A Ph.D. in sociology can be a versatile credential that qualifies you as an expert in the field. Upon earning your doctorate in sociology, you can seek employment as a sociology professor, a public school administrator, a government researcher or a textbook author. You can also start your own business and offer your services as a social science statistics research consultant to public institutions such as police departments and health care organizations. To get a Ph.D. in sociology, first you must successfully complete a sociology master's degree program.
Instructions
1. Apply to a sociology Ph.D. program. Press the "Apply Now" button on your college website of choice. Create an account and log in to the application. Enter your biographical information, which includes previous academic history and standardized test scores. Generally speaking, sociology Ph.D. programs require applicants to have taken the GRE before applying. GRE scores can be sent directly to university by Educational Testing Services. Universities generally require you to submit your letters of recommendation and college transcripts by regular mail before they consider your application complete.
2. Enroll in sociology Ph.D. coursework. Colleges require Ph.D. students to pass a social science research methods course. Students learn conduct doctoral-level research and the correct format for the doctoral thesis. Sociology Ph.D. students must also complete 54 to 60 additional credits of coursework, which could include, but are not limited to, seminars about culture, society, the work of well-known sociologists and social statistics. Sociology students must also take nondepartmental electives, which could include coursework in education or foreign languages.
3. Take the comprehensive examination. Graduate programs require sociology Ph.D. students to take an exam to verify competency in the field. Generally speaking, comprehensive examinations require you to write essays in a proctored examination setting without the use of books and supporting materials. Your faculty adviser(s) could require you to participate in an oral defense of your comprehensive examination, depending on the university. During an oral defense of the comprehensive exam, you are required to answer faculty followup questions to your comprehensive examination essay responses.
4. Conduct your thesis research. Your sociology Ph.D. thesis could involve an in-depth literature review -- meaning an extensive study of the work of well-known sociologists -- or could involve field research and data collection. Work closely with your doctoral committee, which consists of your faculty adviser and two to three additional faculty members, to get advice and feedback about your research as you progress toward completion.
5. Write your doctoral thesis. Use word processing software to format your thesis according to the university's editorial guidelines. Your Ph.D. thesis must be written using the APA format and formatted correctly to be eligible for publication. Thesis lengths vary based on the university. Stanford University, for example, allows sociology Ph.D. students to submit a full thesis of 100 pages or more or submit three short papers.
6. Defend your thesis. Universities require doctoral students to demonstrate authority and competency by participating in an oral defense. During the thesis defense, your doctoral committee asks you pointed questions about your research. Answer their questions with authority. Your doctoral committee votes to approve or deny your Ph.D. after the oral defense.
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