Ph.D. / MA - Sociology

Application Quarter(s) and Deadline(s)

Program Contact Information

Requirements

Quick Overview

*See English Language Exam Scores for more information

Requirements - Detailed Information

Transcripts from all Post-Secondary Institutions

You are required to upload a transcript for each institution attended. All schools at which you completed one or more full academic terms (or equivalent) should be reported on your application. This includes community colleges, summer sessions, extension programs, and any other postsecondary education for which you received credit. Do not include high schools or college preparatory schools.

The transcript legend or key for each institution (usually found on the backside of the official transcript or in the school’s general catalog or website) must be included in your uploaded document. Additional instructions can be found in the Education History section of the How to Complete the Application webpage and within the application itself.

Note: DO NOT send your transcripts or any other documents directly to UCSB unless you have been admitted and chosen to attend UCSB or you have been specifically instructed to do so. You must upload a PDF of your transcript to your application.

Letters of Recommendation

Applicants to the Ph.D. / MA - Sociology program are required to provide 3 letters of recommendation. General instructions can be found in the Letters of Recommendation section of the How to Complete the Application webpage and within the application itself.

Additional Program Instructions: Please note that all letters of recommendation should be submitted online through the Online Graduate Application.

Caution: if you are using a Letter Service (such as Interfolio or a university career center) make sure the service knows that all letters must be postmarked on or before the application deadline. In the past, some Letter Services held letters and only mailed them once all letters had been received, resulting in a missed deadline.

Letters should contain the following kinds of information:

- circumstances under which referee has known the student
- the referee's evaluation of the student's overall intellectual ability (e.g., analytical power, critical facility, theoretical skills); independence of thought (e.g., insight, imagination, creativity); effectiveness of communication, oral and written; motivation, persistence, self-discipline, thoroughness, etc.
- the referee's assessment of the student's long run, overall probable contributions to sociology, to society, and to UCSB's graduate program

Program Note on Reference Type: Academic and professional letters are equally acceptable

Résumé or Curriculum Vitae

List your positions of employment or volunteer work/community service since high school, either full or part-time, including the hours per week worked and the nature and dates of employment or service.

Note: Do not include GRE scores on your Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (CV) if your program does not accept them.

Additional Program Instructions: List your positions of employment or volunteer work/community service since high school, either full or part-time, including the hours per week worked and the nature and dates of employment or service. Please put your name on each page of your Résumé / Curriculum Vitae.

Statement of Purpose

Give a brief statement outlining your reasons for undertaking a graduate program, your particular area of specialization within the major field, your past academic work, and your plans for future occupation or profession. Also include any additional information that may assist the selection committee in evaluating your preparation and aptitude for graduate study at UC Santa Barbara.

Your Statement of Purpose must be written in narrative (essay) form without duplicating content from your Personal History Statement.

Additional Program Instructions: Give a brief statement outlining your reasons for undertaking a graduate program, your particular area of specialization within the major field, your past academic work, and your plans for future occupation or profession. Please include information about yourself, your goals, and anything else you feel will help the admission committee understand who you are and why you want to attend our program. Also include any additional information that may assist the selection committee in evaluating your preparation and aptitude for graduate study at the Sociology Department at UCSB.

Please put your name on each page of your Statement of Purpose. Recommended length for the statement is 2-3 pages (preferably 2) using a legible font (preferably size 12) and 1.5 line spacing.

Personal History Statement

UC Santa Barbara is interested in a diverse and inclusive graduate student population. Please describe any aspects of your personal background, accomplishments, or achievements that you feel are important in evaluating your application for graduate study. For example, please describe if you have experienced economic challenges in achieving higher education, such as being financially responsible for family members or dependents, having to work significant hours during undergraduate schooling or coming from a family background of limited income. Please describe if you have any unusual or varied life experiences that might contribute to the diversity of the graduate group, such as fluency in other languages, experience living in bi-cultural communities, academic research interests focusing on cultural, societal, or educational problems as they affect under-served segments of society, or evidence of an intention to use the graduate degree toward serving disadvantaged individuals or populations.

A minimum word count of 250 words is required for your Personal History Statement. There is no maximum length requirement. Most statements are typically 1–2 pages. Your Personal History Statement must be written in narrative (essay) form without duplicating content from your Statement of Purpose.

Additional Program Instructions: A minimum word count of at least 250 words is required for the Personal History Statement, although 1-2 pages is the recommended length using a legible font (preferably size 12) and 1.5 line spacing. This statement should be written in narrative format (essay) form without duplicating content from the Statement of Purpose. Please put your name on each page of your Personal History Statement.

Writing Sample

A sample of written work in sociology or in a closely related field must be submitted with the online application. If a writing sample is submitted in excess of 15 pages, please designate which 10-15 pages of your work the Admissions Committee should read. All written work should include a bibliography, footnotes, or references, if applicable. All writing samples must be written in English or translated into English by a certified translator.

English Language Exam Scores (if applicable)

An excellent command of written and spoken English is required prior to enrollment at UC Santa Barbara. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Duolingo English Test (DET).

Exemptions from the English language admissions requirements are permitted for applicants who have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree at an institution where the verified sole official language of instruction is English. More information can be found in the Exam Scores section of the How to Complete the Application webpage.

The minimum score requirements for accepted exams are listed below:

• TOEFL Minimum Total iBT Score: 4.0 (post-January 2026) or 80 (pre-January 2026)
• IELTS Minimum Overall Band Score: 7
• DET Minimum Total Score: 120