Sociology

[DUguy333]

Hey guys,

I'm a Master's Student in Urban Studies at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC. I graduated last year with a BA in Geography at a US university and over the course of the past year have decided to pursue my doctorate eventually in Sociology. My question to you all is, do I need to have an MA in Sociology as well? Would my MA in Urban Studies suffice as qualifiable for a Ph.D.? Also, I know in some disciplines, they prefer to see you've had work experience between your BA/MA and Ph.D. before applying. Does this generally hold true for Sociology? Thank you for any help!

[rising_star]

The field of your MA probably won't matter, since it's in a related field.

[Dreams]

My question to you all is, do I need to have an MA in Sociology as well?

Would my MA in Urban Studies suffice as qualifiable for a Ph.D.?

they prefer to see you've had work experience between your BA/MA and Ph.D. before applying. Does this generally hold true for Sociology?

rising_star is correct about your degree. Most doctoral Sociology programs do not require a previous degree directly in Sociology, but do require related coursework. Since your MA is in a related field, it will likely not hurt your chances in a Sociology PhD program.

What you failed to mention in your post is what research experience you have. These programs place strong emphasis on previous research experience, and not necessarily on professional work experience. Work experience tells nothing of how strong an academic you will be. If you have research experience, I advise you to highlight it in your application and statement, as well as outline your proposed research interests for your intended degree and how that particular program fits in with this. It does not have to be super-detailed, but you should have some vague idea of what you intend to pursue.

While this is optional, I would also talk about about how your Geography and Urban Studies background have equipped you to be successful in a doctoral Sociology program.

If you have little research experience, you may want to have one of your references address this in the letter they write for you.

Good luck

[misterpat]

We read a few geography articles in the graduate level sociology class I took. You should have no problems switching. I've heard that sociology departments love converting people from other disciplines.