Penn State University Combined M.A., Ph.D. in Sociology and Demography

Ranked among the top sociology programs in the nation, the Penn State Graduate Program in Sociology offers students the flexibility to study a wide range of topics, reflecting both the size and intellectual breadth of the faculty. The department provides strong academic and financial support to our graduate students in the form of multi-year funding commitments during the academic year and summer. This foundation of support allows students to build both their research and teaching skills over the course of the program.

The dual degrees of M.A. in Sociology and Demography and Ph.D. in Sociology and Demography combine standard Sociology requirements with those of the interdisciplinary Demography program, one of the top four population graduate programs. Dual-degree students declare demography as their major area, which leaves them free to choose a minor area from the many offered by the department. In addition to a course that provides an introduction to the field and a methods class in Demographic Techniques, students choose from a wide array of classes offered in different departments. Students in the dual-degree program have the same average time-to-degree as other students. The primary difference is that dual-degree students use demography classes in lieu of electives.

For more information, please visit the Penn State Department of Sociology and Population Research Institute websites.