Course details

Summary

If you want to study how the modern world came to be the way it is, what is happening and why, and what alternatives are possible, Sociology is for you.

The raw stuff of Sociology is human experience. Sociology is where human experience, both individual and public, singular and collective meet. These public and private stories make up the sociological imagination and this results in many different social realities.

We all exist within ever-changing social worlds, forces, groups, ideologies and institutions that make up what is called society. Sociology is the study of these ever-changing social realities and the sociological imagination that gives rise to them. Sociology is where you research, argue and critique the social world in all its fullness.

The UC Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a research-only degree carried out under expert supervision and using world-class facilities.

A PhD involves extensive, sustained and original research and study in your chosen subject, with the results being presented in a thesis that will contribute to intellectual knowledge of the field. It is a mark of intellectual ability, self-discipline and commitment. A PhD prepares you for a number of careers, including as an academic.

The minimum period of enrolment for a full-time candidate is two years and the maximum period four years; most PhD students take between three and three-and-a-half years.

Career opportunities

Sociologists are employed in a diverse range of occupations in the private and public sectors of the economy. Their skills are drawn on in private sector research organisations, consultancies, social policy, criminal justice, media firms and a wide range of social movements or community development projects.

They also carry out research for government departments on topics such as the distribution of income and wealth and gender and ethnic equality. Employment in government departments can also involve policy development and analysis, drafting new legislation and analysing the benefits and costs of different social policies.

The broad skills gained from a Bachelor of Arts such as research, writing, critical thinking and communication are all highly valued by employers and can open employment opportunities in careers as diverse as international relations, heritage, PR, teaching, publishing, advertising and more.

Sociology graduates make for good teachers and researchers in universities, polytechnics, continuing education providers and schools.

Entry criteria

Enrolment in a PhD requires completion of a research-focused honours or master's degree at first-class or second-class division 1 level (or equivalent qualifications). Applicants with qualifications from outside New Zealand must have been granted admission to the University.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 575 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum B+ grade; CAE or CPE score of 176 with a minimum of 169 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 64 and no PTE communicative skills score below 58.