The Department of Sociology offers both Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees.

We have longstanding emphases in Criminology, Rural Sociology, Social Demography and Population Studies, and Social Inequality and Stratification. Our faculty are interested in both advanced quantitative and advanced qualitative methodologies.

We have one of the largest concentrations of sociological expertise in the Southern region, as evidenced by the number of graduate faculty and students, the placement and success of our doctoral graduates, the number and quality of publications, the level of funding for grants and contracts, and the facilities and other infrastructure for sociological research and education.

We offer a wide variety of funding opportunities for our students. For the past decade, almost all eligible students have received funding. Funding opportunities have come from teaching assistantships and from research assistantships funded by faculty research grants or our associated research centers, which include the National Strategic Planning and Research Center (nSPARC), the Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU) and the Social Science Research Center (SSRC). Fellowships are also available through the SSRC, the Office of the Graduate School, and the Office of Research and Economic Development.