Every graduate student admitted to our program is fully supported through assistantships
and other funding opportunities.
Graduate
Choosing sociology at USC for your postgraduate studies opens up a range of career prospects from research or education to communications or government service, and much more in the public and private sectors.
Embrace academic excellence
Hone your research and analytical skills through focused research clusters examining
gender and family, health and well-being, social psychology and social networks.
Students in our graduate programs engage in rigorous academic analysis in a highly
productive department. They work with award-winning faculty members with focused expertise
in a lab space curated for sociological research.
We keep our graduate cohorts small so you receive support and attention from mentors
who take a genuine interest in your success. Because of the outstanding faculty support,
our students have high publication records and earn competitive placements for internships
and jobs.
Programs
We offer two graduate programs. Applicants benefit from a social sciences background,
but it is not essential to success in our programs.
Sociology, M.A.
Sociology, Ph.D.
If you don’t have a master’s degree, you can still apply for the Ph.D. program in
sociology. You will then earn an M.A. during the course of your Ph.D. work.
The average time to complete a Ph.D. is about six and a half years for students with
a bachelor's degree. Students entering with an M.A. in sociology will finish in less
time.
As a sociology graduate student, I learned how to do research with different methods,
construct theory and think critically about research. As a professor, that’s what
I do everyday. I teach people how social systems shape society. My students realize
that sociology is about everybody and is applicable to every field.
Ashley Harrell completed her Ph.D. in sociology at USC. Now, she's using the skills
she gained here in her career as a research professor at Duke University.
Curriculum and Requirements
Looking for more specific information about sociology courses offered and graduation requirements? Check the academic bulletin.
Our Graduate Student Handbook [pdf] helps guide you through the department-specific requirements for your degree and
is a complement to the Graduate Studies Bulletin. For further information, contact
our Graduate Program Director, Andrea Henderson at 803-777-3123.
Department Awards
We recognize our graduate students annually with various awards for academic and teaching
excellence.
The Graduate Student Teaching Award recognizes outstanding teaching and excellence
in the classroom for a student who is an instructor-of-record.
The Graduate Student Publication Award for both sole-authored and co-authored publications.
Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.
