Graduate Program in Sociology

Description

NMSU is located in the southern New Mexico city of Las Cruces, which is surrounded by desert mesas, the Rio Grande river valley, and the Organ Mountains.

While we offer a broad sociological curriculum, program focuses are:

The Southwest and Border Region:
Our unique location attracts faculty who are interested in peoples of the southwest, particularly Hispanics/Latinos and American Indians. In addition, our proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border provides an ideal laboratory for the examination of such issues as globalization, transnational migration and the consequences of border development.

Social Inequality:
Our faculty examine the intersection of race, class and gender oppression in their teaching and research, with special attention to educational, rural/urban, ecological and global disparities. One goal of this examination is to address social problems such as poverty and racial/ethnic inequality.

Because this is exclusively a masters program, our faculty are able to focus on the MA students, fostering a high level of interaction, learning, and mentoring. Our goal is to prepare students both professionally and personally for their future careers.

What to expect

Our low student to faculty ratio allows for small seminar classes with maximum student-faculty interaction. Students are valued active participants on intellectual discussions and research design.
Because we offer only the M.A. degree, faculty focus is on our M.A. students. As a result, students enjoy both high levels of accessibility and interaction with faculty. Each student receives a maximum of individualized supportive attention.
In addition, sociologists and anthropologists share a close working relationship. Thus, critical inquiry and analysis often occur at the intersection of these two rich social science disciplines. In fact, sociology and anthropology faculty often learn from each other, and pass the excitement of interdisciplinary inquiry to our students.

General Departmental Requirements

Graduate students in sociology have two program options, the thesis or non-thesis. The student’s special interests and career plans are considered in advising regarding their choice of program options. The thesis option is typically selected by students who intend to pursue a Ph.D. degree, while the non-thesis option is commonly pursued by those desiring immediate employment in research and applied areas in government, education, social welfare and health. All students must pass the final master’s oral covering all general course work and the thesis, internship or research project.

Thesis Option

Graduate students in sociology have two program options, the thesis or non-thesis. The student’s special interests and career plans are considered in advising regarding their choice of program options. The thesis option is typically selected by students who intend to pursue a Ph.D. degree, while the non-thesis option is commonly pursued by those desiring immediate employment in research and applied areas in government, education, social welfare and health. All students must take Perspectives on Sociology (SOC 501), Issues in Advanced Quantitative Analysis (SOC 551), Sociological Theory (SOC 552), Sociological Research (SOC 553) and pass the final master’s oral covering all general course work and the thesis, internship or research project.
ALL OF THESE CLASSES COMBINED ARE 10 CREDITS: 501 (1), 551(3), 552 (3), 553 (3)

In addition to the successful completion of an acceptable master’s thesis, students who choose this option will take a minimum of 37 credit hours of graduate work distributed as follows:

SOC 501, SOC 551, SOC 552, SOC 553 (10 credits), to be taken within the first 18 hours of graduate credit. A grade of B or better is required to receive credit for each of these core courses.
SOC 599 (6 credits)
21 credits of additional graduate course work to be taken in consultation with the sociology graduate student’s advisor. Twelve of these 21 credits must be in Sociology.

Non-Thesis Program Requirements:Internship

In addition to the successful completion of an acceptable internship and internship report, students who choose this option will take a minimum of 37 credit hours of graduate work distributed as follows:

SOC 501, SOC 551, SOC 552, SOC 553 (10 credits), to be taken within the first 18 hours of graduate credit. A grade of B or better is required to receive credit for each of these core courses.
SOC 596 (6 credits)
21 credits of additional graduate course work to be taken in consultation with the sociology graduate student’s advisor. Twelve of these 21 credits must be in Sociology.

Non-Thesis Program Requirements: Coursework Only

In addition to the completion of a final written exam, students who choose this option will take a minimum of 37 credit hours of graduate work distributed as follows:

SOC 501, SOC 551, SOC 552, SOC 553 (10 credits), to be taken within the first 18 hours of graduate credit. A grade of B or better is required to receive credit for each of these core courses.
27 credits of additional graduate course work to be taken in consultation with the sociology graduate student’s advisor. Eighteen of these 27 credits must be in Sociology.

Under the coursework only option oncampus students may choose to complete a special research project that will include a final master's oral examination covering all general coursework and the research project.

What Students are Saying

“One of the best things about Sociology at NMSU is that it’s a small department. This allows for a great deal of individual attention from the professors. They make you feel like an individual, not just a number.”

“I came here because they allow me to pursue the research I am interested in. There is no pressure to follow any one paradigm or continue anyone’s research…”

“There are plenty of opportunities to work firsthand with professors. Almost all the Sociology students have the chance to be an assistant to a professor. This gives great firsthand research and classroom experience, plus the professors make our job challenging and fun.”

“For someone who is looking for diversity, NMSU is a really great place to study. It is situated in a region where lots of different cultures can be studied, such as American Indians and Mexican Americans.”