UIC Sociology welcomes applications to our graduate program. We have highly selective admissions standards and a commitment to admitting a diverse set of students whose research interests match with our faculty expertise. We admit approximately 10 new students each fall.

If you have additional questions after reviewing the information on our site, we welcome you to contact the Graduate Student Specialist, Lisa Berube, or the Director of Graduate Studies, Paul-Brian McInerney. You may also reach out to faculty directly and/or set up appointments to meet with them in person.

Application Process Heading link

Applications Deadline: December 15th each year

The general graduate application process is paperless. Documents that you will upload must be in PDF format, no larger than 5 MB in size. (“Portfolio” PDFs and secured PDFs which require a password to open are not compatible with our system.) See UIC Admissions webpages for details on submitting academic credentials and other application materials. You may also review our admission requirements in the Academic Catalog.

Application Materials

Application Fee $70

Waivers: All institutional graduate and professional applications require submission of the nonrefundable application fee or selection of an applicable waiver in order to submit the application. Waivers based on UI enrollment or employment are verified by Admissions staff. Proof of other waivers (Illinois Veteran’s Grant award letter, McNair letter, etc.) is requested after submission of the application. Unfortunately, financial hardship waivers for graduate and professional applications are not granted.  Please see: https://admissions.uic.edu/graduate-professional/application-process/application-fee-waivers for additional details.

Grades and Transcripts: Grades and transcripts are required from all institutions where the applicant earned the last 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of credit toward the baccalaureate degree and from all institutions where post baccalaureate work has been done. A GPA of at least 3.00/4.00 is required for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study, and a GPA of at least 3.50 for any previous graduate work.

Tests Required:

We no longer require the GRE.

Applicants whose native language is not English must take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the exam of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Pearson’s PTE Academic. The test score cannot be more than two years old. For TOEFL, a minimum total score of 550 (paper-based), or 80, with subscores of Writing 21, Speaking 20, Listening 17, and Reading 19 (Internet-based TOEFL) is required by the Graduate College; many departments have a higher minimum. UIC’s Institutional Code for TOEFL is 1851. For IELTS, a minimum overall score of 6.5, with 6.0 in each of the four subscores is required by the Graduate College. IELTS does not use an institutional code. For Pearson’s PTE Academic, a minimum overall score of 54, with subscores of Writing 56, Speaking 53, Listening 47, and Reading 51 (Internet-based) is required by the Graduate College. Pearson’s does not use an institutional code. No other tests are required by the Graduate College, but may be required by the department/program (e.g., GRE).

Application Materials (continued)

Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation are required. Letters from former and/or current teachers able to comment specifically on an applicant’s academic achievement and ability are strongly preferred.

Personal Statement:  Required. These 2 to 3 page statements should describe how and why you decided to pursue a PhD in sociology, including personal, work, and research experiences. Applicants also should indicate their present research interests as well as any information they want the graduate committee to consider in their deliberations.

Writing Sample: Required. Senior/Capstone or MA theses or any writing sample illustrating applicant’s analysis of original data/research is preferred but not required.

Resume/Curriculum Vitae

*International Applicants – TOEFL scores and OIS financial documents

An international credential evaluation fee of $100 is assessed for any applicant presenting international coursework. Further information can be found here: International Admissions