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 Overview
The program provides training in the skills necessary to secure research careers in academic and nonacademic professions and emphasizes applied research in community-based settings. The program is organized around a curriculum that combines strong grounding in the acquisition of methodological skills with advanced study in one of the department's four areas of concentration:
The Department of Sociology & Anthropology is affiliated with several institutes providing research opportunities and practical experience for graduate students. The Institute for Social & Behavioral Sciences was founded in 1979 and promotes community oriented research throughout the social and behavioral disciplines. The ISBS houses the Survey Research Laboratory, with the capacity to conduct telephone, internet, and mail surveys and polls throughout Central Florida. Also housed in the ISBS is the Center for Qualitative Methodologies, which specializes in focus-group methods and in-depth interviews. Curriculum
The Sociology Ph.D. program at UCF requires a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond the Master's degree. Included in these 60 hours are 18 credit hours of required coursework, 12 credit hours in the student's major area of concentration, 15 credit hours of elective coursework, and 15 hours of dissertation credit. For descriptions of courses please consult the Graduate Catalog. Required Courses - 18 Credit Hours
In the semester after completing the program's required core courses, a student will sit for two qualifying examinations. The qualifying examinations will be designed by a faculty grading committee and reflect the coursework in the areas of Theory and Methods/Statistics. The qualifying examinations will be used to determine the student's eligibility to complete the doctoral degree. The exams will screen for research ability, technical skills, and mastery of the discipline's core content. Each examination will be a four-hour examination that will be used to determine the student's eligibility to complete the doctoral degree. Major Area Examination. After completing the program's two qualifying examinations and 12 hours of course work in their major area of concentration, a student will sit for a major area examination. The student's adviser and faculty who teach in the selected area will design and administer the examination, which will be based on course work completed in the student's major area of concentration. Unrestricted Electives (15 hours) The unrestricted electives provide students with an opportunity to expand their doctoral training beyond the program's core courses and the restricted electives in the student's major area of concentration. Unrestricted electives may include regularly scheduled graduate courses, graduate-level courses in programs outside the department, independent study courses with a highly focused student/faculty research component, and a research practicum, which enables students to gain valuable research experience in a nonacademic setting. Unrestricted electives may be taken at any point in the student's program of study. The research practicum and courses from other departments must be approved by the student's adviser and the graduate program director. Dissertation (15 hours) The dissertation will be completed through a minimum of 15 hours of dissertation credit, which students will use to accomplish original research on a topic approved by their adviser and three committee members (one of whom shall be from a relevant field outside the discipline of sociology). The dissertation must conform to standard disciplinary, institutional, and departmental practices. Students may not enroll for dissertation credit until they have completed all examinations in their program of study. A dissertation will be required for completion of the Ph.D. Oral defense of the dissertation proposal and the completed dissertation are required. Applied Research Practicum (Optional) An important component of the Ph.D. program in Sociology will be the research practicum. The practicum will be a 6 semester-hour directed research experience in a nonacademic setting, which will provide a "hands-on" approach for advanced doctoral students. Although completion of a research practicum will not be required for all doctoral students, it is expected that some students, including most of those seeking employment in research positions in public and private agencies, will take advantage of this opportunity. Doctoral students must pass their qualifying examinations before being eligible for a research practicum. The student's graduate adviser and the department's graduate program director must approve the research practicum. Hours completed in a research practicum will count as unrestricted electives in the student's program of study. Application and Admission to the Program
Admission Requirements Admission to the PhD program in Sociology is open to those with a master's degree from an accredited university. Entrance into the program is based upon consideration of multiple criteria intended to determine the applicant's ability to successfully complete the program and to make a contribution to the discipline of Sociology. Application decisions are made by the graduate program committee. Materials reviewed by the committee include: (a) the verbal and quantitative scores on the Graduate Record Examination; (b) GPA during the last 60 hours of baccalaureate work; (c) GPA for entire Master's career; (d) letters of recommendation (three, one of which must come from a member of the applicant's graduate committee at the master's level) assessing the applicant's potential to do doctoral level work; (e) a personal statement; (f) a writing sample of the applicant's work. Completed applications are due by January 1st for review for the following academic year (i.e. Fall entry only). The application, transcripts, and official GRE scores (taken within the last 5 years) should be submitted to the UCF Graduate Studies Office. Instructions for how to complete the application online are available at www.graduate.ucf.edu. All supplemental materials (letters of recommendation, writing sample etc.) should be sent directly to the department. For More information on the Ph.D. in Sociology please contact:
Jana Jasinski, Ph.D. Graduate Director jjasinsk@mail.ucf.edu (407) 823-6568 
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Dept. of Sociology: University of Central Florida | 4000 Central Florida Blvd | Orlando, FL 32816-1360Phone: (407) 823-3744 | Fax: (407) 823-3026