Application Materials Checklist

Note: GRE Scores are no longer considered in our admissions process.

Applicants must submit the following to be considered for admission to graduate study at the University of Michigan's Sociology Department:

• University of Michigan Graduate Application and Fee

• Subplan(s) - Subplans are not required, but if you do know which area you are interested in, please select it in your application (Program Selection cont'd) and statement of purpose.  Subplans are mapped onto the department's Area Exam topics. Students' intellectual interests often evolve and change after they begin graduate school; identifying a subplan does not restrict a student to that area once they arrive, but instead gives the admissions committee a sense of the intellectual breadth of the incoming cohort.

• Scanned Copy of Official transcripts - Upload a scanned copy of your official transcripts when you complete the online application. We only require official transcripts be sent from an institution's registrar's office once a student is admitted. Please check the Rackham Graduate School's website regarding Transcripts for the most up-to-date information on this process. 

• Academic Statement of Purpose - The Statement of Purpose is the single most important item in your application. In your statement, you should propose an agenda for graduate-level research in sociology. What research question(s) do you want to address, and what methodological approaches are you interested in using? Your statement should explain how your question(s) 1) are sociologically interesting, 2) can be answered via concrete, feasible empirical research projects, and 3) are a good fit for Michigan Sociology. The admissions committee uses this essay to evaluate your sociological thinking and your readiness for graduate-level independent research in sociology (while recognizing that your interests may shift). The statement should be up to 2 pages long, single -spaced.

• Personal Statement - How have your background and life experiences impacted your path to graduate school? This is an opportunity to discuss any factors that may have shaped your life’s educational journey, such as first-generation status, socioeconomic status, or educational access. This statement should be 1-2 pages long, single-spaced.  Please do not repeat your Academic Statement of Purpose.

• Sample of written work - Please upload a sample of written work (e.g., a senior thesis or an advanced term paper) that provides evidence of your creativity, methodological preparation, theoretical and critical thinking, and potential for engaging in independent research. A strong writing sample will (1) be based on original empirical research (that is, centered on original data collection and/or analyses); (2) engage with theoretical ideas rather than simply describing or summarizing data; and (3) showcase your skills with data collection and analyses. The sample should be around 15-20 pages. Excessively long statements may not be read in full.

• Three letters of recommendation which evaluate the applicant’s past academic performance and potential for graduate study. Our application system does not accept letters of recommendation through Interfolio. Once you get to the letter of recommendation portion of the application, you will enter the email addresses for your recommendation letters and a confidential link with instructions will be sent to your recommenders for submission. Letters of recommendation are due on December 1st and must be submitted through the online application system.

*International students - please see additional information listed here.

Please be sure to confirm your materials are correct and finalized before submitting your application, as we are unable to accept changes to application materials after they have been submitted.

Application Technical Difficulties

If you or your recommender need technical assistance regarding the application or recommendation systems please email ApplyWeb at help@applyweb.com. Include the following information: user name, full name, email address, and phone number. Please allow 24 hours for a response.