Sociology_PhD

Doctor of Philosophy | Sociology

PhD

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Programme Type

Full-time, Part-time

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Investigating the Invisible, Unveiling the Uncomfortable

Sociologists examine the taken for granted “facts” of society, often exposing unsavoury and under-investigated parts of contemporary social life. NTU Sociology provides research training through full-time and part-time M.A. and Ph.D. by research, designed to give you the academic training needed to pursue your interests and produce rigorous social science. Our graduates have gone on to academic teaching and research jobs in institutions such as the University of Glasgow (UK), Georgia Gwinnett College (USA) and the NTU Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine.

Our faculty members are highly active in research and specialise in a wide range of topics including (but not limited to): Ageing and Gerontology, the Sociology of Health and Mental Health, Cultural Sociology, Demography, Deviance and Subcultures, Economic Sociology, Environmental Sociology, Migration and Globalisation, Popular Culture, Race and Ethnicity, Religion, Science and Technology, Social Inequality, Social Psychology, Sociology of Family, Tourism, and Urban Sociology. Our faculty’s research projects have included inequality and poverty in Singapore (A/P Teo You Yenn), nuclear leaks and governance in Fukushima (A/P Sulfikar Amir) and hip-hop culture amongst Muslim American youth (A/P Kamaludeen Mohamed Nasir). Our professors are regularly featured in the media, in a wide range of outlets such as in The Straits Times, South China Morning Post (SCMP), BBC, CNN, The New York Times, Al Jazeera and Channel News Asia (CNA).

Through the programme, you will form a strong theoretical foundation in Sociology, and build skills across various approaches to research, including quantitative and qualitative methods. You will also be given opportunities to teach – a sure way to ensure you are well acquainted with Sociology and gain valuable interaction with undergraduate students. There are also opportunities to connect with NTU’s partner universities, such as NUS and SMU, and funding opportunities for independent overseas research and conference attendance. Previous graduate students of the department have undertaken research on a wide range of topics, including online gaming, Star Wars, female labour migration, ethnic minority Koreans in China, and the politics of choral groups in Singapore.

We encourage our graduate students to collaborate in research projects with faculty members. Students have published co-authored articles in journals such as Symbolic Interaction, Asian Anthropology and the International Journal of environmental research and public health. NTU offers a range of funding opportunities and schemes for students to pursue their postgraduate work, such as the NTU Research Scholarship (RSS) and the Nanyang President's Graduate Scholarship (NPGS) for top candidates.

The M.A. and Ph.D. programmes in Sociology are MOE subsidised. Please visit our website for more details.

 

Admission Requirements
  • A good Master’s degree and Bachelor's degree in sociology or a closely related field from a recognised university and the ability to pursue research in the candidate's proposed field of advanced study.

  • A good language proficiency score: IELTS score at least 7.0 (overall); TOEFL score at least 105 – Internet Based Test Score (IBT). IELTS is preferred.​ The IELTS/TOEFL score must have been attained within 2 years prior to application.
  • GRE is not required.

  • Applicants who fulfilled either of the following criteria are exempted from the IELTS or TOEFL submission:
    • Native language is English.
    • Bachelor's or Master's Degree (must be at least 3 years of study) where English is the medium of instruction.  A letter from the respective universities is required indicating the duration of studies, name of programme and medium of instruction.
    • Applicants whose Bachelor's degree is from NTU, NUS, SMU or SUSS need not submit the letter.
  • It is strongly recommended for applicants to contact one of the faculty members whom they wish to work with. Applicants can discuss their proposal with the faculty member and ask for suggestions and feedback prior to submitting the application.

    Application Period & Other Information

    Please click here for the Admission Quick Guide.

    Enquiries can be sent to ac-sss-ge@ntu.edu.sg.

    Programme Structure & Duration

    Typically, Ph.D. students must complete the coursework requirement within the first three semesters. They should maintain a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.50. Students on scholarship might have additional requirements to fulfil such as teaching and service requirements. Students are encouraged to work closely with their supervisor and the graduate co-ordinator to ensure timely completion of all the requirements. 

    Ph.D. students will have to submit and defend their thesis proposal as part of the Qualifying Examination (also known as the Confirmation Exercise). The Qualifying Examination should be completed within 18 months from start of candidature. The final completed thesis will be examined by a panel of internal and external examiners, after which, an oral examination (viva) will be held. 

    Thesis submission is made at the end of four years which dovetails with the expiry of the scholarship. Candidature expires at the end of five years.

    Curriculum
     For Ph.D. programme in Sociology, students must complete and pass the following: 

    • Three core courses HS7001 Classical Sociological Theory and Research, HS7002 Contemporary Sociological Theory and Research, HS7003 Theory and Method in Social Research and three elective courses.
    • RI-ERIC Epigeum Research Integrity Course

    • HWG702 Teaching Assistants Programme (only for full-time PhD students)

    • HWG703 Graduate English (unless exempted)

    • GP8000 - Artificial Intelligence Literacy Course

    • Seminar Attendance

    • 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) presentation symposium organized by Graduate College

    • Two Communication Courses

    • Qualifying Examination

    • ​ Thesis

    • Oral Examination​