PhD in Sociology - Political Sociology and Social Movements in Ithaca United States | Cornell University

The Sociology Graduate Field accepts approximately 6-7 PhD candidates annually, maintaining a total enrollment of around 40 students. These graduate students receive guidance from over 30 distinguished sociology faculty members across Cornell University, many of whom hold primary appointments in the Sociology Department. Students may choose advisors from any faculty member within the Graduate Field. Prospective applicants should examine faculty research specialties and contact relevant professors, though admission decisions aren't tied to specific faculty or labs.

PhD candidates begin with general sociology coursework, completing foundational theory and methods classes in their first year. Subsequently, they select two specialization areas from the options below, which may include either two major focuses or one major and one minor concentration.

Following first-year requirements, students complete two concentration exams and develop a Qualifying Paper - an original research article suitable for journal submission. Successful completion leads to Doctoral Candidacy, typically achieved by the third year. The program culminates with a dissertation proposal, research project, and final defense.

Cornell's sociology program has long emphasized political action as a crucial lens for analyzing social structures. This concentration requires mastery of diverse political processes - from elections and legislation to social movements and media influence - along with specialized methodologies like event history analysis and diffusion modeling.