College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Sociology and Criminology
www.kent.edu/sociology

About This Program

The Ph.D. degree in Sociology provides students with advanced training for research and teaching careers in higher education and for research-based careers in both the public and private sectors. The program offers specializations in criminology and deviance, the sociology of health and mental health, social inequalities (race, class, gender) and social psychology.

Contact Information

• Susan Roxburgh | sroxburg@kent.edu |
  330-672-3125

• Connect with an Admissions Counselor: U.S. Student | International Student

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*

^{* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.}

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university¹
• Minimum 2.750 GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcripts(s)
• GRE scores (taken within the last five years)
• Goal statement (1-2 pages), describing current academic interests, research interests, long-range career goals and how admission will facilitate the achievement of these goals
• Three letters of recommendation from current/former professors who can adequately evaluate the applicant's past work and potential
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:²
  • Minimum 94 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 7.0 IELTS score
  • Minimum 65 PTE score
  • Minimum 120 DET score

¹

Applications for admission are accepted from those who will have a completed a master's degree upon starting the program. It is limited to students whose records clearly indicate both scholarly and research potential to do doctoral-level work.

²

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores will not be considered for admission.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Priority deadline: December 1
    Applications submitted by this deadline will receive the strongest consideration for admission.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

All students who entered the program with an M.A. degree earned at another institution must take SOC 72002. This course will not be waived.

²

Each doctoral candidate, upon admission to candidacy, must register for SOC 82199 for a total of 30 credit hours. It is expected that a doctoral candidate will continuously register for SOC 82199, and thereafter SOC 82299, each semester, until all requirements for the degree have been met. After completing the dissertation, students must successfully defend it in an oral examination. The exam will include an evaluation of theory, methodology, analysis and other topics relevant to the student's specialty area.

³

Students who have already completed a master's degree in sociology are required to take a minimum of 16 elective credit hours, 9 of which must be in a specialization area.

⁴

No more than 6 credit hours of SOC 72896 and/or SOC 72898 may be applied toward the degree as elective credit. No more than 6 credit hours of graduate-level coursework outside the department may be applied toward the degree as elective credit. These limits include courses taken while earning a master’s degree in sociology.

Candidacy Requirement

To earn the Ph.D. degree, students must pass the doctoral candidacy examination. The examination will include an evaluation of theory, methodology, analysis and other topics relevant to the student’s specialty area.

Graduation Requirements

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of sociological theory by using it to better understand social phenomena and human behavior, develop new theoretical arguments and pose and attempt to answer research questions.
2. Demonstrate a an advanced understanding of research methods in sociology, including both quantitative methods (e.g., survey, experimental) and qualitative methods (e.g., participant observation, content analysis).
3. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of statistics in application to social research, including advanced techniques (e.g., structural equation modeling, hierarchical linear modeling).
4. Demonstrate the ability to synthesize complex scientific literatures and execute sophisticated original research through the successful completion of a dissertation project.