M.A. Program

The Department of Sociology offers a terminal master's degree that must be completed in three years.

Request Information about Graduate Programs

Admission

Applications must be submitted online through the Graduate School websiteby January 1 of each year. Admissions are for the Fall semester only. There are no Spring Admissions. For admission to graduate study in Sociology, you must have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent and an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or above.

The following documents are required in order to apply:

Online application
Application Fee for Graduate Admissions (please note there are no remaining fee waivers for 2026 applications)
Personal statement
Strong recommendations from three former instructors
Transcripts of previous academic work
- TOEFL or IELTS, if applicable
Writing samples and CVs are optional
GRE scores are not required for admissions

Requirements for the Master's Degree

In addition to the minimum Graduate School requirements, the following are required:

Course requirements for an M.A. in sociology include six designated courses: two in sociological theory, three in statistics and methods, and one in global sociology. Additionally, students take four elective courses for a total of thirty credits to complete the degree. Students must achieve a minimum 3.0 grade point average for 30 credits of graduate level courses.
Students are required to write a theoretical/empirical research paper as described in the writing option (Section D, Option 2.1, Mandatory Theoretical/Empirical Paper) for the Ph.D. program. This paper will constitute an original piece of social science research evaluated formally by two faculty members.

Frequently Asked Questions

Applicants with domestic credentials must submit an official transcript from each undergraduate college or university attended, regardless of whether a degree was conferred. Applicants must also submit an official transcript from each college or university relating to graduate level work, regardless of whether a degree was conferred.

Unofficial copies for both domestic and international credentials are acceptable for an admission decision to be made. If admitted, the applicant must submit final official transcripts/evaluations sent directly from the college/university or evaluation agency.
Applicants with international credentials must submit an official English translation of all coursework showing a complete course-by-course record, GPA, degree, and institution, in addition to the original documents. SBU graduate admissions personnel will evaluate coursework, GPA, degree requirements and institutional equivalence. In some instances where the coursework, degree equivalency, GPA, and/or institution cannot be verified, a course-by-course evaluation from one of Stony Brook University's approved NACES members listed below, may be requested from the applicant. Unofficial copies for both domestic and international credentials are acceptable for an admission decision to be made. If admitted, the applicant must submit final official transcripts/evaluations sent directly from the college/university or evaluation agency.
If your native or primary language is not English, English proficiency must be established based on the results of the TOEFL exam. A score of 90 is required for admission to the doctoral program and to be eligible for consideration for TA support. The TOEFL is not required for international students who have a degree from an English-speaking school.