Frequently Asked Questions About Admission to Our Graduate Program

When to apply for admissions and assistantships: All applications material for Fall Semester admission to the sociology graduate program should be received no later than the preceding January 15. Applications that are incomplete at this date have a reduced chance of success. The sociology department does not usually consider admissions for spring or summer term. Note that this schedule differs from the university's default admission practices and schedules. Please see the FAQ page for more information.

Application for a graduate assistantship: Application for a teaching or research assistantship is included as part of the admission application. The January 15 deadline applies to assistantship applications as it does to the admission application. Late applications assistantships suffer even more disadvantage than do late admission applications.

Materials to submit:

1. A completed application form. (Sent directly to the Graduate School at the address listed on the form, or submitted online.) http://graduateschool.colostate.edu/index.asp?url=apply
   Send items 2-4 below directly to the sociology department at the following address:
   Graduate Admissions
   Department of Sociology
   Colorado State University
   Fort Collins CO 80523-1784
2. Two copies of certified transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate study.
3. Three letters of reference from sources who are in a position to evaluate academic and professional potential.
4. Graduate Record Examination Scores (quantitative, verbal, and analytical). Information regarding this examination may be obtained from the Educational Testing Service at http://www.gre.org/
   The GRE institution code for CSU is 4075.
5. A statement of your professional interests and objectives. This document is sometimes called "Statement of Purpose" in various Graduate School application documents: This statement should make clear what areas or aspects of sociology most interest you, and how your academic experience is relevant to them. For Ph.D. students especially, you should explain how your professional goals and interests fit with what our program can offer. Statements should not exceed three double spaced typewritten pages.
6. Foreign students must supply evidence of proficiency in oral and written English by the TOEFL test. A minimum score of 550 on the written TOEFL or 220 on the computerized version is expected. Information regarding this examination is available from the Educational Testing Service at http://www.ets.org/toefl/