Sociology - Master of Arts
Thesis Program Requirements
In addition to the successful completion of an acceptable master’s thesis, students who choose this option will take a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate work distributed as follows:
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | 6 | |
| SOCI 5110 | Perspectives on Sociology 1 | |
| SOCI 5163 | Issues in Advanced Quantitative Analysis 1 | |
| Choose one methods course from the following: | 3 | |
| SOCI 5150 | Seminar in Social Networks 1 | |
| SOCI 5153 | Seminar in Sociological Research 1 | |
| SOCI 5155 | Seminar in Text Analysis for the Social Sciences 1 | |
| SOCI 5157 | Seminar in Qualitative Research Methods 1 | |
| SOCI 5158 | Seminar in Visual Ethnographic Methodology 1 | |
| Choose one social theory course from the following: | 3 | |
| SOCI 5165 | Foundations of Social Theory 1 | |
| SOCI 5166 | Seminar in Contemporary Theory 1 | |
| Masters Thesis Credits: | 6 | |
| SOCI 5999 | Master's Thesis | |
| Select an additional 12 credits from 5000 level Sociology course work to be taken in consultation with the sociology graduate student’s advisor. | 12 | |
| Final master’s oral examination covering all general coursework and the thesis. | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
To be taken within the first 27 hours of graduate credit. A grade of B- or better is required to receive credit for each of these core courses.
Non-Thesis Program Requirements: Coursework Only
Students who choose this option will take a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate work distributed as follows:
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required courses | 6 | |
| SOCI 5110 | Perspectives on Sociology 1 | |
| SOCI 5163 | Issues in Advanced Quantitative Analysis 1 | |
| Choose one methods course from the following: | 3 | |
| SOCI 5150 | Seminar in Social Networks 1 | |
| SOCI 5153 | Seminar in Sociological Research 1 | |
| SOCI 5155 | Seminar in Text Analysis for the Social Sciences 1 | |
| SOCI 5157 | Seminar in Qualitative Research Methods 1 | |
| SOCI 5158 | Seminar in Visual Ethnographic Methodology 1 | |
| Choose one social theory course from the following: | 3 | |
| SOCI 5165 | Foundations of Social Theory 1 | |
| SOCI 5166 | Seminar in Contemporary Theory 1 | |
| Select an additional 18 credits from 5000 level Sociology course work to be taken in consultation with the sociology graduate student’s advisor. | 18 | |
| Final master’s written examination covering all general coursework. | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
To be taken within the first 27 hours of graduate credit. A grade of B- or better is required to receive credit for each of these core courses.
Admission Requirements
To apply for admission to the Sociology MA Program and the Graduate School, applicants must meet the following criteria and submit the following through https://apply.nmsu.edu/apply/
- Application form and fees
- An undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- A record of professional, ethical, and collegial behavior.
- Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
- A well written statement of purpose from the candidate addressing graduate school objectives and interests.
Failure to meet any of the above criteria may result in the student not being accepted into our program. However, in cases when an otherwise outstanding student does not meet the GPA requirements, the student may be accepted provisionally into the program.
The GRE is not required for admission. Students may be required to take prerequisites prior to gaining admission.
The department admits students on a rolling basis. For graduate assistantship consideration, the priority deadline for application is February 1st for Fall admission.
Master’s Accelerated Program (MAP) Guidelines
The Masters Accelerated Program allows academically qualified undergraduate students to complete up to 12 credit hours towards a master’s degree during their junior and/or senior years while still completing the bachelor’s degree. The courses only apply to classes they would take within the Master of Arts program in Sociology.
NMSU GENERAL ELIGIBILITY
- Must have completed 60 hours of undergraduate coursework (minimum 25 hours at NMSU)
- GPA larger or equal to 3.00
- Complete MAP Referral Form
NMSU MAP REGULATIONS/STIPULATIONS
- Courses will count toward both degrees; they will show on undergraduate and graduate transcripts and count towards both GPAs.
- Graduate level courses included in the master’s accelerated program are those courses numbered 5000 and above or those chosen by the graduate academic departments.
- Students must receive a grade of B- or higher in all MAP coursework to be counted as graduate credit.
- Students apply for the graduate program in their final semester or second to last semester of their undergraduate degree. Depending upon the deadlines set forth by the Department of Sociology.
- Acceptance of MAP credits does not imply acceptance into the Department of Sociology master’s program.
Final admissions and acceptance into the graduate program are based on academic performance at the undergraduate level and completion of the eligible undergraduate degree.
- Tuition is based on the level of the student, not the course
- Students may become ineligible for MAP if their undergraduate or graduate GPA drops below 3.0
- Students accepted into the master’s accelerated program must participate in the Developing New Scholars Program (DNSP), offered by the Graduate School.
- Students must be advised each semester for the MAP program by their potential graduate program and cleared for registration in graduate courses by the Graduate School.
How to Apply to the MAP Program:
- A student may apply, or the department may invite students to participate in MAP.
- Departments accept students based on the Master’s Accelerated Program requirements as set by the department.
- A Sociology graduate faculty member, Graduate Coordinator, or Department Head will forward the Master’s Accelerated Program Referral Form to the graduate school.
- Graduate School will hold the referral form until the student has completed their undergraduate degree.
- The referral form will be used as part of the graduate school's final admissions into the master’s program.
- The following courses are eligible for the Sociology MAP Program:
MAP Courses
In accordance with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), CRRT.B.10.020.B1c, an institution may allow well-prepared advanced students to substitute its graduate courses for required or elective courses in an undergraduate degree program and then subsequently count those same courses as fulfilling graduate requirements in a related graduate program that the institution offers. A graduate program has the discretion to use up to 12 credits of NMSU Sociology coursework (5000 level or higher) that can be applied towards the completion of the master’s program of study. Students must receive a grade of B- or higher in this coursework to be counted for graduate credit.
Accepted MAP Courses
The following courses are accepted for use in the Sociology MAP program; other courses may be considered after consultation with the Graduate Coordinator. An exception will need to be made to the degree audit for the additional course(s) to be included on both the Undergraduate and Graduate degrees.
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SOCI 5110 | Perspectives on Sociology | 3 |
| SOCI 5153 | Seminar in Sociological Research | 3 |
| SOCI 5157 | Seminar in Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| SOCI 5163 | Issues in Advanced Quantitative Analysis | 3 |
| SOCI 5165 | Foundations of Social Theory | 3 |