Sociology (Graduate Program)

For information regarding the UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM, click here.  

Program Overview

Established in 1928 as a separate academic unit, the Department of Sociology is one of the oldest such programs in the South. The first MA degree was awarded in 1931 and the first doctorate in 1937. The department now has granted over 210 MA degrees and over 160 PhD degrees. Our department has maintained a very high national reputation in research productivity, as faculty from leading departments around the country have joined LSU. Recently, the department has been well known for its main research areas, specifically in social inequality, social capital, and criminology.

One of the most important goals of the Department of Sociology is to offer a quality departmental-level academic course plan that meets the needs and interests of each student. One testament to the quality of the program is the fact that most of our graduates with PhD degrees have been appointed to teach and conduct research at various universities, both at national and regional levels. The ratio of faculty to students consistently remains at a level that facilitates close consultation between the two. The result is a friendly and positive environment for graduate study.

Admission

Applications and supporting materials for all graduate study must be submitted through the online application site for the LSU Graduate School. Official transcripts, official test scores, and other materials that come from third-party sources must be mailed to: Graduate Student Services, 114 West David Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. These paper documents are stored electronically and departments have access to all materials submitted by and/or on behalf of a student applying to graduate study.

Applications for admission are received and evaluated by the department primarily for fall admission. Applicants must adhere to the application deadlines established by the Graduate School. The application deadline for students who seek funding is January 31. Although applicants for fall admission without financial support are considered after January, it is highly recommended that applications be submitted early because we may stop accepting any applicants after a certain date.

Students seeking admission must submit satisfactory credentials from previous study, acceptable GRE scores, and three or more letters of recommendation. International students whose native language is not English must also submit an acceptable TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score.

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance is available to most students. Support may be available through the department or other units in the form of research or teaching assistantships. A student should contact the department for more information on available assistantship positions. Department graduate assistantships provide an annual stipend of a minimum of $12,000 with free tuition. A number of enhancements and fellowships are available to students and are awarded on a competitive basis. To ensure consideration for financial aid, all application materials should be submitted by January 31.

Graduate Faculty

(check current listings by department by clicking this link) 

William B. Bankston (EM)
Michael Barton (6A) • Criminology, urban sociology
Sarah Becker (6A) • Communities and crime, race/class/gender, ethnography
Dana Berkowitz (M) • Gender, sexualities, families
Troy C. Blanchard (7M) • Social inequality, demography, criminology
Forrest A. Deseran (EM)
Thomas J. Durant, Jr. (EM)
Michael D. Grimes (EM)
Yoshinori Kamo (M) • Family, inequality, comparative studies, quantitative methods
Matthew R. Lee (7M) • Criminology, communities and crime, health, race/ethnicity
Lori L. Martin (M) • Race and ethnicity, demography, inequality
Michelle Meyer (6A) • Disaster, environment, community
Heather M. Rackin (6A) • Population, medical sociology, family
Mark J. Schafer (M) • Sociology of education, development, social change, rural sociology
Edward S. Shihadeh (7M) • Criminology, demography
Wesley M. Shrum, Jr. (M) • Science and technology, culture, networks, video ethnography
Joachim Singelmann (EM)
Timothy A. Slack (7M) • Rural sociology, poverty, demography
Samuel Stroope (6A) • Health, research methods, culture/religion                                                              
Brian Thiede (6A) • Population and development, demography, environment
Matthew Valasik (6A) • Criminology, spatial analysis, social networks
Frederick D. Weil (7M) • Community, social capital, political sociology

Programs

• Sociology, Ph.D.

• Sociology, M.A.