Sociology 4+1
Master Degree Program
UConn’s Department of Sociology offers UConn students an opportunity to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Arts in Sociology focused on social justice in five years.
Find Your Road....Earn Your Advanced Degree Sooner
UConn’s Sociology Department 4+1 fast-track / 5th Year Masters program offers students an opportunity to earn both a bachelor's degree and a Master of Arts (MA) in Sociology in five years. The Sociology 4+1 Social Justice MA program welcomes students with diverse academic backgrounds to strategically create social change that is democratic, inclusive and just. We offer the opportunity to learn about the historical, cultural, and social forces that shape our society to prepare for social justice related careers in the 21st century. You will have the opportunity to learn from faculty dedicated to social justice research.The 4+1 Sociology (Social Justice) degree program is a great fit for students who:
- Would like to earn a Master’s degree to pursue careers related to social justice.
- Seek to strengthen their graduate school application for a doctoral study program.
- Become more effective within social justice causes.
- You don’t need to be a Sociology major to enter the Sociology (Social Justice) MA program, just an affinity for the discipline and a wish to engage in advanced study.
Students in this program become knowledgeable, flexible professionals, change agents, researchers, educators and advocates by critically addressing diverse intersectional experiences, quality of life and justice issues, field-based applications, and research for ongoing learning and writing. The 4+1 program also saves money and time via a fast-tracked course of study and prepares students to work, research, and advocate on behalf of social justice. Through examining a wide array of topics, students gain the training needed to analyze social, economic, cultural, political and legal inequalities and promote pathways to more just societies. Only UConn undergraduates are eligible to enter the 5th Year Master of Arts in Sociology program.
Students begin taking graduate courses (which count toward both their BA and MA) as early as their junior year and must meet with the 4+1 program director to be considered for the program.
Join Us for an
Information Session
We look forward to seeing you to discuss how you can 'find your road’ with a 4+1 Social Justice MA Degree in Sociology.
4+1 Plan of Study
Students begin their 4+1 plan of study as undergraduates, taking:
- One Required Core Course: SOCI 1001, SCOI 1501 or SOCI 1251
- One Required Theory Course: SOCI 3251
- Two Required Methods Courses: SOCI 3201 and SOCI 3211Q or PSYCH 2100Q
- Four Graduate-level Sociology Courses (these will count towards both your B.A. and M.A. degrees), taken during your junior and/or senior year.
- Note that you don’t have to be a Sociology major to be a part of the 4+1 program, though we encourage it.
Students continue their 4+1 plan of study as graduate students in their 5th year at UConn as M.A. students, taking:
- Three Graduate-level Sociology Courses (these will count towards your M.A. degree) in Fall of Year 5
- Three Graduate-level Sociology Courses (these will count towards your M.A. degree) in Spring of Year 5
Students must meet with the 4+1 program director while they are still an undergraduate (as early as possible, preferably in your sophomore or junior year!) in order to start taking graduate courses as an undergraduate and to be considered for the 4+1 program.
Graduate Course Requirements for the 4+1 (four of these courses will be taken while you are still an undergraduate)
Students in this program become knowledgeable, flexible professionals, change agents, researchers, educators and advocates by critically addressing diverse intersectional experiences, quality of life and justice issues, field-based applications, and research for ongoing learning and writing. Students will obtain both depth and breadth, through their coursework.
Program Overview:
- Three courses in one of these four Social Justice Tracks:
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- Gender, Sexualities, and Social Justice
Students pursuing the track in “Gender, Sexualities and Social Justice” become equipped to tackle important contemporary issues with extensive knowledge about gender research, theory and the ways gender is structured into our society and culture. Students will understand how different understandings of sexualities have informed social relations, the legal system, the body and health, policies and institutions of the state.
- SOCI 5601: Gender and Society (repeatable for up to 6 credits)
- SOCI 5602: Gender in Global Perspective
- SOCI 5604: Sociology of Sexualities
- SOCI 5613: Theories of Intersectionality
- SOCI 5614: Sexual Citizenship or SOCI 5651: Seminar in the Family
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- Racism Studies and Inequality
Students will understand how social, economic and political systems shape the lives of racially oppressed people and apply this knowledge in your chosen career path.
- SOCI 5501: Racism
- SOCI 5505: Topics in Racism and Ethnic Group Relations
- SOCI 5515: Sociology of Immigration
- SOCI 5421: Seminar in Social Stratification
- SOCI 5613: Theories of Intersectionality
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- Social Change and Social Justice
Undestand the mechanisms of social change through understanding organizing, conducting research and evaluating policies designed to create and implement innovations to change the world.
- SOCI 5801: Political Sociology
- SOCI 5821: Social Movements
- SOCI 5825: Sociology of Human Rights
- SOCI 5829: Social Change
- SOCI 5806: Seminar in Theories of the State or SOCI 5809: Inequality and the Welfare State
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- Research Methods.
Embark on advanced training in research methods that can help provide you with the tools to understand the causes and solutions to inequality in order to foster a more just society.
- SOCI 5210: Applied Survey Design and Analysis
- SOCI 6203: Quantitative Research II
- SOCI 6205: Advanced Topics in Quantitative Methods
- SOCI 6231: Qualitative Research II
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- Additional Coursework.
- One course in a separate track (that is not your primary track)
- Two additional graduate-level sociology courses. With the consent of the program director, students can substitute one sociology elective for an approved course in another department.
- One professional development course designed to help you navigate the world of social justice careers.
- Three research methods courses:
- SOCI 5201: The Logic of Social Research
- SOCI 5203: Quantitative Research I
- SOCI 5231: Qualitative Research I
Jobs Outlook
An MA in Sociology’s Social Justice 4+1 is an advantageous springboard to numerous careers, including:
- Research and Policy Centers
- Social Service
- Counseling Occupations
- Nonprofit Sector Employment
- Social Justice Promotion and Activism
- Employment in for-profit organizations or in state or local government in:
- Administrative Support
- Technology
- Human Resources
- Research
- Social Media Analyst/Marketing
Students have the opportunity to study a number of issues and prepare to navigate a wide variety of some of today’s most debilitating social problems on the macro and micro levels such as:
- Structural Racism
- Poverty
- Mass Incarceration
- Intimate Partner Violence
- Substance Abuse
The research tools and skills acquired, both quantitative and qualitative, will serve graduates within a variety of occupations.
Program Fees
Students enrolled in the fifth-year master’s program will face no additional costs during their junior or senior year. The price of the twelve credits that will count toward the master’s degree are included in their existing fees and tuition and also count towards the B.A. degree.
While fees vary year-by-year, the costs of the fifth year include the general University fee, the infrastructure fee, the graduate flat fee and the in-state tuition for nine or more course credits. For more information please visit the Bursar's Office website.
You may well be eligible for continued financial aid. To find out, please visit the Financial Aid website.
Current UConn juniors and external candidates can apply to the program via the online application on the Graduate School's website.
Potential applicants are urged to meet with an undergraduate academic advisor to assure that they can fulfill all of their existing BA requirements while beginning their MA study. Students are not required to take the GRE.
Students must identify a faculty member they wish to work closely with during their master’s degree. It is recommended that students reach out to this faculty member before they apply.
Required Application Materials for All Applicants
Students applying for admission to the fifth-year master's program are required to submit:
- An unofficial transcript and a resume.
- Two letters of recommendation on official letterhead speaking specifically to the applicant’s research potential. It is recommended that one letter comes from a faculty member who will supervise their research during the MA. (Students must submit the names of their two recommenders as part of their web application to the program. Recommenders will be notified via email and asked to submit their letters via the Graduate School's website.)
- A personal statement outlining the applicant's:
- Research interests
- Prior relevant academic experience
- Proposed plan of study
- Identification of faculty with whom they would like to study in terms of their area of interest / concentration.
Instructions for Current UConn Undergraduates
First Application Process
- Visit the Graduate School’s Application Management web page.
- Click “Create an Account to start a new application.”
- Create account.
- Follow instructions to get a temporary PIN.
- Set your password.
- Click “Start a new application.”
- Under the question “To which type of program are you applying?” choose “Non-Degree Graduate.”
- In the “Intended Program” section choose “UConn Accelerated UG to Grad,” then choose “Sociology.”
- Fill out the application.
Second Application Process
You can submit a second application once you have filled out you BA Plan of Study and are ready to graduate with your undergraduate degree. This second application will finalize your admissions and officially enroll you as a graduate student.
- Visit the Graduate School’s Application Management web page.
- Click “Log in to continue an application.”
- Log in using the password you created the first time you applied.
- Click “Start a new application.”
- Fill out demographic information and then under “To which type of program are you applying?” click “Master’s.”
- Under “Application Management” click on “In Progress Application.”
- Click “Continue” at the end of the informational page.
- Under the "Intended Program” section, for “Levels of Study” choose “Masters,” for “Academic Areas” choose “Social Sciences,” and for “Program” choose “Sociology.”
- Fill out an application using the information you submitted the first time you applied.
- This time you’ll need to pay the application fee.
Instructions for UConn Alumni or Graduates from Another Institution
First Application Process
- Visit the Graduate School’s Application Management web page.
- Click “Create an Account to start a new application.”
- Create an account.
- Follow instructions to get a temporary PIN.
- Set your password.
- Click “Start a new application”.
- Under the question “To which type of program are you applying?” choose “Masters.”
- Fill out an application.
- There will be an application fee.
The application deadline is April 20, 11:59 p.m. EST for the fall semester. Apply now to avoid last minute processing delays.
Program Director
Phoebe Godfrey
Professor, Department of Sociology
Who Should Apply
Current University of Connecticut undergraduate students interested in social justice careers.
Contact Us
To learn more about this program and its requirement, please reach out to:
Phoebe Godfrey, Professor
Department of Sociology
phoebe.godfrey@uconn.edu
(860) 486-3991
Katie Upson, Academic Advisor
Department of Sociology
kathryn.upson@uconn.edu
Find Your Road....Earn Your Advanced Degree Sooner
The Sociology fast-track/4+1 master's program offers students an opportunity to earn both a bachelor's degree and a
Master's of Arts (MA) in Sociology focused on Social Justice in five years.