Sociology Major

Our undergraduate program in Sociology offers students the opportunity to study a great number of topics pertaining to the organization of social life. The tiered curriculum structure provides our majors with a broad foundation in the discipline. Lower-level courses provide an overview to Sociology and introduce students to the diversity of sociological research. They focus on a variety of social institutions, such as the family, schools, and the political system, and how they operate. With our upper-level classes, students become acquainted with methods of conducting sociological analysis and with foundational theories that inform contemporary sociological research. Special topics classes provide a sociological perspective on a broad array of topics, such as deviant behavior, race relations, organizations, health and medicine, gender, the environment and human sexuality.

The Sociology major is required to take 11 courses that total 36 credits (see checklists here). Of these 11 courses, five are required and six are electives. The elective courses are organized by thematic, which correspond to core subfields within the discipline and areas of expertise among our faculty. Majors are required to take a minimum of three elective courses in a different thematic to ensure breadth of knowledge. Students may choose to take the remaining three electives in a specific thematic; this enables our majors to develop depth of knowledge by concentrating on specific areas of study that are aligned with their career goals. Students who are interested in gaining hands-on work experience may apply for an internship that can count as one elective credit towards the major. Sociology Honors students can gain research experience and demonstrate their understanding of the research process via completion of a Senior Thesis.

 

Requirements for majors declared after 9/1/21 (Current Version)

The major in sociology consists of eleven courses totaling 36 credits.

Of these eleven courses,  five are required courses and six are electives.  Prior to declaring the major in sociology, students must complete Introduction to Sociology (01:920:101) and one of the following courses: 01:920:311, 01:920:312, 01:920:313, 01:920:314, 01:920:316, 01:920:215.
Only courses with a C grade or higher may be counted toward the major. 

 Major Requirements: 11 Total Courses

5 Required Courses:

  • 01:920:101 Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)
  • 01:920:215 Six Great Reads: Explorations in Sociology (3 credits)
  • 01:920:311 Introduction to Social Research (4 credits)
  • 01:920:312 Introduction to Statistics in Sociology (4 credits)
  • 01:920:316 Social Theory (4 credits)

6 Sociology Elective Courses:

  • 3 Courses - any level (each in a different thematic - see checklist)
  • 3 Courses - 300-level or higher (in any thematic)

  

Requirements for majors declared before 9/1/21 (Previous Version)

The major in sociology consists of eleven courses totaling 36 credits.

Of these eleven courses, four are required courses and seven are electives. Prior to declaring the major in sociology, students must complete Introduction to Sociology (01:920:101) and at least one of the 4 credit courses (01:920:311,312, 313 or 314).
Only courses with a C grade or higher may be counted toward the major.

Major Requirements: 11 Total Courses

4 Required Courses

  • 01:920:101 Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)
  • and 3 of the following 4 credit courses
    • 01:920:311 Introduction to Social Research (4 credits)
    • 01:920:312 Introduction to Statistics in Sociology  (4 credits)
    • 01:920:313 Development of Sociological Theory (4 credits)
    • 01:920:314 Contemporary Sociological Theories (4 credits)

Please note: 920:313 and 920:314 will be combined into one course and will no longer be offered after the fall 2021 semester.  The new course will be 920:316 Social Theory and be available for enrollment in the Spring 2022 semester.

7 Sociology Elective courses:

  • 3 courses - any level
  • 1 course – 300-level or higher
  • 2 courses - numbered 315 or higher
  • 1 course – 400-level

No more than 6 credits of Independent Study (01:920:,493, 494, 495, 496) and no more than 3 credits of Citizenship and Service Education (01:920:399) may be applied toward the major.

  

Sociology Minor Requirements

The minor in sociology consists of at least six courses totaling 19 credits.

Of these six courses, two are core courses and four are electives. Only courses with a C grade or better may be counted toward the minor.

*NOTE: For Criminal Justice majors who minor in Sociology, the course Criminology (01:920:222) may not count toward the Sociology minor. (Spring 2014)

 

Minor Requirements: 6 Total Courses

2 Core courses

  • 01:920:101 Introduction to Sociology (3)
  • and 1 of the following 4 credit courses
    • 01:920:311 Introduction to Social Research (4)
    • 01:920:312 Computer Analysis of Social Science Data (4)
    • 01:920:316 Sociological Theory (4)

4 Sociology Elective courses

  • 1 course - any level
  • 1 course - 200-level or higher
  • 1 course - 300-level or higher
  • 1 course - numbered 315 or higher

No more than 3 credits of Citizenship and Service Education (CESEP) (01:920:399) may be applied toward the minor.

 

Policies

Transfer Students

Sociology Majors:

  • At least six courses (21 credits) must be completed at Rutgers-New Brunswick. 
  • It is highly recommended that the required Research and Theory courses be taken in New Brunswick.

Sociology Minors:

  • At least three courses (10 credits) must be completed at Rutgers-New Brunswick.

Course Prerequisites

Many courses have prerequisites. The fundamental prerequisite for all courses at the 300-level, numbered 311 or higher, is 01:920:101. That means that 01:920:101 is required for pursuing a major or minor in Sociology, or for pursuing the Criminology minor or the Health and Society minor. However, any other 920 course at the 100 or 200 level may be used in lieu of Introduction to Sociology as a prerequisite for 920:303, 920:304, 920:306, and 920:307 only, provided the student has the permission of the instructor. The prerequisite for courses numbered between 315 and 399 is any one of 01:920:311, 312, or 316, with the exception of 01:920:335 where 01:920:210 may serve as a prerequisite. For courses numbered 400 or higher, the prerequisite is any two of 01:920:311, 312, or 316.