As described in the Sociology entry of the Graduate Bulletin, students must earn a total of 90 credits for the PhD. Up to 30 of these credits may be fulfilled through enrollment in S869 (PhD Thesis). At least 60 credits must be non-S869 credits. These credits are fulfilled by required coursework in sociology and a PhD minor.

There are 13 sociology classes that all students must take comprising:

• Proseminar Series (3 credits total)

1. S500: Pro-Seminar in Sociology (1 credit)
2. S501: Sociology as a Vocation (1 credit)
3. S502: Launching Your Academic Career (1 credit)

• Introductory Substantive Courses (9 credits total)

4. S510: Introduction to Social Organization (3 credits)
5. S530: Introduction to Social Psychology (3 credits)
6. S540: Sociological Theory (3 credits)

• Sociological Research Practicum (SRP) Series (9 credits total)

7. S566: Sociological Research Practicum I (3 credits)
8. S567: Sociological Research Practicum II (3 credits)
9. S568: Sociological Research Practicum III (3 credits)

• Introductory Methods and Statistics (9 credits total)

10. S558: Advanced Research Techniques (3 credits)
11. S554: Statistical Techniques in Sociology I (3 credits)
12. S650: Statistical Techniques in Sociology II (3 credits)

• Publishing seminar, formerly titled “Topical Seminar” (3 credits total)

13. S700: Publishing Sociological Research (3 credits)

Students must take an additional five sociology classes, which they may choose from among limited options to fulfill additional requirements. These additional course requirements include:

• Advanced Substantive Courses – Any two S660 or S617 courses (6 credits)
• Advanced Methods Course – One S651 or S652 course (3 credits)
• Elective – One other graduate sociology class (3 credits)
• S506: Teaching of Undergraduate Sociology or other graduate class (3 credits)

The teaching course (S506) is not required for the degree but is required to teach. So, most students must take S506 to maintain funding. Additionally, to meet the required 60-credit threshold for the PhD, students must usually take S506 or some other class. (Together, all 17 required sociology classes add up to 45 credits. A student who takes only these required classes and a 9 to 12-credit minor will earn 54-57 credits, which is short of the needed 60.) 

All students must also complete a PhD minor in another field. Students may choose any minor listed in the “outside minor” section of the sociology entry in the Graduate Bulletin or choose another IU minor with DGS approval. Minor requirements can be found in their specific entries in the Graduate Bulletin. Most minors require 12 credits (four classes), but some require 9 or 15 credits. A minor representative, typically the DGS for the unit administering the minor, approves minor coursework for the Candidacy eDoc. A minor representative must also be a member of the student’s dissertation committee unless the minor unit waives this right. Many sociology students choose the 12-credit minor in Social Science Research Methods, which is usually administered by a Sociology faculty representative. Advanced sociology methods classes count toward this minor (but cannot be double counted for both sociology and the minor simultaneously).