Admissions

Applications for admission to the Sociology PhD program in Fall 2026 are scheduled to become available in late September 2025, though the exact date is yet to be finalized.  The application deadline will be December 1, 2025 at 11:59pm CT.  A notice will be posted on this page as soon as the application portal is open.  All application materials are submitted through the online application portal, and must be received by the December 1 deadline.  Information about required application materials can be found below.

Detailed information on Application Materials

Application Deadline:  The application deadline is December 1st, 2025, at 11:59pm Central US Time.  All application materials are submitted through the online application portal, and must be received before the December 1st deadline, as our application review begins very shortly after this date.  For this reason, materials submitted after the deadline will not be reviewed by the admissions committee.  Please do not send any application materials after the deadline has passed, including recently updated transcripts, as they will not be included in our application review process.

Application Fee Waivers:  The Department of Sociology does not have the ability to grant application fee waivers, under any circumstances.  Please do not contact the department to request a fee waiver.  Eligibility for a potential application fee waiver is determined as part of the online application process based on the information you provide in the application, and is managed by The Graduate School (TGS).  More information can be found here:  https://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/admission/application-procedures/application-requirements/fee.html

GRE Policy:  We do not require or accept GRE scores as part of the application of admission to our PhD program.  Applicants will not have the option to submit GRE scores as part of their applications. 

Required Application Materials:

• Application Fee (application fees are paid online via credit card only)
• Academic Statement (1000 words maximum)
  • All applicants must submit an Academic Statement that answers the following questions (the length of this statement should range from 500 to 1,000 words maximum):  
    • What are your academic interests, and why do you wish to pursue graduate studies in this specific program?
    • How has your academic and professional background prepared you for graduate study? (Please include any research, training, or educational experiences that align with the program you are applying to.)
    • Why is the Northwestern graduate program to which you are applying the best place for you to pursue your academic, intellectual, and professional goals?   
    • (For research-focused programs) Please make sure to address any scholarly questions you wish to explore in the program and name any specific faculty members in this program whose research interests align with your own. 

• Personal Statement (250 words maximum)
  •  Write a statement that includes any relevant information on one or more of the following topics (the length of this statement should range from 125 to 250 words maximum):   Note: The Personal Statement should not duplicate the Academic Statement.
    • Pivotal experiences, opportunities, and/or challenges that have influenced your educational and professional development.   
    • Leadership experiences, community outreach, service initiatives, or research projects you have participated in or plan to pursue that aim to positively impact others or the broader community.  
    • Anything you would like to share with the admissions committee that you have yet to discuss in other areas of the application can be addressed here. This may include any gaps in your academic and professional experience, or additional context if you believe your academic record does not demonstrate your true capabilities. If needed, you may also use this space to expand upon the topics discussed in the above essays.   
• Resume/CV
• Copies of transcripts from all post-secondary institutions are required.
  • This includes partial post-secondary education where a degree was not completed.
  • An exception can be made if the class, and its grade, appear on another school’s transcript that is being uploaded to your application.
  • Please do not send official transcripts to the Sociology Department, an 'unofficial' copy of your transcript is sufficient for the application process.
• Two (2) Letters of Recommendation
  • Applicants may submit a maximum of three (3) letters of recommendation.
  • Applicants will enter contact information for recommenders, recommenders will be sent a link that is used to upload their letter of recommendation.
  • If you intend to use Interfolio to submit letters of recommendation, please check with Interfolio as to how this process is managed (our department cannot assist with this).
  • Letters must be received by December 1st deadline.
• One (1) Writing Sample
  
  • Should be a maximum of 30 pages in length, including all appendices.
  • Social scientific papers are preferred, but not required.
  • Applicant must be the sole-author of the writing sample.
  • Please do not submit multiple writing samples, even if their combined page total is less than the 30 page limit.
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores are required for all international applicants who are not native English speakers (exceptions noted below).  Minimum score is 100 on the internet-based test (iBT). Official scores must be taken no more than two (2) years before the intended quarter of entry and must come directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). While TOEFL is the preferred test, we do accept IELTS scores and require a minimum overall score of 7.0. Official IELTS scores must be no more than two (2) years before the intended quarter of entry and must come from IELTS directly.
  • We strongly recommend that you include a copy of your unofficial score report with your online application.  Applications are not marked complete until an official score has arrived from ETS/IELTS to the Graduate School.  All material must be received by the December 1st deadline to avoid delays with your application.
  • The Graduate School (TGS) will waive the English language testing requirement for applicants who have earned an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited institution at which English is the sole and official language of instruction. These applicants do not need to submit TOEFL scores in their application, and do not need to request or apply to have the requirement waived.  We review transcripts once an application is submitted and process waivers according to the information on your transcripts.
  • Naturalized US citizens and permanent US residents are also not required to submit language testing scores.

Optional Application Materials

Applicants may choose to submit the following optional statements as part of their application:

• Cluster Statement
  • Northwestern offers the Interdisciplinary Cluster Initiative, a program designed to help graduate students foster connections with students and faculty in other programs with whom they might have natural intellectual affinities.  To be considered for nomination to a cluster, applicants should select the cluster they wish to be considered for and then submit a cluster statement that explains their interest.
  • Statement should be uploaded in the Cluster Statement section of the application.
• Quantitative Fellowship Statement*
  • The Quantitative Fellowship is an internal department fellowship that supports incoming graduate students who want to undertake more advanced quantitative training.  To be considered for this fellowship, applicants should submit a paragraph or two describing their skills and interest in undertaking more advanced quantitative training. 
  • Please include the title "Quantitative Fellowship Statement" at the top of the page.
  • Statement should be uploaded in the Supplemental Document section of the application.

* Note on Supplemental Documents: No documents other than the Quantitative Fellowship statement should be uploaded in the Supplemental Document section. All other types of documents uploaded here will be removed from applications prior to review.