Social Research - MS

The Department of Sociology offers an intensive program in social research leading to the master of science degree. The program is designed for individuals who wish to pursue a career in applied social research and related areas, as well as for those who wish to upgrade their research skills. All courses are scheduled in the evening.

Graduates are prepared for professional research positions in business corporations, organizations involved with international development, government agencies and non-profit organizations.

The program offers four broad areas of specialization: market research and consumer behavior (area adviser, Michael Wood, (212) 772-5572, mwood@hunter.cuny.edu); media research and analysis (area adviser, Claus Mueller, (212) 772-5647, cmueller@hunter.cuny.edu); research in international development (area adviser, Marnia Lazreg, (212) 772-5570, mlazreg@hunter.cuny.edu); and research and policy analysis in the public and nonprofit sector (area adviser, Janet Poppendieck, (212) 772-5583, jpoppend@hunter.cuny.edu). Students may focus on one of the program’s areas of specialization or, with faculty guidance, develop a customized course of study if a student is interested in an area of specialization other than those given above.

Students train for careers in research through a combination of course work, research in their areas of specialization, and a supervised internship in a professional research setting. By carrying out a research project during the internship outside the university setting, students gain firsthand experience in the conduct of applied research and familiarity with practical problems in their field of interest. Frequently, agencies and companies providing internships appoint former interns to full-time positions after graduation. Internship sites have included such companies and organizations as Community Service Society; CBS; Children’s Television Workshop; numerous state and city agencies; Warnako Corp.; Time-Warner, Inc; Lou Harris Interactive; Nielsen Corp. and the United Nations. Students who are already working in research positions may use on-the-job projects as the basis of an internship, with permission of the program director.

Admission Requirements

All applicants must have successfully completed at least 3 credits in statistics at either the undergraduate or the graduate level. Three credits in research methods and a background in sociology or other social science are desirable but not required. General admission requirements for arts and sciences graduate programs apply, including a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Applicants who have taken all or part of their undergraduate education in a country where English is not the native language are required to submit minimum scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of 550 on the paper based test or 213 on the computer administered test or 60 (less speaking component) on the TOEFL IBT.

Applicants who do not meet these requirements in full may apply and request special permission to enter after a mandatory personal interview.

Degree Requirements

Completion of the graduate program in social research requires a minimum of 45 credits, which include:

1. Core Courses

2. Electives

Fifteen credits are taken in courses according to the student’s interests. Some may be taken in areas of specialization among GSR courses, some may be selected from courses in other Hunter departments or CUNY colleges. See advisers.

3. Internship Requirements

Degree candidates must work as research interns in public or private organizations for a minimum of three (full-time) or six (part-time) months. A 9-credit sequence based on the internship includes 6 credits for completion of the internship.

GSR 71800 - Research Internship

Additional Information

The program can be completed in two years on a full-time basis, or seven semesters on a part-time basis (two courses per semester minimum).

Research Facilities and Affiliations

Graduate social research students have access to college-wide research and computing facilities and libraries of Hunter College, as well as to GSR program facilities, including a social sciences computer lab and a focus group facility.

Course Sequence

Note(s)

All courses offered by the program are open to students from other graduate programs provided the appropriate prerequisites are met.