The Master of Arts degree is conferred when students have fulfilled the requirements of either the thesis or nonthesis option. Students must earn a grade of "B" (3.0) or better in the program’s core courses. Courses may be retaken to achieve a better grade; however, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their program of study.
By the end of their first nine hours of course work in the program, students should select a permanent faculty adviser and determine their preliminary program of study, either in the thesis or nonthesis track. Students should maintain close contact with their faculty adviser in order to develop a viable program of study and avoid graduation delays.
Required Courses—12 Credit Hours
Students receive an independent learning experience in the core by completing a research study in each of the 12 hours of required courses.
- SYA 5625 Proseminar (3 credit hours): Should be taken as early as possible in the program.
- SYA 6126 Social Theory (3 credit hours)
- SYA 6305 Social Research (3 credit hours)
- SYA 6455 Research Analysis (3 credit hours)
Elective Courses—12 Credit Hours
Students will select a minimum of 12 credit hours of unrestricted electives in consultation with their faculty adviser. No more than 3 hours may be taken in UCF graduate programs outside the department. The department’s graduate director must approve all courses taken outside the department prior to enrollment.
A listing and description of courses offered by the Department of Sociology is found in the "Courses" section of the Graduate Catalog Menu.
Under special circumstances, students may enroll in a graduate-level Directed Independent Study course or a Directed Independent Research course to fulfill their nonrestricted elective course requirements. These courses, like most graduate seminars, require written research reports. Enrollment in these courses requires written approval from the student’s adviser. No more than 6 hours of graduate-level courses in Directed Independent Study or Directed Independent Research may be included in a student’s program of study.
Nonthesis students may substitute up to 6 hours of their elective course work by completing a graduate practicum/internship (SYA 6946). The practicum must be approved by the student’s permanent adviser and the department’s graduate program director.
Thesis Option—6 Credit Hours
The thesis option requires a minimum of 6 hours of thesis credit and a successful defense of a thesis. Students may enroll in thesis hours after they have successfully completed the four required courses and their thesis committee has been approved by the department and college.
Students’ permanent faculty adviser will chair their committee, which also will include two additional graduate sociology faculty members in the department. The additional members of the thesis committee are selected in consultation with the student’s permanent faculty adviser.
When a topic has been selected, students, in conjunction with their permanent adviser, will develop a thesis proposal. Copies of the proposal will be routed to members of their thesis committee and a proposal hearing scheduled. All students must pass a proposal hearing as well as a final oral defense of their thesis. Students who elect to write a thesis should become familiar with the university’s requirements and deadlines for organizing and submitting the thesis.
Nonthesis Option—6 Credit Hours
The nonthesis option requires that students complete SYA 6657 Program Design and Evaluation and 3 additional hours of SYA 6918 Directed Research, SYA 6946 Internship or Practicum, SYA 6909 Research Report, or SYA 6908 Directed Independent Studies. Both the Program Design and Evaluation course (SYA 6657) and "directed research or internship" course require community-oriented research projects to develop research skills in sociology.
- SYA 6657 Program Design and Evaluation (3 credit hours)
- SYA 6918 Directed Research, SYA 6946 Internship or Practicum, SYA 6909 Research Report, or SYA 6908 Directed Independent Studies (3 credit hours)
Before students may begin their projects, they must earn a grade of "B" (3.0) or better in each of the core courses. Students will work directly with a faculty adviser to develop a project and the adviser will supervise the project. A committee composed of three graduate sociology faculty members in the department, one of whom is the adviser, will approve proposals and final products.
The grading system for the project is as follows: Pass/No Pass basis. Students who receive a Pass will be allowed to graduate assuming all other requirements are met. Students who fail to pass will be allowed to conduct the project in a subsequent semester.
Equipment Fee
Full-time students in the Applied Sociology MA program pay a $39 equipment fee each semester that they are enrolled. Part-time students pay $19.50 per semester.