The Master of Science in Sociology degree is designed to give students in-depth knowledge of a variety of substantive areas in sociology and to help them develop into professional researchers or professionals working to directly support communities and/or organizations. Graduates from our master's program have obtained employment as research associates, data analysts, program officers, lecturers, and community organizers. Others continue from our master's program to pursue their PhD in sociology or a related field.

Our master's program is designed to equip students with training in the foundation of sociological methods, theory, and a set of substantive areas related to students' interests. Three courses covering methods and theory are required as part of the degree. The bulk of students' additional coursework consists of electives that allow them to pursue their passions and develop expertise in their area of interest.

In addition to coursework, students must complete either a thesis or comprehensive exam to fulfill the requirements of the master's degree. We describe these options below.

Thesis Option: Students choosing this option must write and defend a thesis, an original scholarly contribution. Most often, students write empirical papers that include data analysis and theoretical contributions. Students select and work closely with their thesis chair and committee in the completion of their project. With this option, students are required to complete core courses, 15 hours (five classes) of substantive courses, and 6 thesis hours to aid in the completion of their project, culminating in the successful defense of a thesis. Students who plan to pursue a PhD after completing the master's degree are strongly encouraged to take this option in the completion of their master's degree.

Non-Thesis Option: As an alternative to completing a thesis, students may instead complete a comprehensive exam on the topics, theories, and concepts covered throughout their master's degree coursework. The exam is administered by an advisory committee and generally taken during students' last semester. Students who choose this option are required to complete the core courses, 21 hours (seven classes) of substantive courses, and their comprehensive exam.

Undergraduate students at UNT interested in our master's degree may benefit from learning about the GradTrack program, which offers an accelerated bridge from undergraduate to graduate degrees. Additional information on this program is available in the Undergraduate page.

For up-to-date information about our master's programs and its requirements, please see the UNT graduate catalog.