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This archived information is dated to the 2008-09 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Coterminal Master of Arts in Sociology

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Graduate Programs in Sociology

Stanford undergraduates, regardless of undergraduate major, who wish to pursue an M.A. in Sociology may apply for the coterminal master's program. The coterminal M.A. in Sociology is a flexible, self-designed program. Most students complete their M.A. in a fifth year at Stanford; occasionally students are able to complete their B.A. and coterminal M.A. in the fourth year. Typically, undergraduates apply to the program at the end of their junior year or beginning of their senior year.

Application and admission—Undergraduates must be admitted to the program and enrolled as a graduate student for at least one quarter prior to their B.A. conferral. A cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 in previous undergraduate work is required for admission. It is recommended that applicants have completed at least one Sociology course at the 100 level with a grade of 'B' or better. GRE test scores are not required. The department accepts applications twice a year: for the 2008-09 academic year, application deadlines are November 14, 2008 and May 15, 2009. Seniors wishing to coterm must apply by November 14, 2008. All application materials are submitted directly to the Sociology graduate student services office. Most applicants choose a field of study to focus their sociological studies; see "Sociology Major with Field of Study" section. To apply for admission to the Sociology coterminal M.A. program, students should submit the coterminal application and the following: (1) a 2-5 page statement of purpose stating the applicant's field of study; (2) a preliminary program proposal that specifies at least 45 units of course work relevant to the degree program with at least 40 units in Sociology; (3) a current unofficial undergraduate transcript; and (4) two letters of recommendation from Stanford faculty familiar with the student's academic work. The department does not fund coterminal M.A. students.

Program requirements—Coterminal M.A. students are required to take 45 units of course work during their graduate career; 40 of these units must be in Sociology courses. All units for the coterminal M.A. must be taken at or above the 100 level; advanced-level course work is encouraged and a minimum of 20 units must be taken at the 200 level. Students with a field of study must complete 20 units of course work in the field of study, including at least one foundation course from their field of study; see "Core Curriculum for All Majors" section. Sociology courses are listed by field of study here: http://sociology.stanford.edu/programs/areas.html. Students who want to take courses outside the department must seek prior approval from the Sociology student services office; coterminal master's students are limited to 5 units from outside of the department; outside courses must be taken in other Social Science departments. Students may transfer a maximum of 10 units from their undergraduate career; to be eligible for transfer, courses must have been taken in the two quarters preceding admission to the M.A. program. All units applied to the coterminal master's degree must be taken for a letter grade and an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) or better is required for the degree. Because research methods are an important component of graduate training in the social sciences, coterminal students are encouraged to take SOC 180A, Foundations of Social Research, and 180B, Evaluation of Evidence, in sequence when possible. These methods courses provide skills for research opportunities within the department and in academic or professional careers. Coterminal M.A. students should meet with their assigned faculty adviser upon acceptance to the program.

For University coterminal degree program rules and University application forms, see http://registrar.stanford.edu/pdf/CotermApplic.pdf. For detailed information regarding the Sociology coterminal M.A. and how to apply, see http://www.stanford.edu/dept/soc/coterminal/index.html.

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