A thumbnail sketch of sociology major:
10 Sociology courses plus a related minor or concentration.
Required:
Soc 10 (Introduction)
Soc 105 (Research methods)
Soc 107 (Theory)
Soc 150 (Class, Status and Power)
Electives:
6 additional 200-level courses, one of which must be capstone seminar to be taken in senior year.
Information relevant for first year students:
The gateway course in Sociology is Introduction to Sociology (Soc 10). In any given year, approximately ¼ of the first year students taken Intro to Sociology. At least two sections of Intro are offered each semester. Keep in mind that the size of the intro sections varies depending upon the number of writing assignments. The smaller sections (25) typically require more writing, while the larger sections (40) require less writing and a greater proportion of your grade is based on exams. In the fall semester, at least one section of intro is open to first year students only. In fall 02, both Ewick’s section and London’s section are “first year only.” Currently, this course (all sections) is designated as a Comparative Perspective.
After taking Soc 10, students who are interested in exploring the field may take a higher level course, such as Sociology of the Family, or Race and Ethnicity. Although Intro is not a prerequisite for most of these courses, it is strongly recommended that students take Intro first. If a student intends to major or minor in Sociology, Introduction to Sociology is typically followed by Soc 105 (Research Process). This course represents the second step in the major requirements and is offered every semester.
Unlike some majors, Sociology students usually decide well into their second year to major or minor. Since most students do not have a clear idea of what Sociology is, and the vast majority have never taken a Sociology course, this decision typically follows rather then precedes their election of a Sociology course. For this reason, the Sociology department encourages students to explore their PLS requirements early in their education (especially since that exploration is what lands so many of them in Intro to Sociology!). They are then free to complete the major in their last two years.
If a student decides to major in Sociology, he or she must also complete a minor or concentration in a related field. Programs that qualify as a related field typically include any social science. In special circumstances, non-social science minors or concentrations are acceptable. In these cases, or whenever the student is uncertain, he or she should obtain permission from his or her advisor.
Students select their own major advisor based on their fields of interests and compatibility with the professor. The department is small and informal and with few, if any, exceptions, a student’s first choice of advisor is met.
Questions regarding transfer credit, waivers of requirements, or other general information should be directed to the Chair, Patricia Ewick, 415 Jefferson Academic Center, ext 7529.