Our graduate program is nationally recognized and offers three main areas of concentration: Health and Aging, Inequalities and Social Justice, and Demography. Among public universities, we are ranked the 29th best sociology graduate program in the nation and the 2nd best in the 17 states that make up the Southern United States (U.S. News). Among 118 public and private sociology programs across the nation, we rank among the top 20% with regard to the number of publications and grants per faculty member (The National Research Council).
Our faculty have won national, regional, and university-wide awards for teaching, mentoring, and research. We have been distinguished as Fulbright Scholars, recognized with named professorships, honored with article and book awards from sociological organizations, awarded research grants from state and federal funding agencies, and served as leaders in regional and national academic associations. Several of our professors are affiliated with and some have directed FSU’s Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy and the Center for Demography and Population Health.
Our department offers advanced training in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, paid teaching and research assistantships that come with tuition waivers, a culture of collaboration and support, and a program for learning how to teach at the college level. Students typically finish their required coursework after two years, defend their master’s theses during their second year, pass an area comprehensive exam during their third year, begin teaching and writing a dissertation prospectus during their fourth year, and complete and defend dissertations during their 5th year. Our graduates typically secure jobs as professors at research universities and liberal arts colleges or as researchers in nonprofits and government agencies.
Guide To Grad Studies
Our Guide to Graduate Studies provides information for new and current graduate students. In addition to guidelines surrounding facilities, fees, and funding, it details requirements for earning your Master’s and Ph.D. degrees. The Guide also lists information about preliminary examinations, Graduate Assistantships, and basic policies and procedures.
You may access the current Guide to Graduate Studies here.
Additional Information
The Department of Sociology at Florida State University actively works to collaborate and support graduate students through working groups, such as the Inequalities and the Aging Research on Contexts, Health and Inequalities (ARCHI) working groups, as well as reoccurring Brown Bag presentations through the Center for Demography and Population Health.
The Sociology Graduate Student Union (SGSU) is an organization led by, and for, the graduate students in the Department of Sociology at Florida State University. SGSU represents graduate student interests in departmental policy decisions and promotes a supportive and collaborative culture among graduate students. SGSU is open to full and part time FSU Sociology graduate students.
FSU Sociology graduate students can also join Graduate Assistants United (GAU) at Florida State University, the only legally recognized collective bargaining agents for Graduate Assistants at FSU. Read more about GAU at: https://www.fsugau.org/
To apply, see Application Deadline & Requirements.