Graduate Sociology Students

Welcome from the Graduate Program Coordinator

Our cohorts of students are typically small, which allows for us to provide each student with a great deal of individual attention, focused mentorship, and the highest quality of professional development. Our small cohorts also allow for us to provide admitted students with full funding, tuition assistance, and university-provided healthcare. We are among the only MA-granting programs in the American South that guarantee this level of support to our graduate students.

We welcome you to learn more about our program through this website and encourage you to contact us with any questions.

James Michael Thomas

Associate Professor of Sociology and Sociology Graduate Program Coordinator

• jmthoma4@olemiss.edu
• 662-915-7421

Program Information

Learn about the application process, department support of sociology master's students, review the thesis projects over the years, and meet the current students.

Application Process

APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 1

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology welcomes student applications with the following materials.  

1. Complete the Graduate School’s Online Application.
2. Pay the application fee ($60).
3. Submit official transcripts.
4. International applicants whose first language is not English may be required to submit scores from an acceptable English language proficiency test.
5. Upload Supplemental Application materials for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry to the link provided by the online application.

• Statement of purpose. 1-2 single-space page about what areas of sociology interest you and why, what questions to explore, whether you envision working with a particular faculty member, and career goals
• Writing sample:Please submit an essay, a paper, or other example of your academic writing that shows your ability to make an argument, advance a hypothesis, or explore a question
• Two letters of recommendation: provide contact information for two recommenders  

Assistantships

The Department strives to fund as many qualified students as possible. Most students accepted into the program receive funding in the form of teaching and research assistantships. Opportunities for summer research assistantships are sometimes available.

Assistantships with 10 hours of service a week are currently $6,500 for a 9-month stipend and 75% tuition scholarship for regular semesters. Assistantships with 20 hours of service a week are currently $13,000 for a 9-month stipend and 100% tuition scholarship for regular semesters. Students with a graduate assistantship also receive subsidized health insurance.

The Larry W. DeBord Award, established in 1996 by the friends and colleagues of the late Dr. DeBord, former University professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, recognizes the outstanding graduating student in the Sociology M.A. program.

The Graduate School's financial aid webpage lists a variety of funding possibilities, including summer support and a recruiting fellowship program that promotes academic excellence and access to graduate education to groups who are historically underrepresented.  

Current M.A. Students

Meet the Current M.A. Students

2^nd Years

Savannah Avery, spavery@go.olemiss.edu

Semonti Jannat, sjannat@go.olemiss.edu

Khadizah Tul Kubra, kkubra@go.olemiss.edu

Taylor Ransom, tlransom@go.olemiss.edu

 

1^st Years

Jamika Collins, jcollin4@go.olemiss.edu

Sarah Dapaah, sdapaah@go.olemiss.edu

Alana Freimanis, amfreima@go.olemiss.edu

Saiful Hasan, mhasan9@go.olemiss.edu

Correl Hoyle, cehoyle@go.olemiss.edu

M.A. Thesis Projects Since 2006

The following is a comprehensive list of our Sociology M.A. graduates since 2006 and (if applicable), their thesis or internship project. Archives of these theses may be available via the university's e-Grove archive.

 

2024

• Madeline Burdine. "Homophobia: How Straight Mississippians Define It, Shirk Responsibility for It, and Abstain from Confronting It"
• Mark Anthony Dozier, Non-Thesis Option

 

2023

• Angela Marie Allgood-Crouse. "Remembering Your Place: How White Southerners' Memory Informs and Constructs the Future of the American South"
• Nipa Biswas. "Enhancing Cultural Exchange among UM Students: An Internship with the Office of Global Engagement"
• Brenna Kaufman Paola Dogwood. Non-Thesis Option
• Fowzia Binte Faruque. "Structural Violence and Its Effect On Women's Empowerment in the Case of Bangladesh Garment Workers during the Covid-19 Pandemic"
• Yunze Li, Non-Thesis Option

2022

• Hannah June Bullock. "She Owns It:  A Study of Female Landowners"
• Yasmin McLaurin, Non-Thesis Option
• Jasmine To-Uyen Nguyen, Non-Thesis Option
• Alexis Riley Slade, Non-Thesis Option

2021

• Chelsea Dale Baddley. The Two Percent: Exploring the Experiences of University Student Mothers and Supportive Policies
• Shela LeAnn Duke, Non-Thesis Option
• Adam Michael Franco. "Fighting Poverty Through Education: A Review of Community Development with the McLean Institute"
• Christopher Gage. "Masculinity and Cohesion in Miniature Wargaming"
• Kaitlyn Hall. "Serving Motherhood: Analyzing Balance and Justice of Foodwork in the Lives of Working Moms"
• Randy Jewel Morgan, Non-Thesis Option
• Stephanie Lee Diana Poiroux. "Lessons Learned Through Time: An Examination of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic and the COVID-19 Crisis"
• Parker Riley Smith, "Woman Enough?: Transgender Women and Intimate Partner Violence Shelters"

 

2020

• Bamrick, Tierney. "Holding Space: Learning from a Black Arts Organization"
• Shappley, Madison. "'It's a Cis-Gendered Man's World': How Drag Kings Create Good Drag in Their Fight to be Seen as the Best Performers"
• Ward, Pace. "'Out to Get Us': Contemporary Evangelical Expressions of Identity in Interaction"

2019

• Bradley, Denae. "School and Community Factors that Contribute to Educational Resiliency Among African American Students in the Mississippi Delta."
• Moffett, Rachel Meredith. "U.S. Probation Internship Report."

2018

• Alford, Katrina Danielle. "Cumulative Disadvantage, Poverty, and the Role of Community Capitals: A Spatial Analysis of Uneven Development in the Multi-State Delta Region."
• Buckingham, Danielle. "Invisible Labor: A Mixed Method Study on African American Women and Their Emotional Labor in the Academy."
• Chandler, Kyle. "An Internship With the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement."
• Costa-Gregor, Heather Rose. "Abstinence Based Sex Education: A Mixed Method Evaluation of Experiences with and the Effectiveness of Sex Education in the Deep South."
• Crafton, Levi. "Broadening International Relationships: Meeting Needs of International Students."
• Haggard, Rachel. "Community Resilience: A Meta-Study of International Development Rhetoric in Emerging Economic Countries."

2017

• Avery, BrieAnn. "Stereotypes and the Self-Perceptions of Black Women: How Places and Stereotypes Matter."
• Bolds, Taylar. "Deconstructing the Winner's Circle."
• Frazier, LaTierney. "Black Students Resisting and Coping with Racism at Predominantly White Institutions."
• Whalen, Ian. "'Discreet Only': An Exploration of Discreet Practices on Grindr in a Mississippi Town."
• Williams, Kayla. "Multiracial Individuals, Gender Dynamics, and Dating."
• Williams, Shan’ternera. "Internship with the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Development."
• Yamamoto, Ai. "War Time Memories of 'Shojo (Girl)': An Analysis of Japanese Girls' Magazine, Shojo no Tomo (A Friend of Girls), and its Readers."

2016

• Brooking, Caitlin. "How Does Place Affect Access to 'What Works'?: Empirical and Indigenous Knowledge Usage in Urban and Rural NGO Intervention Design."
• Griffin, Daniela. "Funneled Into Prison: Race and Behavior Modification at a Mississippi Alternative School."
• Hoff, Andrew. "Gender, Fields, and Networks: Gender Inequality in the Field of Television Production from 1951-2014."
• Jones, Natya K. "Is Your Parenting Style Hindering Your Child's Chances at Succeeding in their Post-Secondary Education? A Pilot Study of Parent Gender and Parenting Style Effects on College Student Adjustment."
• Mamiya, Kei. "The William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, Graduate Practicum: Creating Safe Environments for Everybody, Growing Understandings of Oppression and Diversity at the University of Mississippi."
• Taylor, Shanda. "Sociological Assessment of the McLean Mentors Youth Program."

2015

• Canarios, Caroline. "Seed to Sale: Boundary Work in Mississippi Agriculture."
• Ferguson, Michael. Teaching Internship.
• Hugh, Jones. Teaching Internship.
• Takamune, Itsuka. "BeautificationPractices Among Asian and Asian American College Students."

2014

• Deleveaux, Jamiko. "Maintaining Community on 'Hardship' Island: A Case Study of Demographic Change and Community Agency."
• Horton, Kristen A. "Why Aren’t More Heathens Eco-pagan Vegetarians: The Intersection of Gender, Politics, and Spiritual Environmentalism."
• Parks, Vanessa. "The Social Ecology of Men’s Sexual Self-Efficacy in the Mississippi Delta."  
• Webb, Noah. "Improbable Dreams: A Qualitative Case Study of an Elite High School Football Program."  
• Sacks, Alice. "An Internship with 'The Pantry' in Oxford."

2013

• Bradley, Michael. "Knowledge, Attitudes, and Recovery: An Internship with the URMC."
• Howe-Huist, Elizabeth. "Single Fathers and Social Support."
• Kerr, Danielle E. "Butch, Femme, Dyke, or Lipstick–Aren't All Lesbians the Same?: An Exploration of the Use of Labels among Lesbians in the U.S. South."  
• Nelms, Jamie. Teaching Internship.
• Moore, Bobby. Teaching Internship.

2012

• Balliet, Jen. "Gender and Sexuality in Blame Attributions for Intimate Partner Violence."
• Jarjoura, Zachary. "Campus Activism: An Internship with Southern Alliance for Clean Energy."
• Jones, Kenneth. "Will Witness #3 Please Step Forward?: An Internship with the Mississippi Innocence Project."
• Grey, Tiffiney. "Black Women, Cultural Images, and Social Services: Attitudes Toward Seekers of Social Services—the case of a non-profit, philanthropic organization in Jackson, Mississippi"
• Reece, Robert. "King of the Hill's Souphanousiphones, The New Model Minority, and the Subversive Model Minority."
• Moncrief, Thomas. "Developing a Youth Led Organization in Biloxi, Mississippi."
• Thurmond, Juan, "Language as Microagression: The New Lexicon of American Racism."
• Walker, Jasmine. "'We're paid to take care of the Movement. The Movement ain't paid to take care of us.': The Promise and Challenges of Workplace Strategies of Black Feminist Organizations."

2011

• Dial, Jonathan. "Running Identities and Interaction Ritual Chains."  
• Casteel, Callie Flowers. "Transforming Cafeteria into Classroom: Garden-Based Pedagogy in Foodservice."
• Knop, Brian. "Taking Parties Seriously: Gendered Sexuality and Hook up Culture at Greek Social Events."  
• Richard, Jordan. "'On a good day, you get to kill a whore’: Narrative Misogyny and Female Audience Engagement in Supernatural."  
• Brown, Joey. "Financial Cultural Capital: Cultural Capital in the Context of Higher Education and Federal Student Loans."  
• Nelson, Cheryl (Rosie). "From Student to 'Sorority Girl': Gender, Class, and Presentation of Self in Formal Sorority Recruitment."  

2010

• Guyton, Drew.
• Sims, Gregory, "Hurricane Katrina: Images and Voices of African American Women."
• Whitaker, James Andrew. "Representational Crisis in Psychiatry: Corporate Hegemony and Postmodern Knowledge."
• Whitmire, Wendy. Teaching Internship.

2009

• Elliot, Shane. "Work-Topia:An Analysis of Near Perfect Worker Control in a Product Distribution Facility."
• Hutcherson, Ben. "Moshing and Thrashing and Headbanging (Oh My!): Gender, Genre, and Authenticity in the Extreme Metal Subculture."
• Mixson, Susan.
• Zhou, Wenlu

2008

• Holden, Brianne.
• Tate, Maggie. "Race-ing and Gendering Art Criticism: Politics of Identity in the Reviews of Iorna Simpson, Glenn Ligon, and Kara Walker."
• Wages, Gwen.

2007

• McClure, Monique.
• Walsh, Sarah. "What Everyone Knows About Fellowship Estates: Investigating Perspectives of a Neighborhood Association's History Through the Lens of the Sociology of Knowledge."
• Reese, Jason Reese.
• Williams, Lauren.
• Woo, Lynn.

2006

• Dessier, Matthieu. "The Real Deal:Experiencing Authenticity in the Music of R.L. Burnside."
• Reese, Kanin L. "An Applied Study of Putnam’s Social Capital Theory in Pontotoc County, Mississippi."
• Chandler, Thomas.
• Phillips, Deidre.

A Nurturing Environment

From the start, I have found the Sociology Department to be a truly supportive and welcoming academic home. The faculty and staff are not only knowledgeable but also deeply invested in student success, making my transition into graduate school much easier. I feel fortunate to be part of such a nurturing environment.

Khadiza Tul Kubra ('25)

(left in photo)

Campus Partners

In addition to top-notch faculty, our department houses the Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement and the Center for Population Studies which, in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, operates the State Data Center of Mississippi. Our department also maintains strong ties with several programs across campus, including African American Studies, the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies, and the Center for the Study of Southern Culture. These programs provide expertise and support for our students as well.

 

Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement

The Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement empowers campus and community partners to fight poverty through education, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

• 307 Howry Hall
• 662-915-2052
• mclean@olemiss.edu

Center for Population Studies

The Center for Population Studies (CPS) helps leaders and organizations across Mississippi access free, publicly available data and use that data to make informed decisions in their local communities. CPS, in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, operates the State Data Center of Mississippi and, as part of the University of Mississippi, educates students and the public about population issues.

• 537 Lamar Hall
• 662-915-7295
• cps@olemiss.edu

African American Studies Program

The University of Mississippi African American Studies Program develops and coordinates an interdisciplinary curriculum that focuses mainly on the African American experience in the United States, especially in Mississippi and the South.

• 211 Longstreet Hall
• 662-915-5977
• aas@olemiss.edu

Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies

We offer students, faculty, staff, and visitors a gathering place, as well as an atmosphere of mutual encouragement and support for women of all ages and backgrounds.

• Suite D, Third Floor, Lamar Hall
• 662-915-5916
• isomctr@olemiss.edu

Center for the Study of Southern Culture

The Center for the Study of Southern Culture seeks to investigate, document, interpret, and teach about the American South through academic inquiry and publications, documentary studies of film, photography, and oral history, and public outreach programs.

• Barnard Observatory
• 662-915-5993
• cssc@olemiss.edu

Meet an Alum

Brian Knop

Survey Statistician, US Census Bureau

What is the value of studying sociology in today's world?

See Brian’s Answer

Careers and Alumni

Our sociology M.A. program opens the door to incredible professional opportunities and rewarding careers. Many of our graduates go on to attend some of the top Ph.D. programs in the country, such as Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas, and Colorado, to name just a few. See the job titles and employers for some of our alumni.

Government/Non-Profits

• Grant Coordinator, Collier County Government
• Program Director, New Horizons
• Social Worker, Batesville Job Corp
• National Vice President, Kappa Delta Sorority
• Statistician, Census Bureau
• Rehabilitation Counselor, MS Dept of Rehab Services
• Director of Program Development, Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service
• College Counselor, Woodward Hines Education Foundation
• Attorney, Mississippi Department of Revenue
• Member, Democratic Party of Hawaii Labor Caucus
• Executive Director, United Way of Oxford & Lafayette County
• Director of Planning and Development, City of McComb
• Associate Director, Mississippi Foundation for Medical Care
• Personnel Specialist, Randolph AFB
• Officer, US Air Force

Education

• Outreach Program Coordinator, UM
• Grove Scholars Program Manager, UM
• Director of Center for Population Studies, UM
• Program Manager for Access and Opportunity in the College of Liberal Arts, UM
• Program Coordinator, Holmes Community College
• Associate Director, Mississippi State U
• Development Officer, Jackson State U

Faculty in the following institutions

• Northwest Mississippi Community College
• Hinds Community College
• University of Mississippi
• University of North Carolina - Wilmington
• University of Hawaii - Manoa
• University of Texas

Business and STEM

• Regulatory Operations Analyst III, Centene Corp
• Program Coordinator & Jr. Data Scientist, Cooper/Smith
• Development Administrator, Hospitality Franchise Systems
• Director of Billing, Ergon, Inc
• Research Scientist, Perspecta
• Staff Accountant, Harper, Rains, Knight and Company, PA
• Facility Manager, The Hartford Insurance Group
• Research Analyst, PRoMatura Group
• Executive Assistant, Space Exploration Technologies