Sociology (PhD) at Cornell University

Programme overview

The graduate field in sociology enrolls approximately six or seven doctoral students each year. Forty to forty-five graduate students are in the program at any given time. Graduate students are advised by the sociology graduate field faculty , which consists of more than 30 eminent sociologists from across Cornell.

What you will study

Concentrations: Community and urban sociology, Computational social science, Culture (minor), Economy and society, Gender, Inequality and social stratification, Methodology (minor), Organizations, work, and occupations, Policy analysis (minor), Political sociology/social movements, Race, ethnicity, and immigration, Science, technology, and medicine (minor), Social demography, S

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Academic statement of purpose; Personal statement; Writing sample; College transcript(s); Three letters of recommendation; Resume or CV; GRE scores; The English language proficiency requirement for all applicants, with these specific scores required for the field of sociology:; IELTS overall band score of 8.0 or higher, or; TOEFL iBT (minimums): Speaking: 28; Reading: 24; Listening: 22; Writing: 24; A nonrefundable application fee of $105; You do not need to have an undergraduate or master’s degree in sociology to apply or be competitive in the admissions process. Application deadline: Fall, December 15

USD 20,800 a year (2026-27). Doctoral tuition per year ($10,400 per semester); the source states $20,800 applies to Ph.D., D.M.A. and J.S.D. programs in endowed and contract colleges; tuition only. Source

Graduate School applications are submitted online through the Graduate School application; the application fee is $105. Each graduate field sets its own deadlines, and many fall between early December and mid-January.

Apply through the official page: https://gradschool.cornell.edu/admissions/application-steps/apply-now/

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