yale phd in sociology

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Humanities and Social Sciences PhD Pathways

Exploring pathways: finding your match(es).

As graduate students and postdocs in the Humanities or Social Sciences, you have a wealth of resources to help you explore careers that could be a great fit for you. At Yale, you are developing subject matter expertise as well as a broad set of skills in high demand in many job functions and industries.  These skills include critical and innovative thinking, written and oral communications, project management, and qualitative and/or quantitative analysis.  Start by taking stock of your transferable skills, interests and values. This self-reflection will help you structure your career exploration process and develop a professional development strategy to maximize your time at Yale. 

Once you have performed an initial self-assessment, use the resources on this page to explore the diverse array of career paths that are open to Ph.Ds. Thinking broadly about job functions beyond a particular sector or industry can expand your set of opportunities; doing so will be particularly important if you face other constraints, such as geographical limitations, in your search. For example, companies in the tech sector need content writers, project managers, and educators. 

As you go through this process, be sure to dedicate significant time to making connections with alums and others in your careers of interest.  There is no substitute from hearing first-hand from practitioners in the field about their work, the skills required, their path to their current position, and their advice about how to prepare for this career. Read our advice on networking and informational interviewing , and be sure to take advantage of the many opportunities on campus to connect with alums and employers . Even if you are not yet approaching the job market, attending career fairs can be an efficient way to learn from employers about opportunities for Ph.Ds.

As part of your process, consider professional development opportunities that can help you do a deeper dive into career paths of interest and develop relevant skills to fill in gaps on your current resume. There are many ways you can invest in your professional development without disrupting your academic priorities, so review our resources and think carefully abut your objectives. OCS advisers can also help you develop a plan that works for you. 

It is never too early to begin this career exploration process!  Meet with an OCS adviser to help hone a professional and career development strategy to maximize your time at Yale.Make an appointment with us via the Yale Career Link.   For other career exploration resources, see:

• STEM PhD Pathways
• the OCS career community pages with resources by industry and sector

Preparing for an Academic Job Search in the Humanities

• Preparing for an Academic Job Search in the Social Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences Career Development Activity Packets

These six modules offer activities to jump start your career development. Find easy-to-follow tips and resources to get started on networking, crafting a resume, interviewing, and more. You may follow the curriculum independently, or form your own small group of peers to share findings, discuss challenges, and productively reflect on the completed activities.

• Activity #1:   Self-Assessments and Career Exploration
• Activity #2:   Networking & Informational Interviewing
• Activity #3:   Communicating your Skills and Experience
• Activity #4:   Converting your CV to a Professional Resume
• Activity #5:   Preparing for the Behavioral Interview
• Activity #6:   Improving your LinkedIn Profile

Search Office of Career Strategy

Upcoming events, 3-minute thesis competition (2021) third-place winner & audience selection “best in humanities/social sciences” dana hayward, 3-minute thesis competition (2020) audience choice winner amelia kennedy, yana speaker series: impacting the future: social sector job & internship search with jen leybovich, som ’13, yale school of art alumni panel: living and sustaining a creative life, yale careers in theater panel: producing & theater management, what are creative careers creative entrepreneurship, featured news.

Craft & Career – Zina Ellis, YC ’15, actor, performer, educator – Parts 1 & 2

Certification: One Way to Transition to a Data Science Career

Wanted: Non-Finance Recruits who Can See the Forest From the Trees

Public Relations Careers: Options, Job Titles, and Descriptions

Outside The Matrix: Paul Litvak

Career exploration resources, user experience research for humanities phds.

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Originally published on  MLA Job List  by Rebecca Sausville.

From Doctoral Study to … Institutional Research

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Advice from Jennifer S. Furlong and Julie Miller Vick, published in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

PhD Pathways in Faculty

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Sign up for a free ImaginePhD account to access career exploration, networking, skill-building, and job search resources.

PhD Pathways in Translation and Interpretation

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PhD Pathways in Research and Analysis

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OCS is pleased to announce new resources to support your academic job search!  These resources are intended to supplement the …

Employment Data and Trends

Yale gsas program statistics and outcomes.

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Yale GSAS data about Ph.D. admissions, enrollment, degree completion, and employment, by program.

Yale Postdoc Career Outcomes

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Results from a voluntary exit survey given over the  period of January 2015 to March 2021. 

Survey of the Labor Market for New Ph.D. Hires in Economics

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Annual survey conducted by the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Arkansas

Occupational Outlook Handbook – Post-Secondary Teachers

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Wage, employment trends, and job openings for post-secondary teachers, by discipline and georgraphical region, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Survey of Earned Doctorates

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Summaries of trends in the job markets, postgraduate plans, and median salaries for doctorate recipients, by field of study.

Humanities Indicators

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Data on occupations, earnings, and job satisfaction of new Humanities Ph.D.s from the annual Survey of Earned Doctorates.

Organizations

Career center-american anthropological association, career resources-american economic association, career resources-modern language association, job boards-american mathematical society, professional development resources-american political science association, american statistical association stattr@k, part-time experiences and jobs boards.

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GuideStar non-profit directory provides information on the mission, programs, leaders and financials of over 1.8 million non-profit organizations.

Professional Experiences and Skill-Building for Ph.Ds and Postdocs

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Looking for ways to enhance your skill set and gain professional experience while at Yale? Take advantage of the many …

Social Science Research Network

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Create a free account and search job postings by discipline.

Fellowships | Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

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The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library’s fellowship program aims to facilitate research in Yale Library’s special collections by the …

Opportunities and Internships | Public Humanities at Yale

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Check out curatorial opportunities close to home.

Internship Opportunities – Vanderbilt University Press

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Check out internship opportunities with Vanderbilt University Press.

Learn from Other PhDs

Alissa Ardito Ashcroft (PhD ’04, Political Science)

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• Assistant General Counsel Congressional Budget Office

Ellen Babby (PhD ’80, French Literature)

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• Independent Consultant Nonprofit Management

Ariel Bardi (PhD ’15, Comparative Literature)

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• Freelance Journlist

Lauren Bierbaum (PhD ’08, American Studies)

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• Senior Research Analyst CREDO, Stanford University

Peter Blodgett (PhD ’07, History)

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• H. Russell Smith Foundation Curator of Western American History Huntington Library

George Camp (PhD ’67, Sociology)

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• President, Executive Director Criminal Justice Institute, Association of State Correctional Administrators

Huiting Chan (Masters ’06, International & Development Economics)

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• Head of Central Bank, Public Sector & Bank Sales, Americas Standard Chartered Bank

Carol Chiodo (PhD ’14, Italian Language and Literature)

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• Director of Distinctive Collections and Digital Scholarship The Claremont Colleges Library

Andrew Cohen (PhD ’17, Sociology)

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• Advertising Strategist Phenomenon

Dina Dommett (PhD ’93, Italian)

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• Director of Student & Programme Services Oxford Saïd Business School

Emily Early (PhD ’11, Anthropology)

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• Associate Curator of Anthropology Arizona Museum of Natural History

Federico Galizia (PhD ’98, Economics)

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• Chief Risk Officer Multilateral Development Bank

Vault Career Guides

This is just a sampling of the many career and industry guides available through Vault/Firsthand, a resource free to Yale students and postdocs.

Vault Guide to Finance Interviews

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The Vault Guide to Finance Interviews (9th Edition) provides advice on preparing for interviews as well as in-depth sample questions and …

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Undergraduate Students : Use Yale email and netID sign-on for undergraduates

Other New Users : Use this URL to make a new …

Vault Guide – Investment Management

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The  Vault Guides to Jobs  series provides essential information about key careers and industries, with an emphasis on preparing for …

Vault Guide – Wealth Management

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Vault Guide to Library and Information Science Jobs

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Vault Guide to Foreign Languages and Studies Jobs

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Yale College Programs of Study 2024–2025

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• Yale College Programs of Study /
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Current Edition: YCPS Archive . Click to change.

• Summary of Requirements

Director of undergraduate studies: Rourke O'Brien ; sociology.yale.edu  

Sociology provides the theoretical and empirical foundation for understanding how societies function and how they change over time. Sociologists are interested in the causes and consequences of processes such as the social construction of groups and identity, the evolution of culture, intersubjective meanings, intergroup relations, and hierarchies and social norms. They conduct research on individual behavior and outcomes such as educational attainment, jobs and careers, religious commitment, and political involvement; interpersonal processes such as intimate relationships, sexuality, social interaction in groups, and social networks; the behaviors of organizations and institutions; the causes and consequences of group differences and social inequality; and social change at the societal and global level.

The Sociology major provides both a solid foundation for students interested in careers in the social sciences and a strong background for a variety of professions in which knowledge about social processes and how societies work is relevant. Many recent graduates have gone on to law school, medical school, or graduate programs in public health, business, education, urban planning, criminology, and sociology. Others work in finance, consulting, publishing, marketing, city planning, teaching, research, and advocacy.

The Sociology department offers six undergraduate pathways leading to the B.A. degree: (1) the standard major focuses on sociological concepts, theories, and methods; (2) the concentration in economy and society focuses on the cultural frameworks, relationships, and social institutions that give rise to markets and shape economic behavior; (3) the concentration in health and society emphasizes social processes as they affect health and medicine; (4) the concentration in data and society studies methods of analysis; (5) the concentration in inequality, race, and society considers the dimensions of how discrimination shapes society; and (6) the student-designed program combines sociology with a concentration in a different subject area. Students interested in the major are encouraged to contact the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) early in their academic careers to discuss potential options.

Course Numbering

Courses in Sociology are divided by level, with introductory courses numbered from 001–149, courses in sociological theory from 150–159, courses in sociological methods from 160–169, intermediate courses from 150–299, advanced courses in the 300s, and individual study and research courses in the 400s. 

Prerequisite

There are no prerequisites for the Sociology major. Completing either a first-year seminar or one introductory course by the end of the sophomore year is recommended.

Requirements of the Major

Students in the standard major get broad exposure to the sociological imagination, methods, and substantive areas of inquiry. Students are provided with theory and methods used to diagnose and resolve social problems, understand and analyze social processes, and describe and investigate collective behavior and its determinants. Requirements for the standard major include the following:

• Thirteen term courses in sociology (including the senior requirement). At least one must be an introductory Sociology course, but no more than two introductory courses may count toward the total.
• Two courses in sociological theory ( SOCY 151 and 152 )
• One course in research design ( SOCY 160 ), usually completed in spring of junior year.
• One course in a social science methodology (e.g., S&DS 105 ).
• The senior requirement

Students are held to the  concentration-specific  requirements  that were  in  place when they declared their major .   However, with approval from   the  DUS, the following requirements, updated for the academic year 2024-2025, may be fulfilled by students who declared the  major  in a prior term.

Concentration: Economy and Society  Students in the Economy and Society concentration gain a broad understanding of the social dimensions of economic behavior, including the relational dimensions of market interactions, the relationship between the state and markets, religious and cultural effects, valuation processes, social networks, and the causes and consequences of inequality and discrimination in markets. Requirements for the concentration include the following:

• Thirteen term courses in sociology (including the senior requirement). Up to four courses relevant to the concentration (i.e. economic processes and/or their social dimension) may be drawn from outside the Sociology department with approval from the DUS. 
• One course in sociological theory ( SOCY 151 or SOCY 152 )
• One intermediate or advanced course in microeconomics (e.g. ECON 121 or 125 )
• Two intermediate or advanced courses on inequality or economic sociology (e.g. SOCY 234 , 314 , 321 , or other)
• The senior requirement, integrating research on markets, businesses, economic behavior, or inequality

Concentration: Health and Society   Students in the Health and Society concentration gain a broad understanding of how factors such as socioeconomic inequality, demographic processes, neighborhood environments, cultural norms, and social networks affect health and medical care. Students explore the fields of medical sociology, stratification, demography, and network science. The core courses in the concentration satisfy the social science requirements of premedical programs while also providing a solid foundation for students interested in public health, health policy, and global health. Requirements for the concentration include the following:

• Thirteen term courses in sociology (including the senior requirement).  Up to five courses relevant to the concentration may be drawn from outside the Sociology department with approval from the DUS. 
• SOCY 126 or SOCY 127 , the gateway courses for the concentration (or other similar course, with approval of DUS)
• One course in research design ( SOCY 160 ), usually completed in spring of junior year.
• In order to build a broad base of interdisciplinary knowledge on health, students may take up to five course credits from outside the Sociology department, with approval from the DUS. It is recommended that students select at least one course credit from the following: BIOL 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 ; MATH 112 or higher-level MATH course; ECON 170 .
• Two intermediate or advanced Sociology courses relevant to the concentration
• The senior requirement, integrating sociology with health and medicine

Concentration: Data and Society  Students in the Data and Society concentration gain a broad understanding of the methods used to analyze systematic features of social behavior and the wide range of possible sources that can  be used to research social patterns. This concentration focuses on methods of analysis, such as  social networks, computational sociology, statistics, computational modeling, natural language  processing, and others, but students are expected to also expose themselves to substantive areas  of research to gain insight in the application of these methods to social problems. Requirements  for the concentration are the following:

• Thirteen term courses (including the senior requirement).  Up to four courses relevant to the concentration may be drawn from outside the Sociology department with approval from the DUS. 
• One course in sociological theory ( SOCY 151  or 152 )
• One course in research design ( SOCY 160 ), usually completed in spring of junior year
• One introductory course in statistics (e.g. S&DS 105 ,  GLBL 121 )
• One intermediate or advanced course in statistics (e.g. SOCY 580 , 581 )
• Two additional methods courses
• One semester of independent study as a research assistant on a sociological topic,  ideally with Sociology faculty
• The senior requirement, integrating data-intensive approaches to social science

Concentration: Inequality, Race, and Society  Students in the Inequality, Race, and Society concentration gain a broad understanding of the ways in which inequality, race, and various forms of discrimination shape society. Inequality will be considered on numerous dimensions including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. Requirements for the concentration are the following:

• Thirteen term courses (including the senior requirement). Two courses relevant to the concentration (i.e. economic processes and/or their social dimension) may be drawn from outside the Sociology department with approval from the DUS. 
• SOCY 144 , the gateway course for the concentration (or other similar course with  approval of DUS)
• One course in sociological theory ( SOCY 151 or 152 )
• Five courses related to race or inequality, up to two from outside the  department
• The senior requirements, integrating research on race and/or inequality

Concentration: Student-Designed This program allows students to combine the study of sociology with the study of another discipline or substantive area and to create a program that satisfies their own interests and career plans. By the beginning of the junior year, participants in the self-designed program are expected to consult with the DUS to obtain approval for their course of study. 

• Thirteen term courses (including the senior requirement). 
• Up to four courses relevant to the concentration (i.e. economic processes and/or their social dimension) may be drawn from outside the Sociology department with approval from the DUS. The courses outside Sociology must constitute a coherent unit alone and form a logical whole when combined with the Sociology courses.
• One intermediate or advanced seminar in Sociology 
• The senior requirement must integrate sociology and the other subject chosen

Credit/D/Fail courses A maximum of two courses taken Credit/D/Fail may be counted toward the requirements of the major.

Searchable attributes YC SOCY: Sociological Methods , YC SOCY: Economy & Sociology , YC SOCY: Health & Society , YC SOCY: InequalityRaceSociety

Senior Requirements

For the non-intensive major Students electing the non-intensive major take one additional seminar in Sociology (SOCY 300–399) and write a one-credit senior essay during the senior year ( SOCY 491  or SOCY 492 ). The senior essay for non-intensive majors is intended to be an in-depth scholarly review and critical analysis based on secondary sources. Students select an important topic in any sociological field and write a literature review that evaluates what is known about the topic. All non-intensive majors are required to enroll in SOCY 491  or SOCY 492 to receive credit for the senior essay. To register for this course, students must submit a written plan of study approved by a faculty adviser to the DUS no later than the end of registration period in the term in which the senior essay is to be written. Non-intensive majors are not eligible to graduate with Distinction in the Major.

For the intensive major The intensive major gives students an opportunity to undertake a yearlong program of original research resulting in a contribution to sociological knowledge. The yearlong project requires substantial independent research and knowledge of a sociological sub-field. Students use research methods such as data gathering through participant observation, in-depth interviewing, administration of small-scale surveys, or secondary analysis of existing data. They may present findings in a variety of forms, from ethnographic narratives to analytical statistics. Students select primary and secondary advisers from the faculty. Students in the intensive major enroll in SOCY 493 , 494  during their senior year. The colloquium provides a forum for discussing the research process and for presenting students' research at various stages. Intensive majors are eligible to graduate with Distinction in the Major if they meet the grade standards for Distinction and submit a senior essay written in SOCY 493 , 494 . See The Undergraduate Curriculum, Honors .

All students interested in the Sociology major should meet with the DUS no later than the beginning of the junior year to elect a program of study. Qualified students may petition to enroll in graduate courses, with permission of the instructor and the director of graduate studies. A list of graduate courses and descriptions is available from the DUS.

Admission to the intensive major Candidates for the intensive major should indicate interest to the DUS by registration period in the spring for the fall term of their senior year. The intensive major is especially recommended for students considering graduate school or social research. The DUS and the senior essay adviser serve as advisers to seniors in the intensive major.

Study Abroad

Students planning to study abroad in their junior year are strongly encouraged to begin meeting specific requirements in their sophomore year. They should also discuss the options for their course of study with the DUS before finalizing their plans.

SUMMARY OF MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

Prerequisite None

Number of courses 13 term courses (incl senior req) for standard major and all concentrations

Distribution of courses  Standard major —at least 1, but no more than 2 intro courses, SOCY 151 , 152 ,  160 , and a course in social science methods;   E conomy & Society concentration — SOCY 151 or 152 , SOCY 160 , 1 intermed or adv course in microeconomics, 1 social science methods course, 2 intermed or adv courses on inequality or economic sociology ; Health & Society concentration — SOCY 126 or  127 , SOCY 151 or 152 , SOCY 160 , 1 social science methods course,  2 intermed or adv seminars, relevant to concentration;  Data and Society concentration — SOCY 151 or  152 , SOCY 160 , 1 intro stat course, 1 intermed or adv stat course,  2 quantitative methods courses, 1 indep study; Inequality, Race, and Society concentration — SOCY 144 , SOCY 151 or 152 , SOCY 160 , 1 social science methods course, 5 courses related to race or inequality;  Student-designed concentration —  SOCY 151 ,  152 ,  160 , and a course in social science methods, 1 intermed or adv sociology course

Substitution permitted   Economy & Society, Data & Society, and Student-Designed concentrations— up to 4 courses from other depts, with DUS approval; Health & Society concentration— up to 5 courses from other depts with DUS approval; Inequality, Race, and Society concentration —up to 2 courses from other depts with DUS approval

Senior requirement Standard major and all concentrations —1 addtl intermed or adv Sociology sem and senior essay ( SOCY 491  or SOCY 492 ); Intensive major —two-term senior essay ( SOCY 493 , 494 )

Requirements for the Standard Major

13 courses (13 credits), including the senior requirement 

• 1 additional sociological methods course
• 7 electives, at least 1 of which, but no more than 2 should be an introductory course 
• Senior requirement:  SOCY 491 or SOCY 492  and 1 300-level Sociology seminar

Requirements for the Intensive Major

Students follow the same requirements as for the standard major or one of the concentrations, only the senior requirement is different. 

• SOCY 493  and  SOCY 494   

Concentration Specific Requirements

Economy and Society concentration

• SOCY 151 or SOCY 152
• 1 microeconomics course, such as  ECON 121 or ECON 125 (counts toward the 4 courses allowed outside the sociology department)
• 1 course in social science methodology
• 2 intermediate or advanced courses in economic sociology (e.g.,  SOCY 234 , SOCY 314 , SOCY 321 )
• 5 relevant electives, 4 of which may be drawn from outside the Sociology department
• 2 courses for the senior requirement (see standard major or intensive major), integrating research on markets, businesses, economic behavior, or inequality

Health and Society concentration

• SOCY 126 or SOCY 127 or a comparable course 
• 2 intermediate or advanced sociology seminars relevant to the concentration
• 5 electives courses relevant to the concentration may be drawn from outside the Sociology department
• 2 courses for the senior requirement (see standard major or intensive major), integrating health and medicine

Data and Society concentration

• 1 introductory statistics course
• 1 intermediate or advanced statistics course
• 2 methods courses
• 1 independent study course as a research assistant on a sociological topic,  ideally with Sociology faculty
• 4 electives c ourses relevant to the concentration may be drawn from outside the Sociology department
• 2 courses for the senior requirement (see standard major or intensive major), integrating data-intensive approaches to social science

Inequality, Race, and Society concentration

• 1 social science methods course (see Overview)
• 5 electives  related to race or inequality, 2 of which may  be drawn from outside the Sociology department 
• 2 additional electives
• 2 courses for the senior requirement (see standard major or intensive major), integrating research on race and inequality

Student-Designed concentration

• SOCY 151 and SOCY 152
• 1 social science methods course
• 7 relevant electives to include 1 intermediate or advanced SOCY seminar and up to 4 of which may be drawn from outside the Sociology department
• 2 courses for the senior requirement (see standard major or intensive major), integrating sociology and the other chosen subject

Sociology provides the foundation for understanding how societies function and how they change over time. Sociological research involves the study of individual behavior and group outcomes, such as educational attainment, jobs and careers, health outcomes, religious commitment, and political involvement; of interpersonal processes, such as intimate relationships, sexuality, social interaction in groups, social networks, economic transactions, and behavior of organizations and institutions; causes and consequences of group differences and social inequality; and social change at the societal and global level.

The Sociology major provides a solid foundation for students interested in careers in the social sciences, but knowledge about social processes and how societies work is also relevant for students in other fields. Recent graduates have attended law school, medical school, or graduate programs in public health, business, education, urban planning, public policy, criminology, and sociology. Others work in advertising, finance, consulting, publishing, marketing, city planning, teaching, research, and advocacy.

The Sociology department offers (1) the non-intensive and intensive programs, (2) a concentration in economy and society, (3) a concentration in health and society, (4) a concentration in data and society, (5) a concentration in inequality, race, and society, and (6) a student-designed combined program that pairs sociology with another subject. Students in the economy and society concentration take intermediate economics and use sociological tools to study economic behavior. Those in the health and society concentration do coursework in sociological analysis and take courses recommended for the MCAT. Interested students are encouraged to contact the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) early in their academic careers to discuss program options.

First-year seminars in Sociology include:

• SOCY 081 , Race and Place in British New Wave, K-Pop, and Beyond
• SOCY 086 , China in the Age of Xi Jinping

Introductory courses that provide a broad overview of sociological thinking include:

• SOCY 151 , Foundations of Modern Social Theory
• SOCY 152 , Topics in Contemporary Social Theory

Other courses focus on particular topics:

• SOCY 133 , Computers, Networks, and Society
• SOCY 144 , Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration
• SOCY 147 , Introduction to Social Policy Analysis

FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

Professors  Julia Adams, Jeffrey Alexander, Elijah Anderson, †James Baron, Scott Boorman, Nicholas Christakis, †Paul Cleary, Philip Gorski, Grace Kao, †Marissa King, †Peter Salovey, †Vicki Schultz, Philip Smith

Associate Professors  Rene Almeling, †Monica Bell, Emily Erikson, †Justin Farrell, †Issa Kohler-Hausmann, Jonathan Wyrtzen

Assistant Professors  †Julie DiBenigno, Daniel Karell, †Balázs Kovács, Alka Menon, Rourke O'Brien, Emma Zang

†A joint appointment with primary affiliation in another department or school.

See the visual roadmap of the requirements.

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The collection’s primary function is to support research and teaching in the field of sociology and as it relates to other subjects. 

Departments/disciplines/programs/subject areas supported

Departments and Programs

The Department of Sociology at Yale University provides Ph.D. concentrations in the fields of Comparative and Historical Sociology, Cultural Sociology and Social Theory, and Social Stratification and Life Course Research.

Graduate student work is oriented to one or more of the following departmental clusters: Comparative and Historical Sociology; Culture/Knowledge; Economic Sociology and Organizations; Family/Gender/Sexuality; Global, Regional and Transnational Sociology; Health, Medicine, and Biosocial Interactions; Law and Criminology; Methods; Political Sociology and Social Movements; Race and Ethnicity; Religion; Social Networks; Social Stratification; Theory. Also, the department encourages students to pursue work in any unit of the university that furnishes additional dimensions to sociological analysis, including:

• Institution for Social and Policy Studies
• Program on Nonprofit Organizations
• MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies
• School of Management
• School of Public Health

The Sociology Department offers three undergraduate programs leading to the B.A. degree: (1) the standard program focuses on sociological concepts, theories, and methods; (2) a combined program allows students to combine sociology with a concentration in another field; (3) a concentration in markets and society focuses on the cultural frameworks, social ties, and social institutions that give rise to markets and that shape economic behavior.

The Sociology Department offers joint degree programs with the School of Law (J.D./M.A.), and the School of Medicine (M.D./PhD).

The collection also supports related programs in Women’s Studies, School of the Environment, Urban Studies, and area studies.

Formats collected

Formats and materials acquired generally

• Scholarly journals (electronic preferred),
• Scholarly monographs (print and online)
• Conference proceedings

Formats and materials collected selectively or by request

• Collected works

Formats Not Collected

• Instructor’s manuals
• Hardware and software manuals
• Juvenile works
• Manuscripts
• Consumable workbooks

Languages collected

Primarily English, with a limited number of sociological resources collected in other languages, including Spanish, French, Italian, and German.

Chronological and geographical focus

The library collects both current and historical materials. Primary and secondary historical resources are collected by and about classical theorists. 

Coverage is worldwide, with an emphasis on the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and East Asia.

Collaborations within Yale

Government Documents

The Library’s extensive holdings of United States government publications and United Nations and international documents constitute important resources for sociological research. 

Statistical datasets

The Data Librarian at Marx Library can acquire and provide access to statistical data sets used for primary research by faculty and graduate students if they are deemed to be of general use.  

Related Collections

“The Law Library is the primary collecting unit at Yale for criminology, criminal justice administration, penology, police science, and forensic science.  In particular, [they] purchase significant books of a scholarly or innovative nature, as well as significant books on “true crime” or famous trials.  [They] collect only lightly in the areas of social work with delinquents and criminals, police science, penology, and juvenile delinquency, and also collect foreign-language materials only lightly.” (See  http://library.law.yale.edu/criminal-justice )

Subject Librarian

Jennifer Snow Program Director for Instruction Marx Science and Social Science Library (203) 432-5132

• African American Studies

The Department of African American Studies offers a combined PhD in conjunction with several other departments and programs: currently, American studies; anthropology; English; film and media studies; French; history; history of art; music; political science; psychology; religious studies; sociology; Spanish and Portuguese; and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. Within the field of study, the student will select an area of concentration in consultation with the directors of graduate studies (DGS) of African American studies and the joint department or program. An area of concentration in African American studies may take the form of a single area study or a comparative area study. Students may focus on the history or artistic productions of any region within the African diaspora. Students are encouraged to draw from multiple disciplines in their intellectual pursuits, both in preparation for their qualifying examinations and in their dissertation research and writing. An area of concentration may also follow the fields of study already established within a single discipline, for example, race/minority/ethnic studies in a combined degree with sociology; the study of Black political thought, or voting patterns, in a combined degree with political science; a study of racial bias in a combined degree with psychology; or an ethnography in a combined degree with either anthropology, or sociology. An area of concentration must either be a field of study offered by the joint department or fall within the rubric of such a field. Please refer to the description of fields of study of the prospective joint department or program.

• Programs of Study
• Combined PhD
• Department of African American Studies

Erica Edwards

Director of Graduate Studies

• [email protected]

Naomi McWilliams

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• [email protected]
• 203-432-1170

Admission Requirements

Standardized testing requirements.

GRE is not accepted.

Program-Specific Application Requirements

A writing sample is required by this program. 

English Language Requirement

TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic is required of most applicants whose native language is not English.

You may be exempt from this requirement if you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have studied in residence at that institution for at least three years.

Combined Degree Program Application Deadline

*The deadline to submit an application to a combined program is always the earlier deadline of the two individual programs, or December 15, whichever comes first.

Academic Information

Combined phd information.

African American Studies offers a combined PhD in conjunction with several other departments and programs including: American Studies , Anthropology , English , Film and Media Studies , French , History , History of Art , Music ,  Political Science , Psychology , Religious Studies , Sociology , Spanish and Portuguese , and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies .

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The Graduate School's academic calendar lists important dates and deadlines related to coursework, registration, financial processes, and milestone events such as graduation.

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https://registration.yale.edu/

Students must register every term in which they are enrolled in the Graduate School. Registration for a given term takes place the semester prior, and so it's important to stay on top of your academic plan. The University Registrar's Office oversees the systems that students use to register. Instructions about how to use those systems and the dates during which registration occurs can be found on their registration website.

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Phd stipend & funding.

PhD students at Yale are normally full-funded for a minimum of five years. During that time, our students receive a twelve-month stipend to cover living expenses and a fellowship that covers the full cost of tuition and student healthcare.

• PhD Student Funding Overview
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Alumni Insights

Below you will find alumni placement data for our departments and programs.

Center for Cultural Sociology

Visiting fellows ~ 2023 - 2024.

Professor Bell on Inequality, Sociology, and Legal Estrangement

Monica C. Bell ’09 received tenure as Professor of Law on January 1, 2022. She is also Associate Professor of Sociology at Yale University. Her areas of expertise include criminal justice, welfare law, housing, race and the law, qualitative research methods, and law and sociology. Her award-winning scholarship has been published in The American Journal of Sociology , Yale Law Journal , NYU Law Review , Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review , and Law & Society Review , as well as popular outlets like the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Review of Books .

In this Q&A, Bell discussed race, inequality, and how sociology can be a valuable lens for law students.

Much of your work has focused on policing, including an award-winning paper about how parents consider police presence when evaluating a neighborhood’s suitability for raising children. More recently, you’ve begun to focus on housing and residential inequality, as well as race-class inequality more broadly. How did one topic lead to the next?

In some of your work, you note that reformers often overlook how lawmakers in poor communities of color face the challenge of legal estrangement, which you’ve described as an intuition people have that the law and its creators and enforcers operate to exclude them from society. Why is this such an important concept? How does acknowledging legal estrangement change the conversation around reforming legal institutions?

One of the challenges for people in lawmaking more generally is to assess how the effects of change might matter to people on the ground who are experiencing that change. There is often an assumption that if we just get the law right and the implementation right, we can expect quick returns on how people experience the law. However, my research suggests that when a group of people has faced legal exclusion at a structural and historical level, lawmaking has to take place at a deeper, more structural level and expect slower returns when it comes to civic engagement and social inclusion.

Tell us about one of the courses you teach, Law & Sociology. How can fundamental concepts of sociology offer insight for designing law and policy?

Sociology is a discipline that is deeply concerned with structure, context, institutions, and lived experience. Often, law and legal theory are insufficiently focused upon those three aspects of the world. For example, "reasonableness" is assessed by judges whose social milieu is totally different from many of the individuals who are before them in court. We make assumptions and debate over what law and policy in one area often with little meaningful understanding of how institutions operate together or are facing similar constraints. Many of the so-called "unanticipated consequences" of certain legal and policy interventions might have been anticipated with deeper sociological understandings of the context of lawmaking and policymaking. Sociology, in contrast, foregrounds many of these questions about institutional functions, group and social dynamics, and social structures. In Law & Sociology, I try to give students enough material to ask some of the questions that deeply concerned me in law school and encouraged me to seek a Ph.D. Most importantly, we ask ourselves what perspectives are missing in the top-down, detached ways we often engage in lawmaking and policymaking? What are some of the predictable drawbacks and pitfalls of well-meaning formal legal interventions?

In the Press

Threading the needle in united states v. mackey — a commentary by tobin raju, yale professor co-authors upcoming book on fighting back against mass incarceration, an effort to end ‘judge-shopping’ turns into a ‘political firestorm’, a president and his justices — a commentary by linda greenhouse ’78 msl, related news.

Samuel Moyn Named Next Head of Hopper College

Craig Newmark Renews Support for Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic

Garrett West ’18 to Join Yale Law School Faculty

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Undergraduate program.

Director of undergraduate studies:    Rourke O’Brien ;  sociology.yale.edu

Sociology provides the theoretical and empirical foundation for understanding how societies function and how they change over time. Sociologists are interested in the causes and consequences of processes such as the social construction of groups and identity, the evolution of culture, intersubjective meanings, intergroup relations, and hierarchies and social norms. They conduct research on individual behavior and outcomes such as educational attainment, jobs and careers, religious commitment, and political involvement; interpersonal processes such as intimate relationships, sexuality, social interaction in groups, and social networks; the behaviors of organizations and institutions; the causes and consequences of group differences and social inequality; and social change at the societal and global level.

The Sociology major provides both a solid foundation for students interested in careers in the social sciences and a strong background for a variety of professions in which knowledge about social processes and how societies work is relevant. Many recent graduates have gone on to law school, medical school, or graduate programs in public health, business, education, urban planning, criminology, and sociology. Others work in finance, consulting, publishing, marketing, city planning, teaching, research, and advocacy.

The Sociology department offers six undergraduate pathways leading to the B.A. degree: (1) the standard major focuses on sociological concepts, theories, and methods; (2) the concentration in economy and society focuses on the cultural frameworks, relationships, and social institutions that give rise to markets and shape economic behavior; (3) the concentration in health and society emphasizes social processes as they affect health and medicine; (4) the concentration in data and society studies methods of analysis; (5) the concentration in inequality, race, and society considers the dimensions of how discrimination shapes society; and (6) the student-designed program combines sociology with a concentration in a different subject area. Students interested in the major are encouraged to contact the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) early in their academic careers to discuss potential options.

Course Numbering

Courses in Sociology are divided by level, with introductory courses numbered from 001–149, courses in sociological theory from 150–159, courses in sociological methods from 160–169, intermediate courses from 150–299, advanced courses in the 300s, and individual study and research courses in the 400s. 

Prerequisite

There are no prerequisites for the Sociology major. Completing either a first-year seminar or one introductory course by the end of the sophomore year is recommended.

Requirements of the Major

Students in the standard major get broad exposure to the sociological imagination, methods, and substantive areas of inquiry. Students are provided with theory and methods used to diagnose and resolve social problems, understand and analyze social processes, and describe and investigate collective behavior and its determinants. Requirements for the standard major include the following:

• Thirteen term courses in sociology (including the senior requirement). At least one must be an introductory Sociology course, but no more than two introductory courses may count toward the total.
• Two courses in sociological theory ( SOCY 151  and  152 )
• Two courses in sociological methods, normally completed by the end of the junior year:  SOCY 160  and one additional methods course drawn from the social sciences.
• The senior requirement

Concentration: Economy and Society  Students in the Economy and Society concentration gain a broad understanding of the social dimensions of economic behavior, including the relational dimensions of market interactions, the relationship between the state and markets, religious and cultural effects, valuation processes, social networks, and the causes and consequences of inequality and discrimination in markets. Requirements for the concentration include the following:

Thirteen term courses in sociology (including the senior requirement). At least one must be an introductory Sociology course or a substitute approved by the DUS, but no more than two introductory courses in any department or program may count toward the total. Up to four courses relevant to the concentration (i.e. economic processes and/or their social dimension) may be drawn from outside the Sociology department with approval from the DUS.  ECON 121  and  125  count toward the four courses from outside the department.

• One course in sociological theory ( SOCY 151  or  SOCY 152 )
• One course in research design ( SOCY 160 )
• One intermediate or advanced course in microeconomics (e.g.  ECON 121  or  125 )
• At least two intermediate or advanced courses on inequality or economic sociology (e.g.  SOCY 234 ,  314 ,  321 , or other)
• The senior requirement, integrating research on markets, businesses, economic behavior, or inequality

Concentration: Health and Society   Students in the Health and Society concentration gain a broad understanding of how factors such as socioeconomic inequality, demographic processes, neighborhood environments, cultural norms, and social networks affect health and medical care. Students explore the fields of medical sociology, stratification, demography, and network science. The core courses in the concentration satisfy the social science requirements of premedical programs while also providing a solid foundation for students interested in public health, health policy, and global health. Requirements for the concentration include the following:

• Thirteen term courses in Sociology (including the senior requirement).  At least one must be an introductory Sociology course or a substitute approved by the DUS, but no more than two introductory courses in any department or program may count toward the total. Up to five courses relevant to the concentration may be drawn from outside the Sociology department with approval from the DUS.  BIOL 101 - 104 ,  GLBL 121 ,  ECON 170 ,  S&DS 103 ,  S&DS 105 , and any Math course count toward the five courses from outside the department.
• SOCY 126  or  SOCY 127 , the  gateway courses for the concentration (or other similar course, with approval of DUS)
• One theory course ( SOCY 151  or  SOCY 152 )
• A course in statistics ( SOCY 162 ,  S&DS 103 ,  S&DS 105 , or  GLBL 121 ,  or a higher-level statistics course approved by the DUS)
• One course in research design ( SOCY 160 ),  usually completed in spring of junior year.
• In order to build a broad base of interdisciplinary knowledge on health, students may take up to five course credits from outside the Sociology department, with approval from the DUS. It is recommended that students select at least one course credit from the following:  BIOL 101 ,  102 ,  103 ,  104 ;  MATH 112  or  higher-level MATH course;  ECON 170 .
• Two intermediate or advanced Sociology seminars relevant to the concentration
• The senior requirement, integrating sociology with health and medicine

Concentration: Data and Society  Students in the Data and Society concentration gain a broad understanding of the methods used to  analyze systematic features of social behavior and the wide range of possible sources that can  be used to research social patterns. This concentration focuses on methods of analysis, such as  social networks, computational sociology, statistics, computational modeling, natural language  processing, and others, but students are expected to also expose themselves to substantive areas  of research to gain insight in the application of these methods to social problems. Requirements  for the concentration are the following:

• Thirteen term courses (including the senior requirement).  At least one must be an introductory Sociology course or a substitute approved by the DUS, but no more than two introductory courses in any department or program may count toward the total. Up to four courses relevant to the concentration may be drawn from outside the Sociology department with approval from the DUS.  GLBL 121  and   S&DS 130  count toward the four courses from outside the department.
• SOCY 100  or  130 , the gateway courses for the concentration (or other similar  course with approval of DUS)
• One theory course ( SOCY 151  or  152 )
• One course in research design ( SOCY 160 ), usually completed in spring of junior year
• One introductory course in statistics (e.g.  SOCY 163 ,  S&DS 130 ,  GLBL 121 )
• One intermediate or advanced course in statistics (e.g.  SOCY 580 ,  581 )
• Two additional quantitative methods courses
• Two intermediate or advanced courses in areas of sociological interest (courses other  than methods)
• One semester of independent study as a research assistant on a sociological topic,  ideally with Sociology faculty
• The senior requirement, integrating data-intensive approaches to social science

Concentration: Inequality, Race and Society  Students in the Race, Inequality, and Society concentration gain a broad understanding of the ways in which inequality, race, and various forms of discrimination shape society. Inequality will be considered on numerous dimensions including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. Requirements for the concentration are the following:

• Thirteen term courses (including the senior requirement).  At least one must be an introductory Sociology course or a substitute approved by the DUS, but no more than two introductory courses in any department or program may count toward the total. Two courses relevant to the concentration (i.e. economic processes and/or their social dimension) may be drawn from outside the Sociology department with approval from the DUS.  GLBL 121  and  S&DS 130  count toward the two courses from outside the department.
• SOCY 144 , the gateway course for the concentration (or other similar course with  approval of DUS)
• One research design course ( SOCY 160 ), usually completed in spring of junior year.
• One course in statistics (e.g.  SOCY 162 ,  S&DS 103 , or  GLBL 121 )
• Five elective courses related to race or inequality, up to two from outside the  department
• One advanced seminar in race and/or inequality
• The senior requirements, integrating research on race and/or inequality

Students in the markets and society concentration gain a broad understanding of markets and their relationship to social networks, religion, the state, and culture. Students explore the field of economic sociology, develop insights into market logics and economic outcomes, and develop skills in network analysis.

Requirements for the concentration are:

1. Thirteen term courses in sociology (including the prerequisite and senior colloquium). At least one must be an introductory Sociology course or a substitute approved by the DUS, but no more than two introductory courses in any department or program may count toward the total. Up to four courses may be drawn from outside the Sociology department, with approval from the DUS.

2. SOCY 160 and one theory course (SOCY 151 or 152).

3. SOCY 321 and one additional intermediate or advanced course in economic sociology.

4. At least one intermediate or advanced course in microeconomics (e.g., ECON 121 or 125).

5. A one- or two- term senior essay integrating sociology with business, markets, or economic behavior. Students in the intensive major write a two-term senior essay and attend the yearlong biweekly colloquium (SOCY 493, 494). Students in the nonintensive major take one additional 300-level seminar in Sociology and write a one-term senior essay in SOCY 491.

Concentration: Student-Designed  This program allows students to combine the study of sociology with the study of another discipline or substantive area and to create a program that satisfies their own interests and career plans. By the beginning of the junior year, participants in the self-designed program are expected to consult with the DUS in order to obtain approval for their course of study. 

• Thirteen term courses (including the senior colloquium). At least one must be an introductory Sociology course or a substitute approved by the DUS, but no more than two introductory courses in any department or program may count toward the total. 
• Up to four courses relevant to the concentration (i.e. economic processes and/or their social dimension) may be drawn from outside the Sociology department with approval from the DUS. The courses outside Sociology must constitute a coherent unit alone and form a logical whole when combined with the Sociology courses.
• Two courses in sociological methods, including  SOCY 160
• One advanced seminar in Sociology (SOCY 300–399)
• The senior requirement must integrate sociology and the other subject chosen

Credit/D/Fail courses  A maximum of two courses taken Credit/D/Fail may be counted toward the requirements of the major.

Senior Requirements

For the non-intensive major  Students electing the non-intensive major take one additional seminar in Sociology (SOCY 300–399) and write a one-credit senior essay during the senior year ( SOCY 491  or  SOCY 492 ). The senior essay for non-intensive majors is intended to be an in-depth scholarly review and critical analysis based on secondary sources. Students select an important topic in any sociological field and write a literature review that evaluates what is known about the topic. All non-intensive majors are required to enroll in  SOCY 491  or  SOCY 492  to receive credit for the senior essay. To register for this course, students must submit a written plan of study approved by a faculty adviser to the DUS no later than the end of registration period in the term in which the senior essay is to be written. Non-intensive majors are not eligible to graduate with Distinction in the Major.

For the intensive major  The intensive major gives students an opportunity to undertake a yearlong program of original research resulting in a contribution to sociological knowledge. The yearlong project requires substantial independent research and knowledge of a sociological sub-field. Students use research methods such as data gathering through participant observation, in-depth interviewing, administration of small-scale surveys, or secondary analysis of existing data. They may present findings in a variety of forms, from ethnographic narratives to analytical statistics. Students select primary and secondary advisers from the faculty. Students in the intensive major enroll in  SOCY 493 ,  494  during their senior year. The colloquium provides a forum for discussing the research process and for presenting students’ research at various stages. Intensive majors are eligible to graduate with Distinction in the Major if they meet the grade standards for Distinction and submit a senior essay written in  SOCY 493 ,  494 . See The Undergraduate Curriculum,  Honors .

All students interested in the Sociology major should meet with the DUS no later than the beginning of the junior year to elect a program of study. Qualified students may petition to enroll in graduate courses, with permission of the instructor and the director of graduate studies. A list of graduate courses and descriptions is available from the DUS.

Admission to the intensive major  Candidates for the intensive major should indicate interest to the DUS by registration period in the spring for the fall term of their senior year. The intensive major is especially recommended for students considering graduate school or social research. The DUS and the senior essay adviser serve as advisers to seniors in the intensive major.

Study Abroad

Students planning to study abroad in their junior year are strongly encouraged to begin meeting specific requirements in their sophomore year. They should also discuss the options for their course of study with the DUS before finalizing their plans.

SUMMARY OF MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

Prerequisite  None

Number of courses  13 term courses (incl senior req)

Specific courses required   Standard major and Student-Designed concentration— SOCY 151 ,  152 ,  160 ;  Economy & Society,  Health & Society, Data & Society, and Inequality, Race & Society concentrations— SOCY 151  or  152 ;  SOCY 160 ;  Health & Society— SOCY 126  or  127  or a comparable course approved by the DUS

Distribution of courses   Standard major and all concentrations —at least 1, but no more than 2 intro courses;  Standard major and Student-Designed concentration —1 addtl sociological methods course ; E conomy & Society concentration —2 intermed or adv courses in economic sociology (e.g.,  SOCY 234 ,  314 ,  321 ) and 1 in microecon ( ECON 121  or  125 );  Health & Society concentration —1 stat course, as specified; 2 intermed or adv seminars, as specified;  Data and Society concentration — SOCY 100  or  130 ; 1 intro stat course, 2 quantitative methods courses, 2 interm or adv courses of sociological interest, 1 indep study, 1 interm or adv stat course, all as indicated;  Inequality, Race, and Society concentration — SOCY 144 , 1 stat course as specified, 5 electives, 1 adv sem as indicated;  Student-Designed concentration —1 sem from SOCY 300–399

Substitution permitted   Economy & Society, Data & Society, and Student-Designed concentrations— up to 4 courses from other depts, with DUS approval;  Health & Society concentration— up to 5 courses from other depts as specified and with DUS approval;  Inequality, Race, and Society concentration —up to 2 courses from other depts as specified and with DUS approval

Senior requirement  Standard major and all concentrations —1 addtl 300-level Sociology sem and senior essay ( SOCY 491  or  SOCY 492 );  Intensive major —two-term senior essay ( SOCY 493 ,  494 )

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Samuel moyn named next head of hopper college.

Alisa Berger, Samuel Moyn, and Julia Adams (Photos by Dan Renzetti)

Samuel Moyn, the Chancellor James Kent Professor of Law and History, has been appointed the next head of Grace Hopper College, Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis announced in a message to the community today.

Moyn will succeed Julia Adams, the Margaret H. Marshall Professor of Sociology, who has been Hopper’s head for 10 years.

College heads serve as the chief administrative officer and presiding faculty member within the residential colleges, and help nurture the social, cultural, and educational life there, a role that has become a cherished Yale tradition.

Moyn, who joined the Yale faculty in 2017 after teaching at Columbia and Harvard, is an intellectual historian of modern Europe and global affairs who has written many books on ethical and political ideas in the 20th century, and about moral revolutions such as the coming of the international human rights movement. His most recent books are about the attempt to make warfare more humane and about Cold War theories of freedom and its enemies.

He will begin a five-year term at Hopper College on July 1.

“ What a thrill!” Moyn said. “My family and I look forward to the adventure and the challenge of our new home.”

Moyn, who earned a doctorate in modern European history from the University of California-Berkeley in 2000 and a law degree from Harvard University in 2001, is working on new projects on court reform in the United States and on gerontocracy, the political empowerment of the elderly, Lewis wrote.

“ A recipient of the Mark van Doren Prize for undergraduate teaching at Columbia, Professor Moyn has continued to offer undergraduate classes even while making the transition about a decade ago to teaching law students,” Lewis wrote. “He regularly teaches ‘The World circa 2000’ with Professor Dan Magaziner in the history department, and ‘The Crisis of Liberalism’ with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat and Professor Bryan Garsten of the political science department.

“ At home, Professor Moyn is a self-taught baker who looks forward to sharing his cooking experiments with Hopper students,” Lewis added. “And to help him work off the sugar intake from trying his own desserts, he is an amateur but avid tennis player.”

Joining Moyn as associate head is Alisa Berger, his partner, and their younger daughter, Madeleine, a junior at a local public high school. (Their older daughter, Lily, is a first-year student at Reed College in Portland, Oregon.) Berger is executive director of Deeper Learning Dozen, a public-school innovation project based out of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

In announcing Moyn’s appointment, Lewis expressed gratitude to Julia Adams, the outgoing head of Hopper College, and Hans van Dijk, the associate head, “for their leadership and service to the Grace Hopper community, particularly during the college’s renaming and in the opening years of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Lewis also thanked the members of the search advisory committee: Philip Gorski, the Frederick and Laura Goff Professor of Sociology and chair of the committee; Sohrab Ismail-Beigi, the Strathcona Professor of Applied Physics; Eddie Mandhry, director of the Virtual Center for Advanced Potential; Melissa Scheve, associate director of Teaching Development & Initiatives at the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning; Justin Zaremby ’03, ’07 Ph.D., ’10 J.D.; and Grace Hopper students Adwoa Danso-Dodoo ’24; Noam Scully '25; Anjali Dhanekula '26; Alex Moore ’26; Wendy Cruz '27; and Niki Sulkowski '27.

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Yale Daily News

Stanford appoints son of former Yale president Rick Levin as president

Stanford announced Jonathan Levin’s appointment — which will begin on Aug. 1 — on Thursday morning; Yale’s own presidential search is now seven months into the process.

Staff Reporter

Christina Lee, Photography Editor

Jonathan Levin, the son of former Yale President Richard Levin, was announced as Stanford University’s next president in an email to the Stanford community early Thursday morning. His tenure will begin on Aug. 1.

The announcement marks the end of a six-month search process that formally began Sept. 14. Levin will succeed Richard Saller, who was appointed interim president after former president Marc Tessier-Lavigne announced on July 19, 2023 that he would resign after a Stanford-sponsored report found “serious flaws” in his research but concluded that he “did not personally engage in research misconduct.”

“I congratulate Jon, who was raised in our home city of New Haven, and has gone on to be an accomplished economist, educator, scholar, and dean,” University President Peter Salovey wrote to the News. “He has done wonderful things for Stanford, which I am sure is in good hands. Of course, I am also thrilled for Jon’s parents, Rick and Jane Levin, and for my undergraduate alma mater.”

In an email announcement, chair of Stanford’s Board of Trustees Jerry Yang wrote that the school’s trustees had voted unanimously to offer Levin, a Stanford alum and dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, the presidency. 

Yang also wrote that over 800 people were nominated for the role and that the search committee “conducted intensive due diligence on a final group of candidates.”

“The search committee found that Jon brings a rare combination of qualities: an impressive track record of academic and leadership success, the analytical prowess to tackle complex strategic issues, and a collaborative and optimistic working style,” Yang’s email read. “He is consistently described by those who know him as principled, humble, authentic, thoughtful, and inspiring.”

Former president Levin wrote to the News that he and his wife Jane “are thrilled for Jon and for Stanford.”

Yale’s own presidential search is now in its seventh month , having begun two weeks before Stanford’s.

Similar to Stanford’s search, all members of the Yale Corporation, Yale’s 16-member board of trustees, will vote on who succeeds Salovey. Per Yale’s bylaws , all decisions made by the Corporation are determined by a majority vote. 

The Corporation meets on campus at least five times a year. Their next meeting is set for Saturday, April 20, which will be their last before most students disperse for the summer recess. Student Advisory Council member and chair of the Graduate Student Assembly Christopher Lindsay GRD ’26 wrote to the News that he believes the Corporation will cast their ballots then.

In an interview with the News in February, Salovey said that he presumes the Corporation’s decision for his successor will be unanimous. In his Aug. 31 statement announcing that he would be stepping down, though, Salovey wrote that he would, if needed, remain Yale’s president past his planned departure date of June 30 “to provide leadership continuity” if the Corporation requires more time for its search.

“I would suspect they would want the choice of a president to be, if not unanimous, close to unanimous,” Salovey told the News of Yale’s search on Feb. 26. “And if it weren’t, they would keep talking.”

Prior to earning three degrees — an M.S. in 1983, M.Phil. in 1984 and a Ph.D. in 1986 — in psychology at Yale, Salovey obtained a B.A. in psychology and M.A. in sociology from Stanford in 1980 with departmental honors and university distinction.