princeton sociology phd application

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This five-year program is designed to prepare Ph.D. students for rigorous, policy-relevant research on the major threats to international and national security and the relevant strategies, institutions, and capabilities that will be needed to confront those threats.  

The cluster combines social science training in international security and national defense policy, focused study of specific regions of the world, and exploration of the technical and scientific aspects of proliferation, weapons innovations, terrorist and counterterrorist operations, and insurgency and counterinsurgency warfare. This is an in-residence program, though absences may be taken for approved field research.  

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For more information on program and curriculum specifics, visit the Security Studies page .

The STEP curriculum helps practitioners develop a deeper understanding of the nature of scientific and technological problems and opportunities, the specialized methods used for analyzing scientific and technological issues, and the dynamics of science and technology development and application. The course of study for a STEP Ph.D. student is developed by each student, working closely with a faculty advisor.  

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For more information on program and curriculum specifics, visit the STEP page .

At SPIA, we see our diversity as a strength. Having varied perspectives, diverse races and ethnicities, different abilities, cultures, and gender identities in the classroom not only enriches conversation, but it also prepares students to evaluate an issue from multiple angles to help develop thoughtful and effective policy. We welcome people from small towns and big cities, from the United States and different countries all around the world, from large public schools and small private ones, as well as individuals with a whole host of distinctive lived and experienced realities. All are welcome here.

Other schools ask you to invest in your education. At SPIA, we invest in you. If you are accepted into one of our programs, then you are eligible for full financial support for tuition and required fees plus a generous living stipend. There is no extra essay or separate application process.

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• Sociology Forum

Fall 2024 Sociology Applications

• sociology phd
• application
• decisions 2024

By mikayah02 November 26, 2023 in Sociology Forum

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Hey hey! I didn't see anyone post a thread yet for soc apps for Fall 2024.  I am applying to the following programs:  NYU Sociology PhD Johns Hopkins Sociology PhD Vanderbilt Sociology PhD UNC-Chapel Hill Education PhD (Policy, Leadership, and School Improvement) Princeton Sociology PhD Duke Sociology PhD Brown Sociology PhD What about others? I am so nervous! What are you guys doing to fend off anxiety about admissions decisions?

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• Created Nov 26
• Last Reply Apr 8

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular days.

hgemini 10 posts

CrockPotKin 9 posts

bigafrodacademic 6 posts

thirdoneisthewinner 5 posts

Feb 15 2024

Popular Posts

At first I thought it's good to check results, now I loose my hope for every page refresh lol

JohnnySmith

Hi all! I applied to six Sociology PhD programs: Harvard Berkeley Stanford Yale Princeton Columbia I just received my first decision. I was DENIE

Please don't take this the wrong way. But I want to say, get over it. Nothing is too good for you; you worked hard and identified schools. You put the work in and put yourself out there; you took a sh

Hey! I am here also applying for JH and Brown. Good luck! 

Hiya- In my SOP final writing push right now. I am applying to all sociology phd programs: UCLA Northwestern University UC Irvine UC Berkeley UChicago UNC-Chapel Hill NYU UPenn

and probably- Emory  Vanderbilt  University of Colorado--Boulder  

good luck everyone!

• 3 weeks later...

Hi, I also have JHU Socio, Penn Socio, and UNC PLS on my list. Good luck to everyone!

• 5 weeks later...

Hiya! Also applied to UCI and UCB. Applied to UCSC for Soc too and UCSD for Ethnic Studies. Fingers crossed for us all! 

I'm international student and

I have applied to 

Indiana Bloomington

UCD(communication)

Hope the best for all of us

I am an international student and I applied:

UCLA UCI UCSD Yale Northwestern

SUNY Albany CUNY Graduate Center

UMich UW-Madison 

TC Columbia Penn GSE

I hope the best for all of us...

I am a bit worried cuz I think these programs are way too good for me...

Only Soc program I applied to was Hopkins. Wishing us all good luck ❤️

On 1/15/2024 at 10:14 PM, Lizesmore said: Hi all, I am an international student and I applied: UCLA UCI UCSD Yale Northwestern JHU Brown SUNY Albany CUNY Graduate Center UMich UW-Madison  TC Columbia Penn GSE I hope the best for all of us... I am a bit worried cuz I think these programs are way too good for me...

Please don't take this the wrong way. But I want to say, get over it. Nothing is too good for you; you worked hard and identified schools. You put the work in and put yourself out there; you took a shot at yourself. Don't let people you have not met yet decide if you are too good or not for something. You got this!

• JingHuang , Tia_2023 and Lizesmore

At first I thought it's good to check results, now I loose my hope for every page refresh lol

• Not_a_Robot22 , YOYOK , CinnamonCream and 1 other

shadesofblue

These Rutgers interviews are making me nervous  😭

Can anyone claim the Stanford acceptance? It is a bit isolated considering the previous releasing time for acceptance.

I've seen several USC sociology acceptances from different websites, including reddit, gradcafe and another platform. It seems that they only send acceptance letters and do not send rejection or waitlist to other applicants, which is confusing... Did anyone receive anything?? From previous records of timeline, it seems like their "tradition". Not respected to applicants and professional as expected...

thesecrethistory

Hi, I have seen one UIC acceptance so far, has anyone gotten rejections or any other notifications? Also, anything from CU Boulder?

I saw 2 people were waitlisted for Boston College PhD program, and I'm still waiting to hear back. I'm assuming that I'm going to be rejected, but I haven't seen anything aside from the 2 waitlist posts and I'm kind of hoping they're fake, so then I might still have a chance. 

On 1/25/2024 at 9:20 PM, 24App said: Can anyone claim the Stanford acceptance? It is a bit isolated considering the previous releasing time for acceptance.

Seeing as there were several acceptances posted, I'm assuming they are real... However, I still haven't gotten any news from Stanford. Is this normal? Do they send out waitlist/rejections this long after acceptances, or are they accepting in waves?

I applied to six Sociology PhD programs:

I just received my first decision. I was DENIED from Stanford, today, on January 31st, 2024. 

But I feel great!! My submission was super competitive and I'm very proud of the quality of work I produced. Excited for the next decisions to roll out!

Good luck to everyone!

• Kiamerg , CrockPotKin , mediokra and 1 other

On 1/30/2024 at 2:59 PM, mediokra said: Seeing as there were several acceptances posted, I'm assuming they are real... However, I still haven't gotten any news from Stanford. Is this normal? Do they send out waitlist/rejections this long after acceptances, or are they accepting in waves?

Okay, not to harp on this… but it seems like Stanford sent out their acceptances a week ago and rejections yesterday/today. From previous years, they seem to do everything in these two batches.

With that said, I still only have “Submitted” as my status in the portal. Does anyone have insight to what that means? Should I reach out to the department or just keep waiting?

thirdoneisthewinner

12 hours ago, mediokra said: Okay, not to harp on this… but it seems like Stanford sent out their acceptances a week ago and rejections yesterday/today. From previous years, they seem to do everything in these two batches. With that said, I still only have “Submitted” as my status in the portal. Does anyone have insight to what that means? Should I reach out to the department or just keep waiting?

I know it's hard. But I'd say wait. You will know sooner or later.

CrockPotKin

Anyone heard from UW? I've seen one acceptance so far but surprised there aren't more? 

sociappfl2024

Has anyone heard back from UMass Amherst? This is my first time posting on any discussion forum on this site. Some folks have already uploaded their decisions, including two acceptances and one waitlist. It's my top choice program, and I fear I will be rejected despite being a good fit. I'm sharing my stats just for reference:

4.0 Graduate and 3.6 Undergraduate GPA; MA in Sociology funded via TA'ship for 5 semesters; Research experience including undergrad honors and master's thesis along with research assistant on two projects as an undergrad; multiple conference presentations, but no publications; co-authored paper that is a revise and resubmit, but unrelated to my research interest

Here are the other schools I applied to:

• Florida State (in-state)
• Oklahoma State

Does anyone have info about where Rutgers is at in the process? I saw a few interviews, but nothing since.

Has anyone heard from Princeton? Thanks! 

GradSchoolTony3

Curious why things are fairly dead here, especially this far into the process! Applied to PhD programs at five schools. Got acceptances to UMN and Vanderbilt, waiting on Columbia, Princeton, and Georgetown. Princeton and Georgetown are PoliSci programs (I am focused on social movements so depending on the faculty I can fit into both disciplines okay). Whole process has been super nerve-wracking though I am super happy to have acceptances under my belt. Based on past years I imagine we still have a week or two before we hear from Columbia, anyone else waiting on that? 

I am also waiting for Columbia in addition to Harvard, Berkeley, Cornell, and MIT (HASTS program). And even though Stanford has sent out a bunch of acceptances and rejections… I’m still waiting on them too. 😩

Only one I have heard from was UPenn, which I got accepted to! Very relieved and happy with Penn, but anxiously awaiting other results.

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PhD: How to Apply

The Sociology Department recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

The Sociology Department welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars, and we are committed to providing a supportive environment for all students whom we admit. Review of applications is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, and admissions essays in order to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field .

Minimizing pre-admission communication with faculty: We appreciate that prospective graduate students are often instructed to reach out to faculty in advance of applying. However, our policy is to avoid any protracted discussions between faculty and candidates prior to admission since research shows that fair and transparent process can easily be clouded by back-channel communications.  We don’t mean to be off-putting! Instead, our goal is to ensure that everyone has equal opportunity and is considered fairly. For more information, you can review Stanford's Guide to Getting into Grad School.

Application Requirements

The 2024-25 Sociology Ph.D. applications are now closed.

Please be aware that you must submit your online application by the deadline.  Incomplete applications cannot be completed or submitted after the deadline. Recommendation letters and official test scores from ETS can be submitted by faculty and ETS after the application deadline date. 

PhD Admissions FAQs

Join dozens of  Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences students  who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as  Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS).

KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your PhD studies at Stanford.Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment.If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023. Learn more about  KHS admission .

The fee to apply for graduate study at Stanford is $125 .  You may submit only one application per year (unless one of the applications is to one of the professional schools (Law, Medicine or Business). Acceptable form of payment is by credit/debit card (Visa or MasterCard only.) We do not accept electronic check payments or checks by mail. 

The fee is non-refundable and must be received by the application deadline. 

Many applicants qualify for application fee waivers. Stanford offers several application fee waiver options to ensure that the application process is available to everyone who wishes to apply. 

In the electronic application, you will be asked to upload scans of transcripts (see specific information below), a statement of purpose, a writing sample, and your CV or resume. When preparing your application materials to be uploaded into the electronic application, please note the following:

• File size must be 10MB or LESS
• Files cannot be password protected
• PDF files cannot have a digital signature
• Save each document separately

When scanning hard copy materials to upload into your electronic application please note the following:

• Resolution should be no more than 300dpi
• Scan in black and white only
• Removing images will help reduce file size

The statement of purpose (also known as a "personal statement") should describe your reasons for applying to the Doctoral Program in Sociology at Stanford.  This document is not to exceed two pages in length (single-spaced).  You should include details regarding your qualifications, academic and research interests, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid our admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for pursuing a Ph.D. in Sociology. You will be asked to upload your statement of purpose in the online application.

You must upload one scanned version of your transcript(s) in the online application. Please read the  Applying  section of this website for important information submitting transcripts.

If offered admission:  Please see this page for information on submitting final official transcripts .

Stanford accepts electronic letters of recommendation via Stanford online application system - we no longer accept paper letters.

Three letters of recommendation are required, and they must be submitted using the online service.

As part of the online application, you will be required to register the name and contact information, including e-mail address, of each of your recommenders. Recommenders will then receive an e-mail with directions on how to proceed. At least one letter should be a faculty member at the last school you attended as a full-time student (unless you have been out of school for more than five years.)

• Please inform letter writers of the application deadline.
• Letters of recommendation cannot be mailed, e-mailed, or faxed; they will be rejected.
• Substitutions for faculty recommendations may include work associates or others who can comment on your academic potential for graduate work.

GRE (Graduate Record Examination) General Test

* GRE Fee Reduction Waiver

Register early to maximize the chances of scheduling your preferred test date and time

We strongly advise you to take the GRE no later than September, so that your scores will be received by the application deadline.

Late test scores may disqualify you from admission.

We require the GRE General Test only - we do not require the subject test.

Scores must be from an examination taken within the last five years. No exceptions.

Scores must be reported directly to Stanford from the Educational Testing Service.

The Stanford institution code is 4704 .  Please do not specify  a department code.

For more information regarding the GRE, please contact ETS directly.

GRE scores from ETS are valid for five years.  For questions about the validity of GRE scores, please contact ETS. If ETS can send your GRE scores, we will accept them.

Arrangements to take the GRE General Test can be made online or by writing:

P.O. Box 600, Princeton, NJ 08541-6000, USA

Adequate command of spoken and written English is required for admission.

TOEFL scores are required of all applicants whose first language is not English. Stanford does not accept IELTS scores.

TOEFL EXEMPTIONS:

You are  exempt  from submitting a TOEFL score if you meet one the following criteria:     A. You (will) have a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a regionally- accredited college or university in the United States (territories and possessions excluded).     B. You (will) have an equivalent degree from an English-language university in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

You may request a  waiver  if you (will) have an equivalent degree from a recognized institution in a country other than Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom in which English was the language of instruction.

NOTE: Being a U.S. citizen does not automatically exempt an applicant from taking the TOEFL; if the applicant’s first language is not English, the applicant must meet the exception above or submit the TOEFL.

TOEFL scores must be submitted from a test taken within the last eighteen months.

We urge you to take the TOEFL by November to be eligible for admission for the following Autumn Quarter. Evidence of adequate proficiency must be submitted before enrollment is approved by Graduate Admissions.

The TOEFL is administered through: EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICES, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151

Information on registration, test centers, dates, and test formats .

The University Minimum TOEFL Score for Doctoral programs is 250 for Computer-based test, 600 for paper-based test, and 100 for Internet-based test. More information is available via the Stanford University Office of Graduate Admissions web site.

• Scores must be reported directly to Stanford from Educational Testing Service (ETS)

The Stanford score recipient number ( also called "Institution Code")  is  4704.  You do not need to specify a department code.

All scores are sent electronically to the Graduate Admissions Office, which will share your scores with your department.

Evidence of adequate English proficiency must be submitted before enrollment is approved by Graduate Admissions.

TOEFL scores are retained for 20 months by ETS. For questions about the validity of TOEFL scores, please contact ETS. If ETS can send your TOEFL scores, we will accept them.

The Department of Sociology requires a writing sample from all applicants to the Ph.D. Program. The Admissions Committee will be looking for original work giving evidence of both writing ability and the capacity for research, analysis, and original thought at the graduate level. Your writing sample could be an honors or master’s thesis, published paper, co-written paper, or comparable article.

• Papers originally written in a language other than English must be submitted in English Translation.
• Samples may be up to 50 pages long.  Other things equal, a short, effectively written sample is preferable to a longer sample. If you decide to submit a longer sample, please indicate which pages should be reviewed by the admissions committee. Your writing sample can be uploaded with your online application as a text file as an addendum to your personal statement or under 'additional information'. Writing samples can be single or double spaced.
• You must upload your writing sample in the online application per "supporting documents" instructions above.

We do not require a CV or resume for application, but you may upload your CV or resume per the "supporting documents" instructions above.

The  2024-25 Graduate Admissions Application  will open on September 15, 2023.

How to Apply

Rice Sociology is eager to welcome applications for our Fall 2025 cohort of Ph.D. students! Applications will open September 1, 2024.

Application Deadline: December 1, 2024

Students applying for admission to our ph.d. program are asked to submit the following:.

1. A completed application form

Apply at Rice University's Sociology Online Application

2. Application fee

The application fee is $85.00 and can be paid through the online graduate application. Applications can be processed only after the application fee is received. Rice University will waive application fees for doctoral applicants who are graduates of institutions in Texas and bordering states Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, or who have a permanent address in these states. The Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) also grants application fee waivers during the open recruitment cycle each fall, please visit their website for more information on how to apply for one.

3. Transcripts

Unofficial copies of transcripts must be uploaded electronically in the application system. If an applicant is accepted to our graduate program, OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS must be submitted to the department in a sealed envelope, sent directly to the Department of Sociology at the following address: Rice University Graduate Admissions Sociology MS-28 6100 Main St. Houston, TX 77005 We also accept official transcripts that are electronically sent directly from the granting institution and emailed to [email protected] . We cannot accept electronic transcripts directly from applicants; transcripts must be sent directly from the applicant’s previous institutions . Any degree that an applicant is currently pursuing (B.A., B.S., M.A., M.S.) must be conferred (completed) before submitting the transcript(s); the admitted student will not be permitted to register for the second semester at Rice without official conferral of degree and official transcripts on file.

4. GRE/TOEFL

For 2025 admission, the Sociology Ph.D. program is GRE-optional. If you would still like to submit your GRE scores as part of your application remember that the scores must not be more than five years old, and an official copy must be sent to Rice University directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Personal or photo copies are not acceptable.

Please use the following ETS school codes if submitting official test scores to Rice University: School code: 6609 Sociology Department code: 2102

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of any student whose native language is not English, regardless of whether or not you have attended another U.S. institution. Your score must not be more than two years old and an official copy must be sent to the Graduate School directly from ETS. Students must score at least 600 on the paper-based TOEFL or score at least 90 on the internet-based TOEFL. For students who choose to take the IELTS in lieu of TOEFL, the minimum score is 7. For other approved testing options, please click here .

5. Letters of recommendation

Three letters of recommendation from people who are familiar with your scholastic and personal qualities are required. The online application will allow you to enter recommender information, and your recommenders will be emailed a URL for completing an online recommendation.

6. Writing sample

Applicants are required to submit a sample of their best writing. This might be an undergraduate course paper or research term paper. The writing sample may be from any discipline. While there is no official limit on the length of writing samples, most submissions are between 10 and 30 pages in length. Writing samples can be single or double-spaced.

7. Statement of Purpose

In addition to the writing sample, applicants must submit a statement of purpose of between 2-4 pages in length. Please include your career goals, the faculty member(s) you would most like to work with, and why you would be a good fit for our program.

Other Requirements

Rice University's Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS) provides comprehensive information about studying in the United States - visa requirements, etc. Please visit the Office of International Student Services (OISS) website for more information.

Apply Online at Rice University's Sociology Online Application .

The deadline for sending completed applications to the department is December 1. Rice will send a notification of acceptance no later than April 1.

For inquires regarding the GRE or TOEFL exams, contact:

Educational Testing Service Rosedale Road Princeton, NJ 08541 USA 609-921-9000 [email protected] or www.ets.org

For all other application questions, contact: [email protected]