Department Chair: Dr. Thomas Kersen (Interim)
P.O. Box 18830
Telephone: (601) 979-2626
Fax: (601) 979-8299
E-mail: thomas.m.kersen@jsums.edu

The Sociology program offers the Master of Arts Degree in Sociology and the Master of Arts Degree in Sociology with emphasis in Alcohol and Drug Studies. 

Mission

The missions of the department are to provide learning experiences that will enable the sociology student to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate sociological concepts and research. Marketable skills such as effective written and oral communication, problem solving, and familiarity with quantitative and qualitative methodologies will be emphasized. Students will learn to use their sociological imagination to study emerging social issues such as globalization and modernization. Students will these skills are highly sought after in various parts of the labor market such as social service agencies, correctional systems and research institutions. The M.A. program is also designed to provide adequate training to pursue a doctoral program at other universities. The M.A. in Sociology with Emphasis in Alcohol and Drug Studies Program is designed to develop a manpower pool for service delivery in the human services profession with emphasis on the training of alcohol and drug counselors. This program also provides planning, management and public information expertise to the general public. Specialists in the field of substance abuse and human services engaged in the applied research develop and test theories on the nature and extent of alcohol and drug abuse problems.

Program Objectives

The purposes and intent of the graduate programs in Sociology are careers and human services oriented. As such, the objectives are to:

• Use the social scientific approach to study problems and locate possible solutions.
• Provide ample opportunities for students to write and present research from a sociological perspective.
• Challenge students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate sociological concepts and theories.
• Familiarize students about quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method approaches.
• Prepare teachers for community colleges or further graduate studies.
• Prepare counselors for Alcohol and Drug abuse centers and programs.

Admission Requirements

The program for the Master of Arts Degree in Sociology is open to those who have completed the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology or its equivalent from an accredited institution. All applicants are required to submit a satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), three letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose. Students without a background in Sociology must take competency courses before taking courses in the degree program.

Applicants will only be admitted once a year during the Fall Semester. The department requires that students have a 3.0 grade point average.

Degree Requirements

Thesis: A total of 36 semester hours are required for the M.A. Each student must complete 24 semester hours of core courses, six (6) semester hours of electives, and six (6) semester hours of thesis writing. A written comprehensive examination must be taken and successfully passed following the completion of the core courses. A student must write and defend a thesis to the Thesis Committee for approval.