Sociology - Graduate Studies
Program of Study / Research Facilities / Departmental Faculty / Financial Aid / Cost of Study / Living and Housing Costs / Student Group /
Student Outcomes / Graduate Profiles / Location / Applying / Correspondence and Information
Program of Study
The M.S. degree program in applied sociology emphasizes practical and theoretical knowledge in the areas of policy analysis, evaluation research, and organizational sociology. It focuses on the acquisition of social research skill, theory application, and practical experience. Students are prepared for employment in industry, government agencies, and to pursue a doctorate.
The degree is made up of 34 hours of graduate credit and typically takes two years to complete. The core curriculum includes theory, research methods, survey design, evaluation research, statistics, organizations, and a 6-hour field placement in an applied context. Students also design a study area from classes offered in the department from other graduate programs. Study areas are designed to enhance the student's professional skills. Study areas could potentially include marketing research, educational research, organizational counsulting, criminal justice, health science, or policy analysis. The program is designed to ensure close and informal associations with the faculty.
Clemson's Applied Sociology program has been recognized by the American Sociological Association as a program with " exemplary practices" in the training of applied sociologists.
The department offers several teaching and research assistantships each year Graduate assistants devote 10 to 20 hours service per week to the department assisting in faculty research or teaching. Beginning Fall 2007, stipends will pay $10,000 per academic year and include a tuition reduction for in-state and out-of-state students.
The application deadline for an assistantship is March 15: however, students should apply early since these positions are competitive.
The program is uniquely focused on the concerns of businesses and public sector organizations. Our graduates are trained to analyze governmental and organizational policies. Successful graduates can facilitate the interaction between organizations and their surrounding environments, as well as to promote internal organizational efficiency. These same skills can be used in working with local Chambers of Commerce, private business, governmental planning agencies, health care systems and other organizations.
Our program offers a four-pronged approach to student development. First, our students receive a grounding in policy analysis, organizations, and theory. This knowledge develops an understanding of intra-organizational patterns such as decision making, communication, and resource allocation. Second, our students are trained in the methods of data gathering and analysis, including computer applications. Emphasis is upon constructing, managing, and analyzing data sets that provide information crucial to organizational success. Third, students select an area of specialization related to their preferred work settings. The range of possibilities include, but are not restricted to, criminal justice, environmental sociology and developmental policy, business administration and management, health care delivery, public service, and education. Students select their area of specialization with the guidance of the graduate advisor. Finally, our students have the opportunity to gain "hands on" experience working in a private business or public service agency.
Research Facilities
The Department of Sociology is located in Brackett Hall, a recently-renovated building that includes an atrium and two public–access computer labs. Graduate students can conduct research through the Center for the Advancement of Marketing and Social Sciences (CAMSS). A partnership with the Marketing Department, CAMSS provides research services to a variety of clients in the private, public and non-profit sectors. With a problem-specific approach to research, CAMSS creates many learning and funding opportunities for our students. They have helped to develop web-surveys and to conduct focus groups.
The department has a computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) laboratory. Graduate students are trained to use the 12-station state-of-the-art facility, including the software programs to design and implement a phone survey.
Faculty and graduate students often collaborate with colleagues from other departments on research projects. Graduate students have conducted research for several campus entities, including the School of Education, Department of English, Department of Nursing, and Academic Support Services.
Departmental Faculty
The faculty of the Department of Sociology have degrees from some of the finest doctoral programs in their fields. They have authored or edited over two dozen books on such topics as the impact of the mass media, parental bereavement, the Internet, folk culture in South Carolina, the sociology of emotions, the sociology of deviance, international organizations, and the causes of child abuse. In addition, the faculty have also published over 200 articles in professional journals and have written scores of technical reports related to applied sociological issues.
Departmental faculty have also obtained research grants from private foundations and government agencies. Recent funding successes include a $487,000 National Science Foundation grant to study the impact of the Internet on society; participation in a $800,000 international project to identify the social factors in adopting and implementing integrated pest management; and $250,000 to assess the impact of a community development and anti-violence project.
Financial Aid
The Department of Sociology offers several teaching and research assistantships. Assistants devote 20 hours of service per week to the department. In 2006-2007, stipends for 20 hour assistants were approximately $9,465 for the first academic year, and approximately $400 while undertaking the field placement. Semester tuition for in-state and out-of-state students with assistantships is reduced to $906. Highly qualified graduate students can receive fellowships. These awards require no services. The value of fellowships range from $5,000 to $12,000. Information about other forms of financial aid, including Stafford Loans, is available from The Financial Aid Office.
Cost of Study
For Fall 2005, in-state graduate students enrolled in 12 hours were charged $3,628 for academic fees per semester. Out-of-state students were charged $7,278 per semester. Graduate assistants are charged only $906 for academic fees and $95 for medical fees per semester. Summer academic fees were $196 per session in the summer of 2003.
Living and Housing Costs
Living expenses in Clemson are reasonably low. Housing can be obtained for under $500 per month for a two bedroom apartment. On campus housing also is available for $345 per month.
Student Group
In Fall 2006, the department had approximately 21 active graduate students, with 16 of these students attending graduate school full-time. At this time, thirteen of the 16 full-time graduate assistants were supported by assistantships or fellowships.
Student Outcomes
Our graduates are highly marketable and have an excellent employment record. Our graduates work in such organizations as the National Opinion Research Center, United Way, Society for Human Resource Management, National Restaurant Association, NC State Center for Health Statistics, South Carolina's Department of Pesticide Regulations, Miglara Kaplan Company, Anderson Memorial Hospital, Arist Corporation, South Carolina Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, Travel Industry Association, the Florida State Attorney's Office, and private research and marketing firms. These graduates are data analysts, research consultants, policy analysts, statisticians, and management consultants. Average starting salaries range between $28,000 and $58,000 a year.
A number of our graduates have pursued their doctoral studies from institutions such as Duke University, Vanderbilt University, Washington State University, Ohio State University, and the University of South Carolina.
Profiles of Graduates from Our Program
Cyd Breland and Leanne Irwin (M.S., Applied Sociology, May 2005) Two of our most recent graduates are employed by Greenville County's Human Relations Commission, which is funded by HUD. As Research Consultants, they are conducting an analysis of impediments to fair and affordable housing. To complete a report for HUD, they are compiling government statistics and other relevant data, conducting qualitative interviews and creating GIS maps.
Ashley Harris (M.S., Applied Sociology, 2004) Upon graduating from Clemson in 2004, Ashley was hired as an Administrative and Research Analyst for Pickens County Government. His duties included grant writing, policy research and strategic planning. Some major projects included writing a Homeland security grant, an annual county report illustrating the relationship between population growth trends and service demand increases, and a five-year capital improvements plan. In April 2005, Ashley was promoted to Registration and Elections Director for Pickens County. He is responsible for planning and coordinating elections, implementing a new electronic voting system, training elections staff and registering people to vote.
Schuyler Wareham (M.S., Applied Sociology, 2003) Schuyler was recently hired by Marketing Informatics (Indianapolis, IN) as a Research Analyst. Prior to this position, Schuyler was a Research Analyst for UMR Research, Ltd. in New Zealand. In this capacity, he wrote reports for numerous clients, such as the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Visa, and Telecom.
Arina Gertseva (M.S., Applied Sociology, 2002) In 2002, Arina began her doctoral studies at Washington State University. For two years she served as the primary research assistant for Dr. Don Dillman (of the “Dillman Method”). Together, they investigated the theoretical connections between principles for visual design and principles of cognitive and emotional usability. Arina then assisted with the design and implementation of the Student Internet Survey for determining whether different scale layouts influence respondents’ survey responses.
Charles Shuttles (M.S., Applied Sociology, 2000) Upon graduating from Clemson in 2000, Chuck began his career with one of the largest research firms in the world, Nielsen Media Research. As a Senior Research Analyst, he was charged with project management of large-scale nationally representative factorial design experiments and methodological research dealing with Nielsen’s television audience diary. Recently, Chuck was promoted to be the Training & Development Manager of Research. In this position, he will create training and educational programs for employees and clients regarding Nielsen’s statistics and research methodology.
Silvia Heise (M.S., Applied Sociology, 1998) For her applied sociology master’s thesis, Silvia completed an assessment of health care needs for rural South Carolinians. This research experience related directly to her next pursuit: obtaining her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. While at MUSC, Silvia published several papers, including one on asthma hospitalization trends for children in Charleston, SC. She recently began her residency in pediatrics at the University of Tennessee in Memphis.
Location
Clemson University is situated in the Appalachian foothills and adjacent to Lake Hartwell. The campus and surrounding area are serene and beautiful. Lake Hartwell, with over 900 miles of shoreline, is excellent for fishing, skiing, and swimming. The campus is close to the cities of Greenville and Anderson. Both cities have many amenities, including fine restaurants. The climate is temperate.
Applying
Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited degree program; must have completed a minimum of 15 undergraduate credit hours in sociology or another social science discipline that includes at least one course each in statistics, research methods, and sociological theory; must submit GRE scores on the verbal, quantitative, and written sections (satisfactory scores normally include a minimum of 500 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the test and a 4.0 on the written section); must submit three letters of recommendation, at least two of which are from faculty members of the applicant's previously attended college or university; and must submit a 500-word essay on career aspirations and goals, explaining how completion of this program in Applied Sociology will assist in achieving these goals.
All material for admission should be received by March 15. The application deadline for departmental assistantships also is March 15. Since these positions are competitive, students are encouraged to apply earlier.
Correspondence and Information
For more information contact Dr. Kinly Sturkie.
An application form and the Graduate School Bulletin can be obtained by accessing Clemson University's home page at http://www. grad.clemson.edu.