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Sociology

About the Program

From its founding, Brandeis University's Sociology Department has been a distinguished small department with a distinct culture.  Our culture links the key normative questions of democracy, social justice, and the good life to the critical traditions of European and American social thought and Chicago School methods of rich ethnographic fieldwork in communities and institutions. The graduate program's goal has been to oblige students to formulate questions of social and analytical importance in "big picture" terms and submit these questions to the test of rigorous qualitative research. Our graduate program strives to promote conceptual vitality, autonomous thinking, engagement with the empirical world, and critical analysis. Our program boasts four pillars of expertise: Gender and Feminist Studies, Medical Sociology, Politics and Social Change, and Theory and Methods.

Brandeis' Sociology department participates in several graduate joint degree programs.  These include joint Ph.D. programs in Sociology and Social Policy with Brandeis’ Heller School, and in Sociology and Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. We also have a joint M.A. program with Women's and Gender Studies.

Degree Options

• Ph.D. in Sociology (Students enrolled in this program may elect to earn an M.A. in Sociology or a joint M.A. in Sociology and Women's and Gender Studies along the way to the Ph.D.)
• Joint Ph.D. in Social Policy and Sociology with the Heller School for Social Policy and Management (Applicants to this program begin in either the Ph.D. program in Sociology or the Ph.D. program in Social Policy through the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Students must apply for the joint program by April 1st during their first year at Brandeis. Students applying for the joint degree must obtain a letter of recommendation from their program director in addition to the required three letters of recommendation.)
• Joint Ph.D. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Sociology with the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies
• M.A. in Sociology
• Joint M.A. in Sociology and Women's and Gender Studies 

Courses and Completion Requirements

For the most updated course listing, course descriptions, and degree requirements, please click here.

Faculty

We encourage you to explore one of the department’s greatest assets through our faculty pages. Learn more about the people who will help guide you along your graduate school path here.

Additional Resources

Consortium: Our membership in the Boston consortium allows you to take courses at Tufts University, Boston University, and Boston College, thus enhancing your Brandeis experience and the spirit of collaboration which Brandeis embodies.
Student Services: At Brandeis, you will become part of a community that is strengthened by life both within and outside of the classroom and laboratory walls. Please visit Student Services to see the array of University resources, events, and programming for graduate students, including our Graduate Student Services Center, Off-Campus Housing, Health Insurance, English as a Second Language (ESL) program, Disability Resources, Counseling Center, Career Services, and the Graduate Student Association.

Admission Information

Admission Semester:

Ph.D.: Fall only
M.A.: Fall only

Application Deadlines:

Ph.D.: December 15
M.A.: April 16
Joint M.A. program in Sociology and Women's and Gender Studies: February 1
Joint Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Policy: April 1 of the student's first year in the standalone doctoral program

Admission Requirements:

To apply for the program, you need to submit:

• An application to the graduate school, which can be electronically submitted here;
• An application fee (please click here for instructions);
• Official transcripts from all universities and colleges attended; applicants must provide a final transcript indicating successful completion of an undergraduate degree program before registration;
• Two or three letters of recommendation, which the admissions committee prefers to be submitted online (please click here for more information). Four letter of recommendation are required for the Joint Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Policy (one of which must be from the student's current program director). Three letters of recommendation are required for the joint Ph.D. program in NEJS and Sociology.
• A curriculum vitae (CV) or resumé;
• A statement of purpose indicating your reasons for undertaking graduate study. In addition, please describe your qualifications for the academic program and your objectives in undertaking this program. Doctoral applications should clearly outline their research interests and how they would complement those of the faculty. Master's applicants should discuss their plans for their academic and professional career and how the Graduate School will help them attain their goals.
• A critical writing sample not exceeding 35 pages; the 35-page maximum may consist of a single critical essay or two shorter essays of approximately equal length.
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE)  Our ETS institution code is 3092.
  Ph.D. programs: GRE required
  M.A. programs.: GRE  required

International students:  For additional requirements for international applicants (non-U.S. citizens or non-permanent residents), minimum TOEFL and IELTS scores, and important information regarding visas, please click here.

For a more comprehensive description of application requirements, please click here.

Financial Aid

Generous financial aid is available; for more information please click here.