Sociology programs include Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Undergraduate programs require four years of study and can be completed online or on campus. Graduate programs require specialization and research, with a PhD being the most rigorous and time-consuming. Graduates may work in teaching, research, or public policy making.
Sociology is the study of various institutions and realities that exist within and affect the organization of human society, such as gender, religion, race or class. Those who want to work in the field of sociology will likely need to complete a degree in the field. The most common types of sociology programs are the Bachelor of Arts (BA), Master of Arts (MA), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). These programs vary in difficulty, duration and the range of careers for which graduates are prepared.
Many colleges and universities offer sociology programs at the undergraduate level, leading to a bachelor’s degree. These programs typically require four years of full-time study and can be completed on a traditional college campus or, less commonly, through an online program. Some bachelor of sociology programs require students to specialize in a specific area of sociology, such as aging or social inequalities, while others provide an overview of the field. A BA program typically involves completing several sociology classes in addition to some electives in other areas. While a bachelor’s degree in sociology can prepare students for some entry-level careers, an undergraduate degree is usually required to advance in this field.
Graduate programs in sociology include master’s and doctoral degrees. A master’s in sociology usually takes two to three years of full-time study to complete. Most programs require students to specialize in a specific area of sociology, and they are usually required to complete classes in that area, as well as study research methods. At the end of a master’s program in sociology, students are usually required to complete a major research project or thesis. Those with a master’s degree in sociology may qualify to work in a variety of fields, such as high school, research, and public policy making.
Of all sociology programs, the PhD in sociology is the most time-consuming and rigorous. Like most doctoral programs, it can take five years or more to complete. Students typically spend their first few years completing seminars on various sociological topics. They then choose an area of specialization and conduct original research in that area, writing their findings into a dissertation that must be defended before a committee. After completing a doctorate in sociology, graduates may be eligible for a range of positions, such as teaching at the faculty level, working as advisors, or taking on a wide variety of research roles.
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