PhD in Sociology - Organizations, Work and Occupations in Ithaca United States | Cornell University

The Sociology Graduate Field accepts approximately 6-7 PhD candidates annually, maintaining around 40 students in the program at all times. These graduate students receive guidance from over 30 distinguished Sociology Graduate Field Faculty members from various Cornell departments, with many holding primary appointments in the Sociology Department. Candidates may seek mentorship from any faculty member within this group. Prospective students should examine faculty research specialties and contact relevant professors, though admission isn't tied to specific advisors or labs.

First-year sociology PhD students begin with general registration, completing core theory and methodology courses before selecting two specialization areas from the options below. These concentrations allow students to build expertise, choosing either two major focuses or one major and one minor focus.

Following first-year coursework, students complete two concentration exams and develop a Qualifying Paper - an original research article suitable for journal submission. After drafting this paper, students typically apply for Doctoral Candidacy during their third year, proceeding to dissertation work including prospectus development, research, and final defense.

This concentration examines organizations as crucial social structures, covering corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies. Students analyze institutional interactions (like workplace dynamics) and organizational relationships with other social systems. The curriculum includes theoretical frameworks (such as social network theory in career pathways) and methodological training (including social network analysis techniques) for studying these complex systems.