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Program Overview
Offers unique sociological training that prepares students to be sociology generalists, or concentrate on criminology and law, medical sociology, or families and welfare. Students develop strong foundations in qualitative and quantitative methods and have access to resources through the Anschutz Medical Campus.
Adam Lippert
Assistant Professor & Graduate Program Director
CU Denver’s Sociology MA program provides a coherent, progressive, educational experience that prepares students for either immediate entry to a master’s-level career or further study in a doctoral program. The MA program requires completion of 33 total credit hours, which include options for a thesis, an internship and related project report, or a report/research brief plus an additional course. While the program provides excellent education and training for sociology generalists, it also allows students to choose a sharper focus on one of three substantive areas: Crime, Law, and Deviance; Health and Society; or Families, Social Services, and Community. These concentrations can be completed with eligible courses within or outside the department.
Why the Master of Arts in Sociology program at CU Denver?
Emphasis on Methodology
All students are required to take 9 credit hours of research methodology and analysis (Research Methods, Quantitative Data Analysis, and Qualitative Data Analysis), which provides a skill set that is highly valued and in demand across professions and employment areas.
An Urban Environment
Sociology graduate students benefit tremendously from our location in a state capital and one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the U.S. This dynamic context provides a natural classroom for teaching our specialties: Health & Society; Crime, Law & Deviance; and, Family, Social Services & Community. Faculty often use community-engaged learning in their courses.
Institutional Connections
The MA program benefits from our proximity and institutional connection to the top-rated University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC). Various units at AMC offer training opportunities for students, facilitated by engagement of departmental faculty with AMC medical researchers. Strong integration of our faculty with the CU Denver campus community also supports collaborative teaching and training efforts with faculty in the Departments of Geography (some students seek GIS training while pursuing their MA in Sociology), Anthropology, Health & Behavioral Sciences, and Urban Planning.
Program Description
CU Denver’s Sociology MA program provides a coherent, progressive, educational experience that prepares students for either immediate entry to a master’s-level career or further study in a doctoral program. The MA program requires completion of 33 total credit hours, which include options for a thesis, an internship and related project report, or a report/research brief plus an additional course. While the program provides excellent education and training for sociology generalists, it also allows students to choose a sharper focus on one of three substantive areas: Crime, Law, and Deviance; Health and Society; or Families, Social Services, and Community. These concentrations can be completed with eligible courses within or outside the department.
Why the Master of Arts in Sociology program at CU Denver?
Emphasis on Methodology
All students are required to take 9 credit hours of research methodology and analysis (Research Methods, Quantitative Data Analysis, and Qualitative Data Analysis), which provides a skill set that is highly valued and in demand across professions and employment areas.
An Urban Environment
Sociology graduate students benefit tremendously from our location in a state capital and one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the U.S. This dynamic context provides a natural classroom for teaching our specialties: Health & Society; Crime, Law & Deviance; and, Family, Social Services & Community. Faculty often use community-engaged learning in their courses.
Institutional Connections
The MA program benefits from our proximity and institutional connection to the top-rated University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC). Various units at AMC offer training opportunities for students, facilitated by engagement of departmental faculty with AMC medical researchers. Strong integration of our faculty with the CU Denver campus community also supports collaborative teaching and training efforts with faculty in the Departments of Geography (some students seek GIS training while pursuing their MA in Sociology), Anthropology, Health & Behavioral Sciences, and Urban Planning.
Alumni Success Stories
The Sociology Department along with my MA in Sociology at CU Denver provided me with necessary skills to succeed in the field I wanted to enter. Along with building a toolkit of knowledge to present myself as a qualified candidate in the job market, I gained valuable connections within the Sociology Department through peers and faculty. I knew I wanted to join the non-profit sector after my time at CU, but it was at CU I was connected to the organization I still work for today. This allowed me to gain entry level experience, in an area that I am passionate about, while still finishing my degree. Instantly after I graduated, I obtained a promotion to another position that required a master's degree. I work as an Evaluation Specialist at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, where I apply quantitative and qualitative methodologies daily to ensure programs assisting unhoused folks are effective. These are skills I would not have if it were not for my time at CU. I love my job, and I owe many thanks to the Sociology Department at CU for getting me to where I am now.
Jamie Dalla Costa
(May 2022)
Evaluation Specialist at The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
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