Admissions

Applications for admission to the Sociology PhD program in Fall 2023 closed in December 2022, and all admissions decisions have been issued to applicants.

Applications for admission to the Sociology PhD program in Fall 2024 will be available in early September 2023.  The application deadline will be December 1, 2023.  A notice will be posted on this page, along with a link to the online application portal, as soon as applications become available in early September.

Detailed information on Application Materials

Please note that the application deadline is now December 1st, which is earlier than in previous admissions cycles.  All application materials are submitted through the online application portal, and must be received by the December 1st deadline.  Any materials submitted after the deadline may not be reviewed by the admissions committee. 

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)
• Statement of Purpose
  • Typically 1 - 3 pages in length.
• 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 15^th 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 15th 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 where English is the language of instruction. These applicants do not need to submit TOEFL scores in their application.
  • 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:

• Diversity Statement (for U.S. Citizens only)
  • A document explaining your experiences and commitments to diversity.
  • Upload statement under Diversity Statement.
• 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.
  • Upload statement under Cluster Statement.
• 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 brief paragraph describing their skills and interest in undertaking more advanced quantitative training, as a supplemental document. 
  • Upload as Supplemental Document 1.
  • Must include "Quantitative Fellowship Statement" at the top of the page.
• Data Science Fellowship Statement* 
  • The Data Science Fellowship supports incoming graduate students dedicated to the exploration of fundamental and applied advancement in data science. To be considered for this fellowship, applicants should submit a paragraph describing how more advanced quantitative training fits into their future academic work, as a supplemental document. 
  • Upload as Supplemental Document 2.
  • Must include "Data Science Fellowship Statement" at the top of the page.