Our Graduate Programs

A Distinguished History. The Department of Sociology at Virginia Tech offers Master of Science and Ph.D. graduate degrees. The first Master's degree in sociology was granted in the 1920s; its first Ph.D. was awarded in 1974. Our graduates have gone on to distinguished careers both in academia and in applied settings. At both the graduate and undergraduate level, the department has one of the most diverse student bodies on the Virginia Tech campus. (Meet our graduate students).

The Setting. With over 26,000 students, Virginia Tech is the largest university in Virginia. The university is located in the town of Blacksburg between the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains. Blacksburg was named by Outside magazine as one of the ten best places to live in the U.S. and by Men's Journal as the eighth best place to live in the U.S. Local attractions include easy access to the Appalachian Trail, white water rivers, biking trails, and an active music scene. Roanoke, with a metropolitan population of 250,000, is forty miles away, and Washington, D.C. is within driving distance. Photos.

The Program. A solid grounding in theory and methods constitute the core of our graduate programs. Under our broad umbrella of interests having to do with issues of quality of life, inequality, and work and technology, students have the opportunity to specialize in such areas as health, crime/deviance, gender, race, aging, social organization, and culture. In addition, students may choose a specialization in Africana Studies. Master's students gain the necessary background for doctoral work, and may choose a thesis or non-thesis (applied) option. Doctoral students have the opportunity to establish their own programs of study, to engage in their own independent research, to present papers at professional meetings, and to publish. Doctoral students also have the opportunity to gain independent classroom teaching experience.

Graduate Handbook

Connections. The Department of Sociology at Virginia Tech has strong interdisciplinary connections on campus. The directors of the Center for Race and Social Policy and the Center for the Study of Violence in Society are both members of our department. In addition, the Africana Studies Program is housed within the department and students can opt to get a Sociology degree with a specialization in Africana Studies.  Finally, we share courses and faculty with Women's Studies, Science and Technology Studies, Gerontology and many other programs. These connections allow our students to pursue programs specifically tailored to their interests, while maintaining a strong central grounding in sociology.

The Department of Sociology at Virginia Tech is best summarized in the following quote from our mission statement: "We believe in a sociology engaged in the real world, employing a diversity of methods and perspectives, in the quest for greater understanding of, and solutions to, critical issues in social life."

Admission Policies. Students may request application materials or apply online through the Graduate School website. In addition to the admission standards prescribed by the Graduate School, students requesting admittance to an advanced degree programs in sociology must meet the following requirements:

  1. A Bachelor's degree or a master's degree from an accredited institution;
  2. Three letters of recommendation, preferably from former professors;
  3. A "B" overall grade point average (3.0 on a 4 point system) in all Sociology courses previously taken;
  4. Graduate Record Examination;
  5. Applicants for the master's program are also expected to have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 (out of 4.0) for the last two(2) years of undergraduate study;
  6. Applicants to the Ph.D. program with less than 15 hours of Sociology course work will be required to take enough hours at the 3000 level or above in Sociology to equal 15 semester hours; these hours must be taken in addition to the minimum of 30 hours of course work in Sociology.
Graduate Assistantships. Each year the department awards assistantships on a competitive basis. Currently, teaching assistantships for students entering with a B.S. degree are $1,179 per month ($10,611 per academic year). Assistantships are slightly higher for students entering with an M.S. degree. In addition, students on assistantship receive full tuition remission ($3429 per semester in state, which includes the academic fee. The out of state differential of $2369 per semester is waived for graduate assistants). Graduate students are responsible for paying the Comprehensive Student Fee of $559.50 (in state) per fall and spring semester. The University will commit to cover approximately 70% of your health insurance care costs if you choose the University's medical insurance plan and agree to pay the premiums through payroll deduction.

For More Information, Contact our Director of Graduate Studies, Professor Jim Hawdon. Email: hawdonj@vt.edu, Department of Sociology, 560 McBryde Hall (0137), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0137

The Graduate School catalog is available on-line at http://www.vt.edu/academics/gca