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BYU Sociology BYU Sociology Graduate Graduate Program: Program: Master of Master of Science Science DegreeDegreeGraduate Coordinator: Mikaela Dufur

The question everyone asks: What can you do with an MS degree in sociology?

• Get into PhD programs – Chicago, Northwestern, Princeton, Wisconsin– Michigan, Arizona, Harvard, etc.

• Get into law programs– Stanford, Michigan, etc.

• Become a researcher/data analyst– Study a problem; come up with solutions.– Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Education, – CIA/FBI, etc.

• Become a management consultant– Help companies run better

• Work with a nonprofit or development organization– Evaluate programs; Change the world.

Findings From ASA Surveys of Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD Recipients

Provide information on sociologists’ participation in the non-academic job market.

“What Can I do with a Master’s Degree in Sociology?”

3 year longitudinal survey starting in 2006

Roberta Spalter-Roth

Director of Research

American Sociological Association

Working Full-Time Jobs 40%

Attending Graduate School 60.0%

Program Coordination & ManagementCase Work & Counseling

Table 3. Where Are They? Master's Degree

Recipients: 2009

Research Assistants, Associates, Directors

Source: ASA Research Development Department, What Can I Do With a Master's Degree in Sociology? 2009

• The majority of master’s program graduates were attending graduate school during the 2009 short follow-up survey.

• The 40% who were working in full time jobs clustered into 3 types of occupations: Research, Program Coordination and Case Work/Counseling.

56.2

61.3

63.6

66.8

71.0

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Interpret findings

Write a report

Computer skills

Organizeinformation

Work with people

Source: ASA Research Development Department, What Can I Do With a Master's Degree in Sociology? 2009

Figure 7. Skills Used by Sociology Master's Recipients Most Often on the Job (in percents)

Even though 2/3 of jobs require technical skills including computer, organizational, and report-writing skills, master’s graduates report that “people skills” are the most widely used skills in their jobs.

Recent Graduates• Raechel LizonJuvenile Court Report Card to the Community:Juvenile Court Research Analyst, Salt

Lake City.Juvenile Court Report Card to the

Community: Race and Ethnicity Details

• Sachi JensenSachi received a joint Master of Arts in Public Policy and Juris Doctor (MA/JD) degree from Stanford. She currently works for Freedom Now, an international human rights nonprofit and the law firm Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C.

• Matthew CollingProgram Director, Help International, a

non-profit that sends over one hundred students and young professionals around the world annually on humanitarian missions.

Recent Graduates

• Paul HarrisCurrently a PhD Student in Criminology at

the Florida State University.

Worked on Real Victory project at BYU.

How is graduate school different from an undergraduate program?

• Attend small seminar classes (usually 4 to 10 students) where you discuss course topics and readings.

• Take fewer classes: 9-10 credits per semester.

• Classes: theory, methods, electives on substantive topics.

• Work with faculty doing research, writing and teaching.

• Complete your own research project.

MS Degree Program Purpose1) Know the research methods, computing and statistical

skills, and qualitative techniques.

2) Understand the principal theories of sociology and how these theories may be used address key questions and frame research.

3) Understand the current state of sociological research and theories on at least one substantive topic:

e.g., crime and delinquency, family, gender, community, race and ethnicity, education, migration, organizations, religion, etc.

Why get an M.S. in Sociology at Brigham Young University?

We have a track record of getting our students into top PhD programs, law programs, and careers in development and research.

Special area strengths:Community, Demography, Education, Family,

International Development, Race, Research Methods (including applied methods, assessment research), Criminology, Criminology.

Good financial support Usually 20 hours/week in RA/TA work

What are the prerequisites?• Bachelor’s Degree in sociology (or related

field)• Soc 111: Introduction to Sociology• Soc 300: Methods of Research in Sociology• Stat 121: Basic Statistics• Soc 310: Classical Social Theory• Soc 311: Contemporary Social Theory

How do you apply?• Application includes:

– Official transcript(s)– 3 Letters of

Recommendation– Statement of Intent– Honor Code

commitment• Earned 3.0 GPA in last

60 semester hours• Submit GRE scores• Submit an Academic

Writing Sample

About 8 -12 students are admitted each year.

Before applying, you should ...Assess your own skills, interests and

experience

Research graduate programs that include your interests

Find out what they want – their “wish list” of qualifications for competitive students

Match yourself to the program’s criteria and provide of evidence that: CAN do graduate work (ability) WANT to do graduate work (motivation) Will FIT into the program (your interests match the program)

The Law of Personal Statements?

Look like a graduate student already.

Statement of IntentBreak your statement into four sections:

1. Skill/Competence

“As I hope my application conveys, I have the skills to be successful in your program.”

2. Interest/Commitment

“Throughout my schooling, I have maintained a commitment to

understanding the cause of inequality, from the conception of

an idea, to the presentation of original research.”

3. Evidence

“I have focused on acquiring the research skills necessary to excel in graduate school. I have taken four upper division research methods courses, presented original research six times, and submitted three manuscripts for publication.”

4. Fit

“The graduate problem at XYZ University is a perfect combination of life course research and demographic analysis for the research agenda I am eager to continue.”

Risk-ReductionSuperlatives are a sign that you lack evidence!

“This is the best program in the whole world!”

“I love! love! love! sociology”

“Ever since a was a small girl…”

Avoid: passionate, excited, fascinated, rivited, frantic type language

Replace subjective language with objective evidence. Action (behavior) speaks louder than words (attitude). Don’t be lured by the “personal” in “personal

statement”.

What is the application deadline?

For BYU Sociology MS: January 15thThis means putting together your final

application during the previous Fall Semester!

Don’t wait until that Fall Semester to build relationships with professors. (See the July 2009 “Dear Professor/Dear Student” blog on professors and letters of recommendation.)

Take classes that require you to write a term paper.

Give yourself enough time to schedule and take the GRE.

How Many Credits?Credit Hours: 35

– 29 course hours• 14 required hours• 15 elective hours

– 6 thesis hours• Soc 699R• 2 hours must be

taken during the semester that you defend your thesis

Required Courses– 598R: Pro-Seminar (1+1)– 600: Advanced Research

Methods (3)– 604: Ethnographic

Techniques (3)– 605: Regression &

Computer Analysis (3)– 610: Seminar in Classical

Social Theory (3)

Time-frame: 2 years (3 maximum)

Departmental Funding: Assistantships• Research Assistant

– Interviewing, coding, data analysis, organization, scanning, transcribing, etc.

– Work on projects, e.g., Transracial Adoption Study, Neighborhood revitalization study, Provo After-school program evaluation, etc.

• Teaching Assistant– Grade papers, help

students, hold review sessions, etc.

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Marie Cornwall

Additional Examples of Faculty Research

– Examining various processes of integration experienced by immigrants and their children in Utah County (including policies and responses to them)

See See sociology.byu.edu/research.dhtmlsociology.byu.edu/research.dhtml for more information on these and other projects. for more information on these and other projects.

• Real Victory– Evaluating a program to help offenders succeed

at probation and parole• Utah County Immigration Project

What is a masters thesis?A masters thesis is a long research (or theory)

paper, which you do as a culminating project for your masters program.

You choose what it is on, as long as someone in the department can mentor you on that topic/method.

A thesis involves:Designing researchGathering qualitative and/or quantitative

dataAnalyzing dataDeveloping theory/explanation of resultsWriting.

Master of Science Degree: Thesis• Select faculty advisor &

graduate committee• Thesis Prospectus

– Present research plans to your committee; if approved, proceed with your thesis

• Thesis Defense– After you finish writing your thesis, your committee will

decide if it’s ready for an Oral Defense. At the defense, your committee questions you and then votes on the acceptance of your thesis.

Who should be the faculty advisor/mentor for your

thesis?If you are a research assistant, you can

develop that research into your thesis, working with the same professor.

Or, you can choose to do your masters thesis on a different project with a different professor.

You must have a faculty mentor.The thesis must be one that someone in the

department can mentor.Develop good relationships with faculty, so they

will be willing to do this.

Research Examples• Jaylyn Hawks

– An Examination of Eating Styles and Body Dissatisfaction among Urban Filipino Women

• Paul Harris– State Wide Social Institutions

and Their Effect on the Disparity in the Incarceration Rates of Blacks and Whites

sociology.byu.edu

sociology.byu.edu/graduate.dhtml