October 5, 2015
Current and prospective graduate students have new degree options at UC Merced, which recently received approval from the UC system and the WASC Senior College and University Commission for both master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology.
Sociology students at UC Merced previously could only obtain a Ph.D. in social sciences. Having a formal Ph.D. in sociology will better equip those students to find research jobs and open doors of opportunity as professors at colleges and universities, said sociology Professor and Chair Nella Van Dyke.
“The sociology faculty are thrilled that the UC system and WSCUC have approved our M.A. and Ph.D. programs,” Van Dyke said. “Their approval confirms that we have created a high-quality graduate program, on par with those offered at other University of California campuses.”
The panel of scholars charged with assessing UC Merced’s sociology program praised its quality and academic rigor during their review. The sociology faculty at UC Merced rivals those at top-ranked universities across the state and nation, one reviewer said.
A vast majority of UC Merced’s sociology professors have won major national awards from the American Sociological Association and have published in the top sociology journals, including the American Sociological Review, American Journal of Sociology, Social Forces, and Social Problems. Many have published award-winning books through leading university presses. Read More
