Sociology PhD without having taken a single sociology class

[societyisinteresting]

Hi everyone!

I'm currently an MA student in economics and philosophy (and also did my undergraduate degree in economics and philosophy). It's recently become apparent to me that while I'm primarily interested in economics, it likely makes more sense for me to study economics from a sociological perspective. Some of the most influential books, for me, have been written by sociologists and anthropologists. My interests are mostly related to financialization, labor, and public understanding of economics and economic concepts. I'm particularly interested in understanding how economic concepts are moralized by different societies.

I'm wondering how my background will influence my chances at a top PhD program (in Europe or the US) and whether I can do anything while I'm in my MA to improve my chances. My current plan is to basically use my MA to learn as much method as possible (econometrics, deep learning, etc.) because I enjoyed my experience as an RA for a computational social science project during undergrad and would like to use my programming/tech background in my research. I plan to focus mostly on empirical economics and take two computer science classes (the maximum amount allowed by my program). Should I consider taking or auditing a sociology class? Will recommendation letters from economists or philosophers be received well if they are able to speak to my interest and capability when it comes to economic sociology? I appreciate any suggestions or advice to make myself a better candidate.

I've started to research programs that have a focus on economic sociology, but if any particular programs come to mind, please let me know! I should note that I'm really only interested in highly ranked programs (maybe top 20 or so). If I don't get into a great program, I'll just re-enter the workforce.

Thank you!

Edited February 1, 2021 by societyisinteresting

[Soc_Gen23]

Hello! I saw no one had replied to you yet and figured I'd take a shot. While I don't know what programs look for in a candidate in terms of coursework (I'm sure any sociology classes are beneficial) but I believe your background in economics will be a plus for programs that specialize in political economy, labor movements, etc. I don't know of specific programs that specialize in these topics because my research interests have limited my searches of programs, but I think you could definitely get in somewhere! 

[passere]

I applied to US PhD programs having never taken a sociology course, although I only had a bachelor’s. There are others in my program with non-sociology master’s, too. Especially since there’s continuity in your interests, I think you could be a good candidate. The key will be crafting your statement of purpose to show that. 

[macska]

I have a bachelors in Literature and a masters in International Relations, and I've taken two sociology classes before applying for PhDs. (Before applying to MAs, I had taken zero political science/international relations courses). I think that it is possible to get in without classroom experience, but I think that one of the things you'll have to make very clear in your SOP is "why sociology" and not some other discipline. I think also you should talk up your life experiences outside of school that prepared you for this program, your training in quantitative methodology, and also how an economics background better prepared you to tackle your research topic. Additionally, I recommend reading some sociological texts/ articles before any interviews you might have (I've been asked both "who's your favorite sociologist?" and "what's your favorite sociological article on your topic?" during PhD interviews). Also as for your question about MAs: just a note, if you want to do a PhD in Europe/UK, it is a requirement to already have a master's degree.

I will say as someone who switched disciplines, the first semester/ few months can be a little bit rough. There's a lot of catchup that you'll have to do during that time with the new theories, new sociologists, methodologies etc. I think that it's totally worth it in the end to be in a program that better fits your project/interests, but when I first switched, there was a certain level of imposter syndrome due to the new-ness of some of the content in my courses. Some programs will have lists of things you should have read or had contact with before starting a program, and I highly recommend reading and familiarizing yourself with formative texts/theories in sociology before starting to make that transition easier.

[cec2021]

I haven't taken a single class labeled sociology and I have been accepted to 2/3 programs and have an interview with the third. I did do a very research/ social science heavy career and got letters of rec from sociologists or sociology-adjacent faculty. That was very important for me, because I think my prior studies were relevant and impressive (although not sociology) but my application really needed people who know what sociology is to say that they thought I can/should do a PhD in sociology. Perhaps you could get a letter from the PI on the computational social science project you were a part of. 

[lkaitlyn]

FYI, I had never taken a single sociology class before applying and wound up with nice funding at UCI, so it's really not a big deal. All my recommenders were from Gender Studies (maybe one English professor?). They don't care as long as you can articulate your research interests, fit with the department, and present strong recs.

[plants45]

It sounds like you have good reasons for going into sociology. I know that some programs specify a number of sociology courses needed to qualify, though I'm not sure if that is necessarily strictly adhered to. In my program, plenty of people come from non-soc backgrounds, and it's definitely not a problem for them. Everyone has to take the same first year coursework to get up to speed in the discipline. Sociology is so heterogeneous and interdisciplinary, it sounds like you'd fit right in.