GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER’S PROGRAM

To qualify for admission to a degree program, the applicant must have:
1. A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a college of good standing;
2. A general undergraduate average of 85 percent or B;
3. A minimum of 18 undergraduate units or its equivalent in the major field in which the applicant intends to do graduate work (i.e. sociology, anthropology, social development);
4. Acceptable scores in the entrance tests administered by the Ateneo Centerfor Psychological and Educational Assessment.
 

MA in Anthropology

The Master of Arts in Anthropology provides students with a grounding in the theories and methods of anthropology, with an opportunity to specialize in areas such as cultural change and ethnology, and in more focused areas such as social and cultural anthropology.

 Required Courses (9 units)

SA 201 – Fundamental Statistics (3 units)
SA 205 – Strategies of Research (3 units)
SA 210 – Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3 units)

Field of Concentration (15 units)

1.     One course in Anthropological Theory
2.     Two courses from those listed under Applied Sociology and Anthropology (SA 215-224, Prac 230-233)
3.     Two courses from those listed under the following subject areas:
4.     Social Anthropology and Ethnography (Anthro 230-299)
5.     Social Development (SA 225-235)
6.     Physical Anthropology and Archeology (Anthro 220-229)

Electives (6 units)

Two graduate level courses offered by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology or from pertinent offerings in other departments with the approval of the Department Chairperson.

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION

After completing all course requirements, the student takes the comprehensive examination.  There are three examination areas for Anthropology majors: Anthropological Theory, Research Methods and Statistics, and Field of Concentration.

Thesis (6 units)

Once the student has successfully passed all sections of the comprehensive examinations, he/she is required to submit and defend his/her thesis proposal.  The approval of the thesis proposal enables the student to enroll for thesis writing.
 

MA in Sociology

The Master of Arts in Sociology gives students a grounding in the theories and methods of sociology, with an opportunity to specialize in areas such as social change, social problems, and social organization, and in more focused areas such as urban structures, gender relations, social inequality, globalization, and interpretative sociology.

Required Courses (9 units)

SA 201 – Fundamental Statistics (3 units)
SA 205 – Strategies of Research (3 units)
SA 211 – Introduction to Sociological Perspectives (3 units)

Field of Concentration (15 units)

1.     One course in Sociological Theory.
2.     Two courses from those listed under Applied Sociology and Anthropology (SA 215-224, Prac 230-233)
3.     Two courses from those listed under the following subject areas:
a.     Social Organization and Social Problems (Soc 270-299)
b.    Social development (SA 225-235)
c.     Advanced Research Methodology (Soc 268-Soc 269, Sa 206-209)

Electives (6 units)

Two courses chosen from graduate-level courses offered by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, or from pertinent offerings in other departments. For the latter, the approval of the Department Chairperson is required.

Comprehensive Examination

After completing all course requirements, the student takes the comprehensive examinations. There are three examination areas for Sociology majors.  These are Sociological Theory, Research Methods and Statistics, and Field of Concentration.

Thesis (6 units)

Once the student has successfully passed all sections of the comprehensive examinations, he/she is required to submit and defend his/her thesis proposal.  The approval of the thesis proposal enables the students to enroll for thesis writing.
 

MS in SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

The Master of Science in Social Development, an applied Social Science program, gives students the practical, analytical, and theoretical tools to engage in social development research, policy-making, and action upon completion of their studies.

Required Courses (9 units)

SA 205 – Strategies of Research (3 units)
SA 206 – Research Techniques (3 units)
SA 296/Anthro 262 – Theories of Development (3 units)

Field of Concentration (15 units)

1.     One course, Sociological Theory
2.     Two courses from those listed under Applied Sociology and Anthropology (SA 215-224, Prac 230-233)
3.     Two courses from offerings listed under the following subject areas:
a.     Social Organization and Social Problems (Soc 270-299)
b.    Social Development (SA 225-235)

Electives (6 units)

Two graduate-level courses offered by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology or, with the approval of the Department Chairperson, graduate level courses offered in other departments.

Comprehensive Examination

After completing all required academic units, the candidate is expected to pass a written comprehensive examination.  The examination areas for students of M.S. in Social Development are: Theories of Development, Research, and Field of Concentration.

Thesis (6 units)

Once the student has successfully passed all sections of the comprehensive examinations, he/she is required to submit and defend his/her thesis proposal.  The approval of the thesis proposal enables the student to enroll for thesis writing.
 

MA in Applied Sociology and Anthropology

The Master in Applied Sociology and Anthropology, a non-thesis program, responds to a need often expressed for Social Science professionals who are able to apply knowledge and skills from Sociology and Anthropology to practical problems. The program is for teachers and development professionals who wish to gain practical knowledge and skills in Sociology and Anthropology.

REQUIRED COURSES (15 UNITS)

SA 201 – Fundamental Statistics (3 units)
SA 205 - Strategies of Research (3 units)                             
SA 206 - Research Techniques (3 units)
SA 210 – Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3 units)
SA 211 –Introduction to Sociological Perspectives (3 units)

Field of Concentration (15 units)

Any two required subjects and any three electives outside of the study track from the course offerings of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology or from other academic units of the Ateneo de Manila University with the approval of the Department Chairperson.

1.     Teaching Sociology and Anthropology– This track is intended primarily for those who are aiming for a career in teaching the social sciences and/or those engaged in training and advocacy work.
Required Courses:
SA 221 – Social and Cultural Change
SA 224 – Teaching Social Sciences

2.   Program Evaluation and Applied Research– This is intended for those interested to specialize in doing program development, monitoring, and impact evaluation.
Required Courses:
SA 207 – Qualitative Data Analysis
Soc 296/Anthro 262 - Theories of Development

 3.       Development Management– This track is designed to assist development workers from the government to understand the socio-cultural and environmental milieu of development work, to become familiar with the different models of social development, and to acquire skills on participatory development planning and management and policy-making. 
Required Courses:
Soc 296/Anthro 262 – Theories of Development
SA 228 – Development Management

Intensive Writing Seminar

Regardless of his/her chosen track, the student will be required to take SA 218 (Readings in Social Systems) and SA 219 (Research in Social Systems). Seminar papers are developed in these courses. 

Comprehensive Examination

A candidate for this degree has to take the comprehensive examinations after the completion of all academic requirements.

Final Paper

The MASA is a non-thesis degree program. However, the student will be required to submit a 25-30-page seminar paper of publishable quality.

The seminar paper can be any of the following: (a) a critique of the existing theories in sociology and/or anthropology; (b) a program evaluation paper, which uses sociological and/or anthropological theoretical frameworks and/or research methodologies, (c) an issue or policy paper, using sociological and/or anthropological theoretical frameworks and/or research methodologies. The seminar paper will be presented in the Graduate Research Colloquium sponsored by the Department.
 

Completion Time

The ideal completion time for the MA thesis programs is two years (i.e., two semesters of course work, a summer of thesis proposal writing, and two semesters of field research, data analysis and thesis writing).
The ideal completion time for the MASA program is three semesters, or two semesters and a summer term.

Masters in Transdisciplinary Development

The Master in Transdisciplinary Development, caters to professionals across Asia aiming at preparing them to take on leadership positions in diverse organisations worldwide, grounded by the principles of peacebuilding and an inclusivist, solidarity-oriented, social justice, and rights-based approaches to development and mutual understanding. An Asian Peacebuilders Scholarship, a partnership programme formed by The Nippon Foundation of Japan, UPeace, and AdMU, supports students in their studies on both universities with a view of increasing the representations of Asian professionals and strengthening their expertise on Asian issues.

MTSDev Standalone and Dual Degree 

The general admission and academic requirements of the programme cover the following:

• Completed a bachelor’s or an equivalent undergraduate degree 
• Completed the Ateneo Entrance Examinations. Alternatively, students may submit authenticated results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) completed within the past two years
• A 1,000-word statement of purpose; 
• Three reference letters, ideally from an academic supervisor, a professional, and a practitioner of fields relevant to social development;
• Proof of English proficiency through an International English Language Testing System – Academic (IELTS), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or a Cambridge Assessment English, taken in the last two years:
  • Alternatively, submit a confirmation of study in English from a bachelor’s degree completed within the last 5 years
  • Ateneo requires the following minimum scores for admission:
    • TOEFL overall score of at least 80 for the Internet-based test (IBT) and 550 for the Paper-based test (PBT)
    • IELTS-Academic band score of at least 6.5. Test scores cannot be older than two years. 
    • Cambridge Assessment English - overall score of at least 176

 
International students should further comply with the following admission requirements:

• Submit a copy of a valid passport bio page
• Provide official English translations of transcripts of records if awarded in a language other than English, official translations of academic documents must be provided
• Provide original authenticated certificate of graduation or a certified true copy of diploma for the bachelor’s degree and graduate degree (if any) and their English translation

 
Foundation (9 units)

 
SOCDV 201.3 – Key Concepts and Critical Debates in Social, International, and Transdisciplinary Development (3 unites)
SOCDV 203.4 – Social Theory and Transdisciplinary Development (3 units)
SOCDV 292.3 – Research Methods in Transdisciplinary Social Development (3 units)

 
Specialization

 
SOCDV Specialisation 1 (3 units)
SOCDV Specialisation 2 (3 units)
SOCDV Specialisation 3 (3 units)
SOCDV Specialisation 4 (3 units)
 
DSA may offer and validate up to six units of relevant anthropology (ANTH 211-279.99), sociology (SOCIO 211-279.99), or sociology-anthropology (SOAN 211-279.99) courses as SocDv Specialisation.

 
Topics
 

SOCDV Topic 1 (3 units)
SOCDV Topic 2 (3 units)
 
Alternatively, specialised and special topics courses in anthropology (ANTH 211-289.99), sociology (SOCIO 211-289.99), and sociology-anthropology (SOAN 211-289.99) can be validated as MTSDev special topics courses but subject to review and approval of the DSA chair.
 
 

Capstone

 
SOCDV 297.1 - Project Management 1: Design (3 units)
SOCDV 297.2 - Project Management 2: Implementation (3 units)
SOCDV 297.3 - Project Management 3: Panel Examination (0 units)
SOCDV 297.4 - Project Management 4: Public Presentation (0 units)
SOCDV 297.5 - Project Management 5: Project Management Report and Knowledge Product Submission (0 units)
 
 

PhD in Sociology

The PhD in Sociology program of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology ultimately rests on the fundamental assumptions and goals which the Department continues to subscribe to and strives to achieve.  The description should thus begin with a restatement of those assumptions and goals. 

Sociology is the study of society, in particular, of contemporary society in the throes of rapid social transformation.  Anthropology, the study of humankind, is a quest for principles that underlie physical and cultural development from the earliest appearance on earth to the present.  The Department’s training of its sociology and anthropology students reflects the many interests these fields have in common.  It also reflects a strong interest in applying sociological and anthropological perspectives to understand contemporary Philippine and Third World social issues.  Among these are the crisis of development, the dwindling and degradation of natural resources, the irrational use of political and economic power, the globalization of social life, the widening of traditional institutions, and the fragmentation of consciousness – all of which exact heavy human costs.

It is the Department’s contention that an appreciation of these social issues demands more than knowledge of the technical requirements for improving people’s welfare.  More important are two qualities inherent in the sociological and anthropological imagination:  a deeper understanding of larger social forces which perpetuate these inequalities, a sensitivity to cultural and cross-cultural aspects accompanying these phenomena, and an ability to apply this knowledge in concrete program settings.  The Department expects its students to use the critical intelligence and skills acquired in graduate school to document social phenomena with scientific rigor, to assess prevailing and opposing ideologies of social reform, to offer alternative perspectives in comprehending the ongoing process of rationalization in society, and to make feasible suggestions for designs for enhancing people’s welfare. 

The Ph.D. in Sociology degree program is the most significant addition to the current programs so far.  Its objective is to provide interested and qualified individuals a program of studies that will enable them to receive the highest academic degree in general sociology.  The training required also reflects the Department’s goal of providing students with the highest level of skills for analyzing social phenomena with scientific rigor, for assessing ideologies of social reform, for comprehending various perspectives on social change, and for searching for designs of programs enhancing people’s welfare. 

Additionally, the program is a response to the demand for Ph.D. training in sociology in the Philippines in the face of increasing costs of training abroad and the clamor for professional training in the country.  It takes advantage of the presence of a competent faculty in the Ateneo campus and the University’s access to other highly trained individuals outside, the library and other facilities that the University provides, and the Department’s reputation for providing qualified students a high level of professional training towards a degree within an appropriate amount of time.

The program should thus be considered an opportunity for the interested and qualified to obtain the necessary training and the formal degree bestowed only on those who have undergone that training. It is for the interested, because only individuals with a genuine interest in and commitment to sociology as a field of study are likely to withstand the demands of the training involved.  It is for the qualified, because the rules specified by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Ateneo de Manila Graduate School, and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology must be satisfied both for entrance and graduation in the program. 

The overlap between the Ph.D. program in sociology and the Master’s program in cultural anthropology is consistent with the Department’s belief that the interests of sociology and anthropology converge in many important domains, and that applying a combined perspective in analyzing Philippine and Third World issues would be more beneficial than applying a single-disciplined perspective.  The Ph.D. in Sociology program thus builds on the current M.A. in Sociology, M.A. in Anthropology, M.S. in Social Development, and M.S. in Applied Sociology and Anthropology programs of the Department.

Eligibility Requirements

The applicant to the program must have completed the M.A. in Sociology degree from the Ateneo, or an equivalent degree from another university. This is the minimum formal eligibility requirement. The qualification of the applicant to enter the Ph.D. program will be determined the Department’s faculty on the basis of the applicant’s entrance records, academic performance in other programs, and (if considered suitable) a qualifying examination.  All other existing requirements of the CHED and the Ateneo Graduate School not otherwise specified here also apply.
Students transferring from Ph.D. programs in other universities are welcome, subject to the eligibility requirements mentioned above.  Further, only a total of 12 units may ordinarily be transferred from the student’s previous program to the Ateneo program.  This rule will not apply to students transferring from universities with which the Ateneo has existing formal academic agreements. 

Course Requirements

For applicants who have met the eligibility requirements mentioned above, the Ph.D. program requires 48 units of course work, distributed as follows:
A. 12 units of the following three-unit courses:
·         Soc 301. Seminar in Sociological Analysis
·         SA 301. Seminar in Anthropological Analysis
·         Soc 302. Seminar on Issues in Sociological Theory
·         SA 302. Seminar in Advanced Research Methods

Plus the following additional subjects if the Department may deem to require these of some students who may need a stronger foundation in the contents covered.  These subjects are also open to other students who may choose to enroll voluntarily in these otherwise other subjects may be substituted for them:
·         Soc 300.1. Proseminar on Methodology
·         Soc 300.2. Proseminar on Quantitative Analysis

B. An additional 27 units from any of the current courses (200 level, provided these courses have not been credited for the Master’s degree; or 300-level) in the following areas:  Sociological and Anthropological Theory; Social Development; and Social Organization and Social Problems.  In keeping with the Department’s combined sociology-anthropology perspective, the student may elect to enroll in 12 of these 27 units in equivalent courses with “Anthro” or “SA” numbers.

C. A total of 9 units taken in any of the cognate programs within the Department or in other departments in the University.  With the approval of the Chairperson, they may be taken in another university on a cross-registration basis.

Additional Course Requirements

The Department may require, either as a condition to admission or after evaluation of the student’s performance during the first semester of the doctorate program (in which case the decision will be announced not later than one month during the student’s second semester), additional courses if these are considered necessary to bring the student’s training to an acceptable level.

Language Courses

The Department may require proof of competence or training in another language besides English or any of the Philippine languages.  Ordinarily, however, the students may complete an advanced statistics course (200-level or 300-level) in lieu of demonstrating competence in a foreign language.

Comprehensive Examinations

Upon completion of the course requirements the student becomes eligible to take the comprehensive examinations.  These examinations consist of four parts, namely, theory, methods, and two areas of concentration.

Dissertation

A doctoral dissertation is required; the successful completion of this requirement will earn for the student 12 additional units.

The Training Cycle for the Full-Time Student

On his/her first semester the doctoral student will enroll for Soc 301 and SA 301; as necessary, s/he will also enroll in Soc 300.1 and Soc 300.2.  Otherwise, the student enrolls in any of the 200- or 300- level subjects from the offerings during that semester.  (In consultation with the faculty advisor, the student should select the latter subjects with the end in view of preparing him/her for two substantive areas of specialization, as mentioned above).  During the second semester s/he follows a parallel routine:  s/he enrolls for Soc 302 and SA 302, and two other 200- or 300- level subjects.

On his/her second year, the student enrolls for 12 units each semester.  This time, s/he will have completed all the required subjects; the aim is now to enroll in enough subjects to deepen the student’s command of two particular areas of concentration at the same time that s/he broadens his/her command of the discipline as a whole. 

The student then enrolls for the Comprehensive Examinations.  Assuming that s/he completes these examinations successfully, the student proceeds to work on the doctoral dissertation.

The procedure for completing the dissertation requirement parallels that for the Master’s thesis.  That is, under the guidance of a faculty adviser, the student prepares and defends a dissertation proposal.  When the proposal is approved the student proceeds to the dissertation research, analysis, and writing of the report.  The faculty adviser decides when the draft of the dissertation is ready to be defended.  In due course, the appropriate certifications are made, a panel of examiners is formed, and the student defends his/her dissertation.

It should thus be possible for the full-time student to complete the course work in four semesters or two academic years, and the comprehensive examination during the summer term immediately following (It is possible for the student to lighten his/her load somewhat by taking subjects during the summer term of the first year.  For practical reasons, the Department makes no commitment to offering subjects during that time; normally, however, some graduate subjects are offered during the summer).  Much of the third year may then be spent in preparing the dissertation proposal and working on the dissertation itself.  Normally, the student should expect to spend a full year in the research and writing of the dissertation.  Hence, in about three years and one summer the doctoral student should be able to complete the degree.  By this time s/he will have earned a total of 60 graduate units distributed as follows: 

Basic subjects (min. 12 units, max. 18) - 12 units
Major field of concentration - 27 units
Cognates/electives - 9 units
Dissertation - 12 units
TOTAL - 60 units

Linkages with Universities in Other Countries

Negotiations are going on to establish institutional linkages with other departments of sociology in universities abroad.  When established successfully, these linkages should facilitate, among others, faculty and student exchanges and enrich in particular the Ph.D. program.

Foreign Students

During any academic term some five to ten foreign students are enrolled for studies towards degrees in the Department’s Masters programs. The Department extends the same welcome to foreign students who may be interested in pursuing the Ph.D. in Sociology degree.