Begin related content to this page or sub-navigation menu.
Current Students
Related ContentBegin the main content of this page.
Graduate Program
Today, sociologists are tackling an array of challenging problems. Our topics are diverse, our research activities many. Whether we are studying networks of nations or watching kids grow up, we are asking questions and observing. Whether we are analyzing social movements or monitoring trends in health care, we are collecting data and testing our theories. We are examining ideas about gender inequality, population change, politics around the globe, crime, families, and race relations. We are exploring new insights, applying our knowledge, and sharing our work with students and colleagues.
We invite you to explore all the exciting advantages we offer in the Department of Sociology at The Ohio State University. Our graduate students are part of a group of scholars working on the cutting-edge of our discipline. Our research facilities are among the finest in the country, and our students have the opportunity to work with faculty and graduate students who are among the best in the field.
Committed to providing the best graduate training possible, the Department of Sociology at Ohio State emphasizes a thorough grounding in the core areas of sociology, including theory, methods, and statistics. This solid foundation allows our students the opportunity to contribute to research projects that are among the most innovative in the country, while promoting the pursuit of their individual interests in sociology.
Approximately 100 graduate students from across the country and around the world are now pursuing their graduate degrees in sociology at Ohio State. Most of our graduates obtain teaching and research positions at colleges and universities. Others choose careers in government, business, and research organizations.
At Ohio State, students have access to the extensive research facilities and support services of a large university while benefiting from the high degree of personal attention and student interaction usually found only in much smaller departments. Graduate classes are small and cover a wide range of research and theoretical issues. Our department fosters an environment that encourages intellectual exchange among its graduate students and faculty members—both inside the classroom and out.
As a large and well-balanced department, we provide excellent opportunities for training in some of the major areas of sociology. In particular, our faculty members conduct research and train students in four broad areas: Comparative Social Change; Crime and Community; Gender, Race, Work, and Inequality; and Population, Health, and Life Course. Students choose two sub-fields of concentration in which to take their Ph.D. Candidacy exams, which cross over these broad areas. Sub-fields of concentration are: Crime, Deviance, & Social Control; Community & Urban; Comparative & Historical; Political; Social Movements; Work, Economy, & Organizations; Gender, Race, & Class; Population; Family; Health & Medical; Theory; and Methodology.
J. Craig Jenkins
Professor and Chair
