The objective of the sociology program is to produce intellectually well-rounded graduates capable of (1) functioning effectively in either an academic or a sociological practice setting, (2) analyzing social groups and relationships between groups, and (3) evaluating the influence of social and cultural factors on important social outcomes. All doctoral students are required to study core theory, statistics and research methods. The sociology PhD program participates in a consortium with Texas Woman’s University and Texas A&M University–Commerce known as the Federation of North Texas Area Universities. Through the federation, doctoral students can take elective courses at these institutions and apply them to their PhD degree, include faculty from the other universities on their doctoral advisory committee, and participate in federation professional development programs and events.

Admission requirements

Before being admitted to the doctoral program, the applicant must meet the requirements for admission to the Toulouse Graduate School specified in the Admission section of this catalog. Admission to the doctoral program in sociology is competitive, as available resources do not permit admission of all qualified applicants.

Applying is a two-part process. First, prospective applicants for the doctoral program must obtain and file an application for admission to the UNT Toulouse Graduate School. Second, applicants for the doctoral degree with a major in sociology must obtain and file a separate application for admission to the Department of Sociology. A competitive score on the general test of the Graduate Record Examination may be submitted at the time of the application and a score on the written essay may also be submitted.

The following requirements must be met for admission consideration.

1. For consideration of unconditional admission to the PhD program in sociology by applicants with a master’s degree, applicants must have completed a minimum of 18 hours of sociology, at least 3 graduate semester hours in social research methods, 3 graduate semester hours in an acceptable course on social statistics and 3 graduate semester hours of social theory, and have at least a 3.5 (B+) GPA for master’s courses.

2. For possible consideration of conditional admission for applicants with a master’s degree (requiring an appeal to the graduate school), the applicant must have at least a 3.0 (B) GPA for all master’s credit and substantial alternative evidence of potential success in graduate studies. Additional course work is typically required when the applicant has fewer than the required number of hours and courses needed for unconditional admission. The sociology department may request additional evidence of the applicant’s ability to do graduate work.

3. Outstanding undergraduates without the master’s degree who meet all possible unconditional requirements may be considered for admission into the doctoral program. If admitted, a pass-through master’s degree option is available.

The dean of the graduate school will notify the applicant of the admission decision to the sociology program. Applicants receiving acceptance for admission should consult with the department’s graduate advisor prior to the first term/semester of enrollment to schedule courses.

Degree requirements

1. The minimum program for the PhD in sociology consists of 72 hours beyond the bachelor’s degree or 42 hours beyond the master’s degree. All students are required to complete the following:

   1. A minimum of 9 semester hours in research methods and statistics. All courses must be at the 6000 level, and a minimum grade of B must be achieved for each.
   2. A minimum of 6 semester hours in sociological theory at the 6000 level. A grade of B or better must be achieved for each course.
   3. A minimum of 9 semester hours in a concentration area approved by the advisory committee, including at least 6 hours at the 6000 level.
   4. A minimum of 9 semester hours of electives.
   5. A minimum of 9 semester hours of dissertation.
   6. A minimum of 24 semester hours must be taken at the 6000 level.

2. Students may earn limited credit in an internship as part of their PhD course work.

3. To fulfill UNT’s residency requirement a student must carry a full load of 9 hours each term/semester for two consecutive long terms/semesters at UNT or 6 hours for three consecutive terms.

4. The student must establish an advisory committee and prepare a degree plan approved by this committee. The advisory committee is composed of at least three members. The major professor (chair) must be a full-time UNT sociology faculty member. At least half of the committee must be from the full-time UNT sociology faculty. Other members may be from the Texas Woman’s University faculty or represent a second concentration within sociology or a minor outside the program. This committee is appointed by the dean of the graduate school upon recommendation of the student, department chair and graduate advisor. The degree plan of the individual student must be completed by the end of the first semester of the second year of graduate work or before completion of 18 semester hours in the program and taking the concentration exams.

5. All doctoral students must choose a concentration area in consultation with their major advisor and advisory committee and submit a doctoral qualifying paper. The purpose of the qualifying paper is to determine the student’s grasp of foundational works, the current state of the literature, and how the student’s proposal expands on the latter. The committee should have some indication if the proposed study is 1) feasible in the general time frame provided and 2) advances the literature, either theoretically or methodologically, in notable new ways that are not addressed by current studies.
   
   The qualifying paper committee is the student’s advisory committee as indicated on their approved degree plan. A successful defense is a necessary benchmark to move to the prospectus stage and graduate in a timely manner. To receive a “pass” on the qualifying paper, it must be approved by all members of the advisory committee following a shared rubric. The committee can require students to revise their submission and resubmit it.
   
   Resubmissions have a time frame of one month to address the comments of committee members. The successful completion of the qualifying paper is a prerequisite for admission to candidacy for the degree. Admission to candidacy is granted by the appropriate graduate dean upon recommendation of the student’s advisory committee, and the department chair and graduate director, and also is based upon the student’s academic record.

6. Under the direction of the advisory committee the candidate must write a dissertation representing original research. It must make a significant contribution to the discipline of sociology in the student’s area of concentration.
   
   The student must defend orally a written dissertation proposal that meets with the approval of the student’s advisory committee before the dissertation is written. The final written dissertation must be defended orally before the committee and approved by them.

7. Students can apply to their dissertation committee to take a research track. This track prepares the student for an academic position at a research university. Requirements include preparing three research papers in the student’s primary concentration. One of the papers must be accepted for publication and solely authored by the student, a second must be submitted for publication and the third must be approved as near-ready for submission for publication. The three papers are organized within the dissertation format for submission to the graduate school.

Quality of work required

The Department of Sociology has the right to dismiss a graduate student from the master’s or doctoral degree program for one or more of the following indicators of failure to make satisfactory progress:

1. The student earns grades of C or below in sociological theory, methods, statistics or concentration area course work that will count in these areas on the student’s degree plan (for purposes of this rule, the first grade received in the course will be used).

2. The student has Incomplete grades that are more than one year old in sociological theory, methods, statistics, or concentration course work.

3. The student’s overall GPA falls below 3.0 or the student is suspended by the graduate school after being put on probation.

4. The student fails to make any progress toward the degree for at least one full calendar year (e.g., does not enroll, does not make progress on thesis or dissertation, etc.).

5. The student engages in an act of academic misconduct.