Question - Graduate School Research Experience

[lewhenry]

Hello! I'm interested in applying to Sociology programs for graduate study. I finished my undergrad with a double major from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business in May 2016. I have professors who are willing to write letters of rec and I recently took the GRE and scored in the mid 80th percentile for both verbal and analytical writing, but only 60th for quantitative (damn you, math).  However, as a business major, I gained little to no research experience and really don't have a writing/research sample that programs require you submit. 

 

My question being - is there a way for me to gain this research experience? Also, any general advice on pursuing a PhD in Sociology would be helpful. I'm a first gen college student, so navigating this can be a bit confusing. Thank you very much in advance!

[theorynetworkculture]

MA programs are one way: Chicago MAPSS, NYU's AQR program etc. You can also looks to work at various research institutes, like the pop. centers at many universities (NORC at Chicago for example). But "research experience" can also be a really nebulous turn of phrase: what kind of research are you looking to do? I don't think a budding ethnographer would be interested in working as ICPSR or NORC.

[oldacct]

I think MAs work for many people, but I would try to avoid it if at all possible. That said, changing fields can be difficult and it may be a good way to go. 

Like the above poster, there are some research centers and think tanks you may be able to work at. Also, see if there are any research opportunities with your past professors or anybody at your school in a relevant area. You may find that your mentors don't have research for you to work on but are connected to someone who is looking for help.

You're going to need a writing sample. I would begin working on that by yourself since you won't be able to really submit anything co-written. If you don't think you'll need a full-fledged MA experience, taking sociology courses as a non-degree student may work -- but typically they are pricey. 

Depending on what programs you want to be accepted into, you'll probably want to retake your GREs. While a good GRE won't make your application probably, it will keep you in the running. 

 

 

[lewhenry]

13 hours ago, theorynetworkculture said:

MA programs are one way: Chicago MAPSS, NYU's AQR program etc. You can also looks to work at various research institutes, like the pop. centers at many universities (NORC at Chicago for example). But "research experience" can also be a really nebulous turn of phrase: what kind of research are you looking to do? I don't think a budding ethnographer would be interested in working as ICPSR or NORC.

That's very helpful! Thank you for the advice! I honestly appreciate it. All the best.

[lewhenry]

2 hours ago, sociologicals said:

I think MAs work for many people, but I would try to avoid it if at all possible. That said, changing fields can be difficult and it may be a good way to go. 

Like the above poster, there are some research centers and think tanks you may be able to work at. Also, see if there are any research opportunities with your past professors or anybody at your school in a relevant area. You may find that your mentors don't have research for you to work on but are connected to someone who is looking for help.

You're going to need a writing sample. I would begin working on that by yourself since you won't be able to really submit anything co-written. If you don't think you'll need a full-fledged MA experience, taking sociology courses as a non-degree student may work -- but typically they are pricey. 

Depending on what programs you want to be accepted into, you'll probably want to retake your GREs. While a good GRE won't make your application probably, it will keep you in the running. 

 

 

Ah - OK. Those are both great recommendations. Thank you so much. I will connect with my mentors about that. 

In regards to the GRE, what percentiles would make me reasonably competitive for Sociology? A sincere apology if this is a dumb question. 

Thank you so much for your help so far. It really is appreciated. 

[rising_star]

What are your interests? What areas of sociology do you see yourself pursuing as a graduate student? You'll want to tailor the kind of experience you seek to your goals. If you want to pursue ethnography, you may want to spend time immersing yourself in another culture. If you're interested in survey work, you may try to find a job for NORC. You might also look to see if you can find a job as a research assistant in a sociology lab/department.

[dagnabbit]

I second the above advice to retake the GRE. Your current scores are definitely respectable, but as an out-of-field applicant you need to give every possible signal that you can handle the workload of a PhD student in the social sciences. Go to the results page and look at the profiles of past applicants who were admitted to the programs that you would like to attend, and make it your goal to score (at least) as well as the median admit.