Sociology Master of Arts

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As experts in the study of society, sociologists help communities, agencies, government organizations and businesses solve problems. You can become one of these problem-solvers by earning your Masters of Sociology here at UNC. The M.A. in Sociology will equip you with the knowledge and analytical training that today’s employers rely on to advance their missions. You will work closely with faculty, find opportunities for internships out in the community, and have access to paid assistantships or research training in our Social Research Lab.

This program requires 30 credits spanning over at least four semesters. Because of the broad-based nature of our program and the close supervision of graduate faculty, you'll have the freedom to decide where to specialize. The faculty members represent a variety of theoretical perspectives, areas of interest, and professional experience; each of our faculty do applied work in our communities and share an emphasis on training students for the practice of sociology in their future careers.

Students can choose between applied and thesis options to complete the program. If you are planning to advance your employment opportunities by completing our M.A. degree, we have an applied emphasis which culminates in a professional research report based on an applied internship experience in the community. If you are interested in pursuing further graduate education or Ph.D. programs after completing our M.A. degree, we offer a thesis emphasis which culminates with a research project and traditional graduate thesis outcome.

The Admissions Process

You must be admitted by both our Graduate School and the Master in Sociology program. Consult the Admissions Requirements for complete details.

Financial Aid for Graduate Students In Sociology

The sociology program offers a limited number of tuition fellowships and merit-based awards. For information about grants, loans, employment, scholarships and veterans’ benefits, contact the Office of Financial Aid. For International Students, contact the Office of Global Engagement for information about funding eligibility and support.

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Open Graduate Assistant Positions for Spring 2025

The Department of Sociology offers a limited number of graduate assistantship positions to students who have been admitted to the Graduate Program. For general information about these positions and to apply, download the application here

See below for position descriptions for each of the open roles for the Spring 2025 semester. 

• Dr. Nelson: Graduate Research Assistant, Assessment & Research Support

  Position Description: This graduate research assistant (GRA) will work on two different research projects. The first is on department-wide assessment of our student learning outcomes. The GRA will assist with SOC 400 Senior Seminar assessment plans and implementation. The second research project is in support of my book about immigration and racism in Vail, Colorado. In addition, the GRA will help with department events in the Spring including the Sociology Spring reception and an event being planned with scholarship donors-- both in April.

  Preferred qualifications: At least a BA degree and experience with Research Methods courses and literature reviews. Confidence with Qualtrics, MS word, and Excel preferred. An ideal candidate for this position will have a strong background in undergraduate or graduate level research methods, be skilled in literature and data searches, and will be confident using Qualtrics and Excel. 

• Dr. Newman: Graduate/Teaching Assistant

  Position Description: Student will support faculty in external grant application examining equity in STEM. Grant will be submitted summer 2025. Student tasks may include reviewing funding lines, collecting and synthesizing literature, collecting and reviewing research instruments. Student will also support faculty as GATA, assisting with classroom instruction as needed, course shell management, grading, attendance, and other duties as assigned for SOC/GNDR 240: Gender, Race, Class, and Sexuality. Attendance for SOC/GNDR 240 is required (Tues/Thurs 12:30-1:45)

  Preferred qualifications: At least a BA degree and experience with Research Methods courses and prior knowledge of the sociology of inequality preferred. An ideal candidate for this position will have a strong background in undergraduate or graduate level research methods, excellent writing skills, along with a desire to examine the grant writing process. The GATA should be someone who is interested in improving teaching skills, ready to work hands-on with students as they learn about and apply core concepts. Enthusiasm for these topics is preferred. It is necessary to be able to devote time and give strong, constructive feedback.

• Professor Sandra Harmon: Teaching Assistant

  Position Description: SOC 310/311 Social Research Methods/lab and SOC 305 Sociology of Disability, Required Core Course and elective administered online, student will grade and monitor discussions and other assignments. Assist students in conducting research, developing methods of data collection, and data analyses. SOC 231 Intro to Sociological Practice-TA will attend class once a week, lead class discussions, occasionally lecture, and assist students with assignments and in grade assignments. Lectures for this course take place Tuesdays, 2:00 PM - 03:15 PM

  Preferred qualifications: At least a BA degree and experience with Research Methods courses and prior knowledge of the sociology of race and ethnicity strongly preferred. An ideal candidate for this position will have a strong background in undergraduate or graduate level research methods, excellent writing skills, along with a desire to improve teaching skills. Ideal but not mandatory for student to hold interest and some knowledge in the Social Psychology, Family and the Life Course concentration and Research Methods. 2 of 3  courses asynchronous online spring 2025 (SOC 310/311 Social Research Methods/Lab and SOC 305 Sociology of Disabilities), so must have interest in teaching online; includes an on-campus course, SOC 231 students.

• Dr. Angie Cameron Schultz: Research Assistant for Social Research Lab

  Position Description: 18 hours/week. The SRL Research Analyst will supervise and conduct research projects in line with the educational mission of the SRL. Additionally, the SRL GA will gain experience in project and client management, research design, data collection, analysis and report writing. There are several projects already scheduled out for the upcoming year which will provide a steady stream of work for the GA. Additionally, the GA will assist in ongoing promotional efforts.

  Preferred Qualifications:

  1. Excellent communication skills.
  2. Ability to complete tasks in a timely manner.
  3. Ability to work collaboratively and with diverse groups.
  4. Ability to work with a diverse population of individuals.
  5. Interest and/or experience in research methods.
  6. Professional interest in working with evaluation and data collection.
  7. Demonstrated experience with qualitative and quantitative research methods
  8. Skills using typical desktop applications such as MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
  9. Familiarity with applicable software such Qualtrics, SPSS, NVivo, etc. is preferred but not required.