Graduate Program

Student Experiences in SHSU's Sociology Graduate Program

Why Students Choose SHSU's Sociology Graduate Program

The Sociology Department at Sam Houston State University offers two online graduate programs: Master of Arts in Sociology and Graduate Certificate in Sociology.

Master of Arts in Sociology

30 Hours
Emphasis on Public Sociology
Curriculum Foci: Social Inequality, Health and Well-Being, Community, Food and the Environment
Thesis and Capstone Options
Teaching and Scholarship Capstones
Graduate Assistants

30 Hours

Streamlined and comprehensive curriculum
Three core classes, elective, thesis, and capstone credit
Diversity of electives that students can choose from.

Public Sociology

Program emphasis on applied and community-engaged scholarship and activities.
Orientation toward the development of sociological knowledge and skills that are applicable in a wide range of careers.

Curriculum Foci

Faculty expertise and electives in Social Inequality, Health and Well-Being, and Community, Food, and the Environment.
Thesis and capstone projects can focus on topics in any of these areas.

Thesis

Conduct original research on contemporary social issues.

Capstone

Teaching and scholarship options
Teaching: Develop a teaching portfolio
Scholarship: Develop a synthetic literature review on a sociological research question.

Graduate Assistants

The department hires students as graduate assistants to assist faculty with teaching and research.
Assistants can work remotely.

Graduate Certificate in Sociology

Designed for post-baccalaureate students interested in teaching sociology at the high school and community college levels.
18 Hours
Three required courses and three electives

Scholarships

Recruitment Scholarships

For the 2024-2025 academic year, the Sociology Department has eight $3,000 scholarships available for new students. The scholarships will provide $1,500 in funding for the fall and spring semesters.
All students who are accepted by June 1 will be considered for a recruitment scholarship.

Endowed Scholarships

The Sociology Department has multiple endowed scholarships that are awarded annually. See the sociology scholarship page [hyperlink] for more information.

Program Highlights

Awarded $36,000 in endowed scholarships to graduate students for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Hired 2024-2025
Recent theses:
- Academic Tracking: An Educator’s Perspective
- From Miss America to Mr. Popo: Exploring Race and Gender Within Themed Podcasts
- Incentive Structures in the Classroom and Teacher Accommodation for Gender
- Racialized Hegemonic Masculinity in Mass Media: Professional Wrestling’s Role in Normalizing White Male Domination
Doctoral Program Placements
- UMass Boston
- Florida State