The Department of Sociology at UCCS offers a comprehensive Master of Arts (MA) program that includes theory and methods, as well as a variety of electives to suit the academic and career goals of the students.

The program offers two tracks: the general MA and the MA with an applied emphasis.

The general track includes a thesis requirement and is designed for students interested in pursuing a general education in sociology while developing research skills, with an eye towards a potential PhD in sociology in the future. 

The applied emphasis track is tailored to students who want to combine their general graduate education in sociology with specific skills or interests, with a focus on coursework rather than a thesis. This track allows for six additional hours of individualized coursework in coordination with the student's advisor.

General Track: Students must complete a total of 24 hours of approved course work, including the required courses, plus an acceptable thesis for 6 hours of credit.

Applied Emphasis Track: Students must complete a total of 30 hours of approved coursework, including the required core sociology courses, and are encouraged to develop individualized areas of concentration with the elective credits.

Elective coursework may include approved courses from other UCCS Graduate programs, for example, the Graduate School of Public Affairs, Applied Geography, Communications, Business, and the College of Education.

Advisory Committee, Thesis Advisor, and Examination Committee

Each student must select a graduate faculty member within the Department as his or her Advisor. This should be done as early as possible during the first semester of graduate work. 

For details on program coursework, please visit the Academic Catalog.

Admission Requirements:

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university or have completed work equivalent for such a degree and equivalent to the degree given at this University
• An undergraduate overall grade-point average of at least 3.00*  
• Adequate preparation to begin graduate study in sociology
• Show promise for advanced study and research, as judged by the applicant's previous scholastic record

To learn more about admission requirements, the application process, and to apply for the Sociology MA program please visit the UCCS Admissions page.

Streamline Application Process

This program is to encourage applications from our best UCCS undergraduate students applying to the UCCS MA graduate program by offering an abbreviated application process. Students with a GPA of 3.25 or higher and who have graduated within the last three years do not need to include letters of recommendation with their application. Students applying through the Streamline Application Process will need to include a goal statement, transcripts, the UCCS application, and the application fee. Students demonstrating a financial need can request an application waiver.

Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP)

UCCS participates in the WRGP program. WRGP is an agreement among the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education’s (WICHE’s) 16 members, through which WICHE-region students can attend the UCCS MA program and pay up to 150 percent of resident tuition. Please click the WICHE fact sheet to determine if your home state is within the WICHE region.

Important Note

After applying, to help ensure your application is processed, please email the graduate director, Lei (Frank) Zhang, at lzhang@uccs.edu to let him know you have applied to the MA program.

Additional resources for Admissions:

• Tuition Rate
• Cost of Tuition Estimator
• Financial Aid
• Scholarships

The Sociology Department at UCCS offers an Accelerated Master’s Degree Program for students majoring in Sociology.

This program allows students to earn both a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Sociology. The program is specifically designed for highly-qualified UCCS Sociology majors and is intended to be completed in five years. One of the main benefits of the program is that up to nine credit hours can be applied toward both degrees.

Visit this page for more information.