Department of Sociology
Admission Requirements
Purdue University seeks graduate students with diverse intellectual perspectives and experiences, and accepts students without regard to age, race, gender, ethnicity, creed, national origin, disabilities, or sexual preference. The faculty members of the Graduate Committee, selected to represent the department’s faculty and interests, make admission and funding (financial award) recommendations to the University’s Graduate School. The Graduate Committee evaluates each applicant in terms of potential for success as a graduate student in this particular department and potential for successful professional work in the field of sociology.
Applicants to the MS program must have completed a BA or BS degree. Students must also have successfully completed a sociological theory course, a social statistics course and a research methods course.
Applicants to the PhD program must have completed an MA or MS in sociology. Students with advanced degrees in related fields (e.g., family studies, law, gerontology, social work, theology, or applied sociology) may be admitted to the MS program, but not the PhD program, in sociology at Purdue.
Students may begin the MS or PHD program only during the fall semester. No student is admitted to take courses as a non-degree student during the spring or summer semesters.
In addition to the electronic application and a $55 fee, four additional types of information are required for an application file:
Grades: Two copies of transcripts for all previous undergraduate and graduate work are required. A minimum 3.0 (“B”) undergraduate cumulative GPA is required for admission.
Aptitude Test Scores: All required test scores must be transmitted to Purdue University by ETS prior to the application deadline. The institution code for Purdue University West Lafayette is 1631. Because ETS transmission may take several weeks, applicants should contact ETS as soon as possible to request that test scores be reported to Purdue University.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required for all applicants.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam is required for international non-native speakers of English. Applicants must score 550 or higher on the paper-based test, 213 or higher on the computer-based test, or 77 or higher on the Internet-based test in order to be considered for admission. In addition, applicants who take the TOEFL iBT must achieve the following minimum test scores: reading, 19: listening, 14; speaking, 18; and writing, 18.
The Test of Spoken English (TSE) is required for international non-native speakers of English who have not taken the TOEFL iBT.
As an alternative to the TOEFL and/or the TSE, applicants may submit International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores of 6.5 or higher.
Personal Statement: A brief statement of scholarly interests is required. Your statement, approximately 300-500 words long, should indicate your purpose for undertaking graduate study and professional work in sociology. The statement should also identify the area(s) of concentration or specialization that attract you to the sociology program at Purdue.
Application Deadlines
Electronic Application for Graduate Study
Purdue University Graduate School