Master's Degree

The Master's degree is the first step to a PhD in Medical Sociology. All students entering the program without a master's degree will earn their MA as they matriculate through the PhD program. The department does not offer a terminal MA in Medical Sociology.

The Plan I option is the only way to move on to the PhD program; you can learn more about Plan I requirements below. Please note that the online MA in Sociology (Plan II) is a professional program and cannot be used as a step toward obtaining a PhD.

Students with Master's Degree

The graduate director will review your transcript, evaluate course transfers, and devise a course plan.

• Students without a thesis: If you have an MA, MPH, MPA, etc., but have not written a thesis, you will be required to write one before you proceed to the PhD dissertation. The director will also handle your admission to candidacy and the comprehensive examination requirement.
• Students with a thesis: If you are entering with a master's degree and a thesis approved by another accredited institution, you are not required to make oral defense of your thesis.
• Students who have already taken comprehensive exams: If you took comprehensive exams at your prior institution, you can petition the graduate committee to waive the exam at UAB. Otherwise, all students entering, whether they have a master’s degree or not, must take comprehensive exams at UAB.

Students entering the program with a master's degree can transfer up to 12 hours of credit so long as these credits were not used for any other degree program. The department may also waive up to 16 credits of coursework from electives for those who come in with a master’s degree.

Students without a Master's Degree

Students pursuing the Plan I MA degree in Sociology must first be admitted into the Medical Sociology PhD program. To be admitted in good standing, candidates must meet all Graduate School admission requirements. Learn more about program admissions.

If you lack 18 semester hours in social science courses, you will be evaluated for academic deficiencies. Supplemental coursework may be recommended by the graduate faculty.

Plan I course requirements, including required courses and electives, are listed in the UAB Graduate School Catalog opens a new website.

Additional requirements for Plan I include:

• 6 semester hours of thesis research (SOC 699);
• an acceptable research-based thesis; and
• a final oral examination based on the thesis.

Medical Sociology PhD Program

This program is designed to provide students with the coursework and research experiences to become leading researchers, professors, and practitioners in medical sociology.

Required coursework includes:

• SOC 780: Advanced Medical Sociology and electives (9 hours)
• Theory core courses (6 hours)
• Statistics and Research core courses (15 hours)
• SOC 799: Dissertation Research (24 hours)
• Sociology/Health Electives/Transfer Credits
• GRD 717: Principles of Scientific Integrity (this course counts as a sociology elective)
• SOC 702: Proseminar: The Profession of Sociology opens a new website

All PhD course requirements and descriptions are listed in the UAB Graduate School Catalog opens a new website.

Teaching Requirement

All students are expected to develop teaching as well as research skills. Teaching skills are developed in the required professional seminar, SOC 702. The summer semester of SOC 702 is devoted specifically to developing teaching skills. Students will have the opportunity to observe, review, and critique their own teaching performance, learn various pedagogic techniques, develop syllabi, etc.

After receiving the master's degree, students are required to teach at least one undergraduate course in the department prior to graduation. A student who serves as the Teaching Assistant for Methods or Statistics courses at the undergraduate or graduate levels may fulfill the teaching requirement with that assignment.