The online application for the next admission cycle - for entry in Fall 2014 - will be available October 1, 2013. Please check back later for more information and deadlines.

For detailed application instructions and requirements - and to apply online - see Graduate Admissions.

To be admitted as a graduate student at UCSC, you must have a bachelor's degree or the equivalent from an accredited undergraduate institution of acceptable standing. All applicants are required to complete the application package which is accompanied by the $80 application fee for domestic applicants, or $100 for international applicants. The following are required to apply to the Sociology Ph.D program:

• the online application 
• a statement of purpose (2-3 pages)
• a personal history statement (2-3pages)
• one official transcript from the Registrar at each college-level institution attended, regardless of the length of time in attendance or if a degree was received, or whether work was completed.  NOTE: This year unofficial transcripts, if available, may be uploaded to the application for purposes of the review. Students who accept an offer of admission will be asked to followup with official transcripts for all institutions attended. You should orient all documents so they can be read easily, and provide legible scans.  Since these are not official copies and because they are embedded in your application, they will still appear as 'required' in your applicant portal since that only tracks support materials officially submitted. The portal is for the applicant's convenience, so if you've submitted the documents, you're fine. 
• three letters of recommendation
• Graduate Record Examination scores (general test only). Scores must be received by the application deadline. The UCSC School Code is: 4860. There is no department code. (Official scores are required for full consideration of your application; self-reported scores are placeholders only.)
• a writing sample, approximately 20-25 pages, preferably in sociology or a related field. This sample is commonly a term paper, a field report, a research proposal, or an essay written especially for the application. The writing sample must be submitted as part of the online application.
• Applicants from countries where English is not the primary language must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System test (IELTS). The minimum scores for admission are lower than those required for consideration for teaching assistantships. 

It is very important to answer the Preliminary Questions. Answer 'Yes' to Question 2 to be considered for merit-based financial support.  Answer 'Yes' to Question 3 to be considered for a diversity fellowship - this fellowship is awarded to students who have overcome significant obstacles to achieve a baccalaureate level degree, and whose economic, educational, or social background contributes to the intellectual diversity among the graduate student population.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - Sociology PhD Program and Admissions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - Graduate Admissions (all programs)

All hard copy materials should be sent to Graduate Applications Processing Center at the following address. 

Graduate Application Processing Center
University of California, Santa Cruz
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064

 

To contact the Graduate Program Coordinator, call (831) 459-3168 (Mon - Thurs, 8-12 and 1-5). Voicemail messages will receive a response if the caller leaves their name, phone, email, and questions. Or email: socyga@ucsc.edu.