Sociology

Department website: http://soca.wvu.edu

Degrees Offered

• Doctor of Philosophy

Nature of the Program

• crime, law, and deviance;
• systemic inequalities;
• social psychology and group processes;
• sociology of religion.

The department is strongly committed to teaching, mentoring, and collaborative research with students. Members of the faculty have received major research grants, won national teaching and research awards, published numerous books and academic articles, and served as editors and editorial board members of prestigious journals. In many cases, students have worked as research collaborators with faculty and co-authored publications.

Faculty

Chair

• Daniel Renfrew - Ph.D. (Binghamton University)

Associate Chair

• Jennifer Steele - Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University)

Director of Graduate Studies

• Karen Weiss - Ph.D. (State University of New York-Stony Brook)

Director of Undergraduate Studies

• Corey Colyer - Ph.D. (Syracuse University)

Professors

• Katie E. Corcoran - Ph.D. (University of Washington) Sociology
  Regular Graduate Faculty; Theory, Organizations, Culture, Criminology, Religion, Social networks
• Walter S. DeKeseredy - Ph.D. (York University)
  Anna Deane Carlson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences; Regular Graduate Faculty; Violence against women, Critical criminology, Masculinities and crime, Criminology theory
• R. Gregory Dunaway - Ph.D. (University of Cincinnati)
  Regular Graduate Faculty; Criminology
• S. Melissa Latimer - Ph.D. (University of Kentucky)
  Regular Graduate Faculty; Gender/race/ethnicity, Inequality/labor markets/welfare systems
• Jason Manning - Ph.D. (University of Virginia) Sociology
  Regular Graduate Faculty; Conflict and social control, Violence, Sociology of knowledge
• Christopher P. Scheitle - Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University) Sociology
  Regular Graduate Faculty; Religion, Science in society, Crime, Organizations
• Rachel Stein - Ph.D. (University of Akron) Sociology
  Regular Graduate Faculty; Criminology, Victimization, Media and Crime
• Karen Weiss - Ph.D. (State University of New York-Stony Brook)
  Regular Graduate Faculty; Criminology, Victimization, Gender/sexuality/culture
• Rachael A. Woldoff - Ph.D. (Ohio State University)
  Regular Graduate Faculty; Community, Crime, Inequality/race/class
• Joshua Woods - Ph.D. (Michigan State University)
  Regular Graduate Faculty; Social psychology, Media, Complex organizations, Sociology of risk

Associate Professors

• Corey Colyer - Ph.D. (Syracuse University)
  Regular Graduate Faculty; People processing systems, Agencies of social control
• Amy Hirshman - Ph.D. (Michigan State University)
  Regular Graduate Faculty; Mesoamerican archaeology, Social complexity, Ceramics
• Jennifer Steele - Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University)
  Associate Graduate Faculty; Rural Sociology Natural resource sociology, Rural and community development

Assistant Professors

• Daniel Brewster - M.A. (West Virginia University) Communication Studies
  Culture, Community
• Olivia A. Jones - Ph.D. (University of Groningen) Archaeology
  Mediterranean archaeology, Human osteology, Mortuary archaeology, Laboratory methods
• Brandie Pugh - Ph.D. (University of Delaware) Sociology
  Regular Graduate Faculty; Inequality, Corporate crime, Interpersonal violence, Philosophy of science
• Genesis Snyder - ABD (Binghamton University) Anthropology
  General anthropology, Historical archaeology
• Abby Young - Ph.D. (University of Oklahoma) Sociology
  Regular Graduate Faculty; Gender, Gender inequality, Education, Labor market inequality, Cultural attitudes

Professors Emeriti

• James Nolan, III - Ph.D. (Temple University) Sociology
• Patricia C. Rice - M.A. (Ohio State University)
• Joseph J. Simoni - Ph.D. (University of Notre Dame) Sociology
• William I. Torry - Ph.D. (Columbia University)

Admissions for 2027-2028

Ph.D. in Sociology

List of Admission Requirements: 

• See the steps to apply for admissions and access the application on the Admissions How to Apply website.
• Transcripts from all institutions attended.
• Three letters of recommendation from academic references.
• Curriculum Vitae.
• A statement of purpose (personal statement, approximately one page in length) that addresses the applicant’s research interests and how they might add to the graduate program. The statement should also identify faculty members they might work with if they were admitted to the program.
• A writing sample that provides evidence the applicant can synthesize ideas and demonstrate critical thought. The sample might include a senior research paper or sections of a thesis project.

International Applicants:

• See the steps to apply for admissions and access the application on the Admissions How to Apply website.
• International applicants should view additional requirements on the International Student Admission page and the Admissions for International applications page.
• Language proficiency is required in order to hold a graduate teaching assistantship. More information can be found on the English Proficiency for GTAs webpage.

Application Deadlines:

• The Sociology program admits students for the Fall semester only.
• Completed applications should be received by January 15^th.
• Students who apply by the deadline will receive priority consideration for funding.
• Applications may be reviewed past the deadline pending the availability of space.
• Exceptional applicants may be nominated by the Sociology program for competitive University Fellowships. Qualified applicants will be notified if they are nominated. More information on WVU fellowships can be found on the Graduate Education and Life Fellowships page.

For questions, please contact: Sociology Department 

Certain application requirements may be waived based on a preliminary review of an application by the program. 

MA Major Code: 1470

PhD Major Code: 14B8

For specific information on the following program, please see the link to the right:

• Sociology, M.A.

For specific information on the following program, please see the link to the right:

• Sociology, Ph.D.

Degree Progress

The department of Sociology and Anthropology requires the following milestones for all students. According to the graduate catalog, students will receive a yearly evaluation. Students who are either not making adequate degree progress or who are failing to uphold professional standards may receive notice of probation, suspension or dismissal. Students may be notified of academic consequences outside of routine evaluation processes if an issue must be addressed immediately.

Each year, no later than the first day of classes of the Fall semester, the department will post an updated version of the graduate handbook Please see the Sociology Graduate Handbook for details about degree progress and benchmarks. 

Timely Progress

• Year One: Students should have identified an advisor.
• Year Two: Students should have completed core coursework, formed a research committee and completed a second year research paper.
• Year Three: Students should have passed their comprehensive exam.
• Year Four: Students should have defended their dissertation prospectus.
• Year Five: Students should have completed, defended, and submitted their dissertation project.

 Satisfactory Progress

• Students must maintain a GPA above 3 to remain in good standing and make good progress towards all doctoral benchmarks.