phd in sociology university of toronto

Becoming an Engaged and Informed Citizen: Welcome to Sociology at UTM

Sociology at UTM is one of the highest ranked sociology departments in the world, particularly in the area of law and society and criminology (other areas of strength include sociology of gender, sociology of culture and food, and the sociology of inequality). Our research and teaching expertise covers a diverse range of topics that are central to understanding and explaining the state of society and social change.

At the undergraduate level, we offer Specialist, Major, and Minor programs in Sociology, and Specialist and Major programs in Criminology, Law & Society. As part of the tri-campus graduate department of Sociology, we also offer training for MA and PhD students through teaching and advising. The graduate program is administered at the downtown campus.

Through our broad range of course offerings, we prepare students for further study in graduate or professional programs, as well as provide the intellectual tools required to be engaged and informed citizens.

We invite you to explore our website to learn more about our programs and student research opportunities; please feel free to also  contact us  with questions you may have.

School of Graduate Studies

Graduate programs.

February 2024

ATTENTION: You may have heard of new measures in place for International students admitted to postsecondary institutions in Canada and applying for study permits. These new measures do not apply to graduate students (Master’s and PhD programs). While all international students must follow the established study permit application processes, the new Attestation Letter required for undergraduate students does not apply to graduate students in degree-granting programs.

As of February 15, 2024, graduates of master’s degree programs will be eligible to apply for a 3-year post-graduation work permit. Open work permits will also remain available to spouses of international students in master’s and doctoral programs. We will provide additional information about this change as it becomes available.

For more information see Apply for Your Study Permit – Centre for International Experience .

Types of programs

The training and experience you’ll acquire at the master’s or doctoral level at the University of Toronto will give you tools to drive change and excel in virtually any industry — whether you go on to teach and do research at a university, take a role in government, start a private enterprise, or embark on a professional career. Our research-driven graduate programs will help guide you through a lifetime of intellectual study, opportunity, and challenge.

View our types of graduate programs at a glance . Here’s a quick overview:

• More than 70 professional graduate programs in health sciences, management, engineering, and more.
• Approximately 140 combined degree programs.
• 14 dual degree programs.
• More than 40 collaborative specializations if you are interested in interdisciplinary studies.
• 4 diploma programs for professionals who would like to pursue academic study but don’t wish to enrol in a graduate degree program.

Ready to apply?

Are you ready to launch a lifelong path of intellectual discovery and professional enrichment? Apply to graduate school at Canada’s #1 research institution.* Visit our Future Students page to find out more.

*According to Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings 2021 . View our rankings.

U of T graduate program directory

Explore our 400 areas of study within more than 300 graduate program below.

Questions? Explore the 2023-24 SGS Calendar to access comprehensive information about graduate programs.

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact the graduate unit (department, centre, or institute) you’re thinking of applying to. Visit the graduate unit and collaborative specializations directory.

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Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (PhD)

Canadian immigration updates.

Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details

Go to programs search

UBC has granted Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in sociology since 1970, although the first sociology course was taught at the university as long ago as 1921. Students in the Ph.D. program in sociology at UBC have the opportunity to specialize in any one or more of the Department's seven major areas of specialization:

• Environment, Community and Social Movements;
• Family and Life Course;
• Gender and Sexuality;
• Health and Healthcare;
• Knowledge, Culture and Power;
• Race, Ethnicity and Immigration; and
• Work, Economy and Globalization.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

UBC sociology has a strong tradition of publishing research that matters. A sample of recent and award-winning books include: Gillian Creese's The New African Diaspora (U. Toronto Press); Amin Ghaziani's There Goes the Gayborhood? (Princeton U. Press), Renisa Mawani's Colonial Proximities(UBC Press), Becki Ross Burlesque West: Showgirls, Sex, and Sin in Postwar Vancouver (U. Toronto Press), and Wendy Roth's Race Migrations (Stanford U. Press).

UBC sociology has a strong history of engaging in community and service oriented learning projects, providing students with hands-on learning experiences carrying out research for partnering organizations in and around Vancouver (e.g. RainCity Housing, SPEC, City of Vancouver, Neighborhood House Association, Be The Change). There is a strong co-op tradition, and the Department also runs the Immigrant Vancouver Ethnographic Field School (in conjunction with the Department of Anthropology).

I have the pleasure of working with a fantastic group of environmental and gender scholars within the sociology department and always look forward to getting together and brainstorming collaborative research ideas.

Carly Hamdon

Quick Facts

Program enquiries, admission information & requirements, 1) check eligibility, minimum academic requirements.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

• Canada or the United States
• International countries other than the United States

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement : 100

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement : 7.0

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is not required.

2) Meet Deadlines

3) prepare application, transcripts.

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest , sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (PhD)

Citizenship verification.

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Tuition & Financial Support

Financial support.

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

From September 2024 all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $24,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.

Average Funding

• 13 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 13 students was $17,458.
• 7 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 7 students was $8,761.
• 10 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 10 students was $12,112.
• 17 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 17 students was $20,423.
• 3 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 3 students was $26,111.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union .

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans .

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement .

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

27 students graduated between 2005 and 2013. Of these, career information was obtained for 25 alumni (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016):

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample employers outside higher education, sample job titles outside higher education, phd career outcome survey, career options.

There are many places to go with a Sociology degree from UBC. Alumni from our program work with Statistics Canada, with Indian and Northern Affairs, in the provincial health care sector, in an array of public service and non-profit positions, and in a range of private businesses, big and small. Alumni also succeed within academia, securing positions at leading Canadian universities (e.g., University of Toronto, Western University, University of Waterloo), as well as universities abroad.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion rates & times.

• Research Supervisors

Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

• Abrutyn, Seth (Social theory; Sociological Theory; Suicide; Social Solidarity/Morality; Emotions/Microsociology; Medical/Mental Health; youth)
• Berdahl, Jennifer (Ostracism, Harassment and Bullying, Gender and Diversity in Organizations, Power and Status in Groups, Harassment, Work-Family Interface)
• Cheong, Amanda (Sociology; migration; Citizenship and Legal Status; Statelessness)
• Childress, Clayton (Cultural Production, Reception, and Meaning Making, Taste, Decision Making, Inequality, Organizations, Markets)
• Corrigall-Brown, Catherine (Sociology; social movements; identity; political sociology; social psychology)
• Fu, Qiang (a multidisciplinary perspective on institutional changes, social networks and mental health over the urban space; comparative and temporal analysis of civic engagement and identity; child and youth well-being (e.g., obesity and school bullying); developing)
• Fuller, Sylvia (precarious employment; inequality; work; gender and work; immigration, Work and Labour, Inequality, Gender, Economic Sociology, Social Policy, Welfare state restructuring)
• Ghaziani, Amin (Sociology; Sexualities / LGBTQ studies / Queer studies; Urban sociology; culture / cultural sociology; nightlife)
• Hanser, Amy (Work and employment; gender; consumption/consumerism; contemporary Chinese society, Culture and markets, inequality, gender, consumption, service work, China)
• Hirsh, Elizabeth (Sociology; Law; Structures and Organization; Inequality, Gender and Race Discrimination, Work Organizations, Law)
• Huyser, Kimberly
• Johnson, Phyllis (Allocation of financial and human resources by families coping with stressful circumstances, including immigration and resettlement, family separation, unemployment, and conflicts between work and family responsibilities)
• Jorgenson, Andrew (Sociology and related studies; Environment and Community; sociology of health; environmental sociology; global political economy; sociology of development)
• Karimi, Aryan (Sociology; migration and refugee flows; role of ethnic and racial boundaries in assimilation practices; lived experiences of racialized refugee and diasporic communities)
• Kennedy, Emily (Sociology; Environment and Society; Social and Cultural Factors of Environmental Protection; Gender; social class; Sustainable consumption)
• Lauer, Sean (Urban sociology and community studies)
• Lauster, Nathanael (Population, Housing, Urban Studies, Crowding, Home & Housing, Technology & Environment, City Building & Regulation, Family, Demography, Health)
• Maghbouleh, Neda (Migration, Race, and Identity; Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) communities; race; Racialization; Im/migration; identity)
• Mawani, Renisa (Sociology; Colonial Legal History; critical theory; Oceans and Maritime Worlds; Philosophy, History and Comparative Studies; Race and Racism; Time and Temporality)
• Nelson, Laura (Social movements, culture, gender, and organizations and institutions, Processes around the formation of collective identities, Social movement strategy in feminist and environmental movements, Continuities between cycles of activism and the role of place in shaping social movement activity, Intersectionality in U.S. women’s movements, Coverage of social movements in news media over time, Ways in which history is recorded and remembered, Gender inequality in startups and entrepreneurship)
• Qian, Yue (Sociology; family; Gender Relationship; Migrations, Populations, Cultural Exchanges; Demography; Family Studies; Gender Studies; sociology)
• Raker, Ethan (Social stratification, Medical sociology, Environmental sociology, Relationship between climate change and inequalities in human health and community well-being)
• Richardson, Lindsey (Sociology of health and illness, substance use, HIV/AIDS, urban health, sociology of work and economic life, health disparities )
• Silva, Tony
• Stecklov, Guy (Family and household demographic studies; Fertility; Migration; Mortality; Demography; Studies of Canadian society; Demographic behavior; Historical social change; Demographic Change in Sub-Saharan Africa; Migration and assimilation; Population and Development; Research and survey methodology)

Doctoral Citations

Sample thesis submissions.

• Participation amidst precarity : medical research experiences among people who use drugs
• Decoding China’s pink economy : emergence, gendered distinctions, and mainstream companies’ pursuit of pink money
• The social psychology of the free speech and hate speech debate
• Identity work across the gender spectrum : negotiations of membership, healthcare, and resilience in transgender and nonbinary populations
• Unmeasurable phenomenon : Native American students overrepresented in early school leaving but underrepresented in the data
• Care conundrum : experiences of younger adult eldercare providers
• Interracial intimacy : how mixed couples negotiate and narrate their identity and experience
• The impact of black/white interracial relationships on identity formation and trust
• Environmental politics after disaster strikes : the cultural dynamics of public participation and mobilization
• Lessons learned and unlearned : a study of queer family-making practices
• Scientific knowledge production and academic labor in unsettled times : Covid-19 pandemic, preprint servers, epistemic validation, and gendered work
• Socioeconomic resources and adult mental health in Canada

Related Programs

Same specialization.

• Master of Arts in Sociology (MA)

Further Information

Specialization.

Sociology has specialization in the following core areas of study:

• Environment, community, and social movements;
• Family and the life course;
• Gender and sexuality;
• Health and healthcare;
• Knowledge, culture, and power;
• Race, ethnicity, and immigration; and
• Work, economy, and globalization.

UBC Calendar

Program website, faculty overview, academic unit, program identifier, classification, social media channels, supervisor search.

Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form .

Parker Muzzerall

UBC is a globally renowned institution for studying issues related to the environment and climate change, and the Sociology Department in particular has one of the strongest contingents of environmental sociologists in the world. These, paired with the unparalleled access to nature that life in...

Ryan Stillwagon

Meeting Kaitlyn Jaffe at the University of Chicago during my master’s program drew me to apply to UBC. I knew from the work I did after my master’s degree that I wanted to continue working in the fields of medical sociology and queer sexual health. So, when selecting Sociology Departments, I chose...

Julia Goldman-Hasbun

My journey at UBC started back in 2011 when I started my undergrad. It's silly to me now, but growing up in downtown Montreal gave me the vision of Vancouver as some kind of utopia or oasis. Back then, I imagined going hiking every weekend, running by the beach every day, surrounded by beautiful...

Why should you choose UBC?

From academic excellence and modern facilities to our diverse degree program listings to being named one of the “most innovative universities” by Reuters in 2019, UBC has a lot to offer.

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The PhD program, offered on a full– and part–time basis, is intended to develop research and teaching scholars who can accomplish major, independent research projects, who are able to advance the substantive and theoretical debates in the discipline through professional discourse and publication, and who are able to teach the basic perspectives in the discipline and at least one specialized field at the undergraduate and graduate levels. All requirements for the PhD must be completed within six years of first registering as a doctoral student. During this period, continuous registration at York must be maintained. Part–time study does not entitle students to extra time. Part–time doctoral study is feasible only if the student can collect data for the dissertation as part of their job, or if the student can switch to full–time study for a year or two.

If a student has not finished at the end of their sixth year (18th term), they will have to withdraw from the program and seek reinstatement when they have completed all outstanding work and have an examinable dissertation. In exceptional circumstances, an extension may be granted, and the student will be required to register as a part–time student. Such an extension requires formal approval by the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and is not granted routinely. Students need the support of their committee supervisor and the Graduate Program Director. In addition, students must write a petition outlining why they have been unable to finish within the normal time period and submit a detailed work plan for finishing the dissertation within the requested extension period.

The Graduate Program in Sociology at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.

Connect with Sociology

Undergraduate Programs

Back to Undergraduate Programs

St. George Campus, Faculty of Arts & Science

Program Information

Degree(s): Honours Bachelor of Arts

Program(s): Sociology (Major, Minor, Specialist)

OUAC Admission Code: TAX (Social Sciences)

Academic Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma Six 4U/M courses, including:

• English (ENG4U)

Find equivalent requirements for Canadian high school systems , US high school system , International Baccalaureate , British-Patterned Education , French-Patterned Education , CAPE , and other international high school systems .

Mississauga Campus

OUAC Admission Code: TMS (Social Sciences)

Scarborough Campus

OUAC Admission Code: TUD (Social Sciences & Humanities)

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Core Faculty:

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Our broader University of Toronto community is also home of the vibrant tri-campus Social Personality Research Group

Former UCD Ph.D. elected into the National Academy of Science

• by Joanna I Kaminski
• May 10, 2024

St. Cloud State University leaders recommend major cuts in degree programs, faculty

Updated May 7, 9:38 a.m. | Posted May 6, 8:10 p.m.

St. Cloud State University leaders are proposing major budget cuts to programs and faculty to address a budget deficit.

In a meeting with faculty on Monday, SCSU administrators recommended discontinuing 46 of the university’s 136 degree programs, including criminal justice, Spanish, gender and women’s studies, sociology, physics, environmental science and economics.

They also proposed cutting 50 of 85 minor degrees, including African American and American Indian studies. Fifty-seven faculty positions would be cut, or 13 percent of the total.

In an interview Monday evening, acting president Larry Lee said the cuts are necessary to address a structural budget deficit. The university lost $18 million last year and is projected to lose $5.5 million this year — a deficit made smaller by one-time state funding. Without it, SCSU’s net operating loss would have been $15 million, Lee said.

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“We just can’t sustain the operation like that,” he said. “We have to align our expenses with our revenues, so we can continue to provide the type of experience that we’ve provided here for a long time.”

In his email to faculty and staff, Lee said higher education is facing “unprecedented struggles” — student enrollment declines, affordability concerns, a proliferation of higher education alternatives, public perception of college degrees and financial strains, among others.

“These circumstances negatively impact higher education, generally, and St. Cloud State University, specifically,” he wrote.

Lee said the university will focus on its 90 strongest academic programs, in which 90 percent of students are enrolled. 

“Students are speaking with their decisions — what programs are growing enrollment or not,” he said. “And we have some programs that just don’t have the enrollment that can support the amount of staffing that we have in that program.”

Students enrolled in the affected programs would still be able to complete their degrees, Lee said.

SCSU had one of its first enrollment increases this year in several years, Lee said, but continues to spend significantly more per year in instructional costs than other universities in the Minnesota State system.

The recommendations aren’t yet final, Lee said. The faculty union will respond to the administration with its comments within the next 10 days. 

Lee took over Sunday from President Robbyn Wacker, who stepped down last week, earlier than her planned departure of June 30. She told officials at Minnesota State that decisions about the university’s long-term operations should be made by leaders who will be there to manage the transition.

List of degree programs cut from St. Cloud State University

Degrees in italics have already frozen admissions to their programs

Criminal Justice Studies, BS

Criminal Justice Studies, MS

Gerontology, MS

Health and Physical Education, BS

Physical Education, BS

Rehabilitation Counseling, MS

Cultural Resource Management, MS

English Education, MS

English Studies, MA

Gender and Women’s Studies, BA

Global Studies, BA

History, MA

History, MS

Music Performance, BMUS

Music Teaching, BS (K-12)

Music Therapy, BS (not launched)

Sociology, BA

Spanish, BS

Studio Art, BFA

Writing Studies and Rhetoric, MA

Child and Family Studies: Family Studies, MS

Early Childhood Special Education, MS

Educational Administration and Leadership, SPEC

Educational Leadership and Technology, MS

Social Studies Education, MS

Biological Sciences, MA

Earth Sciences, BA

Electrical Engineering, MSEE

Environmental Engineering, BS

Environmental Science, BS

Environmental Studies, BS

Geography, BA

Geography, GIS, MS

Hydrology, BS

Manufacturing Engineering Technology, BS

Manufacturing Engineering, BS

Nuclear Medicine Technology, BS

Physics Education Grades 9-12, BS

Physics, BS

Physics/General Science Education Grades 5-12, BS

Software Engineering, PSM

Economics, BA

Entrepreneurship, BS

Hospitality and Tourism, BA

Public Administration, MPA

List of minor programs cut from St. Cloud State

Minors in italics have already frozen admissions to their programs

Applied Behavior Analysis

Athletic Coaching

Criminal Justice Studies

Gerontology

African American Studies

American Indian Studies

Arts - Entrepreneurship

Asian-Pacific American Studies

Chicano Studies

Conflict Management

Creative Writing

English Studies

E-Sports Broadcasting

Ethnic Studies

Film Production

Gender & Women Studies

Intercultural Communication

Linguistics

New Media - Music and Art

Teaching English as a Second Language

Early Childhood Education

Human Relations

Applied Analytics

Applied Mathematics

Career/Technical Ed: Communication

Career/Technical Ed: Construction

Career/Technical Ed: Manufacturing

Career/Technical Ed: Transportation

Environmental Studies

Forensic Science

Mathematics

Middle School Mathematics

STEM Education

Entrepreneurship  for Business Majors

Entrepreneurship  for Non-Business Majors

Esports Management for Business Majors

Esports Management for Non-Business Majors

Heritage Preservation (CMTY)

Hospitality & Tourism

Real Estate for Business Majors

Real Estate for Non-Business Majors

• St. Paul Public Schools graduates first EMT trainees  
• Students address University of Minnesota Board of Regents
• Hamline University staff dismantle protest vigils ahead of graduation ceremonies

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Giovanni Biggers will use MAPS degree to boost others

He focused on business and public policy in the UNC Graduate School’s flexible interdisciplinary program.

Giovanni Biggers ’22, ’24 (MA) looks forward to putting the skills and knowledge he gleaned as part of the first class of the  Master of Applied Professional Studies  program to good use. Biggers would like to work for — or create — an organization to help underprivileged kids find avenues to higher education.

“Going to public school in Baltimore, there was a serious lack of resources. The schools were worn down, and, as a student, you just didn’t feel like you had any access to higher education or career opportunities,” Biggers said.

Biggers came to UNC-Chapel Hill by way of hard work in the classroom and on the football field. He continued excelling in both areas, graduating in 2022 with an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts in management and society.

Biggers wanted to stay at UNC-Chapel Hill but was unsure about his path to graduate school. He thought that no graduate program matched his aspirations precisely — until he heard about MAPS, which met his specific post-graduate needs. He will receive his MAPS degree at the University’s Spring Commencement.

Launched by the UNC Graduate School in 2023, MAPS is a flexible interdisciplinary graduate program for students who find value in a customized graduate degree. At the program’s core are a series of courses in leadership and business fundamentals designed to provide students with essential professional skills. Students pick their own concentration and design a program of study to meet their career needs and interests.

Biggers realized that the MAPS program would allow him to take classes in business and in public policy, fulfilling his goals and interests.

The MAPS program also allows students the scheduling flexibility, and students can attend part- or full-time, completing their degrees in as little as 18 months. This part of the program also appealed to Biggers, as it has for other MAPS students involved in athletics or other time-consuming endeavors.

“The MAPS classes were challenging but rewarding, and I was able to learn things that were applicable to what I want to do,” Biggers said. “I built my course of studies on business and public policy classes, where I could learn what I wanted to learn and also build leadership skills.”

Biggers is an example of one type of student that the program was created for, said Laura Kuizin, MAPS director.

“Throughout his time working on his master’s degree, Giovanni has consistently demonstrated a commitment to his education and a genuine passion for learning,” Kuizin said. “Giovanni made the most out of his time in the MAPS program, utilizing the flexibility of the program to design a curriculum unique to his professional goals. As he prepares to graduate and begin the next phase of his journey, I have no doubt that Giovanni will continue to make a positive impact and I look forward to celebrating his future successes.”

Ahead of Spring Commencement, Carolina graduates celebrated their achievements at ceremonies around campus.

Doctoral hooding speakers encourage curiosity

Encouraging a “culture of openness,” they charged graduates to stay collaborative and committed to service.

Rewatch 2024 Spring Commencement and Doctoral Hooding

The University celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2024 at Doctoral Hooding and Spring Commencement ceremonies.

Celebrating State Employee Recognition Week 2024

As North Carolina celebrates State Employee Recognition Week, Interim Chancellor Lee H. Roberts thanks Carolina employees for their work.

National Academy of Sciences elects 2 from Carolina

Sociology professor Arne Kalleberg and hepatitis researcher Dr. Stanley Lemon received the honor.

Eye clinic work led to perfect match

UNC School of Medicine graduate Dr. Tika Zbornik Thompson will soon begin a residency in ophthalmology at UNC Hospitals

Carolina celebrates the Class of 2024 under the lights

The 6,700-plus Tar Heel graduates received words of wisdom from astronaut Zena Cardman ’10, ’14 (MS) at a ceremony presided over by interim chancellor Lee H. Roberts.

Senior crafts fashion pathway

Juniper Rakhman Gerardi earned a fashion marketing certificate and interned in South Africa.

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