Applying to PhD Programs in Sociology With No Research Experience and a RADICALLY Different Undergrad Degree

[Sam Victor]

Hello,

 

I'd like to lay down some background first before getting to my queries. I'm from India and went through four years of Mechanical Engineering for my undergrad at a really good engineering college (I graduated in the top 5% of the class and scored 9.2/10). My focus was always on going to college to make money after graduating and so looking at an MBA after undergrad seemed like a logical next step. I got into a couple of top deferred admissions programs (Indian School of Business and IESE, Barcelona to be precise) and then got a job with Google. I'm currently close to a year into work, and if I just continue down this path and do an MBA a year later (which I don't need to apply for because I already have an offer), I'm sure I'll make a ton of money.

 

The problem I face is this: I don't enjoy what I'm doing. I was unhappy through my undergrad and I'm not very happy with my work either. I don't see myself being very happy with an MBA. What would make me happy is studying sociology and eventually working in research or academia. I swear to God when I say that if i could go back in time, I'd do things differently. I was part of the herd of students who went into engineering or medicine just because of the opportunities in the fields.

 

I want to drastically alter my path and study sociology. I have given myself one and a half years (until December 2016) to do as much pre-work as I can before applying to anything. Unfortunately, because of the nature of my misguided ambition, I haven't had any prior research experience (I focused more on internships, volunteer work, extra-curriculars and practical experience). I did carry out a semester long project at Purdue University in my final semester as part of an exchange program, but did not publish a paper and the project isn't all that in terms of research exposure.

 

Now with the scene laid out, here are a few questions I have:

 

1. Will good PhD programs in the US want me without research experience? (Will average or not-so-good ones want me?)

2. Is there anything I can do over the next year and a half to offset this lack of experience? What else can I do to be considered a competitive candidate?

3. Should I consider doing something else instead of a PhD?

4. Are there others like me? What do they do?

 

My family isn't loaded and so I will most certainly need some kind of scholarship or funding to be able to pursue a PhD in the States. I'd prefer to study in the US as opposed to India, if finances permit, of course. Let's assume, for the sake of furthering this discussion, that I've got my statement of purpose completely figured out and know exactly what area of research to work in.

 

I implore you, reader, to leave your comments, no matter how acerbic, and share your knowledge and advice with me. Thank you, in advance, for taking the time to read this.

 

Sam

 

 

[Jay's Brain]

First of all, I congratulate you on your fine standing in your current field, but more so for your fortitude in embarking on this radical change to your career path.  

 

The positive in this is that your prior experience, albeit vastly different from what you plan to pursue, may not be the worse off when it comes time to applications. Assuming as you say that you have the SOP and research field figured out, I think the most ambitious part that you must tackle is how you can translate your prior experiences into a way that suggests your interests in this change. I think in a field like Sociology, where you are studying social behaviour and community, experiences with different skill sets is an added bonus. 

 

In the year and a half to follow, I strongly suggest you invest some time into pursuing experiences that will enhance your application, especially into a field as broad and diverse as Sociology. Again, with diversity of Sociology, your volunteer experiences may not do as much harm as you think. Working with people and translating that into tangible roles are all good ways to approach any discipline in the social sciences. Being that you have such an unique case, I think that will be taken into consideration even if your experiences within the field are a bit different. Thorough research and communication skills are a big asset in the social sciences. Those are transferable skills that you can definitely bring to light to convince potential advisors that you have the skill set to pursue this field (I would assume based on your CV that you have all the right aptitude already). 

Finally, if your ultimate goal is to do a PhD in Sociology, don't stop short of it. Most people in these forums have had their fair shares of troubles as to what held them back during graduate applications. There's always a way to work around it.

My advice most likely didn't answer your questions, but I just wanted to respond as a way to fully support your decision to pursue something you're interested in! It's hard to do so, especially when the career change is so drastic.

Good luck!

 

EDIT: I would highly recommend you look through this too, and speak with the Sociology professor who is running this thread: 

Edited May 13, 2015 by Jay's Brain

[Sam Victor]

Thank you, Mr. Brain, for your kind words of encouragement and valuable advice!

 

To enhance my application over the next year and a half, I was looking at this fellowship in India called the Young India Fellowship (http://www.youngindiafellowship.com/Default.aspx). It's a multi-disciplinary program covering a wide range of fields across liberal arts, social sciences and business. The program comes highly recommended from a lot of people and I was considering using it as a launching platform to make for a better application. I'm going to end up applying to PhD programs in the same cycle as before (Fall 2016, matriculating 2017), just that I won't be working for a year and will go through a lot of rigorous training and skill development. It will also, in all likelihood, give me a chance to hone my research skills in order to make up for the lack of a targeted writing sample.

 

Could I trouble you, Mr. Brain, to take a look at the website of the program and share your thoughts?

 

Thank you for your help!

[Jay's Brain]

"Mr. Brain" haha 

 

My lack of knowledge in the academic opportunities in India notwithstanding, it seems like the program is a great fit for you in terms of harnessing the skills that you probably have, but do not have tangible/concrete ways to show them. That's probably the main thing you currently "lack", but I doubt that will be a problem in two years as you've given yourself a bit of time to catch up.

 

Another thing in Sociology, of course, is the need for a strong quantitative skill set since there is quite a bit of statistical knowledge involved. Given your engineering background, you may already have a lot of what is expected which will be invaluable to the application. If you need a refresher, however, there is an ongoing MOOC on Coursera by the University of Zurich that is called "Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences" being offered. Take a look at that too if necessary. 

Overall, use the time between now and 2016/2017 to strongly hone the training and development that is required for your application when the time comes. I'm starting my graduate career this September, so hopefully in a couple of years I'll hear about you pursuing the same!

Again, best of luck!

[duran0]

What are your research interests? If they are, say, in quantitative sociology or multinational companies and neoliberalism it will be easier to make your background relevant. There are lots of people who go into sociology PhD programs without a sociology BA, but you'll need to prove that you understand the field. That said, it'll be hard if you don't have any letters from social scientists or a clear sense of why your project belongs in sociology.

I would apply to a range of PhD and MA programs. There's a list of funded MA programs floating around, but I'd also look at European programs, where the tuition is quite cheap. Hope this helps - good luck!

[_kita]

1. Will good PhD programs in the US want me without research experience? (Will average or not-so-good ones want me?)

 

As you stand now, there's no guarantee that a 'good program' will accept. Usually they look for a triple threat (research, academics, and teaching/leadership) of experiences. You have the makings of a strong Personal Statement. But without the experience, how do the committees know that this is the better direction for you?

 

 

2. Is there anything I can do over the next year and a half to offset this lack of experience? What else can I do to be considered a competitive candidate?

You're thinking along the right track. Getting experience. The volunteer and hands-on experience is fanastic. Furthermore, there are research summer programs out there. You can also talk to sociology professors about if you can get involved with their projects. Explain that you are considering switching fields and are interested in getting involved in research.

 

3. Should I consider doing something else instead of a PhD?

If you want the PhD. Go for it. I just suggest getting some more credentials on the application when you do!

 

4. Are there others like me? What do they do?

Absolutely. And, most of the successful ones invest the time commitment to strengthen their applications. They work hard entry level jobs, find research opportunities and get involved, find strong recommenders in the field they aspire for etc. It is possible. And go for it. 

[MaxWeberHasAPosse]

You should look at UCSD's Science and Technology Studies program. It's amazing, one of the best in the world. Many of the students never studied sociology in their undergrads. Rather, they are interested in studying the science as a practice, and its implication(s) on society (and other cool stuff like the philosophy of science and the sociology of knowledge). 

 

Many of the students studied physics, biology, or engineering. 

 

I highly recommend you look into it. 

[Sam Victor]

Thank you, everyone, for your amazing advice and kind words of encouragement! As I set upon this journey, I will hopefully be able to return to this forum eventually with a happy success story!

[DeerDreams]

 

I would apply to a range of PhD and MA programs. There's a list of funded MA programs floating around, but I'd also look at European programs, where the tuition is quite cheap. Hope this helps - good luck!

 

Dear duran0,

I am sorry to be a askaholic. Could you provide me some names of funded MA programs? I searched some schools' website and are dismayed to discover the unpromising funding situation in sociology dept. One of my friend is a PhD at UCLA, and she says, "I am from UC, to save time, let's just say I am always poor with funding."

Many thanks!

[MaxWeberHasAPosse]

   

Dear duran0,

I am sorry to be a askaholic. Could you provide me some names of funded MA programs? I searched some schools' website and are dismayed to discover the unpromising funding situation in sociology dept. One of my friend is a PhD at UCLA, and she says, "I am from UC, to save time, let's just say I am always poor with funding."

Many thanks!

I think that sometimes the departments will cover part or all of the cost of tuition. I'm not sure if the MA is funded in the same way as a PhD (where we get a salary). For the most part, the MA is to strengthen one's application so that they can be more competitive for a PhD. 

 

I've heard (via this forum) that the University of Chicago MA in the social sciences has found a great deal of success in placing students in top 30 programs.

[sociologyguy12]

^ advising anyone to visit socjobrumors is a dumb idea. There's no discussion of actual sociology nor are there any "job rumors." Instead, it's just a bunch of graduate students moaning and groaning about dumb and sometimes racist stuff. It's extremelly unlikely that you're a facutly member at a top 20 university. Odds are you're a graduate student, especially given the way you articulated most of your points here.

 

Also, it's unfortuanate that you look so poorly upon letters from people outside of sociology. If we want to add anecdotal experiences into the equation, I didn't major in sociology and only one of my letters was from a sociologist. I was fortunate gain admission into several top 30 programs and waitlisted at a few others. Prior to submitting my application, no faculty members at any institutions I applied to expressed concern over my letters. They all told me it would be fine.

 

Other than that, I don't have a problem with your advice.