Sociology Program Curriculum

SOCIOLOGY is1:

  • the study of society
  • a social science involving the study of the social lives of people, groups, and societies
  • the study of our behavior as social beings, covering everything from the analysis of short contacts between anonymous individuals on the street to the study of global social processes
  • the scientific study of social aggregations, the entities through which humans move throughout their lives'
  • an overarching unification of all studies of humankind, including history, psychology, and economics


The major in sociology fosters innovation, communication, and critical thinking skills and a sociology degree provides students strong research, data analysis, writing, and reading skills, as well as an ability to work with diverse groups. Students will learn how sociologists go about answering questions such as: Why do some people use drugs? How can we improve the institution and delivery of medicine, and control over health care costs? How do students’ race, social class, and gender affect their school experiences?


The Sociology Program at the University of Miami provides students an excellent foundation for employment and graduate study in a variety of fields including environmental studies, medicine, public health, law, business, social work, and, of course, sociology. Famous sociology majors include First Lady Michelle Obama, President Ronald Reagan, and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 1http://www.asanet.org/about-asa/asa-story/what-sociology

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR

A minimum of 31 credits in Sociology is required for the major including:

Required courses

SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology

(3 credits)

SOC 210 Introduction to Social Research

(3 credits)

SOC 211 Quantitative Methods for Sociologists

(3 credits)

SOC 212 Quantitative Methods Lab

(1 credit)

SOC 401 Sociological Theory

(3 credits)

two of the following three courses:

SOC 301 Social Organization

(3 credits)

SOC 302 Social Psychology

(3 credits)

SOC 303 Social Inequalities

(3 credits)

Elective courses

Four other courses offered by the Department for a total of 12 credits.

Other requirements

  • A minimum final grade of C- in all courses offered by the Department.
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 in all courses offered by the Department.
  • A minimum of 16 credits must be earned in residency in the Department; thus, only a maximum of 15 credits can be transferred from other institutions as eligible credits for the SOCIOLOGY major

Note

  • PSY 291 or PSY 292 is an approved substitute course for SOC 211 by students who are Psychology majors or minors and majoring in Sociology.  
    Sociology majors who have satisfied the SOC 211 requirement by taking an approved substitute will not be required to take the corequisite SOC 212.
  • PSY 390 can be substituted for SOC 212 only by students who are also majoring in Psychology. 
  • GEG 306 can be substituted for SOC 210 and EPS 452 can be substituted for SOC 210 only by students who are also enrolled in the School of Education.

MINOR IN SOCIOLOGY

Sociology as a discipline provides an excellent supplement to a number of other fields of study. As a result, sociology can serve as a supporting minor for many other fields of study. Some of the more popular majors that often accompany a minor in sociology include: Anthropology, Business, Communication, Psychology, and Geography.

A minimum of 15 credits in Sociology is required for the minor including:

Required courses

SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology

(3 credits)


Elective courses

Four other courses offered by the Department, two of which must be 300-level or higher, for a total of 12 credits.

Other requirements

  • A minimum final grade of C- in all courses offered by the Department.
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 in all courses offered by the Department.
  • A minimum of 9 credits must be earned in residency in the Department; thus, only a maximum of 6 credits can be transferred from other institutions as eligible credits for the SOCIOLOGY minor.

Double-Major

Sociology major requirements are the same whether sociology is the sole major or part of a double major.  Common double majors are Sociology and Communication and Sociology and Psychology. Students majoring in Sociology may double-major in Criminology.  For more information, click here.