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Graduate Sociology at SUNY Albany
Department of Sociology Graduate Student
Handbook
Special Programs
Joint Ph.D. in Sociology and Communication
Students in the Doctor of Philosophy degree
program in Sociology may elect a special field
in Communication. The Department of Communication,
in conjunction with the Department of Sociology,
offers doctoral studies in the following fields
of communication: interpersonal interaction/cultural
communication practices; organizational communication,
or political communication (students also may
sustain substantive focuses on information technology
and/or health communication within the aforementioned
contexts). Applicants for admission to Sociology
with an emphasis on Communication are first
evaluated by the Communication Department. They
are then evaluated by the Sociology Department,
with the final decision on admission resting
therein.
The degree program in sociology with a communication
specialization area includes the following components:
- 30 credits in sociology, including SOC
509, SOC 510, SOC 511, SOC 522, SOC 590A,
SOC 590B and SOC 609;
- 24 credits in Communication, including
COM 502 and COM 503, and 18 credits in one
of the three communication concentrations:
- interpersonal interaction/cultural communication
practices;
- organizational/communication;
- political communication
- (students also may sustain substantive
focuses on information technology and/or
health communication within the aforementioned
contexts);
- 6 additional credits as advised by the communication
faculty
- Teaching tool
- Research tool
- Departmental examinations
- Dissertation.
Students in the sociology program with a specialization
area in communication must take the comprehensive
examination in methods, unless their combined
grades in the first two required methods courses
(SOC 509 and SOC 522) averages 3.5 or better
(see Comprehensive Examination in Research Methods
Requirement on page 8). Students will also take
two specialization examinations administered
by the Department of Sociology. One of these
exams is taken in one of the three communication
concentration areas. The three members of the
examination committee for this exam can include
any combination of sociology and communication
faculty. The topic for the other exam must conform
to the requirements stated earlier (see page
8). The areas and committee compositions must
be approved in advance by the Graduate Committee.
A student in this program must select a dissertation
committee of at least four members: at least
two must be from the sociology faculty and at
least two must be from the communication faculty.
Chairs of committees of students in the communication
specialization area will normally be from the
Department of Communication.
Certificate Program in Demography
The Certificate Program in Demography is a
graduate-level program designed both for students
already enrolled in graduate programs in social
science and public policy areas and for members
of the community, such as state employees. It
will prepare students with theoretical, substantive,
and methodological knowledge of how population
processes operate in societies and how they
interrelate with other social processes. The
program is administered by the Graduate Committee
in sociology.
The program consists of 18 credits of course
work as follows:
- Required Courses - 6 crs
- Soc 551 Introduction to Demography
- Soc 552 Demographic Techniques
- Demography Topics/Internship - 6 crs,
- Soc 665 Special Topics in Demography (6 crs), or
- Soc 665 Special Topics in Demography (3 crs), and
- Soc 607 Demography Internships (3 crs)
- Demography Related Courses - 6 crs (Suggested courses include:)
- Soc 550 The American Community
- Soc 560 Families
- Soc 575 Ethnicity and Race
- Soc 627 Urbanization
- Soc 640 Gender Inequality
- Soc 673 Human Ecology
- Soc 662 Sociology of Aging
- Ant 511 Human Population Biology
- Ant 512 Human Population Genetics
- Gog 556 Snowbelt/Sunbelt: Regional
Change in the United States
- Pln 502 Urban and Regional Structure
- Pln 561 Comparative Urbanization and
Spatial Development
Additionally, students must have taken one
graduate-level statistics course in a related
field.
Students who complete the program requirements
for the Demography Certificate while pursuing
the M.A. or Ph.D. degree in sociology may apply
for the award of the certificate without formally
applying for admission to the program.
Other Programs of Interest
Students admitted to the M.A. or Ph.D. in
sociology may choose to complete the requirements
of one of the programs described below while
completing the sociology program. However, since
these programs are housed in departments other
than sociology, a student must seek formal admission
to the program before applying for the certificate.
The Certificate Program
in Planning and Policy Analysis is an
interdisciplinary program designed to assist
persons to work in various agencies and organizations
at the national, state, and local levels by
improving their skills to conduct planning,
analysis, and evaluation of programs, projects,
and the functioning of organizations.
The Certificate Program
in Women and Public Policy is designed
for graduate students and community members
who wish to gain knowledge and skills to influence
public policy affecting women. Courses include
substantive, theoretical, and methodological
approaches to the analysis and formation to
public policy.
The Certificate Program
in Urban Policy is designed both for
students currently enrolled in graduate programs
in social science or public policy areas and
for members of the community, such as state
and local officials, who wish to improve their
knowledge of urban policy.
Some sociology students also complete the
requirements for an MA in
Women's Studies since the comprehensive
examination in gender fulfills the MA project
(WSS 690) requirement. Students interested in
pursuing this option should consult the Women's
Studies department.
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