Theory heavy/ light on the quantitative programs?

[lcc]

So I am finishing up a masters degree in a pretty much unrelated field (special education), although I did get my undergraduate degree in women's studies and sociology.

Anyway, I am looking to apply to soc PhD programs for fall 2012. Does anyone out there know of any programs that are strong, with a particular focus in theory, but have as few stats and other quantitative requirements as possible? I am a mathematics failure and don't want it to lead to the downfall of my academic career! Anything on the Eastern coast of the US would be a plus, but not a requirement.

Any suggestions and/or guidance is greatly appreciated!

[SocHope]

I can't really answer your specific question, but I certainly sympathize!

But I think even basic quantitative skills will serve you well, no matter what program you end up doing. Even if it's to help you understand other research that's out there. I bet if you took one or two Intro to Stats classes at a local state or community college, you'd find that the math isn't as bad as you might think. Some colleges even have statistics courses designed specifically for the social sciences, so those might be a good bet too.

I guess there are programs that overlook lack of (or not so stellar) quantitative skills, but it doesn't hurt to be well-rounded, right?

Edited April 8, 2011 by SocHope

[EDWF]

I'll be starting at the New School in the fall, its both heavy on theory and on the east coast. And the methods requirement can be filled by historical analysis and other qualitative courses as well.

And from what I've heard Brandeis is big on theory too. Hopefully that helps.

[jacib]

I'll be starting at the New School in the fall, its both heavy on theory and on the east coast. And the methods requirement can be filled by historical analysis and other qualitative courses as well.

And from what I've heard Brandeis is big on theory too. Hopefully that helps.

I wouldn't worry too much about the quant stuff. Most Ph.D. programs require one year of statistics... but a lot of that is just aimed for you actually being able to evaluate the statistics articles in the literature. Of all the students who took the required statistics class (that is, all those who didn't pass out of it because of previous stats experience), no one had any problems with it, even people who "hate math" and hadn't take a math course since high school (ten+ years for some people). Trust me, departments know that a lot of good sociologists just don't think like that; that's why these courses are usually taught in department, rather than say through the stats department Few of us plan to use stats in our research, but it is still absolutely necessary knowing it. There's a heavy emphasis on understanding what the numbers in articles mean, how to punch things into a computer, and how to interpret outputs. The actual emphasis on "math" was pretty minor, at least in my course (I actually ended up taking a Poli Sci stats class my second semester because the Sociology department's course wasn't "mathy" enough for me). STATA isn't that much harder than Excel.

[lambspam]

Jacib is completely right in my experience. I hadn't taken a math class since I was 15 before coming to grad school and was quivering in my boots, but I ended up loving quantitative methods. As noted above, most data classes focus on learning how to use the software and then knowing what the numbers mean when the computer spits them out. Seeing quant methods in context helps them make a lot more sense, so reading a lot of articles may make you more comfortable.

Also, quantitative skills are absolutely vital in both academic and non-academic job markets. From what I've heard, people who avoided developing them in grad school have a very hard time finding employment.