Sociology Coterminal MA
Degree Requirements

 

The coterminal M.A. in Sociology is a flexible, self-designed program. Most students complete their M.A. in a fifth year at Stanford; occasionally students are able to complete their B.A. and coterminal M.A. in the fourth year. Typically, undergraduates apply in Autumn or Winter Quarter of their senior year.

Most Sociology coterms choose a field of study in which to concentrate their studies.

Research:

Because research methods are an important component of graduate training in the social sciences, coterminal students are encouraged to take SOC 180A, Foundations of Social Research, and 180B, Evaluation of Evidence, in sequence when possible. These methods courses provide skills for research opportunities within the department and in academic or professional careers.

Units and Grading:

To graduate with a Coterminal M.A. in Sociology, students must:

1. Complete 45 units of course work in their graduate career; 40 of these units must be in Sociology courses.  Note: All units for the coterminal M.A. must be taken at or above the 100 level; advanced-level course work is encouraged and a minimum of 20 units must be taken at the 200 level.
   
   
2. Take all courses applied to the coterminal master’s degree for a letter grade. Non-Sociology courses towards the coterm must be taken in the Social Sciences and must be pre-approved by the department.
   
   
3. Acheive a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) or better for all courses taken towards the M.A.

Fields of Study:

Choosing a field of study allows students to pursue a more focused program in one of the department's five fields of study. Students must complete 20 units of course work in their declared field of study, including at least one foundation course from their field of study. Sociology courses are listed by field of study in the Stanford Bulletin.

Field foundation courses, classified by field of study, are as follows:

1. Organizations, Business, and the Economy: SOC 114 or 160
2. Social Movements, Comparative Politics, and Social Change: SOC 110 or 118 or 130
3. Social Psychology and Interpersonal Processes: SOC 120 or 121
4. Social Stratification and Inequality: SOC 140

Outside Courses:

Students who want to take courses outside the department must seek prior approval from the Sociology student services office; coterminal master’s students are limited to 5 units from the Social Sciences outside of the department.

Independent Study and Directed Reading:

Students may take up to five units of independent study (IS) or directed reading (DR) to count towards the coterminal MA. These IS/DR units count as "outside courses," even when taken with a Sociology professor. In some cases, students may be pursuing in-depth research that requires additional IS/DR units. With faculty advisor support, students may petition to count additional IS or DR units towards the MA.

Transferring Courses:

Students may transfer a maximum of 10 units from their undergraduate career; to be eligible for transfer, courses must have been taken in the two quarters preceding admission to the M.A. program.

Advising:

Coterminal M.A. students should meet with their assigned faculty adviser upon acceptance to the program.

 

Back to top