Main navigation
- Programs
- Subjects
- Universities
- Destinations
- Advice
The Mason MA program stands out as one of just a handful nationwide focusing on public and applied sociology. Students gain expertise in conventional sociological research techniques while addressing issues of widespread societal importance. The curriculum emphasizes tailoring your writing for diverse audiences, such as policymakers, advocacy groups, community organizations, nonprofits, and the general population. This represents sociology in practice. Faculty members regularly contribute expert commentary to media outlets on subjects spanning from teenage social events to criminal justice reform and immigrant economic impacts. Numerous professors hold prominent roles in professional organizations at various levels and lead research initiatives funded by major institutions including the Corporation for National and Community Service, the National Science Foundation, and the State Department.
Faculty research specialties encompass cultural studies, family dynamics, life course transitions, gender studies, global trends, migration patterns, political economy, development studies, social activism, racial/ethnic relations, religious studies, theoretical frameworks, and urban social structures.