Sociology (Major)
Effective Winter 2023 Exclusions:Students may elect a subplan in Sociology and Social Work, Law, Justice, and Social Change, or the Sociology of Health and Medicine, but may only elect one subplan.
Students pursuing a major in Sociology with a LJSC subplan may not elect a minor in Crime & Justice.
Students who elect a Sociology major with a subplan in Social Work and Social Change may not elect the following programs:
Community Action and Social Change Minor (School of Social Work)
Social Theory and Practice Major (Residential College)
Advising
Please review the Advising page of the Sociology website for full information on declaring a Sociology major, sub-major, or minor, getting in touch by email, or scheduling an appointment.
A department advisor is available to discuss the choice of Sociology as a major or minor, assist with course planning, and provide guidance on department opportunities. Students may schedule an advising appointment using the online appointment scheduler linked here or email advising questions to socadvisor@umich.edu.
Grade Policies
Students must earn at least a C– in the prerequisites for the major and in all courses they plan to include in the plan for the major. Courses elected as pass/fail may not be included in the plan for the major.
Prerequisites
- Students planning to major in sociology must elect and complete with a C- or better one of the following introductory courses before declaring the major: SOC 100, 102, 300, 302.
- First year students and sophomores electing an introductory course should elect SOC 100 or SOC 102.
- Juniors and seniors electing an introductory course should elect SOC 300 or SOC 302.
- The prerequisite course cannot be included in the 33 credits required for completion of the plan for the major.
Requirements
After electing one of the introductory prerequisite courses, majors are required to complete at least 33 credits of SOC coursework at the 200 level or above, including:
- Statistics: SOC 210, STATS 250, or STATS 280 (or their equivalent)
- Research Methods: SOC 310. Must be taken on UM—Ann Arbor campus
- Sociological Theory: SOC 305. Must be taken on UM—Ann Arbor campus
The remaining credits must come from SOC courses at the 200 level and above.
A minimum of fourteen elective credits must be elected at the 300-level or above. Students who wish to focus their elective coursework on a particular area of sociology are encouraged to consult with the department advisor.
Course Planning
The research methods and statistics courses facilitate the understanding of sociological themes and concepts explored in upper-division courses. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the statistics course in the sophomore year, the research methods course before the end of the junior year, and complete all three of the required courses before the final academic term of the senior year. Students intending to write an honors thesis in sociology must take statistics before the first term of the junior year and the methods course no later than the second term of the junior year.
Optional Sub-Majors:
Law, Justice, and Social Change
Sociology of Health and Medicine
Sociology and Social Work
Constraints
- Credit Limits and Exclusions. A maximum of 6 credits in the major may come from SOC 394 SURO, SOC 395, and SOC 396.
- The department will allow up to two courses with significant sociological content from other LSA departments or transfer institutions to be included in the plan for the major. Students interested in petitioning to include a non-SOC transfer course in their major should complete the petition process which includes submitting a petition form and the course syllabus.
Residency
The department expects that at least 18 of the 33 credits required for a sociology major be completed with Department of Sociology faculty on the UM–Ann Arbor campus. The research methods and sociological theory courses must be taken in residence on the UM–Ann Arbor campus.
Honors
Effective Fall 2019
The program begins with SOC 497 (3 credits) in the second term of the junior year and continues through the senior year with SOC 498 (3 credits) and 499 (3 credits). During SOC 498 and 499, students work with the supervision of their faculty mentors, while continuing to meet individually with the faculty Honors coordinator. SOC 497 is offered in the Winter Term only. These three courses may be used toward the general electives in the major but may not be used as sub-major electives.
Honors Application Prerequisites and Course Planning
Applicants to the Honors Program in Sociology demonstrate originality in their coursework, show a serious interest in scholarly research, and give evidence of their ability to work independently on a thesis. Students should plan on completing SOC 210 or STATS 250 prior to enrolling in SOC 497 and should take SOC 310 prior to or concurrently with it. The Honors Program in Sociology is a three-semester sequence of course and thesis work. Students typically apply as first-semester juniors and begin with the first course, SOC 497, the following semester.
To graduate with Honors, students must meet all requirements for the major; complete SOC 497, 498, and 499; write an acceptable Honors thesis; and maintain a 3.4 overall GPA. Upon completion of this course work and dependent upon the evaluation of the thesis, the academic record and diploma will designate the degree awarded "with Honors," "with High Honors," or "with Highest Honors."
Interested students should visit the website to make an appointment with the department advisor.
Sociology and Social Work (Sub-Major)
Effective Winter 2023
Advising
Please review the Advising page of the Sociology website for full information on declaring a Sociology major, sub-major, or minor, getting in touch by email, or scheduling an appointment.
A department advisor is available to discuss the choice of Sociology as a major or minor, assist with course planning, and provide guidance on department opportunities. Students may schedule an advising appointment using the online appointment scheduler linked here or email advising questions to socadvisor@umich.edu.
Prerequisites
None.
Requirements
- SW 305: Community Action and Social Change
- SOC 225: Project Community: Sociology in Action
To have a notation of the Sociology and Social Work submajor appear on your transcript, you must successfully complete a minimum of 12 credits from the following list:
SOC 204: International Migration
SOC 221: Social Inequality
SOC 233: Social Problems
SOC 250: Politics, Power, and Social Change
SOC 303: Race and Ethnicity
SOC 304: American Immigration
SOC 325: Project Community Advanced Practicum*
SOC 335: Urban Inequality
SOC 344: Sociology of Families
SOC 345: Sociology of Sexuality
SOC 354: Law and Society
SOC 368: Criminology
SOC 391: Sociology in Practice*
SOC 404: Latinos
SOC 422: Latin America
SOC 447: Sociology of Gender
SOC 455: Sociology of Religion
SOC 458: Sociology of Education
SOC 461: Social Movements
SOC 468: Inside-Out Prison Exchange*
Approved topics in SOC 295, 495, 394 (SURO), 395 (Independent Study), 396 (Internship)
A minimum of eight credits of electives must be elected in the subplan at the 300-level or above (not including prerequisite).
Constraints
Up to 6 credits of SOC 394 SURO, SOC 395 Independent Study, and SOC 396 Internship may count in the sub-major.
Other Department Policies
- Students who are interested in declaring a Sociology and Social Work subplan are encouraged to declare at or before the beginning of their junior year.
- All required courses for the Sociology and Social Work subplan (SOC 210, SOC 305, SOC 310, SW 305, and SOC 225) are offered every fall and winter term. Courses do not need to be taken sequentially. Students are strongly encouraged to take SOC 225 (Project Community) before applying to the MSW preferred admissions program.
- Students who declare later in their undergraduate studies may not be able to complete the optional 12 graduate credits in the School of Social Work during their senior year. This will not affect their ability to complete the Sociology and Social Work subplan, or their eligibility for preferred admissions to the MSW program. The only impact is whether they will be accepted into the accelerated 45-credit MSW program, or the regular 60-credit MSW program.
Distribution Policy
No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the SOC subject area may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.
Sociology and Social Work (Sub-Major) (Fall 2019 - Fall 2022)
Sociology (Major)
Effective Winter 2023 Exclusions:Students may elect a subplan in Sociology and Social Work, Law, Justice, and Social Change, or the Sociology of Health and Medicine, but may only elect one subplan.
Students pursuing a major in Sociology with a LJSC subplan may not elect a minor in Crime & Justice.
Students who elect a Sociology major with a subplan in Social Work and Social Change may not elect the following programs:
Community Action and Social Change Minor (School of Social Work)
Social Theory and Practice Major (Residential College)
Advising
Please review the Advising page of the Sociology website for full information on declaring a Sociology major, sub-major, or minor, getting in touch by email, or scheduling an appointment.
A department advisor is available to discuss the choice of Sociology as a major or minor, assist with course planning, and provide guidance on department opportunities. Students may schedule an advising appointment using the online appointment scheduler linked here or email advising questions to socadvisor@umich.edu.
Grade Policies
Students must earn at least a C– in the prerequisites for the major and in all courses they plan to include in the plan for the major. Courses elected as pass/fail may not be included in the plan for the major.
Prerequisites
- Students planning to major in sociology must elect and complete with a C- or better one of the following introductory courses before declaring the major: SOC 100, 102, 300, 302.
- First year students and sophomores electing an introductory course should elect SOC 100 or SOC 102.
- Juniors and seniors electing an introductory course should elect SOC 300 or SOC 302.
- The prerequisite course cannot be included in the 33 credits required for completion of the plan for the major.
Requirements
After electing one of the introductory prerequisite courses, majors are required to complete at least 33 credits of SOC coursework at the 200 level or above, including:
- Statistics: SOC 210, STATS 250, or STATS 280 (or their equivalent)
- Research Methods: SOC 310. Must be taken on UM—Ann Arbor campus
- Sociological Theory: SOC 305. Must be taken on UM—Ann Arbor campus
The remaining credits must come from SOC courses at the 200 level and above.
A minimum of fourteen elective credits must be elected at the 300-level or above. Students who wish to focus their elective coursework on a particular area of sociology are encouraged to consult with the department advisor.
Course Planning
The research methods and statistics courses facilitate the understanding of sociological themes and concepts explored in upper-division courses. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the statistics course in the sophomore year, the research methods course before the end of the junior year, and complete all three of the required courses before the final academic term of the senior year. Students intending to write an honors thesis in sociology must take statistics before the first term of the junior year and the methods course no later than the second term of the junior year.
Optional Sub-Majors:
Law, Justice, and Social Change
Sociology of Health and Medicine
Sociology and Social Work
Constraints
- Credit Limits and Exclusions. A maximum of 6 credits in the major may come from SOC 394 SURO, SOC 395, and SOC 396.
- The department will allow up to two courses with significant sociological content from other LSA departments or transfer institutions to be included in the plan for the major. Students interested in petitioning to include a non-SOC transfer course in their major should complete the petition process which includes submitting a petition form and the course syllabus.
Residency
The department expects that at least 18 of the 33 credits required for a sociology major be completed with Department of Sociology faculty on the UM–Ann Arbor campus. The research methods and sociological theory courses must be taken in residence on the UM–Ann Arbor campus.
Honors
Effective Fall 2019
The program begins with SOC 497 (3 credits) in the second term of the junior year and continues through the senior year with SOC 498 (3 credits) and 499 (3 credits). During SOC 498 and 499, students work with the supervision of their faculty mentors, while continuing to meet individually with the faculty Honors coordinator. SOC 497 is offered in the Winter Term only. These three courses may be used toward the general electives in the major but may not be used as sub-major electives.
Honors Application Prerequisites and Course Planning
Applicants to the Honors Program in Sociology demonstrate originality in their coursework, show a serious interest in scholarly research, and give evidence of their ability to work independently on a thesis. Students should plan on completing SOC 210 or STATS 250 prior to enrolling in SOC 497 and should take SOC 310 prior to or concurrently with it. The Honors Program in Sociology is a three-semester sequence of course and thesis work. Students typically apply as first-semester juniors and begin with the first course, SOC 497, the following semester.
To graduate with Honors, students must meet all requirements for the major; complete SOC 497, 498, and 499; write an acceptable Honors thesis; and maintain a 3.4 overall GPA. Upon completion of this course work and dependent upon the evaluation of the thesis, the academic record and diploma will designate the degree awarded "with Honors," "with High Honors," or "with Highest Honors."
Interested students should visit the website to make an appointment with the department advisor.
Sociology and Social Work (Sub-Major)
Effective Fall 2019
Advising
Please review the Advising page of the Sociology website for full information on declaring a Sociology major, sub-major, or minor, getting in touch by email, or scheduling an appointment.
A department advisor is available to discuss the choice of Sociology as a major or minor, assist with course planning, and provide guidance on department opportunities. Students may schedule an advising appointment using the online appointment scheduler linked here or email advising questions to socadvisor@umich.edu.
Requirements
- SW 305: Community Action and Social Change
- SOC 225: Project Community: Sociology in Action
To have a notation of the Sociology and Social Work submajor appear on your transcript, you must successfully complete a minimum of 12 credits from the following list:
- SOC 203: Multiculturalism
- SOC 204: International Migration
- SOC 221: Social Inequality
- SOC 233: Social Problems
- SOC 250: Politics, Power, and Social Change
- SOC 303: Race and Ethnicity
- SOC 304: American Immigration
- SOC 325: Project Community Advanced Practicum*
- SOC 335: Urban Inequality
- SOC 344: Sociology of Families
- SOC 345: Sociology of Sexuality
- SOC 354: Law and Society
- SOC 368: Criminology
- SOC 391: Sociology in Practice*
- SOC 404: Latinos
- SOC 422: Latin America
- SOC 447: Sociology of Gender
- SOC 455: Sociology of Religion
- SOC 458: Sociology of Education
- SOC 461: Social Movements
- SOC 468: Inside-Out Prison Exchange*
- SOC 488/489*: Community Organizing (only 489 is experiential)*
appropriate topics in SOC 295, 495
approved undergraduate research in SOC 394*
approved independent studies in SOC 395*
approved internships in SOC 396*
*Experiential Learning/Independent Study Classes
A minimum of eight credits of electives must be elected in the subplan at the 300-level or above (not including prerequisite).
Other Department Policies
- Students who are interested in declaring a Sociology and Social Work subplan are encouraged to declare at or before the beginning of their junior year.
- All required courses for the Sociology and Social Work subplan (SOC 210, SOC 305, SOC 310, SW 305, and SOC 225) are offered every fall and winter term. Courses do not need to be taken sequentially. Students are strongly encouraged to take SOC 225 (Project Community) before applying to the MSW preferred admissions program.
- Students who declare later in their undergraduate studies may not be able to complete the optional 12 graduate credits in the School of Social Work during their senior year. This will not affect their ability to complete the Sociology and Social Work subplan, or their eligibility for preferred admissions to the MSW program. The only impact is whether they will be accepted into the accelerated 45-credit MSW program, or the regular 60-credit MSW program.
Distribution Policy
No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the SOC subject area may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.
