Students must complete 33 semester hours of graduate credit distributed as follows:

• Four required courses (12 hours) in theory, research methods, and statistics/data analysis. The specified 500-level courses required are Seminar in Social Theory (Soc 501), Research Methods and Study Design (Soc 515), Advanced Data Analysis (Soc 518), and Research Practicum (Soc 592). Theory and Methods are offered only in the Fall semester while Data analysis is offered only in the Spring. It is best to take these three courses during the first year of graduate study. Students who wish to begin in the spring should speak with the Graduate Director on how to proceed with courses. Research Practicum is taken in the second year and is offered only in the Fall.

• Ordinarily students enrolling in Research Methods and Study Design should have taken an undergraduate course in social science research methods as a prerequisite; students enrolling in Advanced Data Analysis should have taken one general or social statistics course as a prerequisite; and students enrolling in Seminar in Social Theory should have taken an undergraduate social theory course as a prerequisite.

• Five elective courses (15 hours), of which at least 9 hours must be in 500-level sociology seminars. It is strongly recommended that the elective courses include the Seminar in Applied Sociology. With the approval of the graduate program director, up to six hours of the elective courses may be taken in fields outside sociology.

• 6 hours of program completion option. This may be either thesis or internship and report.

• University 500---CONTINUING ENROLLMENT -- Classified, master's level students, who are not otherwise enrolled during an academic term, for a minimal fee, can maintain access to University resources only by enrolling in UNIV 500. Prerequisite: classified, master's level student.