Course Overview!

Ball State University's Master of Arts in Sociology program is designed to prepare students for professional careers or further doctoral studies. The curriculum focuses on theoretical knowledge, research methods (quantitative and qualitative), and advanced statistical analysis. Students develop skills in data collection, cleaning, analysis, and interpretation, making them valuable assets in various fields. Graduates gain proficiency in making research findings accessible to diverse audiences, including community members, businesses, and media. The program facilitates a high level of student-faculty interaction due to the low student-to-faculty ratio. The program offers four tracks: Thesis, Institutional Research, Teaching Certificate, and Directed Electives in Methods and Statistics, allowing students to tailor their studies to their career goals.

Course Structure

The Master of Arts in Sociology program comprises 33 credit hours. A core curriculum of 18 credit hours covers essential topics in sociological theory, quantitative and qualitative research methods, social statistics, advanced data analysis, and selected substantive topics. Students then choose one of four tracks (Thesis, Institutional Research, Teaching Certificate, or Directed Electives in Methods and Statistics), each requiring 15 elective credit hours. The Thesis Track involves original research culminating in a master's thesis. The Institutional Research Track includes a certificate, combining coursework overlapping with core subjects and additional electives. The Teaching Certificate Track provides training in college teaching, while the Directed Electives Track focuses intensely on research methods and statistics.