Majoring in Sociology

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 year. All students must contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) to register as a major or minor. The current DUGS is Professor Kathleen Guidroz, kg578@georgetown.edu. Prospective majors must schedule an interview with the DUGS.

Requirements for Undergraduate Major

To major in Sociology, students must have an overall GPA of a C+ or higher. We strongly recommend students take Introduction to Sociology before enrolling in other courses in the department. Please consult course descriptions for more information.

Students majoring in Sociology are required to take 10 courses in the department: 6 required courses, 2 core topics courses, and 2 advanced seminar courses. 

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-Semester Senior Seminar (SOCI 4961 and 4962) [6 credit hours]
  • Two Core Topics Courses
  • Two Advanced Seminar Courses

Below is the recommended timeline for students to take the required major courses: 

  • Introduction to Sociology (SOCI 1001) – take first before enrolling in other sociology courses
  • Methods of Social Research (SOCI 2901) – take in junior year
  • Sociological Theory (SOCI 2902) – take in junior year or before spring semester of senior year
  • Statistics for Social Research (SOCI 2903) – take during junior year

The Senior Seminar (SOCI 4961 and 4962) is a two-semester class that seniors take in their last year before graduation. The Seminar is a capstone course in which the primary effort is to conduct a substantial social research project culminating with the writing of a senior thesis. Students choose the topic for the senior thesis from a subject area in which the student has already taken some coursework.

In addition to required courses that majors take, the Sociology Department offers other types of courses. Core topics lecture courses introduce students to the main subfields of Sociology, including gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, education, social inequality, social movements, criminology, and demography.  Below is a list of core topics courses taught recently.

  • Criminology
  • Culture and Consumption
  • Education and Society
  • 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

Advanced seminar courses offer students an opportunity to engage in-depth with particular topics in the discipline. Recent advanced seminars include the following:

  • Consumer Culture in East Asia
  • Engaging Difference: Race and Ethnicity
  • Environmental and Food Justice Movements 
  • 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 
  • Immigrants, Refugees and the State
  • Interpersonal Violence
  • Public Housing: Theory and Practice
  • Race and Politics
  • Race, Society and Cinema
  • The Politics of Community
  • Transgender Issues