THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about admissions and our doctoral program below.
For specific inquiries or further clarification regarding the University of Chicago’s Sociology Graduate Program, please contact Lisa Parisi, Graduate Student Affairs Administrator, at lisaparisi@uchicago.edu. Please note that department faculty and staff cannot advise on program fit or review application materials or curriculum vitae; instead, we strongly encourage applicants to work with their mentors and recommenders for guidance on compiling the strongest application possible. Questions specific to the online application itself or requirements for admission should be directed to ssd-admissions@uchicago.edu.
No. Applicants are not required to hold a master’s degree prior to entering our doctoral program. All admitted students will earn one in Sociology en route to the PhD upon completing their required coursework. Students who have already earned an MA in Sociology or another discipline from any institution will, by default, earn an additional MA in Sociology from the University of Chicago.
No. A formal background or undergraduate major in sociology is not a requirement for admission. Our students come from a wide variety of academic backgrounds, including the humanities, data sciences, history, economics, area studies, environmental studies, political science, and other related social sciences. We welcome diverse perspectives, experiences, and preparation.
The Department of Sociology does not offer a standalone, terminal master’s degree. However, the Division of the Social Sciences administers excellent terminal MA options, including the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) and the Master of Arts Program in Computer Science (MACSS). On the application, PhD applicants can opt to have their files automatically referred to MAPSS or MACSS for consideration if they are not admitted to the doctoral program. Students who enter our PhD program are awarded an MA in Sociology following the successful completion of their second-year coursework.
Students currently enrolled in a doctoral program elsewhere are welcome to apply as new applicants. Please note that we do not automatically transfer course credits or milestones from other institutions before matriculation, and all admitted students must complete our program's standard coursework and milestones. However, after matriculation, the Director of Graduate Studies can review prior graduate-level coursework on an individual basis to determine if certain departmental requirements may be waived.
Applicants who do not qualify for a waiver of the University’s English proficiency requirement must submit official IELTS/TOEFL scores. For acceptable test variations, score requirements, and a detailed explanation of the waiver options, please review the Division's page on the English proficiency requirement.
All admissions decisions and communication will be sent through the application portal.
No, official GRE scores are optional. Applicants may choose to submit GRE scores if they feel the results demonstrate strong skills in quantitative, qualitative, or analytical reasoning that complement their overall application. Choosing not to submit scores will not negatively impact your application.
You should select a single-authored writing sample that best showcases your capacity for independent research, rigorous methodology, and clear academic writing (such as an honors or master's thesis or a research paper). Writing samples demonstrating applicants’ research experience are often much stronger than essays or final exams written to fulfill a class assignment. The department strongly prefers a single, cohesive writing sample, written solely by you, that aligns with our recommended 30-page limit, rather than multiple combined pieces, to best evaluate your ability to sustain a focused academic argument.
Writing samples should be single-authored and up to 8,000 words (or 30 pages), double-spaced in a 12-point font with one-inch margins. There is no minimum page requirement. If submitting an excerpt from a longer manuscript, please indicate this clearly within the text and provide a brief summary of the omitted sections and overall conclusions.
Letters of recommendation should ideally come from academic references who can speak directly to your scholarly abilities, research potential, and performance in seminar settings. Professional references are acceptable, especially if you have work or research experience related to your interests.
Application fee waivers are managed centrally by UChicagoGRAD. Applicants may receive a waiver of the fee by following the instructions and meeting certain conditions as outlined by the Division of Social Sciences.
All application materials must be fully submitted through the online Division of the Social Sciences application system by December 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CST. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the committee.
Due to the high volume of applications received each cycle, the admissions committee is unfortunately unable to provide individualized feedback on applications that are not accepted. However, we welcome re-applications in future cycles; re-applicants must submit a new application form and updated materials.
All PhD students enrolled in the Division of the Social Sciences will be funded for the duration of their program with funding support from the University of Chicago, external sources, or a combination of the two, regardless of citizenship or other factors. While enrolled, funding includes tuition, an individual U-SHIP health insurance premium, the Graduate Student Services Fee, and a divisional fellowship or assistantship. For most recent funding amounts, please visit the Division’s “Funding & Financing” webpage.
All PhD students enrolled in the Division of the Social Sciences will be funded for the duration of their program with funding support from the University of Chicago, external sources, or a combination of the two, regardless of citizenship or other factors.
We encourage you to closely read our Faculty profile’s section and consider the published work of our faculty, which will provide detailed information regarding our faculty's current research, recent publications, and course offerings. Additionally, our Graduate Students’ profiles highlight the diverse academic interests and scholarly activities of our current students. To get a sense of past research topics, you can also review our recent dissertation titles and graduate placement on our PhD Student Trajectories page.
Yes. Our program thrives on a vibrant, interdisciplinary academic community. Beyond core sociology coursework, students are strongly encouraged to take courses in other departments. Milestone and dissertation committees frequently combine sociology faculty with experts from across the University to support your specific research goals, though committee chairs for all milestones must be Sociology faculty.
While application volumes and cohort sizes fluctuate from year to year, admission to our doctoral program remains highly competitive. On average, our overall acceptance rate is under 4 percent.
Prospective students are generally discouraged from contacting faculty prior to applying. Faculty members are unable to pre-review or discuss application materials ahead of the official admissions cycle. Because all admissions decisions are made collectively by a dedicated committee rather than individual advisors, most faculty members do not reply to preliminary inquiries.
No. Incoming students are automatically assigned a faculty advisor during their first year to help guide their transition. As your research interests develop, you will select your own advisor and milestone committee members. However, our application does require you to identify three current sociology faculty members whose work aligns with your methodology and research goals, and we expect this alignment to be detailed in your candidate statement.
No. Admissions cycles for all doctoral programs across the Division of Social Sciences open and close simultaneously. All matriculating students begin their studies exclusively in the Autumn term.
No. Our doctoral program requires a full-time, in-person commitment during the Autumn, Winter, and Spring terms. Coursework during the first three years is strictly offered on our Hyde Park campus. By the fourth year, as students transition into advanced fieldwork and dissertation research, working outside of Chicago becomes a viable option. All students must maintain full-time enrollment during the academic year unless taking an approved medical or personal leave of absence. Students do not need to be in residence during the summer months.
The department is unable to accommodate individual tours or facilitate private meetings with faculty members or staff. However, we highly encourage prospective students to take advantage of the campus tours hosted by UChicagoGRAD, which offer an excellent overview of the university's campus, landmarks, and graduate student resources.
For more information regarding degree requirements, please visiting our “Curriculum and Handbook” page. Please contact Lisa Parisi at lisaparisi@uchicago.edu for any questions or additional clarification regarding administrative procedures related to the Sociology graduate program. For technical assistance or questions regarding the application system please contact ssd-admissions@uchicago.edu.