Note: Students may not count the same course as both a sociology core and sociology elective.

The sociology major requires 34 hours of course work, including the following 13 hours of required courses. Students must choose 21 hours (7 courses) of additional SOCI coursework, of which 4 courses (12 credits) must be upper-division, and one course must be selected from SOCI 2315, SOCI 415, SOCI 420, SOCI 430, or SOCI 424. The student may select from a number of designated courses that provide a concentration in one of the following subfields of sociology:

1. Pre-Law: Provides background for careers or further training in police, correctional or legal institutions.
2. Human Services and Social Policy: Appropriate for future work in public and private agencies, as preparation for law school or for graduate study in social work, public administration and business administration.

Sociology Major Requirements

Sociology Major/Minor Course Checklist 2023-2024

Sociology Major/Minor Course Checklist 2024-2025

Each course must be passed with a grade of C or better and the cumulative grade point average in these courses must be at least 2.00. Courses taken for CR/NC or AUDIT cannot be applied to major requirements. A cumulative grade point average of 2.25 or better required for regular admission to the sociology major.

Concentration in Pre-law: The concentration in Pre-Law is designed for students interested in law school or other careers in the legal field, and highlights those aspects of law that overlap with crime and criminal justice. The concentration provides students with an introduction to the causes of crime and deviance as well as social and institutional responses to this behavior. Students can choose from courses focusing on the personal and social forces that give rise to crime, as well as courses that examine the role of the legal and criminal justice systems in dealing with criminals and reducing crime rates.

Concentration in Human Services and Social Policy: The concentration is designed for students interested in pursuing a graduate degree or a career in human services, social work, social policy, health care, mental health, or education (K-12 and post-secondary). The concentration aims to provide broad thematic coverage of these fields by drawing upon elective courses that address topics critical to understanding the context within which welfare, health, mental health, and educational institutions operate, including social problems, race/ethnic relations, and socio-economic inequality.

Planning the course of study:

A student planning a sequence of courses should keep in mind that many required courses and electives have prerequisites and that it is best to steadily complete required courses rather than leaving them for the last semester or semesters.

Note: Students should not assume that any particular course is taught every semester; students should consult the Sociology Department as to when courses are offered.

Please see the degree worksheet for course requirements.

Sociology Minor Requirements 

Sociology Major/Minor Course Checklist 2023-2024

Sociology Major/Minor Course Checklist 2024-2025

To graduate with a sociology minor, a student must pass 21 hours (7 courses) of sociology coursework, including 9 hours (3 courses) of specific requirements and 12 hours (4 courses) of electives. The 12 elective credit hours (four courses) are drawn from all sociology courses not specifically required above but must include at least 6 credit hours (two courses) must be upper-division. Each course must be passed with a grade of C or better, and the cumulative grade point average in these courses must be at least 2.00.

Criminology majors may not minor in sociology without a special approved degree plan constructed in consultation with the sociology undergraduate advisor. Note that any course applied toward the total hours of one major or minor may not also be applied toward the total credit hours of another major or minor. When a major or minor have courses that overlap with one another or with another major or minor, students are required to take additional course(s), as approved by the sociology undergraduate advisor.

The 9 hours of specifically required coursework for the sociology minor.

Please see the degree worksheet for course requirements.