Graduate Specialization in Rural Sociology

Rural Sociology at Ohio State dates back to 1904 with the founding of the Department of Rural Economics. The first step toward a separate program came in 1913 when the first Rural Sociology course was offered, followed quickly by others. Rural Sociology at Ohio State frequently has been a leader in the discipline in the United States and internationally. Our faculty have produced important undergraduate textbooks in the discipline and ground breaking scholarly works on social change, diffusion of innovation, locality and inequality, soil and water conservation, labor market restructuring and policy, the Amish, rural crime, women in development, and international development.

Current Rural Sociology faculty have national and international reputations and are active in both the Rural Sociological Society and the American Sociological Association. Rural Sociology faculty also are members of professional organizations that match their substantive interests, including the American Sociological Association, the Society for Community Development, the American Society of Criminology, the Southern Sociological Society, the Latin American Studies Association, the Applied Anthropology Association, the Population Association of America, and the Soil and Water Conservation Society. Several faculty sit on important national committees and hold influential positions in these associations.

Rural Sociology maintains strong ties to Ohio State University Extension (OSUE) and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). Therefore, Rural Sociology graduate students have opportunities for interdisciplinary and applied as well as academic, discipline-based research.

Philosophy Statement on Rural Sociology Graduate Education
The foundation for graduate study in Rural Sociology is the discipline of sociology, the study of human societies and social groups. Rural Sociology is a sub-field of sociology, drawing from the same theoretical and empirical foundations as the broader discipline. Graduate programs in Rural Sociology provide a systematic treatment of rural studies in addition to training in a range of theories, methods, and statistics used in the discipline of sociology.

The substance and process of graduate study must ensure that graduates:

• pursue knowledge and understanding as scholars;
• acquire theoretical and substantive knowledge in their areas of specialization;
• are appreciative of the role of systematic study and inquiry in the formulation of sociological research questions, are discerning consumers of research, and have demonstrated competence in conducting and reporting research;
• exhibit openness and respect for diverse views and opinions;
• seek new knowledge and experiences in the pursuit and commitment to lifelong learning; and
• adhere to the high ethical standards required of scholars.

Potential applicants to the Rural Sociology graduate program should contact individual faculty members to explore possible study options and research interests. Questions about the application process may be directed to Amy Schmidt at schmidt.442@osu.edu or 614-292-9883.

Rural Sociology Faculty Members

Rural Sociology Courses

Theses and Dissertations produced by graduate students advised by Rural Sociology faculty since 2001

Click on the name to view the document on OhioLink.

Ph.D. Dissertations

*advised by Rural Sociology faculty in a different graduate program at Ohio State University

Master's Theses

Updated 2012-April
Amy Schmidt, enrgrad@osu.edu