Applied Sociology and Social Justice (Ph.D.), Program Information

Program Faculty

Department Chair

Angela Howell, Ph.D.

Interim Chairperson, Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Program Director

Natasha Pratt-Harris, Ph.D.

New Jenkins Behavioral and Social Sciences Center (BSSC), Room 406

Tel. (443) 885-3506

Email:  natasha.prattharris@morgan.edu

Program Faculty

Angela Howell, Ph.D

Associate Professor

Natasha Pratt-Harris, Ph.D. 

Associate Professor

Cynthia Bragg, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Asha Layne, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Aaron Gresson, Ph.D.

Lecturer

Yikang Bai, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Tracy Rone, Ph.D.

Jared Ball, Ph.D.

Program Description

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Applied sociology and Social Justice (ASSJ) is a terminal degree that equips students to systemically examine inequities throughout all sectors of society.  ASSJ Ph.D. students are trained to apply the Sociological lens to reform the criminal justice system, promote community development and social change; advocate for racial, gender, and economic justice; as well as apply advanced applied sociological methods to the study of all social problems.

Morgan State university is the Preeminent Public Urban Research University with the responsibility of addressing the needs of residents, schools, and organizations within the Baltimore metropolitan area.  Central to the mission of the institution, the ASSJ program provides a rigorous graduate degree program to prepare students for successful careers in academia as well as in the non-profit sector, program development and evaluation, policy analysis, consulting, as well as in a range of other arenas.  This program develops the critical skills and competencies to address societal issues, both nationally and globally.

ASSJ includes both high residency and low residency options, facilitated by the offering of courses in hy-flex and remote modalities, as well as the scheduling of courses in the evening.  Additionally, some of the course offerings will be online classes.  All students are required to attend one intensive, in-person retreat in Baltimore during the fall Proseminar course.

Program Objectives

The educational objectives for the Ph.D. in Applied Sociology and Social Justice are the following:

• To advance graduate research on social justice issues, including but not limited to criminal justice reform, community development and social change, and race, gender and economic justice, locally, nationally, and internationally.
• To instruct students in advanced sociological and transdisciplinary methods that can be used to advise local, state, and federal government agencies, nonprofit groups, as well as business and industry sectors.
• To equip social science professionals with the research skills and the knowledge to deliver evidence-based solutions to social problems.
• To equip future academics with innovative teaching experience and cutting-edge transdisciplinary research experience to become attractive job candidates on the academic market.
• To nurture an environment of collaboration and collective problem-solving among students and faculty.

General Requirements

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must complete a minimum of thirty-six (36) academic credit hours beyond the Master’s degree requirements, submit a first-authored research manuscript to a scholarly journal, pass the qualifying examination, and submit an acceptably written dissertation.

All courses in which grades of “C” or “F” have been earned must be retaken.

**If a student is admitted to the Ph.D. program having earned a baccalaureate degree only, earning the Ph.D. in Applied Sociology and Social Justice will require sixty (60) credits of coursework.  Students interested in obtaining the Master’s degree en route to the Ph.D. should be able to complete all the requirements in a two (2) year period.  Students will take written Comprehensive Exams, which measure mastery of Statistics, Techniques of Social Research, Classical Sociological Theory, and Contemporary Sociological Theory during the Spring semester of Year two (2).  students must pass the Comprehensive Exams and submit an article for peer reiew to earn the M.S. degree.

Admission

Admission is based on the successful completion of the following requirements:

Have earned a Master’s degree in sociology or a closely related field, from a regionally accredited college or university; OR have earned a cumulative grade point average of at  least 3.5 in all previous undergraduate and graduate work in Sociology or a related field;

• Submit a formal application with an official copy of GRE scores and official transcripts submitted to the School of Graduate Studies.  Test scores may not be more than 5 years old prior to the date of application;
• Submit two academic letters of recommendation;
• Submit a writing sample or original research paper from your Master’s program (or, if applying with a baccalaureate degree, a writing sample or original research paper from your major);
• Submit a three-page typed essay regarding the candidate’s personal academic and professional plans and the reasons for selecting Morgan State University and the Graduate Program in Applied Sociology and Social Justice;
• Complete a successful interview with the Applied Sociology and Social Justice Admissions Committee;
• Students for whom instruction has not been in English, must submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements and submitting all the required documents does not guarantee that an offer of admission will be made to the applicant.  The decision of the Program Admissions Committee involves a review and analysis of all the elements of the application as well as the availability of positions in the program.  The committee then recommends to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies that an offer of admission should be made based on that review.

Candidacy

Students achieve candidacy by passing the qualifying examination.  If not taking a full-time load and during the semester in which students plan to take their qualifying exam, just prior to achieving candidacy, students may enroll in SOCI 993:  Doctoral Pre-Candidacy to achieve full time status.

Once a student achieves candidacy, enrollment in any course other than SOCI 997 is generally prohibited.  Students seeking additional skills, knowledge, or a certificate must seek approval from the program and the School of Graduate Studies.  The request must be accompanied with a revised Plan of Study.

Dissertation Completion

Applied Sociology and Social Justice students are guided by a Major Professor and an Advisory Committee throughout their graduate studies.  The purpose of the Advisory committee is to give continuity of direction and counsel as well as to provide role models and intellectual stimulation to the student from the beginning of the program to the completion of the degree, including the dissertation.  The Major Professor is assigned to the student upon admission to the program.  Th student, in collaboration with her/his Major Professor, must identify and recruit at least one member of the department faculty to join the Advisory Committee within the first year of study.  The remaining committee member(s) must join the Advisory Committee by the end of the third semester of study or at least one full calendar year before the Comprehensive Exam is administered, whichever is earlier.  The Advisory Committee must then be kept at its full complement throughout the graduate career of the student.

The Dissertation is the last phase of the Ph.D. program.  It is a written analysis of a specific academic topic that applies traditional scientific methods of inquiry to examine specific research questions, or hypotheses.  The purpose of the dissertation is to ensure that the student has mastered the ability to pursue a systematic investigation which examines significant issues or problems in the area of Applied Sociology and Social Justice.  The Dissertation is also designed to contribute to the student’s knowledge, skills, and research expertise in Applied Sociology and Social Justice.

In consultation with the major Professor, the student will develop a dissertation study proposal describing the work to be accomplished.  Upon approval by the full Advisory Committee, the student will conduct the study and present final findings at the Dissertation Defense.  The full Advisory Committee votes on passage at both the proposal stage and at the time of the Dissertation Defense;  students must secure a majority vote from the Advisory committee in order to pass these final stages of the program.

Additional Requirements

Students will select one of the four (4) areas of focus within the Ph.D. Program:  1)  Criminal Justice; 2) Community Development and Social Change; 3) Race, Gender and Economic Justice; or 4) Advanced Applied Sociology Methods.  Selection of an area of focus will be made with the assistance of the Major Professor.  The area of focus will determine which electives the students will take.  Additional requirements and guidance can be found in the Graduate Program in the Applied Sociology and Social Justice Student Handbook.

Program Course Requirements

The general requirements of the Ph.D. can be understood as two (2) separate paths depending on a student’s previous degrees.

1)  If a student is admitted to the Ph.D. program having earned a baccalaureate degree only, earning the Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Justice will require sixty (60) credits of coursework.  Students interested in obtaining the Master’s degree en route to the Ph.D. should be able to complete all the requirements in a two (2) year period.  Students must pass written comprehensive Exams, which measure mastery of Statistics, Techniques of Social Research, Classical Sociological Theory, and Contemporary Sociological Theory during the Spring Semester of Year two (2).

2)  If a student is admitted to the Ph.D. program and has earned an M.S. or an M.A. in Sociology, earning the Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Justice will require a minimum of thirty-six (36) credits of coursework (transcript from MA/MS in Sociology Program will be evaluated to determine how many credits beyond the thirty-six (36) credits may need to be taken at MSU).

1) Ph.D. with En passant Master’s Degree (60 credits) - for students who have only earned a Baccalaureate Degree

2) Ph.D. (36 credits) - for students who have already earned a Master’s Degree in Sociology or closely related field

Focus Area Electives

Curriculum Sequence

Applied Sociology and Social Justice, Ph.D. Curriculum Sequence (60 credits)  

Applied Sociology and Social Justice, Ph.D. Curriculum Sequence (36 credits)