Master's Programs
Program Offerings on the Master’s Level
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology (DSA) is a unit of the School of Social Sciences, Loyola Schools, Ateneo de Manila University. It was founded in 1960 by a Jesuit anthropologist, Fr. Frank X. Lynch, S. J. It contributes to national and regional development by forming social scientists dedicated to the ideals of Jesuit pedagogy – academic excellence, cultural rootedness, mature spirituality, and the promotion of justice -- serving those who are in need, most especially the poor and the powerless.
Our students learn to use sociological and anthropological perspectives to accomplish three feats: first, to comprehend their everyday life within larger communities; second, to obtain grounding in research methodology; and third, to make sense of pressing issues that beset contemporary social worlds. With this kind of training, students acquire a critical sense of sense of social worlds, an ability they can use to examine phenomena with specific discipline, assess contending ideologies of social change, offer alternative narratives on tradition, modernity and social change, and make workable recommendations for plans and policies that enhance people’s welfare.
To sustain this academic commitment, the Department maintains a responsive program of studies run by faculty members whose professional life is underpinned by superior scholarship, effective teaching, expert community service, collegial respect, and a critical and collaborative participation in public affairs.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER’S PROGRAM
To qualify for admission to a degree program, the applicant must have:
1. A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a college of good standing;
2. A general undergraduate average of 85 percent or B;
3. A minimum of 18 undergraduate units or its equivalent in the major field in which the applicant intends to do graduate work (i.e. sociology, anthropology, social development);
4. Acceptable scores in the entrance tests administered by the Ateneo Centerfor Psychological and Educational Assessment.
MASTER OF ARTS, Major in ANTHROPOLOGY
The Master of Arts, major in Anthropology provides students with a grounding in the theories and methods of anthropology, with an opportunity to specialize in areas such as cultural change and ethnology, and in more focused areas such as social and cultural anthropology.
REQUIRED COURSES (9 UNITS)
SA 201 – Fundamental Statistics (3 units)
SA 205 – Strategies of Research (3 units)
SA 210 – Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3 units)
FIELD OF CONCENTRATION (15 units)
- One course in Anthropological Theory
- Two courses from those listed under Applied Sociology and Anthropology (SA 215-224, Prac 230-233)
- Two courses from those listed under the following subject areas:
- Social Anthropology and Ethnography (Anthro 230-299)
- Social Development (SA 225-235)
- Physical Anthropology and Archeology (Anthro 220-229)
ELECTIVES (6 Units)
Two graduate level courses offered by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology or from pertinent offerings in other departments with the approval of the Department Chairperson.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
After completing all course requirements, the student takes the comprehensive examination. There are three examination areas for Anthropology majors: Anthropological Theory, Research Methods and Statistics, and Field of Concentration.
THESIS (6 UNITS)
Once the student has successfully passed all sections of the comprehensive examinations, he/she is required to submit and defend his/her thesis proposal. The approval of the thesis proposal enables the student to enroll for thesis writing.
MASTER OF ARTS, Major in SOCIOLOGY
The Master of Arts, major in Sociology gives students a grounding in the theories and methods of sociology, with an opportunity to specialize in areas such as social change, social problems, and social organization, and in more focused areas such as urban structures, gender relations, social inequality, globalization, and interpretative sociology.
REQUIRED COURSES (9 UNITS)
SA 201 – Fundamental Statistics (3 units)
SA 205 – Strategies of Research (3 units)
SA 211 – Introduction to Sociological Perspectives (3 units)
FIELD OF CONCENTRATION (15 UNITS)
- One course in Sociological Theory.
- Two courses from those listed under Applied Sociology and Anthropology (SA 215-224, Prac 230-233)
-
Two courses from those listed under the following subject areas:
- Social Organization and Social Problems (Soc 270-299)
- Social development (SA 225-235)
- Advanced Research Methodology (Soc 268-Soc 269, Sa 206-209)
ELECTIVES (6 UNITS)
Two courses chosen from graduate-level courses offered by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, or from pertinent offerings in other departments. For the latter, the approval of the Department Chairperson is required.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATIONS
After completing all course requirements, the student takes the comprehensive examinations. There are three examination areas for Sociology majors. These are Sociological Theory, Research Methods and Statistics, and Field of Concentration.
THESIS (6 UNITS)
Once the student has successfully passed all sections of the comprehensive examinations, he/she is required to submit and defend his/her thesis proposal. The approval of the thesis proposal enables the students to enroll for thesis writing.
MASTER OF SCIENCE in SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
The Master of Science in Social Development, an applied Social Science program, gives students the practical, analytical, and theoretical tools to engage in social development research, policy-making, and action upon completion of their studies.
REQUIRED COURSES (9 UNITS)
SA 205 – Strategies of Research (3 units)
SA 206 – Research Techniques (3 units)
SA 296/Anthro 262 – Theories of Development (3 units)
FIELD OF CONCENTRATION (15 UNITS)
- One course, Sociological Theory
- Two courses from those listed under Applied Sociology and Anthropology (SA 215-224, Prac 230-233)
-
Two courses from offerings listed under the following subject areas:
- Social Organization and Social Problems (Soc 270-299)
- Social Development (SA 225-235)
ELECTIVES (6 UNITS)
Two graduate-level courses offered by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology or, with the approval of the Department Chairperson, graduate level courses offered in other departments.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
After completing all required academic units, the candidate is expected to pass a written comprehensive examination. The examination areas for students of M.S. in Social Development are: Theories of Development, Research, and Field of Concentration.
THESIS (6 UNITS)
Once the student has successfully passed all sections of the comprehensive examinations, he/she is required to submit and defend his/her thesis proposal. The approval of the thesis proposal enables the student to enroll for thesis writing.
MASTER IN APPLIED SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY
The Master in Applied Sociology and Anthropology, a non-thesis program, responds to a need often expressed for Social Science professionals who are able to apply knowledge and skills from Sociology and Anthropology to practical problems. The program is for teachers and development professionals who wish to gain practical knowledge and skills in Sociology and Anthropology.
REQUIRED COURSES (15 UNITS)
SA 201 – Fundamental Statistics (3 units)
SA 205 - Strategies of Research (3 units)
SA 206 - Research Techniques (3 units)
SA 210 – Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3 units)
SA 211 –Introduction to Sociological Perspectives (3 units)
FIELD OF CONCENTRATION (15 UNITS)
Any two required subjects and any three electives outside of the study track from the course offerings of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology or from other academic units of the Ateneo de Manila University with the approval of the Department Chairperson.
- Teaching Sociology and Anthropology– This track is intended primarily for those who are aiming for a career in teaching the social sciences and/or those engaged in training and advocacy work.
Required Courses:
SA 221 – Social and Cultural Change
SA 224 – Teaching Social Sciences
2. Program Evaluation and Applied Research– This is intended for those interested to specialize in doing program development, monitoring, and impact evaluation.
Required Courses:
SA 207 – Qualitative Data Analysis
Soc 296/Anthro 262 - Theories of Development
3. Development Management– This track is designed to assist development workers from the government to understand the socio-cultural and environmental milieu of development work, to become familiar with the different models of social development, and to acquire skills on participatory development planning and management and policy-making.
Required Courses:
Soc 296/Anthro 262 – Theories of Development
SA 228 – Development Management
INTENSIVE WRITING SEMINAR COURSE (6 UNITS)
Regardless of his/her chosen track, the student will be required to take SA 218 (Readings in Social Systems) and SA 219 (Research in Social Systems). Seminar papers are developed in these courses.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
A candidate for this degree has to take the comprehensive examinations after the completion of all academic requirements.
FINAL PAPER
The MASA is a non-thesis degree program. However, the student will be required to submit a 25-30-page seminar paper of publishable quality.
The seminar paper can be any of the following: (a) a critique of the existing theories in sociology and/or anthropology; (b) a program evaluation paper, which uses sociological and/or anthropological theoretical frameworks and/or research methodologies, (c) an issue or policy paper, using sociological and/or anthropological theoretical frameworks and/or research methodologies. The seminar paper will be presented in the Graduate Research Colloquium sponsored by the Department.
COMPLETION TIME
The ideal completion time for the MA thesis programs is two years (i.e., two semesters of course work, a summer of thesis proposal writing, and two semesters of field research, data analysis and thesis writing).
The ideal completion time for the MASA program is three semesters, or two semesters and a summer term.