The Department of Sociology offers a major in Sociology. Students who wish to apply to major in Sociology may declare at any time during the academic year. To declare the major, students must complete the Introduction to Sociology course with a C+ or higher.
All students must contact Professor Brian McCabe (BrianMcCabe@georgetown.edu) the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) to register as a major.
Requirements for Undergraduate Major
Students majoring in Sociology are required to take 10 courses in the department: six (6) required courses, two (2) foundational topics courses (3000-level), and two (2) advanced seminar courses (4000-level).
Required courses for the major:
- Introduction to Sociology (SOCI 1001)
- Methods of Social Research (SOCI 2901)
- Sociological Theory (SOCI 2902)
- Statistics for Social Research (SOCI 2903)
- Two (2) Senior Thesis Seminars (SOCI 4961 in Fall and 4962 in Spring) [6 credit hours]
- Two (2) Foundational Topics Courses (3000-level)
- Two (2) Advanced Seminar Courses (4000-level)
Recommended Timeline
Below is the recommended timeline for students to take the required major courses:
- Introduction to Sociology (SOCI 1001) – First or Second Year
- Methods of Social Research (SOCI 2901) – Third Year
- Sociological Theory (SOCI 2902) – Second or Third Year
- Statistics for Social Research (SOCI 2903) – Second or Third Year
- Senior Thesis Seminar (I and II) – Senior Year
Students must complete SOCI 2901, SOCI 2902 and SOCI 2903 before enrolling in the Senior Seminar. These courses cannot be taken concurrently with the Senior Seminar.
Students moving to the Capitol Campus during their junior year or studying abroad for the entire year can petition the instructor to take SOCI 2901 during their sophomore year. Otherwise, students must take SOCI 2901 during their junior year.
Senior Thesis Seminar
The Senior Thesis Seminar (SOCI 4961 and 4962) is a two-semester capstone course in which students conduct research and complete the Senior Thesis. Students should select a topic that relates to an area/subfield of sociology in which they have taken courses.
Foundational Topics Courses
In addition to the courses required for the major, the Sociology Department offers a wide range of foundational topics courses. These lecture courses introduce students to the main subfields of sociology, including religion, family, gender and sexuality, health and illness, race and ethnicity, education, social inequality, social movements, criminology, and urban studies. Below is a partial list of the foundational courses that have been taught recently.
- Culture and Consumption
- Economic Sociology
- Education and Society
- Environmental Sociology
- Family and Society
- Law and Society
- Political Sociology
- Population Studies
- Privilege and Powerlessness
- Race and Ethnic Relations
- Religion and Society
- Social Inequality
- Social Movements
- Sociology of Gender
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- Sociology of Sexualities
- The City: Approaches to Urban Studies
- Youth and Society
Advanced Seminar Courses
Advanced seminar courses offer students an opportunity to engage in-depth with specialized topics in the discipline. Recent advanced seminars include the following:
- Climate Change
- Consumer Culture in East Asia
- Environmental and Food Justice
- Family Diversity in America
- Foods, Farms, and Society
- Gentrification, Justice, and the Future of Cities
- Global Development and Social Justice
- Global Power Elites
- Happiness and Society
- Housing Policy in America
- Immigrants, Refugees, and the State
- Interpersonal Violence
- Race and Politics
- The Politics of Community
- Technology, Fertility, and Human Reproduction
- Transgender Issues
Study Abroad
With the approval of the DUS, Sociology Majors who study abroad may transfer up to three courses toward the major for a year abroad and two courses toward the major for a semester abroad. Typically, eligible courses are either taught by a Sociologist or in a Sociology Department abroad. Before studying abroad, students should review their proposal with the DUS.
Transfer Students
Transfer Students who want to major in Sociology can transfer credits from their previous institution in consultation with their Dean and DUS. They can typically transfer up to four of their Sociology courses for the major, and the other six courses need to be taken in the Sociology Department at Georgetown.