The Department of Sociology at the University of Washington has a long history of providing excellent training for the next generation of sociologists.  As a result, we welcome applications for admission to our graduate program. We typically receive between 150 and 200 applications each year and enroll a diverse and highly qualified cohort of 12 to 18 new graduate students.  All admitted students enter our program with the intention to receive a Ph.D. degree.  Students who have not previously earned a MA degree in sociology or a closely related field complete a MA degree along the way.

Useful Links:

Information for Prospective Students

Ph.D. Program Overview

Funding and Financial Assistance

Frequently Asked Questions about Admission

Statistical Summary of Sociology Applicants, 2001-2010

Graduate School Admissions Information

Tips for Uploading Application Materials

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Application Process and Deadline:

General Process:
All applicants must submit their application electronically through the MyGrad web system.  This system allows applicants to submit most required materials via the web.  Official test scores must be sent directly from the testing companies to the University of Washington.

The application system can be accessed at the following url:
https://www.grad.washington.edu/applForAdmiss/

Deadline:
The admissions committee will consider applications received by midnight on December 15.

Required Materials:
(Unless otherwise noted, all application materials should be submitted through the MyGrad application system.  If you are having trouble with any of the document uploads, see the Tips for Uploading Application Materials section at the bottom of this page.)

1. Electronic Application and $75 Application Fee*
*Fee is subject to change without notice.

2. Statement of Purpose:  Describe your academic and professional goals, and how your academic and personal experiences have prepared you for graduate study in sociology.  (1-2 pages single-spaced.) 

3. GRE scores:  Request that ETS submits scores to the University of Washington (Institution Code 4854).  To allow sufficient time for the reporting of scores, applicants should take the exam no later than October.  The Sociology Department will only consider scores for tests taken within the past five years.  GRE scores are required for both domestic and international applicants.

4. Curriculum Vitae or Resume

5. Letters of Recommendation:  (3 letters required)  Applicants will be asked to provide the current contact information of all recommenders who will then be automatically notified via email to submit their recommendation on-line through the MyGrad application system.

6. Writing Sample:  A 5 to 15 page paper (double spaced) that demonstrates your ability to clearly analyze and write about a social scientific topic (broadly defined).  Ideally you will submit a paper you have written for an academic course, though any work that reflects your analytic and written abilities is acceptable.

7. Unofficial Transcripts:  Submit unofficial transcripts from all previous institutions of higher learning attended (colleges and universities) through your online application.  Official transcripts are not required during the application process.  If accepted into the program, you will be asked to submit official transcript(s) and additional instructions will be provided at that time.

Additional Requirements for International Applicants (non-US citizens), and Non-Native English Speakers:

All Non-Native English speakers are required to meet the University's English language proficiency requirements.  To do this, applicants must submit recent (not older than two years) standardized test scores to demonstrate language proficiency.  Most applicants submit TOEFLiBT scores.  For the TOEFLiBT scores submit using Institution Code 4854 (same as the GRE code).  If you wish to submit a different type of test score, please refer to the online application process, and also see Graduate School Memo # 8 for the types of test scores and score ranges that are acceptable.  Students who are also seeking financial assistance should also note that the majority of our departmental financial aid is provided in the form of Teaching Assistantships.  Please also see Graduate School Memo # 15 for the English language proficiency requirements to qualify for a TA position.

• If you have a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or from an institution in Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, or the United Kingdom, this previous degree will satisfy the University's English language proficiency requirements.  In this specific instance, you do not need to submit the TOEFLiBT scores.
  • Make sure to upload the unofficial transcripts from the degree that would fulfill this requirement in your application.
  • You will be asked to submit official transcripts from this degree to verify your English language proficiency at some point, though the application itself does not require the official transcripts.
  • If you have further questions please contact the Graduate School, uwgrad@uw.edu

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Tips for Uploading Application Materials:

Unless otherwise noted, all application materials should be submitted through the MyGrad application system.  You will be called on to upload some number of documents to the system.  These uploaded documents need to be readable for the department.  Your recommendation referrals will also be asked to first answer a series of questions through the system, and then either type their recommendation letter directly into the system, or upload a document.

If you are having trouble getting the uploads to work, here are some things to try first before contacting the department:

• File Size Matters:  Each upload has a maximum file size that the system can accept.  Check to see if your file size is bigger than allowed, and reduce the file size if necessary (more on this below).
• Document Extensions:  When you are uploading, make sure whatever file you are uploading includes the entire file name including the file name extension (.pdf or .doc for example).  Without this when we go to look at the document, our systems do not know what software to use to open the file, virtually making it unreadable.
• Browsers:  If the file you are uploading is smaller than the maximum allowed for that particular upload, try using a different browser (e.g., if you were using Firefox, try using Explorer).
• Reducing Size of Scanned Files:
  • Try telling your scanner to scan the pages as documents and not images.
  • Try scanning in black and white.
  • Try having your scanner save the file as a PDF.
  • Try scanning without a background.  Or you can try removing the background from within the PDF file through the Acrobat software.
  • Transcripts: Scan each transcript as a separate file.

If even trying all of the above you are still unable to complete the upload, contact the Graduate Program Assistant at socadvis@u.washington.edu for assistance.

Contacting the Department:

Questions may be directed to the Graduate Program Assistant at socadvis@u.washington.edu or by phone at (206) 221-3280.

To contact us by mail:

Attn: Graduate Program Assistant
Department of Sociology
University of Washington
Attn: Graduate Program Assistant
Campus Mail Stop Box 353340
211 Savery Hall
Seattle, WA 98195-3340

PLEASE NOTE:
When using messenger / delivery services such as UPS, please leave off the mail stop / box number.