Undergraduate Studies

Sociology Program

Bachelor of Arts Degree

In addition to University and College requirements, the following are minimum requirements for the undergraduate major in sociology leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree. To help plan for and navigate these requirements, see the Department's suggestion for a 4-Year Plan of Study.

Thirty-five credit hours are required to earn a major in Sociology. These courses are listed below. This includes 14 hours of Foundation Courses, 12 hours of Core Courses, and 9 hours of Sociology elective courses. Grades of "C" or better must be earned in all 35 hours of coursework in order to be counted toward the major.

Course Requirements

Foundation Courses:

Subject	Number	Name	Credits
SOC	1000	Sociological Principles	3
SOC/STAT	2070	Intro to Statistics/Social Sciences	4
SOC	3900	Sociological Theory	3
SOC	4095	Sociological Research Methods [C3]	4 credits
Total	Foundation	Hours:	14

Core Courses:

Complete four courses (12 total required hours) from the following list:

Subject	Number	Name	Credits
SOC	2350	Race and Ethnic Relations [D]	3
SOC	3110	Self and Society	3
SOC	3140	The Family	3
SOC	3200	Sociology of Religion	3
SOC	3400	Deviant Behavior	3
SOC	3500	Sociology of Gender	3
SOC	3550	Medical Sociology	3
SOC	3605	Sociology of Education	3
SOC	3880	Political Sociology	3
SOC	4050	Social Inequality	3
SOC	4110	Sociology of Intl Development	3
SOC	4370	Global Political Economy [G]	3

Total hours in Sociology courses: 35

Elective courses: Complete 9 additional hours of Sociology courses, from the courses above and/or from additional sociology courses listed in the General Bulletin.  Electives may be used either to develop additional expertise in an area of interest or to broaden the student's sociological training. To learn about our internship course (SOC 4970), click here.

Sociology minor: Students may elect to complete a minor in Sociology, which provides a strong complement to many other disciplines. The undergraduate minor in Sociology requires 18 hours of course work--12 credit hours must be exclusive to the minor and not counted toward the major, including SOC 1000 and at least nine hours of Sociology electives numbered 3000 and above. Students must earn a C or better in all courses counting for the minor.

Graduating with Honors: Sociology majors with a 3.2 overall GPA, a 3.5 GPA in Sociology courses,  and one 5000-level Sociology course can graduate with honors in Sociology. They will be recognized with a certificate of achievement at the department’s annual graduation and honors banquet in April and will receive a $300 Wilbourne Excellence Scholarship Award.What can you do with a Sociology degree?For career guidance, visit the site of the American Sociological Association. Go to the "Employment" tab and click on "Career Resources" or "Facts on Sociology Careers."  Also, click on this document which provides a number of excellent examples of how a Sociology degree is a great career choice. To see other ideas for how to use your Sociology degree, check out the ASA's new undergraduate newsletter The Independent Variable or check out this blog on career options for Sociology majors. You can also visit with Dr. Holmes, our pre-law advisor, or talk careers with your academic advisor. To visit UW Admissions click here

Extra Resources for Advisees:

Sociology Program Checklist, Fall 2019

Sociology Program Checklist, Fall 2017

Sociology Program Checklist, Fall 2011-2016