Alumni Profile
Meet a Sociology Major

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The Standard Major and Modified Major

  • Graduating Sociology majors who received Certificates of Distinction at the senior lunch, June 2016. 

  • Ledah Geller and Joshua Schoenbart at the Senior Lunch, June 2016

  • Kim Rogers and Yvonne Kwan at the Senior Lunch, June 2016

  • Sociology Senior Lunch, June 2016

The Standard Major

The Standard Major in Sociology consists of eleven courses, to be selected as follows:

  1. Prerequisite course: Sociology 1 or 2
  2. One theory course: Sociology 15 or 16
  3. Two methods courses:  Sociology 10 AND 11. With approval of the chair, a major may substitute a statistical analysis course offered by another social science department or program.
  4. Seven additional Sociology courses numbered 10 or higher. Students must take four Lower Division courses (numbered 20-49), two Upper Division courses (numbered 50-80) and one Culminating Experience course (see below). An Upper Division course may be substituted for a Lower Division course.

Standard majors must satisfy the culminating experience requirement by successfully completing any one of the following three options: Senior Independent Study Project (Sociology 90), The Sociological Imagination (Sociology 91), or Honors Thesis (Sociology 98). Because only one term of Sociology 98 counts as one of the seven additional courses numbered 10 or higher that are required for completion of the major, taking a second term of Sociology 98 means that Honor students will typically take at least 12 course credits in Sociology.

The Modified Major

The Modified Major in Sociology consists of thirteen courses, to be selected as follows:

  1. Prerequisite course: Sociology 1 or 2
  2. One theory course: Sociology 15 or 16
  3. Two methods courses:  Sociology 10 AND 11.  With approval of the chair, a major may substitute a statistical analysis course offered by another social science department or program.
  4. Five additional Sociology courses numbered 10 or higher. (Plus four courses in another department). Students must take three Lower Division courses (numbered 20-49), one Upper Division course (numbered 50-80) and one Culminating Experience course (see below) An Upper Division course may be substituted for a Lower Division course.
  5. Four courses in another department, or in a concentrated area of study (from more than one department), approved by the department chair.

Modified majors must satisfy the culminating experience requirement by successfully completing any one of the following three options: Senior Independent Study Project (Sociology 90), The Sociological Imagination (Sociology 91), or Honors Thesis (Sociology 98). Because only one term of Sociology 98 counts as one of the five additional courses numbered 10 or higher that are required for completion of the modified major, taking a second term of Sociology 98 means that Honor students will typically take at least 10 course credits in Sociology.

Students establishing a modified major must submit a modified major proposal form to the Chair.  The form includes a written statement of the proposed field or topic, plus a list of all courses to be taken for credit toward the modified major. The proposal should address the intellectual coherence of the proposed course of study. Proposals for modified majors must be submitted to the department no later than the beginning of the third term prior to the student's graduation (for example, the beginning of fall term senior year in most cases).  Extensions may be granted on rare occasions with permission of the Chair.