Sociology (Ph.D.)

Program Overview

Virginia Tech’s PhD program in Sociology provides students with comprehensive training in research design, quantitative and qualitative methods, sociological theory, and a wide range of substantive areas. The common thread that connects much of the research we do in VT Sociology is a focus on the causes, consequences, and interactions of social inequalities within a variety of focal areas including gender, race, class, sexuality, criminology, health, aging, the environment, education, popular culture, and the global political economy. Our department is also home to interdisciplinary programs in Women’s and Gender Studies, Africana Studies, and American Indian Studies, and our Ph.D. students have the opportunity to receive training in these interdisciplinary fields during the course of their studies.

Many of our students work with faculty members on grant-funded research projects that focus on a wide range of topics, such as the radicalization of the internet, bullying in high schools, collective memory and racial prejudice, underrepresented minorities in STEM fields, the effects of gender and sexual orientation on partner caregiving in later life, the socio-environmental effects of energy projects, and sustainable agriculture in Guatemala, among others. Our department also houses the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention, the Race and Social Policy Research Center, and the Laboratory for the Study of Youth Inequality and Justice, which are engaged in multiple research and public scholarship endeavors.

Why choose this program?

We support the research of scholar-activists, who connect with communities in need and provide research that can help them to shape policies and solve problems.
The research and scholarly interests of our faculty cross a wide range of disciplinary boundaries.
Best fit for students interested in full-time graduate study on the campus of Virginia’s largest research university.
The graduate program in Sociology at Virginia Tech prepares students to be productive and publicly-engaged scholars, advancing research.

Our doctoral graduates have gone on to become professors of sociology and related fields in universities around the world, and to direct and coordinate social research in such organizations as the U.S. Census, the Mt. Sinai medical school, the University of Virginia’s Cancer Center, the California’s Department of Social Services.
All classes are taught in small seminars and offer personal interaction with faculty and peers.

What You'll Study

You will complete 48 hours of coursework and 42 hours of research.

Students work with a large, interdisciplinary faculty that includes about 30 tenure-track professors with PhDs in Sociology, Anthropology, English, History, and Foreign Languages. Students can also study with professors and instructors from other departments on campus who are affiliated with our department.

Students with deeper interests in race and gender can focus their degree programs on them through our interdisciplinary programs in Women's & Gender Studies, Africana Studies, and American Indian Studies.

Course List (Blacksburg)

Admissions Requirement

_{A master's degree with minimum GPA 3.25 (4 Scale)}
_{Overall GPA 3.0 (4 Scale) in all Sociology Courses}
_{GRE Not Required}
_{TOEFL /IELTS Required (If Applicable)}

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Tuition and Fee

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Funding Opportunities

_{The Department of Sociology has a limited number of graduate assistantships and fellowships available for students applying for full time study on the Blacksburg campus. Entering students can apply for such funding as part of their admissions application. No separate application required.}

_{Find out what loans are available as a graduate student and other opportunities.}