General

Majors

Minors

Getting into Courses

Internships, Independent Study and Research

Criminology Minor

GENERAL

1) Q: What can I do with a sociology major?

A: The American Sociology Association has a wonderful publication that describes the various careers available to Liberal Arts students with a Sociology major.  Follow this link to look at the ASA's career brochure.

2) Q: What's the difference between Sociology and Social Work?

A: Sociology is concerned with the study of human behavior.  It is oriented towards the development of abstract, theoretical, statements about such behavior. Social Work is concerned with aiding individuals in confronting specific problems that they face in their daily lives. Sociology is therefore conceptual while Social Work is practical.

3) Q: What's the difference between theory courses? 

A: There are two theory courses (Developmental: 313 and Contemporary: 314). Developmental theory, also known as Classical Theory, primarily covers European scholars who wrote during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Their work can be characterized as Macro (concerned with large-scale social transformations), Historical and Comparative in their orientation.  Contemporary theory, not uncommonly, focuses upon U.S. scholars writing after WWII. Their work is more Micro and less historical than those classified as classical theorists. In addition, Developmental theory covers a small number (between 4-6) of individuals while Contemporary theory is more likely to be orientated towards schools of thought with individuals as examples of those schools.

MAJORS

4) Q: What are the requirements for a major in Sociology?

A: The Sociology major consists of 11 courses totaling 36 credits.  Only courses in which you earn a 'C' or better count toward the major.  Four of those courses are required: Introduction to Sociology (920:101) and any three of Introduction to Social Research, (920:311), Computer Analysis of Social Science Data (920:312), Development of Sociological Theory (920:313) and Contemporary Sociological Theory (920:314).

That leaves you seven elective courses.  One of these electives must be a 400-level course.  Three more of these elective courses must be at the 300- or 400-level.  The remaining three electives can be at any level.  As you plan you elective courses remember that 300 and 400 level Sociology courses have prerequisites that must be completed before you can enroll in those courses.

5) Q: What courses do I need to declare a major in Sociology?

A: You can declare a major with a C or better in just Introduction to Sociology (920:101) and one of the required courses of Introduction to Social Research (920:311), Computer Analysis of Social Science Data (920:312), Development of Sociological Theory (920:313) or Contemporary Sociological Theories (920:314).

6) Q: Is Field Study required for the Sociology major? 

A: No, field study is not required.  However, up to 3 credits of Field study may be counted toward the major. 3 credits in field study will be counted as one of the 7 elective courses needed for the major.

7) Q: Do I have an advisor?

A: All majors are assigned an advisor based on their college and expected year of graduation.  Call the Sociology Department (445-4035) to get the name of an advisor.  Any faculty member you have had in one of your courses can also be your advisor if you'd like.

8) Q: How do I find out what courses I need to complete my major?

A: You could contact your advisor or the Undergraduate Director.  Or, you could try using this form (pdf) as a worksheet.

9) Q: Can I transfer in any courses from other institutions toward the Sociology major?

A: Yes, but no more than five.  At least six of the courses counting toward the major must be taken at Rutgers-New Brunswick.  The required 400-level course must be taken at Rutgers-New Brunswick and it is highly recommended that the required Research and Theory courses also be taken in New Brunswick.

MINORS

10) Q: What are the requirements for a minor in Sociology?

A:  A minor in Sociology consists of six courses totaling 19 credits.  At least 10 of the 19 credits must be at the 300 or 400 level.  Only courses in which you earn a 'C' or better may be counted toward the minor.

Two courses are required, Introduction to Sociology (920:101) and any one of Research Methods (920:311), Computer Analysis (920:312), Development of Theory (920:313) or Contemporary Theory (920:314).

Of the four elective courses, at least two of them must be at the 300 or 400 level.

No more than 6 credits at the 100 level may be applied to the Sociology minor.  No more than 3 credits from Field Study courses (920:385,386) or Citizen and Service Education (920:399) may count toward the minor.

11) Q: How can I keep track of my progress toward completing a sociology minor?

A: Try using this form (pdf) as a worksheet.

12) Q: Do I have an advisor?

A: The current Director of Undergraduate Studies is the advisor for all sociology minors.  Please feel free to call at (732)445-4740 or to direct questions to the department's Undergraduate Program Assistant at (732)445-4035 or . 

13) Q: Can I transfer in any courses from other institutions toward the Sociology minor?

A: Yes, but no more than three.  At least three of the courses counting toward the minor must be taken at Rutgers-New Brunswick.   The required Research or Theory course must also be taken at Rutgers-New Brunswick.

GETTING INTO COURSES

14) Q: Why are my attempts at registering not working?

A: Unfortunately, the most likely answer is because the course is full.  If you are sure there are still seats in the class, then do you have the necessary prerequisites for the class? 

In Sociology, any course numbered 300 to 314 requires Introduction to Sociology (920:101) as a prerequisite.  For courses numbered 315 to 399, you need any one of Research Methods (920:311), Computer Analysis (920:312), Development of Theory (920:313) or Contemporary Theory (920:314).  For a 400-level Sociology course, the prerequisite is any two of the 311-314 group.

15) Q: I have the prerequisites for a course, but still can't get in. What is the problem? 

A: Do you have the right index number?  Check again to make sure.  A lot of problems arise from simply trying to use an incorrect index number.

16) Q: I took the prerequisite course(s) at another school and the computer does not recognize them.  How do I register for courses?

A: Contact the department for a Prerequisite Override Slip.  This won't guarantee you'll get into the course you'd like, but it will tell the computer that you've met the prerequisite for a course.  Make sure you bring evidence that you've had the prerequisite course(s).  A transcript will do fine for that purpose.  Once you get the override slip, you will have to register in person.

21) Q: It says in the catalog that other lower-level Sociology courses can be used as a substitute for the Introduction to Sociology prerequisite.  Is this true?

A:  Yes.  But it is up to the instructor of the particular course to accept other courses as meeting the prerequisite.  Contact the instructor for permission to use other courses to meet a prerequisite and bring a note from him/her to the Sociology main office to get an override slip.

17) Q: Does the department give out special permission?

A: It is department policy that special permission can only be given by the instructor of the course.  Special permission numbers are therefore not available in the main department office.

INTERNSHIPS, INDEPENDENT STUDY AND RESEARCH

18) Q: Can I do an internship in sociology?

A: Technically, no.  The department does not keep a list of internships that we can place students into for academic credit.  If you already have an internship and wish to get sociology credit for it, you need to arrange to do an independent study with a full-time faculty member in the department.  The content of any independent study could certainly be centered around an existing internship, but we will not give credit for just the internship itself.

19) Q: What is an independent study course?

A: Traditionally, independent studies are designed to allow for further study beyond topics in our regular curriculum.  This could be either to go into more detail about a topic you encountered in one of your sociology courses or to explore something that we don't regularly teach at the undergraduate level.  In certain cases, independent study may be used to get academic credit for an existing internship.

An independent study course must be done under the supervision of a full-time member of the sociology faculty.  We only offer 3-credit independent study courses, so expect the workload of a regular 400-level course.

20) Q: What are the requirements for an independent study?

A: For sociology majors, you must be of junior or senior status and have completed at least four sociology courses.  Two of your previous sociology courses must have either Theory course (313, 314), Research (311) or Data Analysis (314).  These courses are the prerequisites for 400-level work in the department.  For independent study, you need a GPA in sociology of 3.0 or better and a B in the prerequisites courses.

For non-sociology majors, eligibility is decided on a case-by-case basis, but similar standards apply.  B or better work in previous courses is generally expected.

21) Q: How do I arrange for an independent study?

A: It is up to the student to arrange for an independent study with a sociology instructor having the title of Assistant Professor or higher.   Talking to instructors you've previously had a course from is your best bet.  Have some idea of what you'd like to do before approaching the instructor to ask about independent study.  If the individual agrees to work with you on an independent study, you'll need to get written approval from the Undergraduate Director. Click here (pdf) for an independent study application.

22) Q: I'm going to be one credit short of what I need to complete my degree.  Does the Sociology Department offer any one-credit independent studies that I could take?

A: Unfortunately not.  If you know you are going to fall a credit or two short, there are several options for you in the Sociology curriculum.  If you are a Sociology minor, you could take a second of the core 4-credit courses (311 through 314) as an elective.  This would give you a 20 credit minor rather than a 19 credit minor.  If you are a Sociology major, you could take a fourth core course (311 through 314) as an elective giving you a 37 credit major rather than a 36 credit one.  If none of these options work for you, you might want to check with your College Dean to see about other ways to pick up an extra credit.

CRIMINOLOGY MINOR

23) Q: What is the Criminology minor?

A:  The minor is an interdisciplinary curriculum for students interested in criminal justice, law and offender rehabilitation.  Students take a range of courses providing theoretical and practical knowledge relevant to work in the criminal justice system.  These courses expose students to current sociological, psychological and legal issues in the study of crime and criminal justice.  The minor program is administered by the Sociology Department.

24) Q: What is the minor good for?

A: The minor indicates that the recipient has taken a set of courses providing both a Liberal Arts and a practical perspective on crime and criminal justice issues.  It is certainly something to put on one's resume and to mention to prospective employers in criminal justice and related fields.

25) Q: What courses do I need to get the minor?

A: A total of eight courses are needed and you must earn a 'C' or better for a course to count toward the minor. 

The five required courses are:

--Introduction to Sociology (01:920:101)

--Introduction to Psychology (01:830:101)

--Abnormal Psychology (01:830:246)

--Criminology (01:920:222)

--Race Relations (01:920:306)

The three elective courses are:

--Any two courses offered by the Administration of Justice Department (03:012)

--One of the following courses:

--Sociology of Deviant Behavior (01:920:304)

--Sociology of Mental Illness (01:920:307)

--Law and Society (01:920:349)

26) Q: I transferred in some of the courses.  Do they still count toward the minor?

A: If those courses have been accepted as equivalent to Rutgers courses meeting criminology minor requirements, they may be applied toward the criminology minor.

27) Q: Can I count the same course for both the minor and my Psychology, Sociology or Administration of Justice major/minor?

A: Yes.

28) Q: Can I substitute any courses for minor requirements?

A: There are a limited number of courses that have been pre-approved as substitutes for minor requirements.

For Law and Society (01:920:349) you may substitute:

             Political Science 247 - Law and Politics

             Political Science 340 - Law and Society

             Philosophy 344 - Philosophy and the Law

For Race Relations (01:920:306) you may substitute:

             Psychology 376 - Psychology and African Americans

             Philosophy 258 - Philosophy and the Black Experience

             African American Studies 204 - Black Experience in America

For Sociology of Mental Illness you may substitute:

             Public Health 416 - Mental Illness Policy

29) Q: Where do I sign up for the Criminology minor?

A:  You don't declare the minor as you would a major or minor.  All you need to do is submit the application materials early in the semester before you graduate.  Bring the application and a copy of your transcript to the Sociology Department office, A269 Lucy Stone Hall on the Livingston campus. The absolute deadline for submitting applications to receive a minor in May is April 15.

30) Q: Where do I get a copy of the Criminology minor application form?

A: Stop by the Sociology department office, or download a pdf version here.

31) Q: Do I need to submit an official copy of my transcript with the Criminology minor application?

A: No.  An unofficial copy will suffice.  We'll even take a copy of your transcript that you've printed off the Internet.

32) Q: But I'm taking the last course(s) for my minor the semester right before I graduate.  Should I turn in my application after the semester is over?

A:  No, just indicate on your application that you are currently taking the course.

33) Q: When do I get my minor?

A: If you've completed all the requirements for the minor and handed in the paperwork in a timely fashion, with your diploma when you graduate.  The minor will be handed out at commencement (to those who attend) or mailed within a few weeks (to those who do not attend). 

34) Q: Can I use the Criminology minor as a minor?

A:  That decision is up to your individual College Dean.

35) Q: You haven't answered MY questions about the Criminology minor here.  How do I get more information?

A:  Contact the Sociology Department at (732) 445-4035 and ask for the Criminology minor Committee.  You could also send email to either the Undergraduate Director Steve Hansell , or the Undergraduate Program Assistant, Jeanie Danner .