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[thisisanewname]

Check out the ASA's Section on Pace, War and Conflict http://www.peacewarconflict.org/


The areas you mention are growing, and the suggestion above to check the ASA website is dead on. I have seen many job postings in peace studies and conflict studies in the last few years.

Admissions shouldn't be a problem. Some, if not most programs will make you take the core reuirements when you arrive. Theory, methods, stats. Some would require this even if you had a Master's in sociology, because there are many ways of teaching the core, and they want their PhD's to bear the imprint of their way of understanding the discipline's core.

[helpful]

Don't forget to check Canada where there is a lesser course load and a whole wack of inter disciplinary programs dealing with conflict and dialogue. Check out McGill (especially in Middle East studies) and U of T.

It seems to me you should be looking for an interdisciplinary program, maybe even something in cultural studies or even an individually designed PHd program like the one  at UBC or at Concordia.

[smart_e_pantz]

My undergraduate degree is in Political Science.  PhD in Sociology.  My policy background from Political Science allowed me to pursue some interesting perspectives with my dissertation that really paid off for me.

Comparative Sociology is becoming one of the most popular areas in the discipline.  I say go for it!

[oldfullprof]

I graduated from the 13th ranked program in sociology with an interdisciplinary masters, which I did not have to repeat.  I'd suggest not taking this too seriously.  Try to get into a top, top program, though-- Chicago, Berkeley, Wisconsin, or Michigan.  Your background may actually be advantage.

[kindofblue]

On a slightly different note, for those of you in the sociology field - my area of interest is conflict, and particularly the way in which community- or grassroots-based conflict resolution programs [dialogue groups, etc.] can have an impact on wider peace-building efforts, or, more generally, how they can affect society at large.  I'm particularly interested in youth-based programs

As others have suggested, check out the peace & war section of ASA. If I'm reading your interests correctly, it sounds like you may want to look into Applied Sociology programs as well. Also, check out programs that focus on Community & Urban Sociology.

And to back up what others said, I've seen plenty of students do well w/o a BA or MA in sociology (and plenty with BAs in soc do poorly). My BA wasn't in sociology, but I came in to our dept at the MA level.