Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
MAJOR AND MINOR DESCRIPTIONS BY DEPARTMENT
SOCIOLOGY
This is an exciting time of dramatic social change, both nationally and internationally. Global processes are integrating the world and creating the “global village.” At the same time, old hostilities based on ethnic solidarity are re-emerging and tearing the social fabric of various parts of the world. The U.S. economy is undergoing structural change, which, in turn, is altering the occupational structure; the United States is becoming more multicultural, and the meanings of “community” are shifting. In these changes there are huge benefits for some and heavy costs for others. “Social problems” (e.g., health care availability, poverty, crime, or threats to the environment) are not marginal to societies but integral to them.
Sociologists try to understand these phenomena. For some, this means informing public policy; for others, the social world is simply one of the most interesting things to study. Sociologists study social organization. For some, this means examining societies—how they are structured, how they work, and how they change. Other sociologists study how small social groups work and how they change. This includes the social networks that people form as part of their social life. Issues of race, class, and gender affect the opportunities and constraints faced by different groups in society. Sociologists study how people belong to families, groups, and organizations—how people develop identities and how their social organizations become real. Sociologists also focus on broad patterns of social organization socialization, education, welfare, health care, etc. In short, the social world is endlessly fascinating.
For more information on the sociology major, the sociology minor, and the Department of Sociology, see www.sociology.pitt.edu.
Major Requirements
A total of 27 credits in sociology and four credits in statistics, distributed as follows, are required for completion of the major.
One of the following courses.
- SOC 0002 Sociology of Everyday Life
- SOC 0005 Societies
- SOC 0010 Introduction to Sociology
Both of the following courses.
- SOC 0230 Social Research Methods
- SOC 0150 Social Theory
One of the following courses.
- STAT 0200 Basic Applied Statistics
- STAT 1000 Applied Statistical Methods
- SOC 1500 Capstone Research Practicum for Majors
- At least 6 credits from advanced-level courses (1000-level). Internships and directed study do not count toward these 6 credits.
- Nine additional elective credits in SOC courses must be taken to complete the major.
In addition, sociology majors must adhere to these rules and requirements.
- A minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in all departmental courses is required to graduate.
- Sociology majors may take no more than 6 of their 27 credits under the S/NC option. . After declaring the sociology major, students may not take SOC 0150 Social Theory and SOC 0230 Social Research Methods on the S/NC basis.
- Sociology majors must complete the 12-credit required Dietrich School related area. Acceptable related areas include anthropology, Africana studies, computer science, economics, history, mathematics, philosophy, political science, psychology, or religious studies. In special cases, the sociology advisor may approve some other field to satisfy this requirement, such as the study of an international area or second language.
The Department of Sociology offers courses that are particularly suitable for the following special programs.
- Pre-education
- SOC 0426 Society and the Child
- SOC 0478 Youth and Society
- Pre-law
- SOC 0471 Deviance and Social Control
- SOC 0472 Introduction to Criminology
- SOC 0474 Society and the Law
- SOC 1443 Juvenile Delinquency
- SOC 1516 Organized Crime
- SOC 1518 White Collar Crime
- Pre-social work
- SOC 0424 Small Groups
- SOC 0438 Sociology of the Family
- SOC 0460 Minority Groups
- SOC 0471 Deviance and Social Control
- SOC 0477 Medical Sociology
- SOC 1413 Marriage
- SOC 1450 Health and Illness
- Pre-medical
- SOC 0312 Science in Society
- SOC 0441 Professions and the Dying Patient
- SOC 0475 Sociology of Aging
- SOC 0477 Medical Sociology
- SOC 1370 Gender and Health Worldwide
- SOC 1450 Health and Illness
- SOC 1467 Topics in Mental Health and Illness
- SOC 1470 Research on Aging
- SOC 1488 History of Medicine and Healthcare
- Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
- SOC 0436 Social Aspects of Sexuality
- SOC 0446 Sociology of Gender
- SOC 1333 Comparative Perspectives on Women
- SOC 1365 Race, Gender, and Development
- SOC 1448 Working Women
Minor Requirements
A minor in sociology requires the following distribution of courses for a total of 15 credits:
- One of the following courses.
- SOC 0002 Sociology of Everyday Life
- SOC 0005 Societies
- SOC 0010 Introduction to Sociology
- SOC 0150 Social Theory
- SOC 0230 Social Research Methods
- An elective in sociology
- One elective upper-level sociology course (1000–2000)