Admissions Information

To be considered for admission to the Master’s Degree Program in Sociology, a student must have received a bachelor’s degree, must have a minimum of a 3.00 GPA (on a scale in which A equals 4.00) for the last sixty hours of undergraduate work, and must have taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test.

In addition, entering students should have taken the equivalent of SOA 270 (History of Sociological Thought), 271 (Introduction to Sociological Research Methods), and SOA 275 (Social Statistics). Students who have not taken these three courses or their equivalents may take these courses at Illinois State, but they will not count toward the 38 credit hours required for the master’s degree. Students must earn a grade of C or better in each of these prerequisite courses.

International applicants whose native language is not English or who have not attended an English-speaking university for at least two years must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and must receive a score of at least 79 (Internet-based testing), 213 (computer-based), or 550 (paper-based).

Admission is competitive, and meeting these minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.

Application Procedures

Deadlines: Complete applications are due March 1 for fall admission consideration and October 15 for spring admission consideration. All application material including official transcripts and GRE scores must be received by these dates. International students must apply by October 1 for spring admission consideration.

Students who wish to apply for the Applied Community and Economic Development sequence (Peace Corps Fellows/USA Program, Peace Corps Master’s International Program, or Applied Community and Economic Development Fellows) should apply through the Adlai E. Stevenson II Center for Community and Economic Development.

Students who wish to be considered for admission to the sociology master’s degree program should take the following steps:

  1. Complete a graduate school admission application and pay the required $40 nonrefundable application processing fee.
  2. Have official copies of all college transcripts (other than Illinois State University) sent directly from each college or university attended to:
    Office of Graduate Admissions
    Illinois State University, Campus Box 2200
    Normal, IL 61790-2200.

    International applicants must submit transcripts in English and in the native language, verified with fresh seals and signatures.
  3. Have official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test score results sent directly from Educational Testing Services (ETS) to Illinois State. The institution code to forward scores to Illinois State University is 1319.
  4. International applicants should have their official TOEFL score sent directly from Educational Testing Services (ETS). The institution code to forward scores to Illinois State University is 1319.
  5. Send the following application materials to
    Dr. Diane Bjorklund, Graduate Program Coordinator
    Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Campus Box 4660 Illinois State University
    Normal, Il 61790-4660:
    1. A minimum of three letters of recommendation, preferably from faculty members familiar with your academic work and able to assess your potential to do graduate work. No specific recommendation form or format is required for these letters. Each letter should be in a sealed envelope with the recommender’s signature across the sealed back flap. Be sure to let your recommenders know the application deadline.
    2. A statement of purpose that explains your career goals and why you are applying for our sociology master’s degree program.
    3. A resumé or a curriculum vita.
    4. A writing sample, preferably a paper from a sociology course or other college course. This writing sample should be at least five pages and demonstrate your analytic and writing abilities.
  6. Applicants who wish to apply for a graduate assistantship should complete the online application for a first-year teaching assistant. In order to apply for an assistantship, you must have an ISU university identification number (UID).You will receive this number in 1-2 weeks after your application for admission. You may also find your UID number by checking your application status in Welcome2ISU.