Applying to the M.A. Program
Prospective students must apply using the online application.
Every year we welcome a diverse cohort of students to the masters program in sociology. Our students come from all walks of life and from many different parts of the world.
Our program is tailored to individual interests and backgrounds. Therefore, we accept both students with extensive experience in the social sciences as well as students with degrees from other disciplines. All applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree.
Our student body includes recent graduates from undergraduate programs, and others who have previously completed graduate degrees. We also welcome applicants who wish to take time away from their professions to devote a year to research, or who would like to switch careers.
We are not able to accept students who have already completed a Masters degree in sociology or in a discipline with required coursework that significantly overlaps with what we offer.
- A statement of academic purpose
- The statement of academic purpose (maximum of 1,000 words) should include a description of a potential research project that you would like to pursue to fulfill the thesis requirement while at Columbia.
- A personal statement
- The personal statement (maximum of 1,000 words) should describe how your personal experiences and history will allow you to contribute to the wealth of perspectives in the entering class of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and in the Columbia community at large.
- A sample of scholarly writing
- The sample should be 15-20 pages in length, exclusive of the bibliography or references, and should demonstrate your academic writing ability. It need not be a sociological study or document, although we prefer to see your social scientific writing.
- Three letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources
- At least two letters must be from academic sources.
- Transcripts of all previous post-secondary education
- A curriculum vitae or résumé
- Official TOEFL or IELTS scores
- These scores are only required for international applicants who need to fulfill the English Proficiency Requirement.
- Payment of the application fee
- Requests for application fee waivers should go directly to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
* GRE scores are accepted but not required
The deadlines for Fall 2025 admission to the M.A. program are as follows:
Early deadline:
11:59pm ET on Thursday, February 6th, 2025.
*Those who wish to apply for a fellowship must apply by the early deadline.
Regular deadline:
11:59pm ET on Thursday, March 6th, 2025.
For additional information about application components and policies, please see the GSAS program description and the GSAS Admission Supporting Materials page.