MA Sociology

A full account of degree requirements and procedures is contained in the Sociology student handbook.

To earn the MA in Sociology, a student must complete a total of 30 credits with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.

A maximum of three credits taken at another university may be granted toward the credit requirement for the master's degree. Twenty-seven credits must be completed at The New School for Social Research.

Sociology Courses

At least 24 credits must be taken in courses offered by the Sociology department. Courses offered by other departments of The New School for Social Research that are cross-listed in Sociology may be used to meet the requirement for 18 Sociology credits. Many cross-listed courses have prerequisites. The course instructor and the chair of the department or committee offering a course will determine whether a Sociology student meets the prerequisites and can be admitted to the course in question. Courses that are not cross-listed in Sociology may only be taken as electives.

Elective Courses

The remaining 6 credits are electives that may be taken in or outside the Sociology department. The department encourages students to avail themselves of the rich course offerings of the other departments of The New School for Social Research, but this should be done with appropriate guidance from advisors so as to maximize the coherence of the overall program of study.

MA Examination

After taking and completing the four core required courses and at least 6 additional sociology credits, students are eligible to sit for the MA Examination. The MA written examination is meant to test graduate students' knowledge of general theoretical, methodological, and substantive issues in sociology. Candidates for the terminal MA degree must receive a score of at least low pass. Students with an evaluation of high pass or pass receive approval to apply to the PhD program.

Students interested in applying to the PhD program must do the following:

• Pass the MA examination with either Pass or High Pass
• Submit a PhD entrance portfolio (academic transcript, writing sample, entrance application, a completed Internal PhD Admission Form, description of research interests, emails from two faculty members from the Sociology Department sponsoring the applicant)

The sequential Bachelor's-Master's (BAMA) program allows qualified New School undergraduate students to complete two degrees in as little as five years while saving up to 75 percent on tuition costs. Through the program, students delve deep into subjects they care about, gain expertise early on in their education, and improve their job prospects with a graduate degree.

Every Master of Arts program at NSSR is paired with related New School bachelor’s programs, with established pathways and timelines for students to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees. The following undergraduate program is paired with the NSSR Sociology MA program:

• Sociology (BA)

To learn more, visit the Bachelor’s-Master’s program page. Interested undergraduates should talk with their undergraduate advisors about specific BAMA requirements for their programs and application information and deadlines.