Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology - Critical Theory

The Ph.D. program in Sociology at UC Davis emphasizes rigorous preparation in sociological theory and research methodologies as the basis of sound scholarship. Sociology graduate students are encouraged to begin active research early in their academic careers. Students gain advanced knowledge of collective behavior and social movements; comparative historical culture; gender; development; economic sociology; law, deviance and social control; political sociology; social psychology; race and ethnicity, and immigration; and community and urban sociology. Students graduate with the qualitative and quantitative skills necessary for professional research and teaching in sociology. The Ph.D. program in Sociology at UC Davis emphasizes rigorous preparation in sociological theory and research methodologies as the basis of sound scholarship. Sociology graduate students are encouraged to begin active research early in their academic careers. Applicants accepted into the Sociology graduate program are admitted directly to the Ph.D. program. The master's degree is awarded to students in the course of working toward the Ph.D. degree. Continuation in the Ph.D. program is contingent upon satisfactory completion of all M.A. degree requirements.The DE in Critical Theory at UC Davis provides doctoral students a double opportunity: to participate in interdisciplinary seminars focusing on the rich tradition of critical thought, both ancient and modern; and to add a formal credential in critical theory to their degrees. Our faculty, drawn from various affiliated programs in the humanities and social sciences, offer a wide range of expertise across multiple historical periods and theoretical approaches. Our seminars bring together students and faculty from across this broad disciplinary spectrum, providing a rare opportunity to compare perspectives, and to interrogate the fundamental axioms and principles of social, political and cultural practice.