Sociology

Sociology studies the organization of social life. Sociological inquiry shows that much of what people do, believe, and become arises from their social relationships and that social life has discernible, patterned regularities. As famous sociologist C. Wright Mills wrote, sociologists strive for “a quality of mind that will help them use information and develop reason in order to achieve lucid summations of what is going on in the world and of what may be happening within themselves.”

In pursuit of this understanding, sociologists study the whole range of social life from the intimacies of face-to-face interaction to the macro-level organization of the economy and the polity and such cultural institutions as religion. Their analyses are scientific, employing diverse quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Many sociologists use the discipline’s insights and methods to address practical problems: for example, to evaluate educational innovations, improve the delivery of health care, increase business productivity and the quality of work life, and project the social ramifications of population changes. 

The major in sociology at the University is designed to provide undergraduates with a broad, systematic understanding of society and to cultivate their own sociological imagination. Sociology majors take courses in three areas: 

1.  Social Theory
2. Research Methods (statistics, computer applications, and qualitative methods)
3. Substantive Research Fields

Majors receive a rigorous grounding in the discipline while having the opportunity to define their own intellectual development with the aid of an advisor.

• SOC 1010 - Introductory Sociology Credits: 3
• SOC 1595 - Special Topics in Social Issues Credits: 3
• SOC 1596 - Special Topics in Social Issues Credits: 3
• SOC 2000 - Gender, Technology, & Education Credits: 3
• SOC 2052 - Sociology of the Family Credits: 3
• SOC 2055 - Law and Society Credits: 3
• SOC 2220 - Social Problems Credits: 3
• SOC 2230 - Criminology Credits: 3
• SOC 2260 - Sociology of Sport Credits: 3
• SOC 2320 - Gender and Society Credits: 3
• SOC 2380 - Violence & Gender Credits: 3
• SOC 2442 - Systems of Inequality Credits: 3
• SOC 2470 - American Society and Popular Culture Credits: 3
• SOC 2498 - Prozac Culture Credits: 3
• SOC 2499 - Globalization and Social Responsibility Credits: 3
• SOC 2500 - Special Topics in Sociology (J Term Course) Credits: 3
• SOC 2520 - Topics in Death & Dying Credits: 3
• SOC 2595 - Special Topics in Sociology Credits: 3
• SOC 2596 - Special Topics in Sociology Credits: 3
• SOC 2730 - Computers and Society Credits: 3
• SOC 2790 - Sociology of American Business Credits: 3
• SOC 2900 - Economy & Society Credits: 3
• SOC 2950 - “The Wire” - Sociology Through TV & Film Credits: 3
• SOC 3020 - Introduction to Social Theory Credits: 3
• SOC 3056 - Culture and Power Credits: 3
• SOC 3059 - Sociology of Science & Knowledge Credits: 3
• SOC 3060 - Sociological Perspectives on Whiteness Credits: 3
• SOC 3090 - Philosophical Foundations of Social Theory Credits: 3
• SOC 3100 - Feminist Theory Credits: 3
• SOC 3120 - Sociology Research Workshop Credits: 4
• SOC 3130 - Introduction to Social Statistics Credits: 4
• SOC 3180 - Sociology of Emotions Credits: 3
• SOC 3290 - Sociology of Childhood Credits: 3
• SOC 3306 - Sexuality, Gender, Class and Race in the Teen Film Credits: 3
• SOC 3310 - Sociology of Self Credits: 3
• SOC 3370 - Schools and Society Credits: 3
• SOC 3371 - Merit, Privilege & American Higher Education Credits: 3
• SOC 3400 - Gender and Sexuality Credits: 3
• SOC 3410 - Race and Ethnic Relations Credits: 3
• SOC 3450 - Women, Islam and Modernity Credits: 3
• SOC 3470 - Sociology of Development Credits: 3
• SOC 3480 - Sociology of Globalization Credits: 3
• SOC 3490 - Cities and Cultures Credits: 3
• SOC 3595 - Special Topics in Sociology Credits: 3
• SOC 3596 - Special Topics in Sociology Credits: 3
• SOC 3640 - Human Society in History Credits: 3
• SOC 3700 - Health and Society Credits: 3
• SOC 3710 - Organizations, Institutions, Markets Credits: 3
• SOC 3800 - Social Change Credits: 3
• SOC 3820 - Social Movements Credits: 3
• SOC 3860 - Religion & Secularization Credits: 3
• SOC 4010 - Sociology of Music Credits: 3
• SOC 4030 - Sociology of Mind Credits: 3
• SOC 4050 - American Society Credits: 3
• SOC 4052 - Sociology of Religious Behavior Credits: 3
• SOC 4053 - Sociology of Education Credits: 3
• SOC 4054 - Political Sociology Credits: 3
• SOC 4055 - Sociology of Law Credits: 3
• SOC 4057 - Family Policy Credits: 3
• SOC 4070 - Sociology of Art Credits: 3
• SOC 4059 - Conflict Credits: 3
• SOC 4090 - Sociology of Literature Credits: 3
• SOC 4100 - Sociology of the African-American Community Credits: 3
• SOC 4140 - Sociology of Consumption Credits: 3
• SOC 4170 - Theoretical Sociology Credits: 3
• SOC 4190 - Gender and Work Credits: 3
• SOC 4200 - Sex and Gender Go To The Movies Credits: 3
• SOC 4220 - Contemporary Social Problems Credits: 3
• SOC 4230 - Deviance and Social Control Credits: 3
• SOC 4350 - Comparative Gender Stratification Credits: 3
• SOC 4380 - Violence & Media Credits: 3
• SOC 4410 - Sociological Phenomenology Credits: 3
• SOC 4420 - Sociology of Inequality Credits: 3
• SOC 4510 - Topics in Sociology of Work Credits: 3
• SOC 4550 - Topics in Ethics and Society Credits: 3
• SOC 4600 - Gender and Culture Credits: 3
• SOC 3620 - The Afterlives of Communism Credits: 3
• SOC 4640 - Urban Sociology Credits: 3
• SOC 4680 - Sociology of Everyday Credits: 3
• SOC 4700 - Medical Sociology Credits: 3
• SOC 4710 - Sociology of Organizations Credits: 3
• SOC 4740 - Sociol Persp on Trauma, Atrocity, & Responsibility Credits: 3
• SOC 4800 - Undergraduate Internship Program Credits: 4
• SOC 4810 - Undergraduate Internship Programs Seminar Credits: 4
• SOC 4820 - Undergraduate Internship Program Credits: 4
• SOC 4850 - Media, Culture and Society Credits: 3
• SOC 4860 - Sociology of Religion Credits: 3
• SOC 4870 - Immigration Credits: 3
• SOC 4970 - Special Studies in Sociology Credits: 1 to 12
• SOC 4980 - Distinguished Majors Thesis Research Credits: 3
• SOC 4981 - Distinguished Majors Thesis Writing Credits: 3

• Students whose first language is not English should take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Students who are bilingual in English and another language and have scored well on the verbal portion of the SAT may be exempted from the TOEFL and IELTS.
• Recommendations from one counselor and one teacher
• Application and Fee
• Secondary School Forms and Transcript (official translation required of transcripts not presented in English)
• Final Transcripts
• Students who will be applying for Fall 2017 can chose to submit results from the previous version of the SAT, the current SAT, or the ACT. The SAT Essay and ACT Writing sections will not be required for those applying for the Fall 2017 term. SAT Subject Tests are optional.