ParmaSean

Hello People of GradCafe, I need some help! I just received my Master's in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois, Chicago this May. During my Undergrad I studied Economics and the Sociology of Religion. I am interested in eventually applying for PhD programs but am unsure if I should be applying for Sociology PhD's or one in Geography (Human). The topics I am interested in focusing on are immigration, migration, and diaspora policies and how migrants/refugees fit into western societal spaces. Additionally I am very interested in how the role of the city plays into these trends as well. I can make arguments for both disciplines-on the one hand Geography could be better because it is more closely aligned with my Master's in Urban Planning in that it deals with human interaction with the environment (both built or otherwise), and it also would allow me to include some sociological trends into the study as well, such as demography. On the other hand, sociology has more longly been associated with immigration and transnational studies and is more aligned with population studies and demography research which ended up being my favorite aspect of my Urban Planning degree. I never thought I would be having this dilemma but I am. If someone could address what the differences are between these potential two programs in terms of research methodologies etc., as well as which you think would be better for someone with my research interests that would be amazing. I am very aware that I may be rambling here so if you need clarification on anything or have further questions to help me out please do not hesitate! Thanks so much, Sean

Hello People of GradCafe, I need some help! I just received my Master's in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois, Chicago this May. During my Undergrad I studied Economics and the Sociology of Religion. I am interested in eventually applying for PhD programs but am unsure if I should be applying for Sociology PhD's or one in Geography (Human). The topics I am interested in focusing on are immigration, migration, and diaspora policies and how migrants/refugees fit into western societal spaces. Additionally I am very interested in how the role of the city plays into these trends as well. I can make arguments for both disciplines-on the one hand Geography could be better because it is more closely aligned with my Master's in Urban Planning in that it deals with human interaction with the environment (both built or otherwise), and it also would allow me to include some sociological trends into the study as well, such as demography. On the other hand, sociology has more longly been associated with immigration and transnational studies and is more aligned with population dtudies and demography research which ended up being my favorite aspect of my Urban Planning degree. I never thought I would be having this dilemma but I am. If someone could address what the differences are between these potential two programs in terms of research methodologies etc., as well as which you think would be better for someone with my research interests that would be amazing. I am very aware that I may be rambling here so if you need clarification on anything or have further questions to help me out please do not hesitate! Thanks so much, Sean