The Sociology Graduate Program at Rutgers helps students to develop a distinct sociological voice while becoming creative and competent working sociologists. We are a broad and diverse department organized around a number of overlapping research areas, and we encourage students to find their own distinct location in the rich intersections of the department. Our program places a heavy emphasis on writing, encouraging students to develop papers and articles based on original scholarly work. All of our students write two article-length papers before they begin to work on their doctoral dissertation. These papers are often presented at national and regional conferences, as well as in formal and informal workshops in the department (including the required Writing Seminar, which helps students prepare papers for publication). Most students complete our program with one or more peer-reviewed publications, some in leading journals in the field. Our graduate students regularly win national paper awards, competitive fellowships, and awards from regional associations.