Graduate Academics
Hunter College Department of Sociology offers one of the only graduate programs in the U.S. leading to a Master of Science in Applied Digital Sociology. Our program is distinctive in its focus on applied research in a world that has been transformed by digital media technologies. What this means in practical terms is that students are trained in how to understand the world through a sociological lens and apply it to the needs and demands they encounter in a world outside the classroom that is often shaped by digital technologies. This happens in a variety of settings, such as marketing firms, think tanks, non-profit and grassroots organizations, the health care industry, entertainment and social media companies. Alumni from our program work find employement in these fields as data scientists, researchers, policy analysts, ethnographers, and focus group leads.
Graduates of the program have gone on to work at: BetaNYC, Comedy Central, ABC, Sesame Workshop, Cornell University Medical Center, Lifetime Television, the Ms. Foundation, the Metropolitan Transit Authority, McCann-Erickson Worldwide, Harris Interactive, The Innocence Project, the National Urban League, Warner Brothers, the New York Times, TBS/TNT, the Center for Disease Control, Fox TV International, and the New York Academy of Medicine.
Some of our students (about 20%) go on to pursue a PhD in sociology at schools such as the University of Wisconsin, Rutgers University, SUNY Stony Brook, The University of Maryland, Columbia University, NYU, Fordham University, Michigan University, the University of Iowa, and The Graduate Center-CUNY. A majority of our students (about 80%) go on to work in non-profit organizations, grassroots activism, NYC government, marketing or social media firms, and policy advocacy.
The coursework in the program is rigorous and prepares students in both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Through both required core courses and electives, classes are designed to help students build their skills in critical thinking, research design, data mining, sampling, data analysis, interpretation, and writing. Students can customize their area of specialization, with faculty guidance, through their choice of elective courses at Hunter College and through the consortium of CUNY campuses.