Sociology Major

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BA degree

Sociology is the study of social behavior and the socio-cultural settings in which it occurs. It involves the study of whole societies and their basic institutions as well as smaller scale groups such as the family, peer group and neighborhood. Sociology has long been a popular major for students planning futures and further training in such professions as social work, law, politics, education, public administration, public health and health care, and urban planning. A major in this department provides a foundation for social action as well as for graduate work in a variety of disciplines including policy studies, sociology, anthropology and women’s studies.

Students who registered for the sociology major before 9/1/07, transfer students who entered in 07/08, and transfer students who entered in 08/09 with more than 30 credits are expected to meet the “old requirements.”
All other students follow the regular requirements.

As of Fall 2007, courses counting for the major must be completed with a C- or higher.

UMass Dartmouth students seeking admissions into the Sociology major must have earned a minimum of 45 credits with a minimum cumulative G.P.A .of 2.50. Transfer students seeking admission into the Sociology major must have a minimum of a 2.75 G.P.A. overall. Students interested in majoring in Sociology or Sociology / Anthropology Option must see the Department Chair for permission to enter the program, to discuss the program requirements and to arrange for a permanent advisor.

Requirements

To successfully complete the program for graduation, all students must:

Maintain a minimum of 2.5 GPA in the major; beginning in fall 2009, students entering the major (starting with the class of 2013) must maintain a minimum 2.75 GPA in the major
Maintain a minimum of a 2.0 overall GPA
Meet the Sociology major requirements
Complete 30 credits at the 300/400 level (this includes courses in the major, excluding Experiential Learning)
Complete a minimum of 120 credits, at least 45 of which must be earned at UMass Dartmouth
Complete the General Education requirements of the university
Complete the Distribution Requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences

Introduction

Three (3) credits required.

SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology 3 credits
or
ANT 111 - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology 3 credits
or
SOC 113 - Introduction to Social and Cultural Behavior 3 credits
ANT 113 - Introduction to Social and Cultural Behavior 3 credits

Theory

Three (3) credits required. To be taken sophomore or junior year.

SOC 200 - Introduction to Sociological Thought 3 credits
or
SOC 354 - Sociological Theory three credits
or
ANT 354 - Anthropological Theory 3 credits

Methods

Three (3) credits required. To be taken junior year.

Sociology Electives

Twenty-one (21) credits required of which fifteen (15) credits must be at the 300 - 400 level. Includes only courses with SOC or ANT prefixes. CJS courses may be elected only with permission of the Department Chair.

Internship*

Three (3) credits required.

Senior Seminar*

Three (3) credits required.

SOC 420 - Senior Seminar 3 credits

*Thesis Research

*Thesis Research (SOC 492 and SOC 493), a 2-semester, six (6) credit sequence taken in the senior year may be substituted for the Internship and Senior Seminar requirements.

Total Credits: 36

General Education Departmental Requirements

Students majoring in Sociology will meet their departmentally-controlled General Education requirements as follows: