Sociology Major and Minor

Explore and Discover. Sociology offers conceptual tools and practical skills for making sense of human behavior in social contexts. Majors gain a broad understanding of our rapidly changing world.

Sociology majors graduate well-equipped to help groups and organizations adapt to changing economic, political, and social environments. A sociology degree trains students to:

• Analyze societal and organizational problems.
• Generate and test hypotheses, analyze data, and conduct qualitative and quantitative research.
• Digest, evaluate, and synthesize research.
• Translate research into policy analysis and develop policy based on research.

We also offer an Honors Program, in which highly motivated and high-performing students complete an independent research project.

The sociology minor combines foundation classes in theory with a survey of the four core areas of sociological inquiry.

Degree Requirements | Declaring a Major or Minor

Degree Requirements

^{1In lieu of SOC 2100, students may take ECON 1500 or 1510 or MATH 1011 or 2820. Students who double major in sociology and psychology or in sociology and the Peabody majors of human and organizational development, child development, cognitive studies, or child studies may also choose from PSY 2100 or PSY-PC 2110.
2In lieu of SOC 3002, students who double major in sociology and HOD may take HOD 2500.}

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Core Areas

Specialized courses for sociology majors are grouped by four thematic categories:

• Culture, Institutions, and Socialization
• Health, Environment, Population, and Migration
• Politics, Law, and Conflict
• Race, Ethnicity, and Gender

Majors will take classes from at least three of the four groups.

See our core area classes.

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Electives

Electives may include only one of the following 1000-level sociology courses: Sociology 1030, 1041, 1041W, or 1111. No other 1000-level sociology course may be counted toward the electives requirement of the major except by permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

SOC 2100 or its equivalent may be counted toward the electives. For the honors program, SOC 2100 will be counted as an elective.

Students have the option to group their electives to create an area-specific concentration.

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Comprehensive Exam

All majors must take a comprehensive exam during their senior year in order to graduate. The exam is used for departmental self-assessment. It is not graded, and no grade will appear on the student’s transcript.

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Declaring a Sociology Major or Minor

To declare a major or minor in sociology, take the following steps:

1. Complete the Sociology Department New Majors & Minors Information Sheet and submit it online.
2. Complete and sign the Undergraduate Major/Minor Declaration Form.
3. Email the declaration form to crystal.jackson.1@vanderbilt.edu. Once received, the department will secure the required faculty signatures, submit the form to your home school’s academic services office for processing, and inform you of your sociology faculty adviser.

Note: If you wish to return the signed Major/Minor Declaration Form to your home school’s academic services office yourself, you may do so. Please contact your home school’s office if you need assistance:

College of Arts and Science: arts-sci-forms@vanderbilt.edu
School of Engineering: engineering-oas@vanderbilt.edu
Peabody College: peabodyacademicservices@vanderbilt.edu
Blair School of Music: rachel.hobbs@vanderbilt.edu

4. Contact your newly assigned sociology adviser to introduce yourself and arrange to meet. You can do this in person, via email, or via Zoom. For contact information, please visit the department’s faculty directory.

Once the form is signed by the student and the department, and turned into the appropriate college office, the college office will officially process the declaration.

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