Introduction
The Graduate Program in Sociology at Utah State University was organized in 1927 through the efforts of Dr. Joseph Geddes, the founder and first head of the department. The Sociology Doctoral Program was established in the 1950s. In the ensuing decades the Sociology Graduate Program at USU has emerged as a regional, national and international leader in providing graduate training and research in selected areas of specialization linked to USU’s location in the Western US and its status as Utah’s Land and Space Grant University.
The Graduate Program in Sociology provides Master’s and Doctoral level training with a combination of environmental, demographic, organizational, political-economic, and historical orientations to major domestic and global issues. At the graduate level, we place particular emphasis on three areas of specialization: Demography (with an emphasis on Health), Environment & Community, and Social Inequality (including race, ethnicity and gender). Students have the opportunity to merge foundational coursework in sociological theory and research methods with focused training in the selected specialty areas and apprenticeship roles in both basic and applied research projects. Sustained personal interaction between faculty and students is a hallmark and strength of the program.
The Sociology Program houses two active research units: the Yun Kim Population Research Laboratory and the Community and Natural Resources Institute. Faculty also play key roles in a number of interdisciplinary research and training units across campus including the Center for Society, Economy and the Environment, Center for Epidemiologic Studies, Center for Persons With Disabilities, Ecology Center, Utah Water Research Laboratory, Mountain West Center for Regional Studies, Climate Adaptation Science Program, the Institute for Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, and the Wasatch Front Research Data Center.
Consistent with the primary mission of Utah State University and a long-standing research relationship between the Sociology program and the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, rural sociological issues have long been, and remain, an important component of the graduate curriculum and research efforts of many faculty and students. Each of the designated graduate program specialty areas provides opportunities to investigate rural social conditions and changes from multiple perspectives. At the same time, our research activities and course offerings address a broad range of issues that extend well beyond the rural-urban focus to encompass a broad array of regional, national, and global-scale issues.
Purpose of the Handbook
The purpose of this handbook is to outline the program requirements for the USU Master of Science (MS) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in Sociology. The handbook provides guidance to students and faculty in the Sociology Graduate Program as well as others who may have an interest in the program. As such, the handbook supplements the information in the current Utah State University Catalog.
Notice of Non-Discrimination
USU's Notice of Non-Discrimination
Introduction to the Supervisory Committee
The student’s supervisory committee helps in design and approval of the program of study in accordance with University, Departmental, and Program requirements. However, the careful planning required for acquisition of a systematic, integrated knowledge of your field is primarily up to each individual student; thus, you should consider thoroughly what courses and individualized plans will assist you in gaining this competence. The student and the student’s committee should understand that the requirements set forth in this document represent minimums. The supervisory committee is responsible to work with each student to establish a program of study according to his or her individual interests and the committee’s judgment of the student’s needs and competencies. Students are responsible for knowing and meeting the requirements of the University and the Program. While the Supervisory Committee and especially your major professor are committed to assisting you, it is your responsibility to see that all necessary university forms are properly executed and filed with the School of Graduate Studies Office.
Individual deviations from the policies set forth in this handbook will be considered only on a case-by-case basis and only under exceptional circumstances. These changes must have the approval of the student's Supervisory Committee and the Department Head or the Department Head’s delegated representative (typically the Director of Graduate Studies).