Overview of the Major in Sociology
The Sociology major offers students the broadest scope of curriculum options. Students may take courses about core institutions in American society, including the workplace, family, the media, health care and the criminal justice system. Other courses focus on the dynamic social forces that impact culture and individuals, including immigration, social inequality, globalization, population diversity and cultural differences. Faculty advisors help students plan the major so that the elective coursework component reflects their interests and career directions. In addition to required courses in sociological theory and research methods, students may take a six-credit internship course to complete the 30-credit major, or they may instead take a senior-level seminar as their final major requirement.
Requirements for the Major in Sociology
The department requires a total of 30 semester hours of sociology credit for a major in sociology. The following courses are mandatory for the major:
- Sociol 101 (Introduction to Sociology)
- Sociol 341 (Elements of Sociological Theory)
- Sociol 351L (Methods of Sociological Research)
- Senior Experience/Capstone. This may be one of the following:
- An internship course (Sociol 460, Sociol/Crmjus 461L, Sociol/CrmJus 462L).
- Directed Study in Sociology (Sociol 478 or 479). Students wishing to engage in independent study must submit a proposal for consideration.
- Sociol 470 (Senior Seminar in Critical Thinking) or Sociol 472 (Media and Violence).
- Of the remaining sociology credits needed, at least two three-credit courses must be taken at the 300-level or higher. Junior or senior standing is recommended for all 300- or 400-level courses.
The following limits on courses must be observed:
- Only one internship course (6 credits) may count toward the major.
- Only one Directed Study (Sociol 478 or 479) may count toward the major.
- No more than three credits in mini-courses may count toward the major.
- Only one course within the major may be taken pass/fail, and it may not be Sociol 341, Sociol 351L, or any course taken to meet the Senior Experience/Capstone.
- Up to five courses (15 credits) may be transferred from other institutions. Exception: All sociology courses taken at UMass Amherst, UMass Dartmouth or UMass Lowell will be accepted.
- Sociol 341 and Sociol 351L may be transferred from 4-year institutions only.
- Once students matriculate at UMB, sociology courses taken elsewhere need prior approval from the department chair and the Registrar.
Requirements for the Minor in Sociology
The department requires a total of 18 semester hours of sociology credit for a minor in sociology. The following courses are mandatory for the minor:
- Sociol 101 (Introduction to Sociology)
- Sociol 341 (Elements of Sociological Theory)
- Sociol 351L (Methods of Sociological Research)
- Note: Students majoring in Criminal Justice must take one of the following courses in place of Sociol 351L since that course cannot double-count:
- Sociol 350 (Elements of Social Statistics)
- Sociol 352 (Criminological Statistics and Data Analysis)
- Nine elective credits of sociology courses
The following limits on courses must be observed:
- Only one internship course (6 credits) may count toward the minor.
- No more than three credits in mini-courses may count toward the minor.
- Only one course within the minor may be taken pass/fail, and it may not be either Sociol 341 or Sociol 351L.
- No more than two 100-level courses may count towards the minor, one of which would be the required Sociol 101 course.
- Up to three courses (nine credits) may be transferred from other institutions. Exception: All sociology courses taken at UMass Amherst, UMass Dartmouth or UMass Lowell will be accepted.
- Sociol 341 and Sociol 351L may be transferred from 4-year institutions only.
- Once students matriculate at UMB, sociology courses taken elsewhere need prior approval from the department chair and the Registrar.