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.
All students must contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) to register as a major or minor. As of Fall 2024, the DUGS is Professor Brian McCabe, BrianMcCabe@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: 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
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 list of the foundational courses that have been taught recently.
- Criminology
- 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
- Engaging Difference: Race and Ethnicity
- 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
- Immigrants, Refugees, and the State
- Interpersonal Violence
- Public Housing: Theory and Practice
- Race and Politics
- The Politics of Community
- Technology, Fertility, and Human Reproduction
- Transgender Issues