Sociology PhD

Northwestern University Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences (The Graduate School) · Evanston, IL

Field: Sociology & Anthropology
Degrees: PhD
Application fee: $95
GRE: Not accepted
Letters: 2 (recommendations)

Deadlines

PhD application, fall 2027 entry (11:59 p.m. Central), all materials including letters: Dec. 1, 2026

Essays

Academic statement (500–1,000 words)

What are your academic interests, and why do you wish to pursue graduate studies in this specific program? How has your academic and professional background prepared you for graduate study? Why is the Northwestern graduate program to which you are applying the best place for you to pursue your academic, intellectual, and professional goals? Address any scholarly questions you wish to explore and name any specific faculty members whose research interests align with your own.

Personal statement (125–250 words)

Pivotal experiences, opportunities, or challenges; leadership, outreach, service or research aimed at positively impacting others; or anything not yet discussed, such as gaps or context for your record. Should not duplicate the academic statement.

Research proposal (program-specific essay) (1,000 words maximum)

Write a short proposal describing a research project you would consider pursuing at Northwestern, addressing the question and why it matters sociologically, relevant literatures, theoretical framework, and evidence and analysis; identify relevant faculty.

Writing sample (30 pages maximum including appendices; sole-authored; one sample only)

CV or résumé

Optional cluster statement and Quantitative Fellowship statement (Quantitative Fellowship statement: a paragraph or two)

Editor's notes

Northwestern asks for three separate essays, and each has its own job: a 500–1,000-word academic statement about your trajectory and fit, a 125–250-word personal statement that must not repeat it, and a research proposal of up to 1,000 words laying out a question, literatures, framework, and evidence. Both the academic statement and the proposal ask you to name specific faculty, so map your interests to the core faculty list before drafting. The GRE is not accepted, everything including letters is due December 1, and the department suggests taking the TOEFL before October 15.