The scope of study at the graduate level includes micro, macro, and global perspectives. The program is primarily designed for working students seeking a Ph.D., career advancement, or wishing to pursue a career in community college teaching. For that reason, the program offers three options or "tracks": a Thesis Option, a Teaching Option, and a Special Project Option. The program of study is enhanced by opportunities for qualified students to work on campus as a Research Assistant in the Institute for Social and Community Research, as Teaching Assistants in the Department or in area community colleges, or work in the community via the Internship programs available.
Requirements for Master of Arts in Sociology
The MA in Sociology program has common admission and continuation requirements for all graduate students in the program, but different requirements for course work, advancing to candidacy, and graduation, depending on the graduating option chosen by each student.
Requirements for Admission
Admission to the Master of Arts in Sociology program requires that the following basic criteria be met:1. Baccalaureate degree.
2. GPA of 2.5 overall and 3.0 in the major and 1400 combined score in the three areas on the GRE test, with no less than 450 in any one test area.3. A satisfactory TOEFL score (a minimum of 500) for International students.
4. In lieu of the requirements listed in item 2 above, a student may petition the Graduate Program Coordinator for an exception.Persons seeking admission to the Master of Arts in Sociology program must:
1. Complete a graduate admission application online at www.csumentor.com to initiate the application process. Applications are available in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology office, as well as the Office of Graduate Studies and Research.
2. In addition to the online application form, prospective students must submit a completed Departmental Application Form.
3. Send all completed departmental application materials to:
Graduate Admissions
c/o Renee Rugnao
Office of Admissions & Records 47 SA
California State University, Bakersfield
9001 Stockdale Highway
Bakersfield, CA 93311-1022
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Edna Molina-Jackson, the Graduate Coordinator, by telephone (661) 654-6876 or emolina3@csub.edu.
There are three classifications for students in the Sociology MA Program:
1. Conditionally Classified Standing
Students may seek to be Conditionally Classified (a requirement for financial aid) by consulting with the Sociology Graduate Coordinator and demonstrating a commitment to work toward an MA in Sociology. Generally, students found in this classification will have applied for the Sociology MA Program and will have been admitted to the Program with conditions, such as taking certain courses or examinations. Upon completion of such conditions, students must petition the Graduate Coordinator to advance to Classified status.
2. Classified Standing
Students who meet the admissions requirements (above) will be admitted as Classified Graduate Students.
3. Advancement to Candidacy
Advancement to Candidacy requires the following:
1. Classified status.
2. Completion of 25-quarter units of graduate work applied toward the MA in Sociology, all of which are at least at the 500-level or above, with a GPA of 3.0 or better in graduate course work at CSUB.
3. A Thesis Proposal approved by the Thesis Committee and filed with the Department; or a Project Proposal approved by the student’s committee and filed with the Department; or an approved proposal for the Teaching Track Option.
It is the student’s responsibility, in consultation with the appropriate faculty members, to choose a graduate advisor, choose an MA track or fields of study, and organize a thesis or examination committee leading to Advancement to Candidacy.
Academic Advising
Until an advisor is selected, the Graduate Program Coordinator will serve as interim advisor. Upon admission, however, the student should select an advisor as soon as possible. Failure to do this may result in the Graduate Program Coordinator assigning the student an advisor.
A student may transfer up to 13-quarter units of credit from another school. A student may apply, with the approval of his/her committee, up to 10-quarter units of credit taken at CSUB while an Unclassified Graduate Student.
Continuation in the program is dependent upon the following:
1. The maintenance of a GPA of 3.0 or higher in all graduate work at CSUB.
2. Achieving no grade less than a "C" (2.0) in any course applied to the MA in Sociology, and no more than one course with a grade of "C" (2.0) will be accepted toward the MA in Sociology.
3. Continuous enrollment (being registered for credit-bearing study for three out of four consecutive academic quarters). Students who have not completed all requirements for the thesis must register every quarter.
4. Students failing to meet these stipulations may be dropped from the program. To re-enter, a student would have to reapply to the program.
5. Prior to completion of 20 units, a student must complete the following:
a. Select an advisor, form a committee (of at least three faculty members), and file the completed and approved "Declaration of Committee" form with the Department.
b. File an approved "Requirements and Plan of Study" with the Department.Graduation
Only classified students who have met the following requirements are eligible for graduation.1. Completion of the Plan of Study.
2. GPA of 3.0 or better in graduate work at CSUB applied toward the MA in Sociology, at least a "C" (2.0) in all courses. No more than one course with a grade of "C" (2.0) will be accepted toward the MA in Sociology.3. Completion of all culminating experience requirements as stipulated under the Thesis or Non-Thesis options, below.
4. All requirements for the MA in Sociology must be completed before the student may participate in graduation ceremonies.The Department of Sociology and Anthropology offers three tracks for the MA in Sociology: the Thesis Option, the Teaching Option, and the Special Project Option. Three courses are required of all Masters students (BEHS 500 Quantitative Methods in the Behavioral Sciences; BEHS 501 Advanced Research Design and Analysis; and SOC 502 Advanced Sociological Theory) with the remaining units being comprised of course work established in the Plan of Study developed by the student and his/her committee. Only five independent study units can be applied to the student’s Plan of Study.
Requirements for the MA in Sociology–Thesis Option (45 Total Units)
Required Course Work (15 Units)BEHS 500 Quantitative Methods in the Behavioral Sciences
BEHS 501 Advanced Research Design and Analysis
SOC 502 Advanced Sociological Theory
Elective Course Work (21 Units) These units, 10 of which must be at the 500 level and the remaining at the 400 level or above, will be selected based on the advice and recommendation of the student’s advisor and faculty committee.Thesis Experience (SOC 695) (9 Units)
May be taken over several quarters and must be devoted to the following sequential activities:1. Write and submit a thesis prospectus for Thesis Committee approval. This prospectus must include thesis objectives, proposed literature review, proposed methodology, and predicted findings.
Requirements for the MA in Sociology-Teaching Option (50 Total Units)
2. Once the prospectus is approved, thesis work up to and including the successful defense of the thesis.Required Course Work (25 Units)
BEHS 500 Quantitative Methods in the Behavioral Sciences
BEHS 501 Advanced Research Design and Analysis
SOC 502 Advanced Sociological Theory
SOC 597 Special Issues in Teaching Sociology
SOC 598 Directed Study in Teaching Sociology
SOC 693 Culminating Experience in Teaching SocioloyIn addition, all students will be required to serve as a teaching assistant for a lower division sociology class at CSUB for which they will not earn any academic credits.
Elective Coursework (25 Units)
These units, 10 of which must be at the 500-level or above, will be selected based on the advice and recommendation of the student’s advisor and faculty committee.
Culminating Experience in Teaching Sociology (SOC 693) (4 Units)
Students must prepare the following:
1. Detailed syllabi for two sociology classes, one of which must be an introductory sociology class and the other a course agreed upon with the student’s advisor.
2. A detailed list of books and reading materials that could be used in the two classes above.
3. A detailed outline of tests, paper topics and guidelines, homework exercises and other items by which students who are enrolled in the above mentioned classes might be evaluated.
4. A research paper on a topic of relevance to the elective class.
5. A sample class lecture on the same topic open to faculty and students-at-large.
Requirements for the MA in Sociology- Special Project Option (50 Total Units)
Required Course Work (20 units)
BEHS 500 Quantitative Methods in the Behavioral Sciences
BEHS 501 Advanced Research Design and Analysis
SOC 502 Advanced Sociological Theory
SOC 694 Culminating Experience in Special ProjectsElective Course Work (30 units)
These units, 15 of which must be at the 500-level or above, must be approved by the student’s advisor and faculty committee.
Culminating Experience
There are two ways of culminating the MA in Sociology – Special Project Option, both of which occur by taking for credit, no-credit SOC 694 Culminating Experience in Special Projects, under the supervision of the student’s advisor and faculty committee:
1. Agency-Based Project
a. Submit for approval to the student’s faculty committee a prospectus for the Proposed Project which shall include a description of the intended project, its objectives, methods that will be used, the scholarly literature that will be consulted, and the timetable proposed for all stages of the project.
b. Present and defend a Final Report on the project to the student’s faculty committee in a meeting open to faculty and students-at-large.
2. Mastery of Two Areas of Sociology
a. Submit for approval to the student’s faculty committee a prospectus for two area papers, which shall include the identification of the two areas of sociology the student intends to demonstrate mastery over, two lists of proposed readings, and a timetable for the preparation, writing, and submission of each area paper.
b. Examination of student on each area by his/her faculty committee in a meeting open to the faculty and students-at-large.
** Please note: course descriptions can be viewed on the 2005-2007 CSUB course catalog or by clicking here.