Social Justice - M.S.
Completion of at least 36 semester hours of coursework is required.
Requirements
Course Requirements
- The coursework will include a minimum of 6 hours in research methods, 3 hours in Statistics and 27 hours of sociology/social justice prescribed courses and 3 hours of electives at the 500 and above levels.
- Students also must complete a satisfactory thesis project and Human Services Internship experience.
Required Thesis
A written scholarly thesis describing a major social research problem, must be submitted two weeks before the oral defense to the Thesis Committee. The Graduate Student Handbook provides the guidelines for preparing and presenting the thesis document. The Thesis Advisory Committee is selected in the Spring semester of the student’s first year. The committee must consist of three faculty members of the Social Justice program, one of whom is the chair of the thesis committee.
Oral Defense Required
The program requires an oral defense of the research by the graduate student. The defense consists of a one to two hours oral presentation before the Thesis Committee. Pass or Fail by the committee will be determined by a vote after the defense is completed by the graduate student. This defense must occur 10 days before all materials for graduation are require. The Graduate trainee will be examined by the Thesis committee only.
Program Requirements
Required Courses for the Social Justice Program
| SOJ 511 | Research Methods I | 3 |
| SOJ 512 | Statistics and Research Methods II | 3 |
| SOJ 521 | The Development of Sociological Theory | 3 |
| SOJ 522 | Contemporary Sociological Theory | 3 |
| | | |
| SOJ 571 | Human Services Internship | 3-6 |
| | And | |
| SOJ 572 | Human Services Internship | 3-6 |
| | | |
| SOJ 581 | Thesis Research | 3 |
| | And | |
| SOJ 582 | Thesis Research | 3 |
Fall Semester (1st Year)
| SOJ 508 | Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Social Inequality | 3 |
| SOJ 511 | Research Methods I | 3 |
| SOJ 521 | The Development of Sociological Theory | 3 |
Other Requirements
Spring Semester (1st Year)
| SOJ 512 | Statistics and Research Methods II | 3 |
| SOJ 522 | Contemporary Sociological Theory | 3 |
| SOJ 531 | Life Cycle, Adulthood and Aging | 3 |
Other Requirements
Fall Semester (2nd Year)
| SOJ 532 | Social Identities-Nation, Culture, Race | 3 |
| SOJ 581 | Thesis Research | 3 |
| SOJ 571 | Human Services Internship | 3-6 |
Other Requirements
Spring Semester (2nd Year)
| SOJ 572 | Human Services Internship | 3-6 |
| SOJ 582 | Thesis Research | 3 |
| SOJ 599 | Thesis Preparation | Not for credit |
| SOJ | Independent Readings | 3-6 |
Other Requirements
Requirements for Graduation in Social Justice
7 required cognate courses
Note:
GPA above 3.0.
Receipt of Thesis approval by the Graduate Thesis Committee
Advisor
Graduate students in the Social Justice program must identify and acquire a graduate advisor no later than the latter part of the Fall semester of the first year of matriculation. The graduate student and advisor will develop a specified plan that will include courses and other graduation requirements during the duration of graduate program of study. Full-time graduate students are required to complete their course work by the end of their fourth semester in the program.