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 thematic categories of sociological inquiry.
Degree Requirements | Declaring a Major or Minor
Degree Requirements
| Required Courses | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sociology Major | Sociology Major with Honors | Sociology Minor | |
| Total Hours | 33 | 36 | 18 |
| Intro | |||
| SOC 1010,1010W, 1020, or 1020W | 3 Hours | 3 Hours | 3 Hours |
| Theory | |||
| SOC 3001 | 3 Hours | 3 Hours | 3 Hours |
| Research Skills | |||
| SOC 2100 1 (or equivalent) | Elective | 3 Hours (counted as an elective) | Elective |
| SOC 3002 2 | 3 Hours | 3 Hours | Elective |
| Core Areas | |||
| At least one course in three of the four core areas (see below for list) | 9 Hours | 9 Hours | 9 Hours |
| Electives | |||
| SOC at 2000+ level | 15 hours | 12 hours (9 hours + 3 hrs SOC 2100) | 3 hours |
| Honors | |||
| SOC 4981 | N/A | 6 Hours | N/A |
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.
Thematic Categories
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 thematic area classes.
Electives
Electives may include only one of the following 1000-level sociology courses: Sociology 1030, 1041, or 1041W. 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.
Comprehensive Exam
All majors must take a comprehensive exam during their senior year in order to graduate. The multiple-choice exam is used for departmental self-assessment. It is not graded, and no grade will appear on the student’s transcript. The exam is distributed by email to graduating seniors in mid to late February and must be returned by the end of Spring Break. All seniors intending to graduate in Spring, Summer or following Fall must take the exam at this time.
Declaring a Sociology Major or Minor
Students who wish to declare a major or minor in sociology need to complete the Major/Minor Declaration/Change form. See the Major/Minor Declaration User Guide for more information.
Once the form is submitted, the Director of Undergraduate Studies will approve the declaration and assign an adviser to the student. If a specific adviser is desired, please contact the DUS directly, explaining why this adviser is requested. Requests will be considered but are not guaranteed.
The student will receive email notification of the approval or denial with the adviser’s contact information. It is the student’s responsibility to contact their adviser in order to set up an orientation meeting, which allows the student to gain information on a variety of topics, including major/minor requirements. Please be aware that there is generally a moratorium on approval of new declarations during spring and fall registration periods.
Please contact Dr. Laurie Woods, director of undergraduate studies, with any questions.