Graduate

Welcome! 

We are pleased to learn of your interest in our graduate program in Sociology at Michigan State University. We have an exciting program composed of 22 graduate faculty and approximately 20 graduate students in residence.

Although we have a diverse range of teaching and research areas represented in the Department, we have particular strengths in

• Environment, Migration, and Movements;
• Health, Medicine and the Body; and
• Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality.

Our strength is augmented by outstanding affiliated sociologists in James Madison College, the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the College of Education. The Sociology graduate program prepares graduate students for a variety of career options in academic and applied settings by providing a solid basis in foundational sociological knowledge as well as cutting edge research methods and sociological theories.

New full-time students are admitted for the fall semester only. All applicants will be considered for financial aid; there is not a separate application process.

Applicants to the Department of Sociology PhD Program must have all required Sociology application materials submitted and your application fee paid to be considered for admission. We will be using email to communicate with you during the application process. Please check your email regularly.

The deadline for submissions of applicant materials is November 16, 2026, for our Fall 2027 admissions cycle. Admission and funding decisions are announced in early April. Other detailed information regarding the application follows.

MSU provides resources for students who are undocumented. Visit this site for more information: issr.msu.edu.

Ready to Apply? Let's go!

(If not, check out Pre-Admission FAQs)

1. Complete an Application

Provide full answers, paying special attention to the application's Supplemental Questions. Application for Admission to MSU Sociology Graduate Program.

2. Faculty of Interest

We recommend that applicants identify at least 1-2 Tenure-Stream Faculty with whom they would like to work with if admitted. You may consider reaching out to faculty directly to inquire about whether they are currently accepting new advisees for academic year in which you are applying for.

3. Three Letters of Recommendations

Three (3) Letters of Recommendation addressing the applicant’s academic and professional potential should also be submitted by your recommenders. Your recommenders will be prompted to fill out an online rating questionnaire. Instructions on entering the recommender names and contact information are below:

1. Log in to your Admissions Graduate Education Portal. Put in your applicant ID (top right hand corner of page). Your applicant ID is emailed to you when you have submitted your application.
2. Click on “Letters of Recommendation” which is located under the Control Panel.
3. Enter the names and contact information for each recommender. 

Recommenders will receive an email immediately after you add their name and email address into the LOR system on your application with instructions on accessing the Online Letter of Recommendation rating questionnaire. Recommenders can upload their letters of recommendation after they answer the questions as a recommender. If needed, applicant can go into their Graduate Education Portal and resend an email to their recommenders who have not responded. They can also check the status of their LORs.

4. Writing Sample

This can be a course paper or article from 10-25 pages in length.

5. Academic Statement

Answer the following questions in 500-1,000 words:

• What is your primary field(s) of interest in Sociology?
• Why do you think that MSU would be a good fit for your graduate education?
• Which faculty member(s) in the department do you expect to study with and why?
• How do you anticipate that your graduate studies in Sociology at MSU will prepare you to achieve your career goals?” 

6. Resume/CV

7. Official Transcripts

The University requires one official transcript from all colleges and universities you have ever attended. The transcript must be sent directly from the awarding institution to MSU to be considered official.

• If you previously attended MSU, you may submit an MSU Transcript Request to the Registrar's Office. Please note that requests are typically processed within 1-3 business days.
• If an awarding institution participates in electronic official transcript transfers, they may use our Departmental email (soc1@msu.edu) for delivery. Institutions who must send paper copies may mail them to:  
  
  Department of Sociology 
  Attn: Taylor Gallagher 
  509 E. Circle Drive, Room 317 
  East Lansing, MI 48824-7503

Important note: Copies of transcripts will not be sufficient for application review. We highly recommend that you reach out to each awarding institution(s) as early as possible to counter any potential delays in delivery.

8. Application Fee Payment

The application fee is currently $65 for domestic students and $75 for international students.

• The Department is not currently offering any application fee waivers at this time. However, there are three scenarios that qualified students can use for fee waivers through the MSU Graduate School. Please review the Application Fee Waiver page to see if you qualify.

Test Scores

We do not require any scores from the GRE General Test or the GRE Subject Test in Sociology.

International Students

• Statement of financial proof (PDF) “International students only”. Financial Proof is needed to request an I-20.
• We require students to begin their programs in the Fall semester, as our orientation program and course schedule is geared to that, although some international students may wish to use the preceding summer to take English language courses.
• US Degree Equivalency - Admission to a graduate degree requires completion of a level of education comparable to a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree. High Scholastic standing and suitable preparation for the intended field of study are also considered. Normally, Michigan State University does not accept three-year bachelor’s degrees, diplomas or certificates as comparable to a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree.
  • English Language Competency scores are required for international students. Reported scores must be no older than 2 years. Institution code for Michigan State University is 1465.
  • We do not offer English language proficiency score waivers unless the applicant is eligible for an automatic waiver. If an applicant earns a Bachelor's degree in the U.S. (or another country where English is the first language), they will qualify for an automatic waiver. If an applicant earns a Master's degree at an AAU Institution on a U.S. campus, they will also qualify for an automatic waiver. All others will be required to submit English Language Competency scores. For more information, see the Graduate School's website on English Language Competency.

Additional Information for International Students can be found here.

MSU provides resources for students who are undocumented. Visit this site for more information: issr.msu.edu

Duration of Status

On July 17, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a rule that will significantly affect how international students and scholars with F and J visas are admitted to and maintain status in the United States. Most notably, the rule will end "duration of status," which was the previous policy that allowed F and J visa holders to remain in the U.S. for the duration of their academic program as long as they followed the rules of their immigration status. The new rule instead establishes a fixed time period of admission for F and J students and scholars and will require those who need more time to accomplish their program goals to file an Extension of Status application.

In addition to ending "duration of status," the rule will also affect travel, grace periods, employment authorization, program extensions, graduation timelines, school transfers, changes of major or degree level, J-1 scholar appointments, incoming student arrival planning and campus advising processes. The new rule is scheduled to take effect on September 15, 2026.

The Office for International Students and Scholars is carefully reviewing the rule to understand its implications for MSU. We are also consulting with university partners, national professional associations and colleagues in the field as we assess the rule and determine next steps. As always, we ask campus partners to rely on OISS as the primary source of university guidance related to immigration. We will continue to share updates through established listservs, direct outreach to affected people and offices, and on the OISS website.

Decision Dates

You can inquire about the status of your application using the Admissions Graduate Education Portal.

As the Graduate Education Committee reviews applications, please note that you may be contacted for a virtual interview. Please monitor your email closely after submitting your application for any communication that you may receive.

Admissions offers will be sent out around April. A few offers may be made after mid-April.