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:

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

Senior Seminar

The Senior Seminar (SOCI 4961 and 4962) is a two-semester class 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.

Foundational Topics Lecture Courses

In addition to the courses required for the major, the Sociology Department offers a wide range of lecture and seminar courses. 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 lecture topics courses that have been taught recently.

Advanced Seminar Courses

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