Sociology Major & Minor

Sociology Major Requirements

A student who wishes to major in sociology must take 40 credits in the department. These courses must include:
 

• SOC 1110 - Introduction to Sociological Thinking (preferably taken during the first year)
• SOC 3930 - Social Research Methods (preferably taken during the sophomore or junior year)
• SOC 3950 - Critical Social Theory (preferably taken during the junior year)
• SOC 5960 - Senior Seminar (taken the senior year after completing all of the above courses and several sociology electives)

These four courses (16 credits) form a foundation of sociological knowledge. The remaining 24 credits are selected by students to reflect their individual interests.

The department strongly recommends that sociology majors take statistics, either PSY 1340: Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences or ECON 1330: Statistics (these courses do not count as part of the sociology major). Knowledge of statistics is invaluable in doing sociological research and is frequently required by graduate schools. 

Students who are interested in pursuing graduate work in social work should take a course in biology, preferably human biology. Students are also encouraged to take internships.

Sociology Minor Requirements 

A minor in sociology consists of 24 credits in sociology coursework including completion of: 

• SOC 1110 - Introduction to Sociological Thinking