Faculty
Professors: Donald A. Hicks, Paul Jargowsky,
Murray J. Leaf, Lawrence J. Redlinger, Richard K.
Scotch, Paul Tracy
Associate Professors: Bobby C. Alexander, Philip K. Armour,
Assistant Professors: Karen Hayslett-McCall,
Sheryl Skaggs
Mission
Statement
The
mission of the M.S. program in Applied Sociology is to teach students
theoretical concepts, empirically based knowledge, and research competencies
from the discipline of sociology and related fields that will prepare them for
employment related to the development, implementation, and assessment of sound
social policy, as well as further study in sociology, other social sciences,
and related professions. The program objectives are that students completing
the program will be able to demonstrate the ability to apply sociological
concepts and research findings, particularly those concepts and findings
relevant to political economy and social policy; develop basic statistical and
evaluation research skills; and develop basic skills in professional
communication appropriate to the discipline of sociology.
Objectives
The
M.S. in Applied Sociology is designed to prepare students for employment in the
non-profit and public sectors, as well as related for-profit settings, by
providing training in applied social research, statistics, and program
evaluation; sociological theory as it relates to social problems, social
policy, and social institutions; and in substantive fields such as health care,
education, criminal justice, mental health, social welfare, youth development,
and community development. The degree program develops skills and competencies
which also can lead to further study in doctoral programs in the Social
Sciences, including the doctoral program in Public Policy and Political Economy
at U.T.Dallas.
Facilities
Students
have access to the computing facilities in the School of Economic, Political
and Policy Sciences and the University�s Computing Center. The School has two
computing laboratories which have over 50 computers that are network linked and
equipped with major social science software packages, including E-Views, R,
Rats, SPSS and STATA. A computerized geographic information system, the Lexis Nexis Database, and WestLaw are
also available for student use. The University�s Computing Center provides
personal computers and UNIX Workstations. Many important data and reference
materials are also available online via the library�s
and School�s memberships in numerous organizations.
Prerequisites
There
are no required prerequisite courses in sociology for the Applied Sociology
program, although prior coursework in social theory, research methods, and
social statistics are desirable. Prospective students with concerns about their
preparation for the Applied Sociology program are encouraged to consult with
the program coordinator.
Degree
Requirements
The University�s general degree
requirements are discussed here.
The
Master of Science (M.S.) in Applied Sociology has three components and requires
the completion of 36 semester credit hours: 12 credit hours of core courses in
Applied Sociology, 15 credit hours of Applied Sociology guided electives, and 9
credit hours of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS) electives.
Students must achieve at least a 3.0 grade point average in the Applied
Sociology core courses and an overall grade point average of 3.0 to graduate.
Core
Courses in Applied Sociology (12 hours):
POEC 5313 Descriptive and
Inferential Statistics for the Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
SOC 6312 Social-Economic Theories
SOC 6350 Social Stratification
SOC 6352 Evaluation Research Methods in the Economic, Political and Policy
Sciences
Or POEC 5310 Research Design I
Applied
Sociology Guided Elective Courses (15 hours):
Any
graduate-level courses with a SOC prefix outside of the core may be applied to
this requirement. Students may apply other graduate courses from the School of
Economic, Political, and Policy Sciences with the permission of the program
coordinator.
Social
Science Electives (9 hours):
Any
graduate-level courses in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
may be applied to this requirement. Students are encouraged to consult with the
program coordinator in order to select courses appropriate for their academic
and professional career goals.