ADMISSIONS  

We offer only the Ph.D. degree and do not have a master's degree program. Candidates can apply to the Ph.D. Program in Sociology with a B.A. degree or with a master's degree. We do not give preference to those with MA degrees. The program admits applicants only in the fall, with a December 15 application deadline. Candidates can obtain admissions applications from the Graduate Center's Admissions Office.
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Applicants must submit GRE scores for the verbal, math, and analytical tests. The tests must have been taken within the past five years. International students whose first language is not English must also submit TOEFL scores. Candidates must arrange to have full transcripts sent from each university or college they have attended, whether or not they received a degree from that institution. In addition, they must submit a personal statement describing their reasons for wanting to enter the Ph.D. Program in Sociology and at least two letters of recommendation. The sociology program also requires applicants to submit a writing sample. This can be a master's thesis, a term paper, or any other form of written work that conveys the applicant's quality of mind and ability to do academic work.

The Admissions Committee of the Sociology Program selects candidates who show intellectual curiosity, a serious interest in research, and academic ability as demonstrated in their prior record, GRE scores, and writing sample. The Committee considers all parts of a candidate's file in making decisions. There is no cutoff GRE score although a candidate with very low scores is unlikely to be admitted. Admission is quite competitive and we do not have room for all the good candidates who apply, but every application is given very serious attention and is read and discussed by members of the Admissions Committee.

Most of our applicants look forward to living in New York, seeing the city's vibrant cultural life as worth the challenge of living here. http://www.gc.cuny.edu/prospective_students/

Many students already have master's degrees, but we are happy to have students just starting graduate work. Our student body is highly diverse in terms of background, race/ethnicity, and age.

The Admissions and Awards Committee tries to make its decisions by April 1 or sooner. In cases where we are offering students funding, we try to inform those students by March 15.

We recommend that applicants visit the sociology program. You are welcome to sit in on classes, meet professors, and talk with our students about what the program is ìreallyî like. You are also welcome to come to one of our colloquium presentations. Once a month, on Friday afternoons, from 3 to 5, we have outside speakers, with the talks followed by a reception in our 6th floor lounge. This is a very good way to meet people informally and discuss common interests.

If you want to make an appointment with the program's Executive Officer (Professor Paul Attewell) or Admissions Committee Chair (Professor John Torpey), Please email them. We will arrange appointments with other professors you would like to meet.