This page is meant to give general information about pursuing sociology as part of the MAIS (as minor area), as well as to help you through the process of applying for admission and moving through the graduate degree.
You can find more detail on admissions criteria and procedures at the OSU Admissions website. If you have specific questions about admission to the Department of Sociology, contact the Graduate Advisor, Michelle Inderbitzin, MLI@oregonstate.edu.
The MAIS is granted for the attainment of broad, advanced knowledge and achievement integrated from three fields of study. Almost any graduate major or minor offered by Oregon State may serve as a field for this degree. At least one field must be selected from among the programs in the College of Liberal Arts. Two of the three fields may be from one department.
The Department of Sociology does not accommodate requests to declare sociology as a major area in the MAIS program, but on a quarterly basis it does review and accept qualified students wishing to declare sociology as a minor area of study. If a student requests to declare two minor fields in sociology, the areas of concentration within the department must be different. Sociology offers four fields of concentration:
When students apply for a minor field in Sociology, they must specify the area(s) of concentration (from the above list).
To ensure that students have adequately explored how the
Sociology department can contribute to their inter-disciplinary
graduate education, and to ensure that the department has adequate
personnel to assist students, prospective students, prior to
applying, should first directly contact prospective committee
members from among the Sociology faculty to inquire about their
willingness to serve as a committee member. Faculty interests and
expertise are indicated on the Faculty page of this website. With
this provisional approval secured from the faculty member, students
should then proceed with the normal MAIS application process,
indicating in their statement of purpose which Sociology professor
has agreed to serve. Note that if two minor areas of Sociology are
declared, then two Sociology faculty must be on the committee.
A total of 45 credits is required for the MAIS degree. This
includes a minimum of 9 credits in each of the three fields; at
least 12 credits in the College of Liberal Arts; and no more than
21 credits in any one field unless the 45 credit total has been
exceeded.
Students will select one major area and two minor areas. The graduate committee represents the three fields, with a faculty member from the major department serving as the student's Graduate Committee Chair. In addition to coursework, students are expected to engage in a significant independent scholarly project. Students may choose one of two options for this project:
All students interested in applying for admission to the MAIS with a minor area in sociology must contact the Graduate Advisor in the Department prior to doing so.
There are three relevant issues to be aware of when you apply: admission standards for the university and departments, the application materials required, and the timeline for application and admission. Note that international students have additional requirements for the application process and standards for admission.
It is important to know what the admissions standards are before you apply. The university sets general standards for all students. However, the Department of Sociology has additional requirements that must also be met.
The Office of Admission and Orientation processes and evaluates graduate applications according to admission standards set by the Graduate School. Those standards include:
In addition to these, the Department of Sociology also has some additional standards for admission:
If a student has not had the required background in
sociology/social science, but does meet university standards, the
department may give a "provisional admission." This would require
the student to enroll in one or more sociology classes before
beginning graduate study. The student would be required to earn a
grade of B or higher in these courses.
There is further detail available on Standards for Admission in the Graduate Catalog. It is online at: http://catalog.oregonstate.edu/Default.aspx?section=Graduate
Applying for admission is described in detail on the OSU Admissions website.
Here we summarize the process, highlighting the information relevant for your application to the Department of Sociology.
The Office of Admissions processes and evaluates graduate
applications according to admission standards set by the Graduate
School and the Graduate Council.
You must submit ALL your application materials at one time to the Office of Admissions. You are encouraged to contact your academic program(s) of interest to determine whether additional admissions materials are required beyond those listed below. To assure prompt processing of your application, please follow these instructions carefully.
Please collect and mail all of the following materials in one packet to:
Office of AdmissionsMAIS applicants must submit an original and four copies of the application form.
Application forms required for admission to the Graduate School are available from the Office of Admission and Orientation, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-2106. The office is located on the first floor of the Kerr Administration Building at OSU, and the phone number is (541) 737-4411. An electronic application is also available on the web at http://oregonstate.edu
Note: If you apply on the web, you are still responsible for providing the appropriate number of copies of all other required material (outlined below).
$50 check or money order in U.S. dollars, payable to Oregon State University, for the nonrefundable application fee.
MAIS applicants must submit five photocopies of all transcripts (not grade slips or reports) of previous academic work, undergraduate and graduate. Transcripts showing the last 90 quarter (60 semester) credit hours of graded work of the first baccalaureate degree must be included. All graduate and post-baccalaureate transcripts must be included. International applicants must provide a certified English translation of their academic transcripts. If you are admitted, two official transcripts from the above institutions must be received by the Office of Admissions prior to your second term of registration.
MAIS applicants must submit four copies of a statement of objectives and particular fields of interest. It is important for students to clearly identify in this statement their interest in studying sociology at Oregon State University. Students are strongly encouraged to peruse the department website to identify relevant courses and faculty that will match their interests. As indicated above, students must indicate in their statement of objectives which faculty member(s) has/have provisionally agreed to serve on the student's committee if the student is admitted. The fit between a student's interests and the department's resources (courses and faculty) is necessary to be admitted to the program.
Applicants are required to specify a concentration within sociology. If the applicant is requesting two fields of sociology, two concentrations should be specified. Areas of concentration include:
Three letters of professional reference are required of all students, addressed to the proposed major department/program. MAIS applicants must submit three copies of each of their three letters of professional reference (one original and two copies). If you have a master's degree, one of your letters should be from your major professor. Reference letters should be written on official letterhead.
If you are an international applicant, please also send the following documents with your application materials:
MAIS applicants must submit four photocopies of their TOEFL score. If you are admitted, your official TOEFL score must be received by the Office of Admissions prior to the start of your first term of enrollment.
Minimum TOEFL scores required for admission are:
Financial certificate with supporting documentation, demonstrating sufficient financial resources for the desired academic program.
The Department of Sociology reviews applications for admission once a month during the academic year (September 16 to June 15). The following scheduled should be used for applications:
| Term You Want to Begin Classes | Deadline for Receipt of ALL Materials To the Department of Sociology * |
|---|---|
| Fall | May 15 |
| Winter | Nov 15 |
| Spring | Feb 15 |
* It is imperative that ALL materials reach the department by this date. So submit materials to the Graduate School in advance of this date. Incomplete applications will be deferred until complete.
Be aware that if you change your program in any way after it is submitted (e.g., changing major and/or minor areas), this is treated as a new application and reviewed the following month.
You will receive a letter from the Department when we receive your application. In that letter we will indicate if the application is complete, of if there are materials missing. The Graduate Admissions Committee cannot review your application until it is complete.
The Graduate Admissions Committee of the Department of Sociology meets once per term (November 15, February 15, and May 15). The committee reviews the materials from students only if they have met the university's standards for admission and if applications are complete. We make a recommendation to the Department Chair based on the following:
After the Committee makes its recommendations, the Department Chair will contact the student with a decision. A letter will also be sent from the Graduate School. If a student does not hear from the Department within one month of our receipt of a complete application, please contact the Graduate Advisor Michelle Inderbitzin, MLI@oregonstate.edu
When you receive a letter of acceptance from the Department of Sociology you should contact the faculty member who has agreed to serve on your committee.
In addition to meeting with the student's major advisor, the student should contact the sociology faculty member(s) on the committee. At this meeting you will get help on selecting appropriate courses for the minor area(s) of concentration you have chosen. Your sociology committee member will also be interested in any early thoughts on your ideas for a thesis or research paper.
Students should review a copy of the "Graduate School Survival Guide" and may wish to bring it with them to the first meeting with their sociology department committee member. The Guide is available at the Graduate School office in Kerr Administration, or on the web at http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/Survival_Guide/survival.html. This guide sets out important timelines necessary to remember on the way to graduation. One critical and early deadline:
Note: The 18 hour rule is in force for the initial filing of a program. Students can (with the approval from affected units) change their programs (including their areas of concentration and departmental affiliations) after filing the initial program.
You can obtain the forms for filing a program online at: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/Survival_Guide/forms.htm. Plan on meeting with your advisor each term.
MAIS students with a secondary area in Sociology must complete a minimum of 9 credits in Sociology. The MAIS program requires that students complete 9 units in each of the three fields; at least 12 credits in the College of Liberal Arts; and no more than 21 credits in any one field unless the 45 credit total has been exceeded.
Also, MAIS students with a secondary area in sociology are required to take EITHER a "theory-based" OR a "methods-based" course. Courses can be selected from the following:
Reminder: All students must meet the prerequisites for these courses.
Discuss the options of a thesis versus research paper with your major professor and with your sociology minor committee member. Once you have decided on an option, you will need to observe the appropriate guidelines.
You need to write a Thesis Proposal and present it to your committee. The thesis proposal can be presented at your Program Committee meeting (required prior to the completion of 18 credits). However, if you do not have a thesis idea formulated at this point, you should plan on a second meeting of your committee. The Graduate School does not require a separate meeting for this proposal, but if you have a major area specified in sociology, plan to meet with at least the representatives of your three substantive areas to discuss your thesis plan. Remember that the thesis option requires that you integrate your three areas of study into your project.
Theses must follow Graduate School guidelines. Obtain the style guide from the OSU Bookstore or from the Graduate School website: ( http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/Survival_Guide/compthesis.htm ).
A meeting of your graduate committee is not required for a Research Paper proposal. A student selecting this option works primarily with the major professor (Graduate Committee Chair). Criteria for style and organization of the research paper are at the discretion of the major professor. However, it is strongly recommended that once the major professor accepts a proposal for a research paper the student then distribute it to all committee members for feedback.
When completed, both the thesis and the research paper must be presented before the student's committee for approval. Students must follow Graduate School Procedure on scheduling the final defense. Those rules are found online at: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/Survival_Guide/scheduling.htm
Oregon State University holds a spring commencement each year for those obtaining advanced degrees at any time during the previous academic year. Deadlines for application and receipt of degrees are found online at: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/Survival_Guide/deadlines.htm