Dr. Jeffrey Kentor
Director of Graduate Studies
Sociology Graduate Program
380 S 1530 E Rm 301
Salt Lake City UT 84112-0250

Graduate School Admission
Department Admission
Continuous Registration Requirement
Residency Requirement

Graduate School Admission

Prospective graduate students must apply for admission to the graduate program in sociology through both the Graduate School (via application to the University Admissions Office) and the Department of Sociology.

Click on "How to Apply" (left menu) for instructions and links to both application forms.

Admission to the Graduate School requires:

1. An undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0, based on all undergraduate work or work completed during the last two years of undergraduate study
2. A bachelor's degree from a fully accredited college or university
3. Approval of the faculty in the Department of Sociology
4. Approval of the Graduate School

International students must meet additional requirements and should consult the Admissions Office web site.

The requirements listed above are minimum requirements only and do not guarantee admission to a graduate program. Applicants are evaluated with respect to both Graduate School and departmental requirements and in reference to the pool of available applicants.

Students should regularly consult the on-line General Catalog, the Graduate School, and departmental web sites for any changes to University and/or Graduate School or departmental policies.

To be considered for admission to the graduate program in sociology, the department Graduate Committee must receive all required application materials, including the Graduate School referral, before 01 April.

Application materials are reviewed by the Graduate Committee and recommendations for admission are made to the department faculty. Upon final approval by the faculty, notification on admission decisions is issued by the Graduate Director in late May or early June.

Admission to the graduate program in sociology requires a strong undergraduate foundation in sociology or a related field, including research methodology from a fully accredited college or university. Students are admitted only to work toward the doctorate, although a master's degree may be earned during the course of study (a Master of Statistics in Sociology is also available). Students already having the masters degree are encouraged to apply. Except in extraordinary circumstances, students may enter the program only at the beginning of Fall term.

Continuous Registration Requirement

All graduate students must maintain minimum registration from the time of formal admission through completion of all requirements for the degree unless granted an official leave of absence (see "Leaves of Absence" under "Registration" in the on-line Graduate Handbook at the Graduate School web site). If continuous registration is not maintained and official leave of absence is not obtained, the Graduate School terminates the supervisory committee and deactivates the graduate file. Application for readmission is required to reactivate a graduate file.

A masters degree requires a minimum of 30 credit hours, 24 credit hours of which must be completed in the program of study at the University of Utah. The doctorate requires that one full year (two consecutive semesters) be spent in full-time academic work at the University of Utah. When a student proceeds directly from a master's degree to a doctoral program with no break in the program of study (except for official leaves of absence), the residency requirement may be fulfilled at any time during the course of study. A full load is nine credit hours. After the residency requirement is fulfilled, three credit hours of thesis research or faculty consultation will satisfy the minimum continuing registration requirements (see "Registration" in the on-line Graduate Handbook at the Graduate School web site).

September 2004