MS in Sociology

An official transcript or degree certificate is a verification of your academic record issued in the original language from the original issuing source (i.e., college, university, technical school, or secondary school). Official transcripts or degree certificates issued in languages other than English must be translated into English and submitted to Portland State along with the original official documents. International transcripts must be submitted in paper form to be considered official. Electronic transcripts will only be accepted from U.S. institutions.

The department requires you to upload an curriculum vitae or resume.

You must upload transcripts to the application site. These transcripts can be unofficial until the review process is completed. The university will need official transcripts if the department gives you their recommendation for admission.

Provide financial documentation demonstrating adequate financial support for at least the first year of study

Prospective students should request three letters of recommendation from faculty with recent observations of the student's academic ability. Prospective students who do not have three faculty recommenders may request letters from professional contacts (e.g. collaborators, colleagues, supervisors) who can speak to the applicant's skills and experiences relevant for graduate work. The application site manages these recommendations and your recommenders submit their reviews online by uploading their letters directly.

Submit an approximately 1,000 word statement of purpose, including all the following elements that are relevant to your experience: Academic and/or life experiences that motivate your interest in sociology; Reasons for pursuing graduate study in sociology; Ultimate career goals once you obtain your terminal degree; Prior academic experiences that have prepared you to do graduate level work in sociology; Research experience, including research in courses, research assistantships, research presentations, and publications (if any); Teaching experience, including teaching assistantships and community-based teaching (if any); Service experience, including volunteer work on campus, in the discipline of sociology, and in the community (if any); Areas of interest within sociology and possible areas of focus for your own research; Reasons for choosing PSU sociology.

TOEFL/IELTS/PTE/Duolingo

Please attach one recent written scholarly piece. This can be a paper written for a course, an excerpt from your thesis, or an academic publication. 30 pages maximum.