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PREREQUISITES

Before declaring a major in Sociology, a student must first complete two courses (six credits) in Sociology, with a grade of “C” or better in each course. SOC 3020-Introduction to Social Theory or SOC 3120-Sociology Research Workshop may be used to fulfill this requirement.

Third-year transfer students may declare a major in Sociology if they have completed two sociology courses (six credits) at their previous institution, with a grade of “C” or better in each course (see “Transfer Students” below).

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REQUIREMENTS TO COMPLETE THE MAJOR

Credit Requirements

Sociology majors are required to complete 30 credits of coursework approved by their faculty advisors or the Director of Undergraduate Programs (DUP). Normally, students meet this requirement by completing ten courses. Courses taken before declaring the major can be counted.

Required Courses

Four core courses are required for the Sociology major:

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One Introductory Course

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SOC 1010: Introductory Sociology (3-credit course)

Introduces the fundamental concepts and principles of sociology and the major subfields of the discipline.

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SOC 2010: Principles of Sociology (3-credit course)

Focusing on the fundamental concepts of sociology with special attention to sociological theory and research methods, this course is a more advanced version of introductory sociology. The course is designed to enable students to learn more deeply about the various ideas and concepts of the sociological tradition and to develop their capacity to use them.

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SOC 3020: Introduction to Social Theory (3-credit course)

Considers important classical and contemporary perspectives in social theory. This course should be taken in the third year.

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SOC 3120: Sociology Research Workshop (4-credit course)

Introduces students to the conceptualization of sociological research questions and to quantitative and qualitative approaches to data collection and analysis. This course should be taken in the fall of the third year.

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SOC 3130: Introduction to Social Statistics (4-credit course)

Introduction to elementary methods of statistical analysis. No special mathematical background or aptitude is required. This course should be taken in the spring of the third year. Students are strongly encouraged to take SOC 3120 prior to SOC 3130

Elective Courses

Majors must also complete six elective courses (18 credits). Two of these elective courses must be at the 2000 level. Four of these elective courses (12 credits) must be at the 3000 level or above, including two courses (6 credits) at the 4000 or 5000 level. Students should note that all 4000- and 5000-level courses require at least two prior Sociology courses (6 credits) as prerequisites. Courses in the Distinguished Majors Program (SOC 4980 and SOC 4981) do not count toward the elective requirements (see “The Distinguished Majors Program” below).

Grade Requirements

All courses used to meet the 30- credit requirement must be letter-graded. Courses taken on a Credit/No Credit or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis do not count toward the major.

Note: The Sociology Department waived this rule during the 2020-2021 academic year and the Fall semester of 2022, following the Provost’s grading policy during those terms. Courses completed during the 2020-2021 academic year or the Fall semester of 2022 with grades of CR will be counted toward the major.

 

A grade of “C” or better is necessary in every course to be counted toward the major. Students receiving less than a “C” in one of the four required courses must retake the course and receive a grade of “C” or better. Students receiving less than a “C” in an elective course will be required to take another Sociology course for the major. (Elective courses where a student receives an unsatisfactory but passing grade still count toward the College’s requirement of 120 credits for graduation even though they do not count toward the major. Because the College will not give credit for taking a course twice, re-taken required Sociology courses do not count toward the 120-credit requirement.)

 

Students are required to maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher in Sociology courses. In addition, students may not receive grades of “C minus” or lower in three or more Sociology courses. Students who fail to meet these requirements are required to petition the Director of Undergraduate Programs for permission to remain in the major. Any such petition must include both (a) an explanation of what occurred and (b) a plan for avoiding further low grades in the future. Students who do not submit a satisfactory petition will be dropped from the major.

Note: The online Student Information System (SIS) sometimes calculates the major GPA incorrectly by ignoring courses that cannot be applied toward the major due to low grades. The Department’s calculation of the major GPA includes all Sociology courses and thus may be different.

 

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COUNTING NON-STANDARD COURSES TOWARD THE MAJOR

 

In addition to standard undergraduate Sociology courses offered during the academic year, certain other types of courses may be counted toward the major.

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Summer Session and J-Term Courses

Sociology courses taken during the summer session at the University of Virginia are equivalent to academic-year courses and count toward the major in Sociology. Thus, both required and elective courses may be taken during the summer session.

 

Sociology elective courses taken during the January term (“J-Term”) at the University of Virginia may be counted toward the major. (Required courses are not offered during J-Term.)

 

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Courses in Other Departments of the University or Other Institutions and Programs

Required courses and the required six credits at the 4000 or 5000 level must be completed in the Sociology Department. For other electives, up to two courses (six credits) may be taken outside the Sociology Department. These may include courses in other departments and programs at the University of Virginia or courses taken at another institution or program. All such courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. All requests to count courses taken outside the Sociology Department toward the Sociology major, whether taken at the University of Virginia or elsewhere, must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Programs.

 

Courses in Other Departments of the University. Approval to count a course in another department of the University toward the Sociology major may be obtained before or after taking the course. To seek approval, a student should email or submit an electronic or paper copy of the “Petition for Approval of a UVA Non-Sociology Course” to the Director of Undergraduate Programs and the Department’s Administrative Coordinator, together with a copy of the course syllabus. If the student is seeking approval in advance of taking the course and the syllabus is not yet available, the syllabus for the most recent prior offering of the course by the same instructor is acceptable. If the course syllabus does not include information about class session topics, readings, or assignments, the student must provide an additional document with that information.

 

Double counting one course toward two majors. Departmental approval for double counting courses is required by both departments. Students must request that approval using the appropriate DocuSign form (available on the Sociology website at https://sociology.as.virginia.edu/program-forms-and-links). Specific rules may be found at https://college.as.virginia.edu/declaremajor.

 

Courses in Other Institutions or Programs. Approval to count a course taken at another college, university, or program toward the major must be obtained before taking the course (with the exception of transfer students, discussed below). Students who have not yet declared a Sociology major but who intend to do so may seek this approval before declaring the major (for example, a student who wishes to study abroad in the spring semester of the second year).

 

For a study-abroad course: Your study-abroad application will include a form for obtaining academic approval for each course you would like to take from the appropriate academic department. If you wish to count a course toward your Sociology major, the form will be sent to the Sociology Director of Undergraduate Programs for approval. Please note that the Director of Undergraduate Programs will also need the syllabus for any sociology course you wish to take. You will need to obtain the course syllabus from the study-abroad program. The syllabus must include the list of topics covered, required readings, and assignments or exams. If the syllabus does not include that information, you will need to obtain a separate document that does. The syllabus or equivalent document should be attached to the form or emailed directly to the Director of Undergraduate Programs.

 

For a course at another institution in the United States: You must submit the College of Arts and Sciences “Request for Transfer of Credit – Major or Minor” form via DocuSign. You can access the form at this link (scroll down): https://college.as.virginia.edu/forms. You must attach the course syllabus. The syllabus must include the list of topics covered, required readings, and assignments or exams. If the syllabus does not include that information, you will need to obtain and provide a separate document that does. Please note that petitions for approval of summer courses at community colleges will generally not be approved in the absence of unusual and compelling circumstances.

 

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Independent Study

Fourth-year students with a strong academic record (a Sociology GPA of 3.2 or higher) may wish to pursue an independent study under the supervision of a faculty member (SOC 4970 - Special Studies in Sociology). Three credits of SOC 4970 can count towards the major. Enrollment in SOC 4970 requires prior approval by the Director of Undergraduate Programs. To apply for approval, a student should first develop a syllabus with the instructor who will supervise the independent study. This syllabus should indicate the planned learning goals, readings, activities, frequency of meetings with your instructor, and modes of learning assessment. The student should also complete the Independent Study Form, which is available on the Sociology website (https://sociology.as.virginia.edu/program-forms-and-links). The form and syllabus should be submitted to the Director of Undergraduate Programs, who may ask for revisions before approval.

 

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Graduate Courses and Dual-Level Courses

Although Sociology courses at the 5000-level are designed for graduate students, some of these courses may be of interest to fourth-year students with an exceptional academic record (a Sociology GPA of 3.4 or higher). Undergraduate enrollment in a 5000-level course is at the discretion of the instructor. Undergraduate students should not normally take a 5000-level course until they have completed SOC 1010-Introductory Sociology and six courses (18 credits) in Sociology.

Occasionally the Department offers courses that have a dual listing, e.g. SOC 4053/8053. These courses are open to both undergraduate and graduate students with distinct requirements for each. Undergraduates should enroll in the lower-level course listed.

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EXEMPTIONS AND WAIVERS

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Exemption from SOC 3130

Students may be exempted from the requirement to take SOC 3130 - Introduction to Social Statistics, if one of the following circumstances applies:

1. The student has completed PSYC 2005 & 3006 with a “C” or better and either (a) is double-majoring in Psychology or (b) completed those courses prior to declaring a major in sociology.
    
2. The student has completed STAT 2020 with a “C” or better and either (a) is double-majoring in Biology or (b) completed that course prior to declaring a major in sociology.
    
3. The student has completed STAT 2120 or STAT 3120 and either (a) is double-majoring in Statistics or Economics (b) completed that course prior to declaring a major in sociology.
    
4. The student has completed LPPA 3640 (Batten School) with a “C” or better and either (a) is double-majoring in the Batten School or (b) completed that course prior to declaring a major in sociology.

Exemption from SOC 3130 does not reduce the total 30 credits required for completion of the major. Thus, exempted students must complete an additional Sociology course at any level.

 

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Other Exemptions and Waivers

Students in unusual circumstances may petition the DUP and the Undergraduate Studies Committee for an exemption from a requirement or a waiver of any departmental policy relating to the major. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that the Committee has all appropriate materials.

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DECLARING A MAJOR IN SOCIOLOGY

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Procedure for Declaring the Major

Before declaring a major in sociology, a student must first complete the prerequisite courses. (See the section above on “Prerequisites” for details.). When you have completed the prerequisites and are ready to declare a major, please follow these steps:

 

Step 1.   Contact the Department’s Administrative Coordinator and let her or him know you would like to declare your major. The Administrative Coordinator will assign you to a faculty advisor. You may state a preference for a particular advisor, which will be honored if possible. All regular faculty serve as advisors; see the full list on the last page of this handbook.

 

Step 2.  Download and fill out a copy of the declaration worksheet (available at https://sociology.as.virginia.edu/program-forms-and-links). The worksheet will ask you to list required and elective courses and the semester in which you took or plan to take them. With respect to future elective courses, this does not represent a commitment to take those courses. The goal is simply to plan one possible path to completing the major. To identify elective courses that you may wish to take, you can consult the current undergraduate course listing (available at https://sociology.as.virginia.edu/undergraduate-courses) and the University Undergraduate Record, which lists all approved courses in Sociology (http://records.ureg.virginia.edu).

 

Step 3.  Schedule a meeting with your assigned advisor (in person or via Zoom). Bring the declaration worksheet to the meeting with your assigned faculty advisor. Your advisor should review your worksheet and discuss your broader interests in sociology. You and your advisor should then agree on a plan of study.

 

Step 4.   Prepare and submit the Declaration of Major/Minor Form online through DocuSign (see instructions at https://college.as.virginia.edu/forms). Enter the name and email of the Department’s Administrative Coordinator as the “Declaration of Major Contact.” DocuSign will route the form to your advisor for signature. Once your advisor signs it, the form will be forwarded to the Sociology Department and the University Registrar.

 

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Deferring the Declaration of Major

Students entering their fifth semester who have not completed the prerequisites to declaring the major must defer their declaration for one semester while they complete the prerequisites.

 

To defer your declaration, you should follow the same steps listed above for declaring the major, except:

• In Step 1, you should let the Academic Administrator know that you plan to defer declaring.
• In Step 4, you should prepare and submit the Declaration of Major Deferral Form online through DocuSign (see instructions at https://college.as.virginia.edu/forms).

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TRANSFER STUDENTS

 

Students who transfer from another college or university who have transferred credit for two sociology courses completed with grades of C or higher at their previous institution may declare a Sociology major if the Director of Undergraduate Programs approves those courses as prerequisites to declaring. To obtain approval, students should submit the “Transfer Student Petition for Approval of Courses Taken at Previous Institution” form (available on the Department website under “Program Forms and Links”) together with the course syllabi. Students entering their fifth semester in college should submit this petition as soon as possible at the beginning of the semester.

 

Transfer students who have transferred credit for only one sociology course or no sociology courses from their previous institution have not met the prerequisites for declaring. Students entering their fifth semester in college must officially defer their declaration of the major for one semester while they complete the prerequisites. Students may only defer their declaration for one semester. The College requires all students to declare a major by the beginning of the sixth semester. Students who have transferred credit for one sociology course from their previous institution should seek approval of that course from the Director of Undergraduate Programs by submitting the “Transfer Student Petition for Approval of Courses Taken at Previous Institution” form (available on the Department website under “Program Forms and Links”) together with the course syllabus. Students entering their fifth semester in college should submit this petition as soon as possible at the beginning of the semester.

 

Any transferred sociology course may serve as a prerequisite to declaring the major. However, not all transferred sociology courses will count toward completing the major requirements.

 

• A course in introductory sociology taken at a previous institution may serve as a prerequisite to declaring the major. Transfer students who have taken introductory sociology at a previous institution are not required to take SOC 1010 – Introductory Sociology at the University of Virginia. However, they must substitute one additional sociology course at any level.
• The Department’s required courses in social theory (SOC 3020), social research methods (SOC 3120) and social statistics (SOC 3130) must be taken at the University of Virginia. Comparable courses taken at a previous institution may serve as prerequisites to declaring the major but cannot count toward completion of the major.
• Both 4000-level electives must be taken at the University of Virginia. A 4000-level course taken at a previous institution may serve as a prerequisite to declaring the major but cannot be used to meet the 4000-level elective requirement.

 

Students entering their fifth semester in college in the fall semester are strongly encouraged to enroll in SOC 3120 – Sociology Research Workshop immediately rather than waiting until the fourth year.

 

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YOUR FACULTY ADVISOR

 

When a student seeks to declare or defer a Sociology major, a faculty member will be assigned as the student’s academic advisor, replacing any previous academic advisor. Students are expected to meet with their advisors at least once each semester to discuss choice of courses, progress toward fulfilling requirements, and any other questions or problems concerning the student’s academic work.

 

Faculty office hours are posted on their office doors and on the Department website. If you cannot meet during your advisor’s regular office hours, contact your advisor to make an appointment.

 

The College schedules advising weeks in late October or early November and late March or early April. Your advisor should contact you to schedule a meeting during those weeks. However, if you do not hear from your advisor, you should take the initiative to arrange a meeting.

 

 

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CONCENTRATIONS

 

The Department offers three concentrations as options for sociology majors: “Crime, Law and Power,” “Global Economy, Organizations and Work” and “Health and Medicine.” Although a concentration is not required, students with an interest in one of these areas may find it valuable. A concentration enables students to pursue a coherent course of study focused on a particular theme and guides them in selecting the courses that allow for an in-depth exploration of that topic. Moreover, because concentrations are noted on students’ transcripts, they signal a specific course of study to graduate programs and employers.

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Crime, Law and Power

The Crime, Law and Power concentration may be of interest to students planning careers in law, criminal justice, politics, government, and related non-profit agencies. It provides students with a rigorous study of social theory and research to aid them in developing an understanding of crime and violence, law and the legal system, and legal and non-legal modes of exercising power in society. As the term is understood here, “power” is more specific than general inequality and refers to the ability to compel or coerce others through legal, political, or violent means.

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Preapproved Sociology courses:

 

SOC 2210 Drugs & Society 
SOC 2055 Law and Society 
SOC 2230 Criminology
SOC 2380 Violence & Gender         
SOC 4230 Deviance & Social Control
SOC 4260 Race Crime & Punishment         

SOC 4054 Political Sociology
SOC 4660 Sociology of Power & Authority
SOC 4055 Sociology of Law             

 

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Other relevant A&S courses (students may count only one of these towards the concentration):

          

MDST 3406 The Wire: Understanding Urban America                   
PSYC 2410 Abnormal Psychology  
WGS 2898 Preventing Sexual Assault on Campus  
WGS 2897 Gender Violence and Social Justice      
WGS 4800 Gender-Based Violence 
AAS 3810 Race, Culture and Inequality      
PHIL 2060 Philosophical Problems in Law
PHIL 2690 Justice, Law, and Morality
PHIL 3670 Law and Society

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Global Economy, Organizations and Work

The Global Economy, Organizations, and Work concentration may be of interest to students planning careers in business, government, law, human resources, and market research. It provides students with the opportunity to study the economic sphere of social life from within the liberal arts and sciences, utilizing a social-science point of view.

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Preapproved Sociology courses:

 

SOC 2900 Economy and Society
SOC 3559 Sociology of Innovation
SOC 3440 Chinese Society
SOC 3470 Sociology of Development
SOC 3480 Sociology of Globalization
SOC 3710 Organizations
SOC 4140 Sociology of Consumption
SOC 4190 Gender and Work
SOC 4290 Sociology of Money
SOC 4480 Sociology of Professions
SOC 4510 Special Topics in Sociology of Work

 

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Other relevant A&S courses (students may count only one of these towards the concentration):

 

ANTH 3220 - Economic Anthropology
HIUS 2061 - American Economic History (cross-listed as Econ 2060)
HIUS 3471 - History of American Labor
HIEU 2051 - Economic History of Europe
HIEA 3211 - Japan's Economic Miracle
ECON 4150 - Economics of Labor
ECON 4190 - Industrial Organization
ECON 4195 - Empirical Industrial Organization

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Health and Medicine

The Health and Medicine concentration may be of interest to students interested in working in the health-related fields such as nursing, medicine, or public health. Most especially, this concentration would be of benefit to students who intend to pursue a graduate degree in public health, health policy, and global health, and students on pre-med track.

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Preapproved Sociology courses

 

2280 Medical Sociology

SOC 2520 The Medicalization of Death in American Society (Topics in Death and Dying)

SOC 3310 Sociology of Self

SOC 3559 Sociology of the Body

SOC 3700 Health and Society

SOC 4280 Sociology of Mental Health and Illness

SOC 4530 Universal Health Care: Could It Work Here? (Special Topics in Health)

SOC 4530 Race, Medicine, and Health (Special Topics in Health)

SOC 4530 Topics in Health

SOC 4550 Sociology of Reproduction (Topics in Ethics and Society)

SOC 4560 Race and Racism in Science (Topics in Sociology of Science and Knowledge)

 

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Other relevant A&S courses (students may count only one of these towards the concentration):

 

ANTH 2340 Anthropology of Birth and Death

ANTH 2345 Anthropology of Reproduction: Fertility and the Future

ANTH 2270 Race, Gender, and Medical Science

ANTH 3290 Biopolitics

ANTH 3130 Disease, Epidemics, and Society

ANTH 3370 Power and the Body

PHS 2291 Global Culture and Public Health

PHS 3050 Fundamentals of Public Health

PHS 3090 Health Care Economics

PHS 3095 Health Policy in the United States – An Economic Perspective

PHS 3104 Introduction to Epidemiology

PHS 3186 Comparative Health Systems

PHS 3620 Built Environment and Health Impact

PHS 3825 Global Public Health: Challenges and Innovations

PHS 4050 Public Health Policy

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Requirements

Each concentration requires the completion of three courses (9 credits) focused on relevant topics. Certain courses have been pre-approved as counting toward each of these concentrations. A student may also petition the Director of Undergraduate Programs to count a course that has not been pre-approved. No more than one course (3 credits) taken outside the Department may be counted toward the concentration. To be counted toward a concentration, a course taken outside the Department must also count toward the major. A course taken at another institution or study-abroad program may be counted toward a concentration without petition if the College deems it equivalent to one of the College courses that have been pre-approved for the concentration.
 

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Procedure for Declaring a Concentration

Students may declare a concentration once they have completed or enrolled in all three courses with grades of C or above. To declare a concentration, download the relevant Concentration Form (a PDF file) from the Sociology Department website (https://sociology.as.virginia.edu/program-forms-and-links). Submit the completed form to the Department’s Administrative Coordinator in either paper or electronic form. Students should declare a concentration no later than February 1 of the spring semester in which they intend to graduate (or October 1 for December graduation)

 

 

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THE DISTINGUISHED MAJORS PROGRAM

 

The Department of Sociology participates in the College’s Distinguished Majors Program (DMP). The DMP provides qualified and motivated students with the opportunity to design and carry out an original research project under the supervision of a faculty member over the course of two semesters. This effort culminates in writing an honors thesis. Students apply for admission to the Program in the spring semester of the third year. Successful applicants participate in the Program in the fall and spring semesters of the fourth year.

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Eligibility for Admission to the Program

• • To be admitted to the Program, students must have cumulative College GPA of 3.4 or higher. Students with a GPA of 3.35 or above as of the fall semester of the third year may apply for admission and may be admitted conditional on raising their GPA to 3.4 at the end of the spring semester.
  • Students must have completed SOC 3120-Sociology Research Workshop before starting the Program. If a student has not completed SOC 3120 in the fall semester of the third year, the student must take it during the summer session before the fourth year.

 

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Requirements

Participation in the Distinguished Majors Program requires the completion of two additional courses (six credits) beyond the 10 courses normally required for major. The two DMP courses, SOC 4980 and SOC 4981, are not considered electives and thus do not count toward the requirement of two 4000- or 5000-level electives to complete the major.

 

In the first semester of the Program, normally the fall semester of the fourth year, students must register for SOC 4980, Distinguished Majors Thesis Research. In this course, students formulate a clear research question, design their research, prepare a detailed research proposal or thesis draft, and begin data collection. If the number of Distinguished Majors is sufficient, the Department will offer a weekly Distinguished Majors seminar taught by the DUP or another faculty member. In any case, students will meet regularly with their faculty advisors.

 

In the second semester of the Program, normally the spring semester of the fourth year, students must register for SOC 4981, Distinguished Majors Thesis Writing. In this course, students complete data collection and analysis and write a finished thesis under the supervision of their faculty advisors. The final thesis is due at the end of April and will be jointly graded by the student’s faculty advisor and another faculty member.

 

In unusual circumstances, a student may request to participate in the spring of the third year and the Fall of the fourth year. Students who are interested in this option should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Programs.

 

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Levels of Distinction

Students who successfully complete the requirements of the DMP may receive their degrees with distinction. There are three levels of honors: distinction, high distinction, and highest distinction. The level of distinction awarded depends on: (1) the grade for the thesis, (2) overall performance in the Sociology major, and (3) overall College record.

 

The College of Arts and Sciences requires that students completing a Distinguished Majors Program earn an overall College GPA of 3.4 or higher. Importantly, the College does not round GPAs. Any student who completes the thesis but does not have an overall GPA of 3.4 or higher will receive credit for SOC 4980 and SOC 4981 but will not be able to graduate with distinction.

 

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Applying to the Distinguished Majors Program

In February or March, a letter will be sent to all eligible students inviting them to apply to the Program. This letter will indicate the application deadline. Students who are interested in applying should follow these steps:

 

1. Formulate a tentative idea for a research project. Most importantly, it should interest you and it should involve asking a question that you don’t already know the answer to. It’s understood that your project will evolve over the course of the program.
2. Identify one or more faculty members who might be a good advisor for your project. It may be someone you have had as a course instructor. Alternatively, you can identify a potential advisor by reviewing faculty members’ research and teaching interests on the Sociology website, or by consulting with the Director of Undergraduate Programs.
3. Discuss your idea for a research project with these faculty members. If you feel there is a good fit with one or more of them, ask those faculty members if they would be willing to supervise your thesis. Faculty members cannot make a commitment, but they can indicate whether they would be willing to serve if you are admitted and assigned to them.
4. Prepare a brief description of your planned research project as you envision it after discussing it with faculty members.
5. Download and complete the DMP application form (available on the Department website at https://sociology.as.virginia.edu/program-forms-and-links). Email the completed form and your project description to the Administrative Coordinator by the announced deadline.

 

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The Selection Process

Participation in the Distinguished Majors Program will be capped at the number that the Department has resources to advise and support, which will normally be ten to twelve but may vary from year to year. Depending upon the number of applications in a given year, it may be necessary to make a selection among the applicants. In that case, the Undergraduate Committee will consider students’ records, the strength and quality of students’ research ideas, and the Department’s ability to provide suitable advisors for their projects. It is possible that a student may be admitted to the program but not assigned to their first-choice faculty advisor, if that faculty member is requested by more students than she or he can adequately advise. In that case, the Undergraduate Committee will work with students to identify a suitable alternative advisor.

“The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only. The Undergraduate Record and Graduate Record represent the official repository for academic program requirements. These publications may be found at http://records.ureg.virginia.edu/index.php.”