fully funded phd programs in sociology

Harvard is one of the world’s leading centers for training and mentoring the next generation of sociologists. The Department of Sociology offers several programs of graduate study leading to the Ph.D. in Sociology , the Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Policy , and the Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior .

The aim of the Graduate Program in Sociology is to prepare students for scholarly and applied research and for teaching in sociology. The program combines an emphasis on competence in social theory and research methods with opportunities for the development of each student's own interest.

Doctoral candidates are expected to achieve a solid proficiency in fundamentals that will enable them to teach basic and advanced sociology courses and engage in both quantitative and qualitative research. Students are trained in several sub fields of sociology in which the faculty has concentrations of expertise. Among these are social stratification and inequality (including race and ethnic relations), the study of complex organizations, economic sociology, political sociology, comparative/historical sociology, health and social policy, cultural analysis, urban sociology, criminology, and life course. The program includes a sequence of required courses on theory and theory construction, designed to acquaint every student with skills necessary for developing social explanations, and required courses in both qualitative methods and advanced statistics to familiarize students with techniques for collecting and analyzing data.

Sociology Faculty and Student Involvement in University Initiatives

For further information on the research topics that Harvard students have explored and the careers of some recent graduates, see Graduate Degrees Awarded .

Harvard Griffin GSAS does not discriminate against applicants or students on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry or any other protected classification.

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Office Hours (Fall 2024) Monday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (remote) Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (on campus) Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (remote) Thursday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (on campus) Friday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (on campus)

Email [email protected]

Phone 617.495.3813

Director  David Pedulla

Program Coordinator Jessica Matteson

Elena Ayala-Hurtado

Eun se baik, derick s. baum, matthew brooke, holly hummer, in jeong hwang, lauren taylor, joseph wallerstein.

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Graduate program.

The Duke University Department of Sociology is committed to maintaining its Ph.D. program at the highest level of quality, and entrance into our program is highly competitive. To those who are accepted and enroll at Duke, we offer an intensive program of study, a supportive research environment, and the opportunity to learn the craft of scholarship from Duke's productive and diverse faculty. Our placements of recent Ph.D.s in excellent jobs within academia and elsewhere is for us a source of pride and professional satisfaction.

The Sociology Department at Duke University believes in fostering an inclusive environment where differences are respected, valued and integrated into every facet of the graduate experience. Through our commitment to diversity, we hope to create an atmosphere conducive to high quality education and research that supports the broad spectrum of differences of our students, faculty and staff. 

The Department of Sociology offers a challenging and rigorous program of study and research training leading to the Ph.D. degree. Although graduate students headed for the Ph.D. receive a Master’s degree at an appropriate point in their graduate careers here, our program of study is organized primarily for Ph.D. candidates. 

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Graduate Program

Graduate program in sociology.

The Berkeley Sociology Graduate Program is the heart of our collective enterprise. Berkeley welcomes a wide diversity of students with far-ranging research interests and equips them with the sociological training, resources, and supportive community necessary to succeed in academia and beyond. Students who come here find a graduate program that has been carefully designed to offer them a rich and complete sociological education, while simultaneously allowing space and incentives to explore and develop their original ideas. 

Factors distinguishing our graduate program from others nationwide include: 1) our rigorous training in general social theory, 2) our emphasis on public sociology and social justice, and 3) our embeddedness in a vibrant interdisciplinary community. Our emphasis on social theory is demonstrated by our required graduate theory sequence, elective theory courses, qualifying examination in theory, and teaching opportunities within Berkeley’s undergraduate theory sequence. As a department, we also maintain an abiding focus on public sociology and offer a number of fellowships, grants, and awards for students pursuing research that advances social justice. Finally, beyond the department, many students and faculty engage with university-wide institutes and clusters including the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues, the Institute of Governmental Studies, the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, the Latin America research cluster, and many others.

Students admitted to Berkeley sociology receive a competitive funding package which includes six years of full support (including tuition and a living stipend) through a combination of fellowships and teaching, with many opportunities to secure funding past year six. Additionally, students are mentored in the skills needed to secure nationally competitive fellowships. In the past dozen years, Berkeley graduate students were awarded nearly one-quarter of the National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships in Sociology (53 of 226), almost double that of any other program. In addition, our students support their research with fellowships from the Ford Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, the Fulbright Graduate Student Program, and more.  They also receive funding for their dissertation research from the National Science Foundation, the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, the Charlotte Newcombe Foundation, the American-Scandinavian Foundation, the German Marshall Fund, and the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.

Berkeley graduate students receive mentorship to publish widely and influence the field. In the 24 years that the American Sociological Association has awarded an annual prize for the best dissertation in sociology, Berkeley graduate students have won a quarter of the time (6), far more than any other department. The “News” section of this site details some recent graduate student publications. Following completion of their Ph.D.s, Berkeley graduate students frequently end up publishing their dissertations as books. For example, the students who finished from 2000 through 2007 currently have 34 books published or in press.

Training in our department has prepared many of our graduates to obtain research and teaching positions in research-oriented universities; recent graduates currently hold faculty positions at Harvard, Michigan, Stanford, Chicago, Northwestern, UCLA, Columbia, Cornell, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCSF, UCSC, Syracuse, USC, Arizona, Washington, Illinois Urbana-Champaign, MIT, Georgetown, Boston U, SUNY Albany, UMass Amherst, William and Mary, Tufts and Oregon. Other students have taken jobs at more teaching-oriented schools, such as the Cal State campuses, Oberlin, Wellesley, Barnard, Boston College, Wesleyan and Sarah Lawrence.  Outside the US, students have taken jobs at McGill (Montreal), University College (Dublin), Universidad Carlos III (Madrid) and Tsinghua (Beijing).  A smaller but significant number have pursued careers in research institutes, business, government, and nonprofits.

Standard Graduate Funding Package

The department offers a standard funding package consisting of a stipend or salary, and the payment of tuition and health insurance. Both domestic and international students are eligible for this standard package. The Department provides 6 years of support, including support over 5 summers, to all graduate students making satisfactory academic progress.

A standard funding package covers the full cost of tuition for required units, and an amount for living expenses during the academic year and summer quarter, plus health insurance. The latter amount is usually in the form of a stipend paid out at the start of the quarter, or a teaching or research assistantship salary paid out over 6 pay periods. Students are encouraged to pursue prestigious fellowships offered by the University and by national organizations such as the National Science Foundation.

During a student's tenure, the department also provides financial support for all five summers between academic years.  In addition to the standard package described above, the Sociology Department will provide each student with travel and research funds towards professional development expenses, faculty-guided research, and fieldwork, as well as funds for computing needs. More information about graduate funding .

Tuition rates for the 2024-25 academic year.

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Home / Graduate Program / Prospective Students / Funding Opportunities

• Funding Opportunities

The following types of funding opportunities are available to Sociology graduate students:

Tuition Fellowship All graduate students are charged tuition. Both residents and non-residents owe the same amount of tuition. Most, but not necessarily all, tuition is usually covered in the first-year offer in various ways. Regents Fellowship Quarters usually include both a stipend and tuition. TAships typically pay both a salary, and include remission of all tuition except campus programs fees, so the graduate student fee remission includes student services fee + tuition + plus  health insurance, and excluding campus fees. Refer to Cost of Attendance .

Chancellor’s Fellowships A limited number of Chancellor’s Fellowships are awarded to first-year graduate students in doctoral programs. This merit-based campus wide competitive fellowship is a nine-month award that provides a stipend of $24,000 plus payment of all university tuition and fees (which includes health insurance).  If applicable, non-resident tuition is also included. Fellowships are not re-awarded if a recipient declines.

Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowships The Cota-Robles Fellowship is a state-funded, merit-based fellowship awarded on a campus wide competitive basis to first-year graduate students who have overcome significant social or educational obstacles to achieve a college education, and whose backgrounds equip them to contribute to intellectual diversity among the graduate student population. The Cota-Robles fellowship provides a stipend during the regular academic year of $21,000 plus payment of all university fees (this includes health insurance, but excludes non-resident tuition). For the summer quarter, a $3,000 stipend is awarded. The Cota-Robles Fellowship is part of a five-year total support package. The department provides support (usually in the form of TA or GSR appointments) for two years; the Graduate Division provides two years of fellowship plus an additional year for those fellows who advance to candidacy within normative time. Fellowship recipients must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, or undocumented students who qualify for nonresident supplemental tuition exemptions under AB 540.

Regent’s Fellowships Regent’s fellowships are awarded by the Sociology Department based on academic merit. The fellowship covers all tuition and fees (which includes health insurance), along with a stipend.

Teaching Fellowships Students are eligible for Teaching Fellowships after they advance to candidacy. Teaching Fellows conduct the entire instruction of a group of students in a lower division course under the general supervision of a regular faculty member. Teaching Fellows receive a salary along with tuition and fee remission (which includes health insurance).

Teaching Assistantships Teaching Assistants typically conduct sections for undergraduate Sociology courses under the supervision of a regular faculty member. Teaching Assistants work on average 20 hours per week, and no more than 220 hours per quarter. Teaching Assistants receive a salary along with tuition and fee remission (which includes health insurance, but excludes campus fees).

Reader positions Readers typically grade papers for undergraduate Sociology courses under the supervision of a regular faculty member. Readers are paid an hourly rate, and are typically appointed for 40-75 hours total for the quarter. There is no fee or tuition remission associated with the position.

Graduate Student Researcher positions A Graduate Student Researcher is a graduate student appointed to assist in performing research under the direction of a ladder-rank faculty member or authorized Principal Investigator. GSR positions over 25% time will cover all tuition and fees (including health insurance), along with a salary.

Dissertation Year Fellowships (President’s and Chancellor’s) The Chancellor's Dissertation Year Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit.

The President's Dissertation Year Fellowship is awarded based on both academic merit and diversity criteria. The student is selected for their academic achievement, potential for success in academia, and the extent that they contribute to the diversity among doctoral degree recipients in the division. (The diversity criteria can be found at http://graddiv.ucsc.edu/current-students/pdfs/DSSP_Guidelines.pdf .)

Both fellows receive a $21,000 stipend plus payment of tuition and fees (including health insurance).

Stem Cell Justice Fellowships Stem Cell Justice Fellowships are  funded by a grant from the  California Institute for Regenerative Medicine  overseen by the UCSC  Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells  (IBSC) who coordinates opportunities for training and research related to the biology of stem cells. IBSC  coordinates student projects with the Science & Justice Research Center (SJRC) under the guidance of faculty advisors. Learn more .

International Students Non-resident Supplemental Tuition Fellowship Graduate Division has funded a limited number of two-year international student non-resident tuition fellowships for incoming cohort doctoral students. These are awarded on a competitive basis, and each division is allotted a certain number of two types of fellowships, including those (1) restricted to applicants with citizenship from any “Latin American” country (including Mexico and Central American countries), and (2) unrestricted for non-US citizens from all other countries. If an international student is chosen for the department’s shortlist of admits, the selection committee may decide to nominate them for one of these awards. The divisional deans choose their division’s recipients and departments are authorized to include two years’ of NRT in the offer. These fellowships are not re-awarded if a recipient declines their offer of admission; all unaccepted funds return to Graduate Division.

The fellowship covers the first two years of non-resident tuition. Students will still owe non-resident tuition for the quarters  remaining beyond their second year and until advancement to candidacy.

Non-residents (out-of-state and international applicants) are charged non-resident supplemental tuition in addition to tuition. A non-resident tuition fellowship may, or may not, be included as part of the admission offer. If not included, the applicant will owe at least one year’s non-resident supplemental tuition. For Cota-Robles and Chancellor’s Fellowships, first year non-resident tuition, if applicable, is always included.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents from other states should begin establishing residency before the start of their first year in  order to be eligible for California residency (and to eliminate non-resident tuition) by the beginning of their second year. You must be in California for 366 days to qualify for residency. International students cannot establish residency for tuition purposes, and  therefore have tuition until they advance to candidacy. After advancement, an international student is exempt from non-resident supplemental tuition for three years – that is, for the three years’ normative time from advancement to completion of the PhD. 

Some applicants may be exempt from non-resident supplemental tuition. But, a non-resident tuition exemption is not the same as being a resident, and they still need to establish residency by the second year. For more information about exceptions, refer to UCOP. Complete and sign this form to request an AB540 exemption from Nonresident Supplemental Tuition charged to nonresident students. It is the student’s responsibility to pursue the process to establish residency. The department will assume you’ve taken the necessary steps by the beginning of the second year (and does not pay NR tuition beyond the first year). The Registrar usually sends a reminder the previous spring quarter. For more information, refer to: http://registrar.ucsc.edu/fees .

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Ph.D. Program

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Key to the doctoral training offered by the NYU Department of Sociology is a distinguished faculty doing cutting-edge research on topics important to theory and policy. The faculty includes individuals using diverse perspectives and methodological approaches. Thus, the selective cohort of 9-12 students admitted each year receives training that is broad and deep. Areas in which the department has faculty strength include: Comparative/Historical Sociology; Criminology and Law; Culture; Demography; Education; Environment; Family; Gender; Inequality; Political Sociology; Qualitative Methods; Quantitative Methods; Theory; and Urban Sociology. 

The program is designed to make students producers, not merely consumers, of knowledge. Training includes a two-semester course that guides a student through executing his or her own research project and writing a publishable paper. In addition to formal course work, the program includes an opportunity to do collaborative research with a faculty member the summer after students’ first year. It is common for faculty members to coauthor published papers with doctoral students arising from collaborations.

Doctoral students’ training is further enhanced by six regularly meeting workshops where students and faculty present research, get feedback, and learn from each other’s research. Students are encouraged to participate in at least one of the workshops throughout their time of study. Current workshops are in Crime, Law, and Deviance; Cultural Sociology; Economic and Political Sociology; Ethnography; Inequality; Race and Ethnicity; and Sociology of Education.

Students get training and experience in undergraduate teaching through opportunities to work as teaching assistants to departmental faculty during the fall and spring semesters, and through opportunities to teach their own courses during the University's summer sessions.

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