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For sociology journals, what does "major revisions" usually indicate? Does this mean I should move on and try another journal? Or, should I make the major revisions and resubmit, especially since I have been given a number of months to make them? (This is my first experience publishing, hence all the questions.)

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I have done quite a bit of research in political science, history (my second major in undergrad), and sociology. They used very different methodologies (surveys, interviews, archival research, and statistical methods), but throughout most of them I gravitated towards working on a particular research area. Your comments on the three focal points of the SOP are very helpful and I'm going to devote more time to developing the first and the last points in the future. Thank you!

Thank you for this! I have not yet found a super-positive way to talk about my intended switch from political science to sociology. I have a clear idea about the particular area of sociology I want to work on, which has remained unchanged from the content of my Master's SOP. Sociology is just better at dealing with my area of interest in a more multidimensional way and at incorporating micro-, meso-, and macro-level analyses, whereas political science is more interested in macro-level analysis. (Edited to say: now that I write it out, this sounds like a fine and non-negative reason for the switch.)

I have seen this advice repeated again and again on this thread about SOPs that one should demonstrate their fit instead of telling. I am hoping to move fields at the end of my Master's from political science to sociology. I won't be able to take any sociology classes as part of my Master's degree. While sociology and political science are sister fields, sociology seems to place a much higher premium on knowing the classical theories and the methodologies in the two fields can be somewhat to quite different. To better prepare myself, I have started to read the texts and articles assigned in Wisconsin-Madison's sociology grad classes since the school so generously archives all old syllabi. So my question is: should I mention that this is how I have prepared myself for a PhD in sociology in the SOP? Should that be a line on my CV somehow? Or, should I not mention it at all and let the adcomm infer my familiarity with the field from my research project and the authors/works that come up in relation to that? Perhaps a related question is whether I should mention why I'm moving from political science to sociology?

Hi AnAspirant, I'll forward your post to a current FES PhD student. It might be helpful for them to know more about the professors who are supporting your application, as they might be able to tell you how well-connected and -funded those professors are.

I went to York for undergrad, although not at FES. I wouldn't recommend going there because of a number of factors: 1) York's reputation is indeed low internationally, unless you're affiliated with Osgoode Law School or Schulich (business school). Certain departments have higher rankings within Canada like Fine Arts, Psychology, and Communications. 2) The biggest problem with going to York for me was the lack of research opportunities and a research network to tap into. My current professors are much better-connected with researchers/universities in Canada and the US, have more funding (therefore more research opportunities for students), and a more realistic understanding of the process of publishing and procuring a PhD slot or a job at a research university. One plus of going to York might be that if you are a outstanding student, you will be first in line to receive all funding and opportunities (big fish, small pond). A second is their guaranteed six-year funding, which is in place due to the strong graduate student union at York. The union is ramping up their bargaining in January, so this may or may not change; you can keep tabs on the proceedings here: http://3903.cupe.ca/. If you have more questions, please feel free to ask here or through private messaging. I do know some graduate students at FES who I can forward your questions to as well.

Hey NYCBluenose! I remember you from last year. Things are going middling to well in my MA program - depends on the day you ask and whether my need to run away to sociology is strong that day. I got hired last minute to grade papers and exams for a fourth-year seminar, which I am finding more difficult and unnerving than any coursework. I wonder how TA-ing will be next semester. I'm already preparing for application season next fall and back on this forum.

Thank you for the kind words. I'm really happy things worked out for you!

You're totally right of course. I have no expectation of skipping methods courses even if I am admitted to a poli. sci. PhD program. Your response made me understand that what I'm truly anxious about is switching to a new mentality, a new way of thinking again. The switch from historical thinking to political science-appropriate thinking took me 1/3 to 1/2 of the first MA semester. I either need to resign myself to this prospect and mentally prepare, or take one graduate-level class in sociology to experience it beforehand. Thank you!

You should look into the University of Washington. Mary Callahan at the Jackson School of International Studies is an excellent scholar who works on Burmese politics. I believe she studied under Benedict Anderson in Cornell's government department.

Thanks for the link - I am interested in citizenship, so I am going to read some of her and her collaborator Kim Voss's recent work during the break. I've been looking at graduate courses in sociology and it seems I will need to repeat at least one methods course and definitely will have to take a sociological theory course. Thankfully my current supervisor is the most sociological in my department. Hopefully I can get a recommendation letter from him, as well as one from a methods prof and the next most sociological prof after my supervisor.

For the bolded part - I agree with you. Wish I could say I was remotely the only one in my MA cohort who felt this way. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this process. I have a much more well-defined interest to write about in political science SOPs due to the MA and need to refine/sharpen my interests for sociology. I guess that means spending my upcoming break reading tons and tons of sociology and this forum thread. Good luck on this year's cycle!

Not what I asked.

I think the absolute best thing I've done in my Master's program was to join a graduate writing group. It has a few people from across the range of humanities and social sciences disciplines. We meet every week/every other week and critique each other's writing assignments, theses, dissertations, etc., in a civilized and helpful way. If your university has a group like that, I absolutely suggest you join. This is also the forum where you can face-to-face ask senior students all of your "I'm a first-year student - please help"-type questions about how to write, organize, or integrate your lit review, alternative hypotheses you're rejecting, etc..