College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Program Director :Liliana Golden

Department’s Phone Number : (305) 348-3341
Department’s FAX Number : (305) 348-3605

For More Information, go to

• Program's web site
• College of Arts and Sciences web site

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Brief Description of the Program:

        The Comparative Sociology Graduate Program at Florida International University provides a unique opportunity to integrate the traditional strengths of sociology and anthropology by combining theory and empirical research with qualitative and quantitative methods. The Program's faculty is especially noted for studying ethnic minorities, international development, gender, human ecology, labor, migration, theory, medical sociology and anthropology, and the sociology of disasters. Area emphasis includes the Caribbean, Latin America, and the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural South Florida area. Research opportunities abound at FIU as graduate students have access to the resources provided by funded research projects, centers, and institutes at the University. Situated at the hemispheric crossroads to the Caribbean and Latin America and home to a large migrant and diaspora population from these regions, the Miami area itself offers myriad research possibilities. The Comparative Sociology Graduate Program provides professional training in social science research and theory for careers in higher education, government service, and the private sector.

        The M.A. in Comparative Sociology is designed to provide the student with a strong foundation in theory and research skills. While a baccalaureate major in sociology or anthropology is helpful, it is not required for admission to the program. However, newly admitted graduate students who have no prior course work in sociology, anthropology, or statistics may be required to take one or more undergraduate courses as prerequisites for graduate-level courses. This decision is based on the evaluation of the student's undergraduate record by the Graduate Program Committee. There are two degree options: (A) the regular option (with a Thesis) and (B) the professional option (no Thesis) for those who do not plan to later obtain a doctorate or pursue an academic career.

Application Requirements:

• Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
• Applicants must have an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 or higher
• A combined score of 1000 or higher on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required. Information on the GRE and TOEFL is available directly from the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey 98541 or through FIU's Testing Center.

Additional Requirements for International Students:

• Applicants whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and obtain a score of 550 or higher.