DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
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PhD Students in Human Development and Social Policy
Lara Altman
MSW, Washington University in St. Louis, 2013 MPH, Washington University in St. Louis, 2013 BA, Economics, University of Pennsylvania, 2006
Research Interests
I study the spread, implementation, and institutionalization of trauma-informed approaches (TIAs) in education and beyond. I draw on a combination of institutional theory, sensemaking theory, and critical theories of race to explore the connection between TIAs and equitable organizational change.
Julia Callegari
Master in Public Administration, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, 2020 Master in Economic Analysis, University of Sao Paulo, 2015 Bachelor of International Relations, Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Sao Paulo, 2013
The interplay between identity development, culture, and learning; the implementation of pedagogical practices and policies that can shift the development of students’ ethnic-racial identities to the center of the educational experience; the impacts of culturally sustaining pedagogies on students' academic and social lives.
Jennifer Cowhy
AM, Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, 2013 MPP, University of Chicago, 2013 BA, Sociology, University of Michigan, 2010
Jennifer Cowhy is interested in researching how schools can better serve students who have experienced adverse childhood experiences ad students with IEPs. Prior to studying at Northwestern, Jen worked at the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research, where she studied the implementation of several policy and program implementations in Chicago Public Schools.
Varun Devakonda
MS, Education, Johns Hopkins University, 2020 BA, Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2018
I am interested in topics related to educational neuroscience; more specifically, exploring how neuroscience can be applied within academic contexts to improve instructional practices, school policies, and educational outcomes within underserved communities.
Kanika Dhanda
Ed.M., Human Development and Social Policy, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2018 BA.LLB., ILS Law College Pune, 2012
I am interested in the implementation of education policies in school systems by stakeholders who play a leadership role, school and district leaders as well as players in the private sector like curriculum providers and non-profit leaders. I am using institutional analysis as an overarching framework in my current work. I am exploring questions related to social justice leadership and social capital generation as they intersect with school leaders' personal identities and their (mis)match with the student demographics.
Fortunate Kelechi Ekwuruke
MS in Education, Culture and Society, Graduate School of Education at University of Pennsylvania, 2020 MS in Nonprofit Leadership, School of Social Policy and Practice at University of Pennsylvania, 2020 BA in Secondary Education: English, Brooklyn College, 2018
My research explores the challenges that housing insecurity and homelessness have on young people, particularly as it relates to their education and social and emotional development. It also looks at the ways that social policies and programs interact with young people who experience these conditions and ways that these interactions can be improved to best support them.
Nicole Guarino
EdM, International Education Policy, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2013 BA, Mathematics and English, University of Iowa, 2007
Transition from high school to postsecondary education; college access and success; identity development; quantitative methods; casual methods
Julia Honoroff
BA, Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015
Early care and education, poverty and welfare, child and family policy.
Vishal Jain
Master in Education Policy and Management, Harvard University, 2021 Bachelor in Business Administration, Emory University, 2015
Vishal’s research interests are in studying gender identity development to create and support social policies that foster responsible, healthy masculinity. Previously Vishal has worked as an independent DEI consultant, non-profit director, undergraduate career advisor, and management consultant.
Rebecca Lawrence
B.A. Health Behavior and Society, B.A. Brain & Cognitive Sciences (University of Rochester)
I'm interested in studying the impact of systemic racism, inter-generational poverty, and educational disparities on the psychological health f racially/ethnically diverse youth and ways that policy makers can promote culturally relevant and accessible mental health and academic supports for students of color.
BA, Economics with Public Policy, University of Virginia, 2014
Inequality and stratification, race and ethnicity, gender, migration, welfare policy, knowledge production, mixed methods.
Shanequewa Love
BA, African American Studies, Loyola Marymount University, 2021
My research interest consist of residential policies and its effect on the behavioral and educational outcomes of foster youth.
Claire Mackevicius
BA, Economics, University of Chicago, 2014
Critical Quantitative Methods // K-12 Education Finance // Mixed Methods // Resource (Re)distribution Policy
Matias Martinez
BS, Economics, Universidad de Chile, 2008 MPP, Universidad de Chile, 2014 MA Human Development and Social Policy, 2023, Northwestern University
School policy, causal inference, bullying, mental health.
Melanie Muskin
[email protected] Website
MA in Organization and Leadership, Teachers College at Columbia University BA in Cognitive Science, Vassar College
Teacher Activism; Social Movements; Professional Dignity; Early Childhood Education; Educational Leadership; Participatory Design Research
[email protected] Website
BA, International Affairs, Lewis & Clark College, 2013 M.Ed, International Education Policy, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2019 Post-Bac, Early Childhood Education Policy, University of Minnesota, 2020
My research focuses on the intersections between early childhood development and civic society development, exploring how social policy and individual children and their families interact with and influence one another. My current research utilizes critical and ecological theories to unpack identity development among multiracial children, new parents, and early educators within the context of U.S. family and child policy. Early childhood policy; Early care and education; social policy; identity development; critical theory
Leah Ouellet
MS from the Department of Criminal Justice at Wayne State University BA from the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan
I study human development and punishment in the context of carceral policy and practice.
Eleni Packis
B.S. Economics and Public Policy Analysis, The Ohio State University (2018)
K-12 education policy; social inequity; economics of education
Caroline Roddey
BA, Political Science, Davidson College, 2020
Social identity development; Implementation of welfare policies; Societal perceptions of belonging and deservingness
Andrew Stein
MA in History, Yale University BA in History, Yale University
I research the history and politics of educational policymaking, with a focus on how racial and sexual politics since the Civil Rights Movement have shaped educational research and decisions at federal and state levels about curriculum, testing, school quality, and school choice.
Carolyn Swen
MA, Human Development and Social Policy, Northwestern University, 2016 MA, International Relations, University of Chicago, 2009 MA, Public Policy, University of Chicago, 2009 BA, Politics, Princeton University
Intersection of vocational psychology and sociology of work, sense of calling in the work role, meaning, purpose, vocation, narrative identity, cultural discourses about work and motivation, work orientation, adult development, generativity, pro-social work, educational leadership, artists, gig economy, precarious work.
Karla Thomas
MA, Human Development and Social Policy, Northwestern University, 2024 MBA, Management & Organizations, Northwestern University, 2005 BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Mississippi, 2000
Karla Thomas is a Critical Race Scholar who is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Human Development and Social Policy at Northwestern, where she researches parent, teacher, and community acts of resistance, defiance, and dream-building in the face of anti-Black and anti-LGBTQ education policy. Her current dissertation, “Smuggling Black Truths: Blackcrit Sensemaking Amidst the Disruption and Expansion of Black Liberatory Educational Possibilities,” interrogates how Black parents, Black educators, and Black churches make sense of and resist Florida’s regressive education policies while also expanding opportunities for Black education. Her ongoing collaborative research efforts explore the invisible ways Black parents and communities participate in the struggle for a just Black education in the face of anti-Blackness through activism, political advocacy, and educating the educators and community on issues of race and racism.
Nancy Vegas
MEd in Development, Education, and International Cooperation; Minor on Educational Leadership, University of Jyväskyla, Finland, 2021 BA in International Relations; Concentration in East Asia, Boston University, 2013
My work focuses on women and explores the concept of agency and intersectionality in relation to political learning, civic education, leadership, and networking.
M.A., Economics, University of Virginia B.S., Mathematics, Morehouse College
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
Beiming Yang
MS, Policy Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2016 BA, Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2014
Adolescent social, emotional, academic, and neurocognitive development; age discrimination; cross-cultral comparison; parental influence on adolescent development
Chen-Wei Yu
MS, Psychology, National Taiwan University BA, English, National Taiwan Normal University
Emotion and motivation; self- and emotion regulation; interpersonal relationships; well-being; goal pursuit; culture; health
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Management & Organizations & Sociology
Students in this joint program offered by our Management & Organizations Department and Northwestern University's Sociology Department are interested in topics that bridge management strategy and economic sociology, such as social movements, the production of culture, entrepreneurship, social networks, gender and race inequality in organizations, and globalization.
Our philosophy is that intellectual and research interests come first, and that research methods should be tailored to fit research questions. Within this research framework, our program is designed to bring together those students who want a disciplinary base in sociology while focusing their research on organizations and their environments. Our students become actively involved in research during their first year of study. The Management & Organizations & Sociology program develops students' theoretical knowledge and methodological skills for careers as successful and productive researchers within a business school or sociology department.
Active Research Areas (MORS Faculty ) : big data, corporate governance, computational social science, decision making, dispute resolution, diversity, group behavior, motivation, organizational change, organizational design, negotiations, social networks, strategic adaptation and change, social responsibility.
Active Research Areas (Sociology Faculty) : culture; law, economy, and organizations; social inequality; and comparative-historical sociology.
Faculty from MORS and Sociology actively participate in the joint program, ensuring that this program functions collaboratively and that students have easy access to faculty mentors and dissertation advisors from both departments.
The MORS faculty includes scholars whose research expertise draws from management and organizational behavior, strategy, industrial and organizational psychology, social psychology, sociology and physics. Our research covers a broad range of areas that include negotiations, computational social science, conflict resolution, individual and organizational decision-making, social networks, and power . We have published scholarly articles in, and serve on the editorial boards of the leading journals, such as Journal of Applied Psychology, American Journal of Sociology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Administrative Science Quarterly, Organizational Science, Science, Management Science, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Nature, and the Annual Review of Psychology.
The Sociology faculty study the relationships among people, such as organizations, groups and countries, with an emphasis on how those relationships cause inequalities within legal/economics systems, social movements, and organizations. Our department provides comprehensive training in methodology and has faculty who cover a wide range of social science research methods. We take pride in our methodological pluralism, and we celebrate both mixed-methods approaches and research that is firmly and rigorously grounded in a single method. We have published scholarly articles in, and serve on the editorial boards of the leading journals, such as American Journal of Sociology, American Political Science Review, Journal of Conflict Resolution and Social Science & Medicine.
What We Are Looking for in Applicants
Our doctoral students come from a variety of backgrounds, including some with work and professional experience, recent MBA graduates, and others enter directly from undergraduate programs in the social sciences, business, engineering, and allied fields. Though not required, successful applicants often possess one or several of the following characteristics:
- Experience in the social sciences, e.g. through undergraduate or graduate coursework in anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, sociology or related fields.
- Research experience, e.g. in the form of an honors or master’s thesis, or research assistant work.
- Post baccalaureate work experience.
- Evidence of quantitative or statistical skills e.g., high quantitative test scores or advanced courses in mathematics, statistics, engineering or econometrics.
- Relevant master’s degree.
Program Requirements
In the first two years of the program students are expected to complete the required coursework of the program. Students take required courses in sociology, management and organizations, and related fields. Students must maintain a 3.0 (“B”) average in coursework.
Preliminary Exam
Students will take their preliminary (“field”) exam in the summer between their first and second years. The prelim exam covers material in the four substantive Management and Organizations PhD core courses. Prelims also require full competence in the material covered in the two core methods classes.
Paper Requirement and Candidacy
Students must successfully complete a MORS candidacy paper by the end of winter quarter of their third year. Students also complete the Sociology department's special field paper. Upon successful passing of both papers, passing of the MORS prelim exam and maintaining a 3.0 GPA in coursework, the student is admitted to candidacy.
Research, Proposal & Dissertation
The main activity in the third year and afterward is research toward a thesis, under the direction of one or more faculty advisors from MORS and Sociology. A thesis proposal must be presented by the end of the spring quarter of their fourth year. In their final year in the program, each candidate must complete a dissertation demonstrating original and significant research and pass a final oral examination on the dissertation.
Teaching Requirement
To promote engagement with faculty and integration with the intellectual life of the department, students serve as research and teaching assistants during years two, three, and four, including summers. Research assistantships (RAs) are an excellent lead-in to research; teaching assistantships (TAs) prepares students for teaching after obtaining the PhD.
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- Northwestern University
- Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
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- sociology INIS 100%
- women INIS 99%
- data INIS 91%
- reviews INIS 89%
- policy INIS 86%
- crime INIS 85%
- levels INIS 84%
- Crime Social Sciences 79%
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Dive into details.
Select a country/territory to view shared publications and projects
Vilna Bashi
- Sociology - Professor, William and Cathy Osborn Professorship
- Sociology PhD Program
- Buffett Institute for Global Affairs - Buffett Institute Faculty Fellow
Person: Academic
Julia Andrea Behrman
- Sociology - Assistant Professor
- IPR - Institute for Policy Research - Assistant Professor
- PAS - Program of African Studies - Member
Nicola K Beisel
- Sociology - Associate Professor Emeritus
- Management and Organizations and Sociology PhD Program
Research Output
- 1095 Article
- 747 Chapter
- 349 Other contribution
- 177 Book/Film/Article review
- 120 Review article
- 26 Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary
- 23 Editorial
- 22 Comment/debate
- 19 Other report
- 8 Foreword/postscript
- 5 Chapter (peer-reviewed)
- 2 Conference contribution
- 2 Web publication/site
- 1 Short survey
- 1 Special issue
Research Output per year
How Consistent Are Meanings of “Evidence-Based”? A Comparative Review of 12 Clearinghouses that Rate the Effectiveness of Educational Programs
Research output : Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- reviews 100%
- interventions 100%
- values 100%
- Effectiveness 100%
- Educational Programmes 100%
Reputation as Articulation: Alliance Building of Career Politicians in the Jim Crow South
- Articulation 100%
- Careers 100%
- Politicians 100%
- Alliances 100%
- Buildings 100%
State-Level Immigrant Policies and Ideal Family Size in the United States
- levels 100%
- policy 100%
- Family Size 100%
International Social Survey Programme: Work Orientations IV - ISSP 2015
Carton, A. (Contributor), Marinović Jerolimov, D. (Contributor), Večerník, J. (Contributor), Shamshiri-Petersen, D. (Contributor), Andersen, J. G. (Contributor), Frederiksen, M. (Contributor), Severin, M. C. (Contributor), Melin, H. (Contributor), Blom, R. (Contributor), Gonthier, F. (Contributor), Forsé, M. (Contributor), Clery, L. (Contributor), Phillips, M. (Contributor), Einarsson, H. (Contributor), Lewin-Epstein, N. (Contributor), Niklass, M. (Contributor), Krupavičius, A. (Contributor), Boxall, P. (Contributor), Humpage, L. (Contributor), Milne, B. (Contributor), Kolsrud, K. (Contributor), Skjåk, K. K. (Contributor), Hafner-Fink, M. (Contributor), Malnar, B. (Contributor), Struwig, J. (Contributor), Edlund, J. (Contributor), Bacher, J. (Contributor), Höllinger, F. (Contributor), Verwiebe, R. (Contributor), Blunsdon, B. (Contributor), Li, L. (Contributor), Wolf, C. (Contributor), Roosalu, T. (Contributor), Kazjulja, M. (Contributor), Kall, K. (Contributor), Méndez Lago, M. (Contributor), Kolosi, T. (Contributor), Jerzyński, T. (Contributor), Bahna, M. (Contributor), Smith, T. W. (Contributor), Davern, M. (Contributor), Freese, J. (Contributor) & Hout, M. (Contributor), GESIS Data Archive, 2017
DOI : 10.4232/1.12848 , https://search.gesis.org/research_data/ZA6770?doi=10.4232/1.12848
Gender and Wealth in Demographic Research: A Research Brief on a New Method and Application
Shiffer-Sebba, D. (Creator) & Behrman, J. A. (Creator), ICPSR - Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research, 2020
DOI : 10.3886/e124922v1 , https://www.openicpsr.org/openicpsr/project/124922/version/V1/view
Nelson, R. L. (Creator), Dinovitzer, R. (Creator), Sterling, J. S. (Creator) & Garth, B. G. (Creator), ICPSR - Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research, 2012
DOI : 10.3886/icpsr33584.v1 , http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/33584/version/1
- 115 Finished
Grants per year
Doctoral Dissertation Research: Managing the mixed messages of metaanalysis: How surgeons, policy makers, and judges cope with uncertainty
Epstein, S. G.
National Science Foundation
4/1/24 → 3/31/26
Project : Research project
Perceptions of the Natural World: Mapping Variation Across Space and Time Using Traditional Folktales
Stuhler, O.
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
1/1/24 → 1/1/26
Scientists for Migrant Learning & Education (SMiLE!)
Carruthers, B. G.
Research America
1/1/24 → 5/20/24
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THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
- Academic Policies & Procedures
PhD Degree Requirements
The only doctoral degree offered by The Graduate School is the doctor of philosophy (PhD). In some cases, this degree is offered in conjunction with another degree through an approved dual degree program, whether from another program administered by The Graduate School, from another school at Northwestern University, or through an agreement with a partner University.
The PhD degree is oriented toward research that will advance knowledge. Study for a specified time and accumulation of credit for courses taken are not by themselves sufficient to earn the PhD degree. A student must demonstrate scholarly distinction and the ability to advance knowledge through independent research by achieving admission to candidacy and writing a dissertation.
Each student enrolled in a PhD program must have a principal research adviser and a committee.
The principal research adviser (also known as mentor, PI, dissertation director, adviser) is a member of the Northwestern University Graduate Faculty who works with the student to develop a research topic, formulate ideas and structure for, and guides the progress of the thesis/prospectus/dissertation. In some cases, although rare, there is a principal research co-adviser who also works with the student to develop a research topic, formulate ideas and structure for, and guides the progress of the thesis/prospectus/dissertation.
The committee members are those who have expertise in and inform the student's area of research, serve as a reader of the thesis, prospectus, or dissertation, and vote on the outcome of the proposal defense/final exam. The committee chair is a member of the Graduate Faculty who leads the committee for the defense of the prospectus or PhD final exam (dissertation). In some cases, there is a committee co-chair who co-leads the committee. The committee chair may or may not be the same individual as the principal research adviser. A minimum of three individuals must serve on the final exam committee. At least two members of this committee, including the chair, must be members of the Northwestern University Graduate Faculty.
All Northwestern University PhD students must fulfill a set of requirements regarding:
- Coursework and registration
- PhD candidacy (qualifying exam)
- PhD prospectus
- PhD dissertation and defense
- PhD completion and filing for graduation
- PhD time to degree
PhD Coursework and Registration
A student who enters a doctoral program must successfully complete at least nine quality letter-graded course units (ABC, not P/NP or S/U) authorized for graduate credit . Students must maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. The Graduate School does not accept transfer credit in lieu of the nine letter-graded minimum unit requirement.
Two types of advanced courses, 499 Independent Study (or 499 Projects) and 590 Research bear restrictions:
- 499 Independent Study - For doctoral students, independent studies may not represent more than half of the total units taken in the first three quarters of enrollment in a PhD program.
- 590 Research - Departmental 590 research may be taken for one, two, three, or four course units per quarter. All 590 Research registrations must be taken on a P/N/K grading basis.
All coursework requirements for a doctoral program are expected to be completed by the end of the 12th quarter. Students who are funded and who register for less than three course and/or research units in any given quarter must also register for TGS 500-0 Funded Doctoral Study .
Students in quarters 13 and beyond may register for non-required coursework in addition to TGS 500-0 Funded Doctoral Study if the courses are related to the student's area of study.
No credit will be awarded by The Graduate School for work completed in a graduate program prior to admission to and enrollment in the PhD program in The Graduate School. Individual programs may waive program-specific course requirements based on work completed outside of the graduate program (either prior to or after enrollment at Northwestern), but all doctoral students must complete nine quality letter-graded (ABC) course units authorized by The Graduate School for graduate credit and maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
PhD Candidacy
Admission to The Graduate School does not constitute or guarantee a student's admission to candidacy for the PhD degree. Admission to candidacy is contingent upon the recommendation of the student's program and upon approval of The Graduate School.
A student must be admitted to candidacy by the end of the third year of study, which falls on the last date of the 12th quarter. A student failing to meet this milestone will be considered not in good academic standing and therefore will be placed on academic probation . Deadlines will be altered in the case of an approved leave of absence.
- Admission to candidacy is reached by passing a comprehensive qualifying examination, written or oral or both. Individual programs determine the character of this examination. At the time of admission to candidacy, proficiency in the major and related fields is certified and additional requirements for the PhD degree are stipulated.
- The student submits the PhD qualifying exam form online via TGS Forms in GSTS . The Director of Graduate Studies (or their proxy) must submit approval of this form before the end of a student's third year of enrollment in the PhD program. Following the submission of the approved qualifying exam form students are admitted to candidacy. Students are notified via email by TGS of approval of their qualifying exam form and admission to candidacy.
PhD Prospectus
Students must have a prospectus (dissertation proposal) approved by their committee no later than the end of the fourth year of study, which falls on the last date of the 16th quarter. A student failing to meet this milestone will be considered not in good academic standing and therefore will be placed on academic probation . Deadlines will be altered in the case of an approved leave of absence. The prospectus must be approved by a faculty committee. Individual programs determine the exact nature of this requirement.
A minimum of three individuals must serve on the prospectus committee. At least two members of this committee, including the chair, must be members of the Northwestern University Graduate Faculty. The student must submit the PhD prospectus form through TGS Forms in GSTS . The Director of Graduate Studies (or their proxy) must approve this form before The Graduate School enters the final approval. Students are notified via email by The Graduate School of approval of their prospectus form.
PhD Dissertation and Defense
Every candidate for the PhD degree must present a dissertation that gives evidence of original and significant research.
Dissertation Assistance
All dissertators should consult with their advisers about appropriate forms of assistance before assistance is rendered. Dissertations must acknowledge assistance received in any of the following areas:
- Designing the research
- Executing the research
- Analyzing the data
- Interpreting the data/research
- Writing, proofing, or copy editing the manuscript
Dissertations must be formatted according to the Dissertation Formatting Requirements . Dissertations not conforming to these instructions will not be accepted by The Graduate School.
Dissertation Defense
The Graduate School requires that PhD students complete a dissertation defense (final examination). Individual programs determine the exact nature of the defense. Scheduling the defense is the responsibility of the candidate and the members of the committee. The PhD final exam form must be approved by a faculty committee. A minimum of three individuals must serve on the final exam committee. At least two members of this committee, including the chair, must be members of the Northwestern University Graduate Faculty.
Depositing the Dissertation
Dissertations must be deposited into the ProQuest Database . In addition, the University Library receives a copy of the dissertation that may be used at its discretion for reasons including but not limited to long term archiving, library use and interlibrary loan, and dissemination through an institutional repository or other means. The library also archives electronic copies of dissertations to help ensure that the content is preserved for future generations.
Dissertation Embargo
With the permission of a faculty member well-versed with the student's work, presumably the primary adviser, students may request to embargo (delay release of) their dissertation for a period of six months, one year, or two years. To request an embargo, the student must complete the Dissertation Embargo (Delayed Release) Request form and obtain the faculty mentor’s signature. The completed and signed form must be uploaded in the “Administrative Documents” section of ProQuest when submitting the dissertation.
An approved request to place an embargo has the effect of restricting online access to the dissertation through the library’s discovery systems and ProQuest for the period of the embargo. Metadata (author, title, abstract, keywords and subjects) about the embargoed dissertation will be available through the ProQuest system and the library catalog. Users of those systems are able to search for and see the metadata, but not the actual text or other content of the dissertation.
The dissertation will automatically be released in the University repository and ProQuest after the approved embargo expires. To extend the embargo with ProQuest and/or the University Library, students must contact The Graduate School Student Services at least thirty days prior to the point of expiration. The student may request a one-time extension of the embargo for up to six years and must provide a sufficient intellectual and/or professional rationale in seeking approval from The Graduate School.
PhD Completion and Filing Requirements
Filing requirements and forms.
Students pursuing the Doctor of Philosophy degree must file the following required documents prior to graduation and by the published deadlines :
- Application for Degree form : this form must be filled out via GSTS . Students should login to GSTS , click on the"TGS Forms" tab and create a new "Application for a Degree" form.
- Each PhD Final Exam committee member must approve the form after the final exam (defense) date. Committee members render their approval by clicking the embedded link in the email they automatically receive once the exam date passes.
- Dissertation submission via ProQuest's website . Once the dissertation has been approved by the committee and all edits and revisions are complete, the student must submit online via ProQuest. The dissertation must conform to The Graduate School's Dissertation Formatting Requirements . Once the student has submitted the dissertation online, a Student Services representative will review its formatting and confirm via email that the dissertation is acceptable or notify the student if changes need to be made.
- Change of Grade form(s) : Students with incomplete (Y, X, K) or missing (NR) grades on their transcript must work with their program/department to ensure the appropriate change of grade forms are submitted to The Graduate School by the published deadline.
PhD Timeline
All requirements for the doctoral degree must be met within nine years of initial registration in a doctoral program, which falls on the last day of the 36th quarter. For students on an approved leave of absence , milestones will be extended accordingly.
Last Updated: March 25, 2024 Questions? Contact Student Services
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Academic Catalog
2023-2024 Edition
Management and Organizations and Sociology PhD
Degree requirements.
The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in The Graduate School Policy Guide .
Requirements can also be found in the Program Guidelines for Management & Organizations & Sociology PhD students issued by the Kellogg School of Management.
While the goal of our doctoral program is the awarding of a PhD degree, a Master of Science (MS) degree may be awarded to currently enrolled, qualified doctoral students. Students who are continuing for a PhD degree, or students who withdraw from the PhD program, may be considered for a MS degree if they have met the following requirements: they are in good academic standing with a cumulative 3.0 GPA, they have achieved a minimum “master’s pass” on the MORS preliminary exam, and they have passed both the MORS candidacy paper and Sociology’s second-year paper.
Total Units Required: 18
Students are required to take 18 courses or a minimum of 3 courses in fall, winter, and spring quarters during years one and two. Registration for Independent Study ( MORS 499-0 or SOCIOL 499-0 ) with a professor may count towards the coursework requirement.
To fulfill the 18-course requirement for the PhD degree, refer to the table below. Note: the list allows students flexibility in course selection.
Other PhD Degree Requirements
- Examinations : PhD preliminary exam in Management and Organizations core “macro” courses: MORS 525-1 Behavior in Organizational Systems , and MORS 526-2 Macro-Organizational Research Methods ; exam is scheduled in July of the first year.
- Research/Projects : In years two and three students must satisfy paper requirements within MORS (candidacy paper) and Sociology (second-year paper and special fields paper), at which time the performance on the MORS prelim exam, coursework and papers is reviewed and students are passed into candidacy.
- PhD Dissertation : Original and significant research. Presentation of preliminary results (prospectus) to their committee by the end of the fourth year.
- Final Evaluations : Oral final examination on dissertation and submission of an approved dissertation.
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DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
Phd placements.
The graduates listed on these pages have moved on from Northwestern University to positions in academia, nonprofit and government service, politics, law, business, and more. The filterable and searchable below shows the current positions of PhDs from 2000-2022. To learn more about each graduate, click the arrow on the left-hand side of each row to expand details. You can use filters to search students by the first letter of their Last Name or by PhD Subfield. The search box will filter graduates by any text contained in their profile, so you could use the search field to search for individual students by name (e.g. "Lockwood" returns "Lockwood, Erin"), search by research interests keywords (e.g. "Security", "Elections", "Law", etc), by dissertation committee members, and more.
If you’re a Graduate from the Political Science Program at Northwestern University and would like to update your profile, please fill out our Graduate Placement Listing form .
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Six Northwestern faculty elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
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Six members of the Northwestern University faculty have been elected members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.
Megan Bang, Bruce Carruthers, Wei Chen, Mark C. Hersam, Suzan van der Lee and Uri J. Wilensky are among the 250 members elected in 2024. They are recognized for their excellence and commitment to uphold the Academy’s mission of engaging with professions across different perspectives.
“We honor these artists, scholars, scientists and leaders in the public, non-profit and private sectors for their accomplishments and for the curiosity, creativity and courage required to reach new heights,” said David Oxtoby, president of the Academy. “We invite these exceptional individuals to join in the Academy’s work to address serious challenges and advance the common good.”
Founded in 1780 by John Adams, John Hancock and others, the Academy was founded on ideals that celebrate the life of the mind, the importance of knowledge and the belief that the arts and sciences are “necessary to the interest, honor, dignity and happiness of a free, independent and virtuous people.”
Northwestern’s newest members are:
Megan Bang is a professor of the learning sciences and director of the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research at Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy.
Bang has spent much of her career studying what teaching and learning could and should look like in a world with a changing climate and human cognition as it relates to sustainability.
She focuses on reasoning and decision-making about complex socio-ecological systems in ways that intersect with culture, power and historicity. Central to this work are dimensions of identity, equity and community engagement. She works closely with Indigenous communities to create new systems of education. She has taught in and conducted research in teacher education as well as leadership preparation programs. Bang currently serves on the Board of Science Education at the National Academy of Sciences and is a member of the National Academy of Education where she is currently serving as a board member as well.
Bruce Carruthers
Bruce Carruthers is the John D. MacArthur Professor of Sociology at Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.
Carruthers is involved in the graduate Comparative Historical Social Science (CHSS) workshop and the Kellogg-Sociology joint Ph.D. program. His current research projects include a comparative study of the institutional foundations of long-term decision-making, the adoption of “for-profit” features by U.S. museums, the relationship between corporate taxation and corporate social responsibility, and how “big data” affects credit markets.
He has had visiting fellowships at the Russell Sage Foundation, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, the Library of Congress and the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study. He has also received a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship. Currently, he is a non-resident long-term fellow at the Swedish Collegium.
Wei Chen is the Wilson-Cook Professor of Engineering Design, professor of mechanical engineering and chair of the department of mechanical engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering.
A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Chen has made important contributions to simulation-based design under uncertainty and decision-based design. Chen’s research aims to develop rational and computationally efficient design methods based on data science, optimization, statistical inference and decision analysis for use in engineering design and manufacturing problems. Her current research focuses on the use of artificial intelligence and uncertainty quantification techniques for design of emerging materials systems including microstructural materials, metamaterials and programmable materials.
Chen’s many awards include the Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Engineering Science Medal from the Society of Engineering Science (SES), ASME Design Automation Award, Northwestern’s 2018 Ver Steeg Faculty Award and Pi Tau Sigma Gold Medal Achievement Award. She served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Mechanical Design, president of the International Society for Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization (ISSMO) and chair of the ASME Design Engineering Division. She is a fellow of ASME.
Mark Hersam
Mark Hersam is the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at McCormick, chair of the department of materials science and engineering and director of the Northwestern University Materials Research Science and Engineering Center.
A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Hersam studies nanomaterials, nanomanufacturing, scanning probe microscopy, nanoelectronics devices, biosensors, renewable energy and quantum information science. This work has led to more effective and sustainable nanomaterials for electronics, energy storage and medicine.
Hersam has received numerous honors, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, TMS Robert Lansing Hardy Award, American Vacuum Society Peter Mark Award and Medard W. Welch Award, Materials Research Society Outstanding Young Investigator Award and Mid-Career Researcher Award, U.S. Science Envoy, the MacArthur Fellowship and eight Teacher of the Year Awards. An elected member of the National Academy of Inventors, he has founded two companies, NanoIntegris and Volexion, which are commercial suppliers of nanoelectronic and battery materials, respectively.
Suzan van der Lee
Suzan van der Lee is the Sarah Rebecca Roland Professor of Earth and planetary sciences at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.
An observational seismologist, Van der Lee applies data science to millions of records of seismic signals extract insights about earthquakes and the ongoing dynamics within the Earth’s interior. By studying the Earth’s interior structure, Van der Lee aims to reveal the effects of the geodynamic forces that lead to planetary cooling, plate tectonics, continental rifting, subduction zones, volcanism, mountain building, all types of earthquakes and more. She is particularly interested in how plate tectonics started, is sustained and how it will end.
Van der Lee has led numerous big-data analyses and seismological data acquisition field experiments in Africa, the Americas and Europe. She previously served on the board of directors of the EarthScope Consortium, is former president of the seismology section of the American Geophysical Union and is principal director of the Metropolitan Chicago Data Science Corps and NU-Geopaths. She also co-developed Earthtunes, an iOS app that transforms seismic frequencies into audible pitches. The app soon will be available for Android phones.
Uri J. Wilensky
Uri J. Wilensky is the Lorraine H. Morton Professor of Learning Sciences and Computer Science at the School of Education and Social Policy and the McCormick School of Engineering.
He is the founding director of the Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling, founding co-director of the Computer Science/ Learning Sciences joint Ph.D. program and co-founder of the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems. He was an early advocate of integrating computation into all school subjects and has authored numerous computational science curricula.
Wilensky seeks to use computer technology to help people in managing and understanding the increasingly complex world (both natural and social) we live in. Wilensky’s award-winning NetLogo is designed to help scientists, policymakers, citizens and learners navigate that complexity. NetLogo is the most widely used agent-based modeling environment, with hundreds of thousands of users and many thousands of scientific publications. Wilensky's theory of restructurations describes how knowledge and learning change in the context of computation and its implications for making sense of complexity.
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Three McCormick Faculty Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The academy recognizes leaders across disciplines, professions, and perspectives.
Three members of the Northwestern Engineering faculty have been elected members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.
Wei Chen, Mark C. Hersam, and Uri J. Wilensky are among the 250 members elected in 2024, and six from the University. They are recognized for their excellence and commitment to uphold the Academy’s mission of engaging with professions across different perspectives.
“We honor these artists, scholars, scientists, and leaders in the public, non-profit and private sectors for their accomplishments and for the curiosity, creativity and courage required to reach new heights,” said David Oxtoby, president of the Academy. “We invite these exceptional individuals to join in the Academy’s work to address serious challenges and advance the common good.”
Founded in 1780 by John Adams, John Hancock, and others, the Academy was founded on ideals that celebrate the life of the mind, the importance of knowledge and the belief that the arts and sciences are “necessary to the interest, honor, dignity and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people.”
Along with Chen, Hersam, and Wilensky, the Northwestern faculty elected were Megan Bang , a professor of the learning sciences and director of the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research at Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy ; Bruce Carruthers , the John D. MacArthur Professor of Sociology at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences ; and Suzan van der Lee , the Sarah Rebecca Roland Professor of Earth and planetary sciences at Weinberg.
Wei Chen is the Wilson-Cook Professor of Engineering Design, professor of mechanical engineering, and chair of the department of mechanical engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering.
A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Chen has made important contributions to simulation-based design under uncertainty and decision-based design. Chen’s research aims to develop rational and computationally efficient design methods based on data science, optimization, statistical inference, and decision analysis for use in engineering design and manufacturing problems. Her current research focuses on the use of artificial intelligence and uncertainty quantification techniques for design of emerging materials systems including microstructural materials, metamaterials, and programmable materials.
Chen’s many awards include the Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Engineering Science Medal from the Society of Engineering Science (SES), ASME Design Automation Award, Northwestern’s 2018 Ver Steeg Faculty Award, and Pi Tau Sigma Gold Medal Achievement Award. She served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Mechanical Design, president of the International Society for Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization (ISSMO) and chair of the ASME Design Engineering Division. She is a fellow of ASME.
Mark Hersam
Mark Hersam is the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at McCormick, chair of the department of materials science and engineering, and director of the Northwestern University Materials Research Science and Engineering Center .
A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Hersam studies nanomaterials, nanomanufacturing, scanning probe microscopy, nanoelectronics devices, biosensors, renewable energy, and quantum information science. This work has led to more effective and sustainable nanomaterials for electronics, energy storage and medicine.
Hersam has received numerous honors, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, TMS Robert Lansing Hardy Award, American Vacuum Society Peter Mark Award and Medard W. Welch Award, Materials Research Society Outstanding Young Investigator Award and Mid-Career Researcher Award, US Science Envoy, the MacArthur Fellowship, and eight Teacher of the Year Awards. An elected member of the National Academy of Inventors, he has founded two companies, NanoIntegris and Volexion, which are commercial suppliers of nanoelectronic and battery materials, respectively.
Uri J. Wilensky
Uri J. Wilensky is the Lorraine H. Morton Professor of Learning Sciences and Computer Science at the School of Education and Social Policy and the McCormick School of Engineering.
He is the founding director of the Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling , founding co-director of the Computer Science/Learning Sciences joint PhD program , and co-founder of the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems . He was an early advocate of integrating computation into all school subjects and has authored numerous computational science curricula.
Wilensky seeks to use computer technology to help people in managing and understanding the increasingly complex world (both natural and social) we live in. Wilensky’s award-winning NetLogo is designed to help scientists, policymakers, citizens, and learners navigate that complexity. NetLogo is the most widely used agent-based modeling environment, with hundreds of thousands of users and many thousands of scientific publications. Wilensky's theory of restructurations describes how knowledge and learning change in the context of computation and its implications for making sense of complexity.
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The department's graduate program and graduate students are an essential part of our academic community. Collaboration is a guiding principle, as our students are encouraged to work closely with multiple faculty advisors and/or mentors during their graduate careers. Our graduate students are pioneers of sociological research, analysis, writing ...
Why Study Sociology at Northwestern? As the broadest of all of the social sciences, Sociology provides a wide range of practical and marketable skills, including critical analysis, statistical methods, theory, and field research. Our majors have gone on to work in law, medicine and public health, consulting, finance, non-profit and public ...
Degree Types: PhD. Students in this joint program offered by Kellogg School of Management's Management & Organizations (MORS) Department and Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences Sociology Department are interested in topics that bridge management strategy and economic sociology, such as social movements, the production of culture, entrepreneurship, social networks, gender and race inequality ...
A day-long PhD preparation and community-building workshop for members of minoritized and underrepresented communities who are considering applying to doctoral programs. ... Northwestern University Home. School of Education & Social Policy. Address. Walter Annenberg Hall 2120 Campus Drive Evanston, IL 60208. Phone number. Dean's Office (847 ...
Professor of Sociology and Director of Graduate Studies, and Professor of Gender & Sexuality Studies (847) 467-0516 Email: 1808 Chicago Ave, Room 101: C: ... Contact Northwestern University; Disclaimer; Report an Accessibility Issue; University Policies; Address; Department of Sociology; 1810 Chicago Avenue; Evanston, IL 60208;
AM, Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, 2013 MPP, University of Chicago, 2013 BA, Sociology, University of Michigan, 2010 Research Interests Jennifer Cowhy is interested in researching how schools can better serve students who have experienced adverse childhood experiences ad students with IEPs.
The Northwestern Sociology Department concentrates especially on those relations that create and maintain inequalities, looking at the social movements, legal and economic systems, institutions, organizations, and cultural forms that shape, redress, or defend these systems of inequality. We teach courses and do research on relations between men ...
Management & Organizations. The PhD program in Management and Organizations ("MORS") integrates psychological, sociological, economic, and complex systems perspectives on the study of organizations and their members. Faculty and students pursue research on the behavior of individuals, groups, organizations and groups of organizations, with ...
Nicola K Beisel. nbeisel @ northwestern. edu. Sociology - Associate Professor Emeritus. Management and Organizations and Sociology PhD Program. Sociology PhD Program. 1990 2010. View all 32 experts.
Degree Types: PhD. Students in this joint program offered by Kellogg School of Management's Management & Organizations (MORS) Department and Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences Sociology Department are interested in topics that bridge management strategy and economic sociology, such as social movements, the production of culture, entrepreneurship, social networks, gender and race inequality ...
Students in this joint program offered by our Management & Organizations Department and Northwestern University's Sociology Department are interested in topics that bridge management strategy and economic sociology, such as social movements, the production of culture, entrepreneurship, social networks, gender and race inequality in organizations, and globalization.
Julia Andrea Behrman. julia.behrman @ northwestern. edu. Sociology - Assistant Professor. Sociology PhD Program. IPR - Institute for Policy Research - Assistant Professor. PAS - Program of African Studies - Member. 2009 2024.
The only doctoral degree offered by The Graduate School is the doctor of philosophy (PhD). In some cases, this degree is offered in conjunction with another degree through an approved dual degree program, whether from another program administered by The Graduate School, from another school at Northwestern University, or through an agreement with a partner University.
Filter graduate and professional programs and certificates by personal interests or Northwestern school. You can dive into a potential program's specifics on its departmental website, linked below. Find what's next. Explore Northwestern University's graduate and professional programs for certificates, master's, and PhD degrees.
Students are required to take 18 courses or a minimum of 3 courses in fall, winter, and spring quarters during years one and two. Registration for Independent Study ( MORS 499-0 or SOCIOL 499-0) with a professor may count towards the coursework requirement. To fulfill the 18-course requirement for the PhD degree, refer to the table below.
The graduates listed on these pages have moved on from Northwestern University to positions in academia, nonprofit and government service, politics, law, business, and more. The filterable and searchable below shows the current positions of PhDs from 2000-2022. To learn more about each graduate, click the arrow on the left-hand side of each row ...
Six members of the Northwestern University faculty have been elected members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious honorary societies. ... Carruthers is involved in the graduate Comparative Historical Social Science (CHSS) workshop and the Kellogg-Sociology joint Ph.D. program. His ...
Three members of the Northwestern Engineering faculty have been elected members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious honorary societies. Wei Chen, Mark C. Hersam, and Uri J. Wilensky are among the 250 members elected in 2024, and six from the University.