Application Deadline is
February 1st
The on-line application system closes each February 1st for students entering the UCSF Sociology PHD Program in the following fall quarter. Mid-year enrollment is not available. Early application submission is encouraged. In years where the first of February falls on a weekend, the deadline is enforced on the following Monday.
For more general information about our Sociology Ph.D. program, please visit
the overview page at: http://nursing.ucsf.edu/programs/phd-sociology.
Admission Requirements
We suggest you do some advance preparation before beginning the on-line process, to avoid uncertainty or roadblocks as you move through the screens of the application.
- Applicants are accepted from candidates with either a bachelor's or master's degree in sociology or a related social science or professional field.
- The UCSF Doctoral Sociology Program is a doctoral-level (Ph.D.) program. Applications are not accepted from candidates interested in pursuing a master's degree. The program has four areas of special emphasis – aging, chronic illness, and disability; health policy, economics, and institutions; science, technology and medicine studies; and gender, race, class and health/health disparities. Additional substantive research areas include violence as a health issue, HIV/AIDS, and global health.
- The Statement of Purpose (three to five pages) should discuss your background, interests, research, goals, purpose in applying for graduate study, and your plans for the future. Please indicate what you hope to gain from being a doctoral student in Sociology, how your interests fit with those of Sociology faculty, and any other pertinent information supportive of your application and qualifications.
- Official Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended are to be sent directly from the institution to the UCSF Graduate Sociology Program at our mailing address (below). No action can be taken without these documents. Please be sure to have all transcripts forwarded in ample time for consideration. The UCSF Graduate Division requires a minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA). Admission of a student who does not have a 3.0 GPA is sometimes possible, if ample evidence exists that s/he is capable of performing at the graduate level. Non-English and/or non-US transcripts must be translated and evaluated for comparison to US educational standards, e.g., GPA.
- Applicants are required to have taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test within the last five years. See the GRE website for more information on taking the test and forwarding scores. Scores must be received by the application deadline. Unofficial copies of scores are not acceptable. For forwarding scores, the GRE/ETS institution code for UCSF is 4840, and the department code is 2102.
- The Program requires at least two letters of recommendation, preferably from social scientists with whom you have studied and/or worked. No more than four letters will be accepted. These letters will also be used as recommendation letters for fellowships. As part of completing your on-line application, you will need to identify these individuals including their names, email addresses, and affiliations. The application system will send to your designated recommenders an email requesting a letter of support from them for your graduate application. If your recommender does not have the capability to upload a letter of support, you can provide the recommender with a hardcopy of the form (requires Adobe/Acrobat). The pre-printed form should be returned with their reference/recommendation letter, and addressed to:
UCSF Graduate Program in Sociology
Attn: Graduate Program Administrator
UCSF Dept. of Social and Behavioral Sciences
3333 California St., Suite 455
San Francisco, CA 94118
- A single-authored example of Scholarly Writing (master's thesis, undergraduate term paper, published or presented paper, etc.) must be submitted for inclusion in your file.
- A recent CV or Résumé is required.
- The application fee is $80 (US applicants, subject to change). When your application is complete and finalized (i.e., "locked"), the fee will be collected; the web site accepts secured payments using credit cards. Alternate payment methods are available; please allow extra time and see the on-line application system for details. In cases of dire financial hardship, applicants may apply for and receive application fee relief in the form of refunds of their previously-paid application fees. Fee relief must be requested well in advance, see the web site for details. International Applicants pay an application fee of $100, and cannot qualify for fee relief. The on-line application system contains additional payment information. Allow extra time to complete payments from non-US sources.
Additional Information for Applicants from Foreign Countries
Admission requirements for students from foreign countries are the same as for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. International/Foreign applicants, however, must fulfill two additional conditions:
- Demonstrate proficiency in English by obtaining a minimum score on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Languge, see the TOEFL website). Minimum scores are 84 on the internet-based TOEFL. Minimum scores are 24 for the writing and speaking sections. The TOEFL must be completed within five years of admission to UCSF.
- Provide evidence of sufficient financial resources, by personal resources and/or definite commitments of support from other sources, for round-trip travel and all educational and living expenses for the entire period of study at UCSF.
Further information regarding these requirements and other requirements for foreign students may be found at the UCSF International Students and Scholars Office webite.
Annual fees for residents of California and for non-California residents can be found at the UCSF Registrar's web site under student fees/tuition for the School of Nursing PhD students (the Dept. of Social and Behavioral Sciences is affiliated with the UCSF School of Nursing). Note: these web pages at the Registrar's site do NOT include costs of housing, food, and other living expenses.
Nonresidents are advised to familiarize themselves with the requirements to establish California residency and to take the necessary steps immediately upon arrival in the state. Details of California residency requirements can be found at the Registrar's web site.
Briefly, students must be physically present in California for one year and be able to establish --through demonstrated acts-- their intent to make California their permanent residence. Physical presence in California solely for educational purposes does not constitute establishment of residence, regardless of length of stay.
Foreign students without prior education in the United States must pay Non-California residence tuition for the first year of enrollment.
More information on residency may be found at the UCSF Registrar residency website.
Because many foreign students are unfamiliar with the educational system in the United States and with the stringent requirements of the University of California, the selection of applicants is made with great care.
It is a disservice to bring an applicant to the United States if there is any doubt as to the adequacy of the student's preparation for graduate work, including a command of written and spoken English sufficient to enable him or her to successfully pursue graduate study. Some students overestimate their knowledge of English and underestimate the time it will take and the amount of money needed to complete their graduate education here.
The Graduate Division reviews the credentials of students from foreign countries as carefully as possible. However, evaluation of foreign credentials is often quite difficult. In some countries, detailed transcripts are not customary or are not particularly revealing. Graduate admissions committees make every effort to determine that a foreign student is academically qualified before offering admission.
The Foreign Student Adviser is the University official responsible for issuing visa forms and interpreting U.S. immigration regulations concerning visiting students and scholars at UCSF. Although a foreign student may be approved for admission based on academic criteria, the Foreign Student Adviser will not issue an I-20 or other student visa form until evidence of financial resources sufficient to provide for the student's support in the United States is provided by the applicant.
Applicants are asked to complete a form called “Confirmation of Financial Resources” (requires Adobe/Acrobat).
If the financial statement indicates that the student has sufficient resources to attend the University, a visa form is mailed. We encourage applicants from other countries to go to the following web sites for additional information:
• Office of International Students and Scholars
• UCSF School of Nursing Admission Information