Overview
We are a vibrant, dynamic program that develops and disseminates research on rural people and places both domestically and internationally.
Our Rural Sociology faculty at Pennsylvania State University have core strength in the discipline of sociology and a commitment to conducting applied and interdisciplinary research with colleagues in the social, natural, and biophysical sciences.
Features
- We provide rigorous training in state-of-the-art quantitative and qualitative research methods.
- We support students as active professionals, including co-authoring peer-reviewed journal articles with faculty, presenting their research at local, regional, national, and international conferences, developing grant-writing skills, and becoming leaders in professional associations.
Programme Structure
Courses include:
- Use of Theory in Rural Sociology
- Sociology of Agriculture
- International Rural Social Change
- Data Analysis in Rural Sociology
- Fertility, Population Change, and Development
- Sociology and Demography of Poverty in the United States
- Theoretical Frameworks for Rural Community Research
- Human Dimensions of Natural Resources
- Ethical Issues in Transdisciplinary Research on Environment and Society
Admission requirements
Academic requirements
- GPA — 3
English requirements
- TOEFL iBT — 80
Other requirements
General requirements
- Students with a 3.00 junior/senior average (on a 4.00 scale) and with appropriate course backgrounds will be considered for admission. Exceptions to the minimum 3.00 grade-point average may be made for students with special backgrounds, abilities, and interests.