UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM

Welcome! The members of the Department of Sociology welcome all current and prospective sociology majors! This brief outline is designed to help you as you major or minor in sociology and prepare for your future. The Department of Sociology wishes to help you in whatever way its members can. The Department encourages you to talk with faculty members whenever you believe they can assist you, and also encourages you to take advantage of the opportunities that the department and the university have to offer to students. An expanded version of this outline is available in the Sociology Handbook, which you can obtain in office 321 of Sloan College. More information can be obtained from the Sociology Department, email. 

Click on an item or scroll down this page for information about:

Sociology - Major & Minor- Distinction - AKD - Links - Resources - Awards - Our Faculty 

Sociology: What and Why?

What is Sociology?

How do people live and act with one another? How do people create, maintain, and change social life? Sociology investigates these and other questions. Sociologists explore how people structure social life and the consequences of those structures for human behavior. Sociologists examine populations, their formation, characteristics and impact on social life. Sociologists study how people interact with one another in order to accomplish joint activity. Human behavior is social. Therefore, sociologists have broad interests. Sociologists explore families, the experiences of diverse ethnic groups, organizations, the socialization of children and youth, social networks, the life cycle of people, inequality, the institution of religion, gender, the development and change of entire societies, and much more.

Why Study Sociology?

You may wish to study sociology for many reasons. If you are curious about social life, about what people do and why and with what consequences, then you may wish to study sociology. Through studying sociology, you will develop your ability to wonder about social life and to explore it carefully. You will learn to question common sense, raise significant questions, examine arguments, synthesize information, analyze data, make conclusions, and present your understanding orally and in writing. Through a major in sociology, you can prepare yourself well for a wide range of careers. An undergraduate degree in sociology provides strong preparation for entry level positions in social service, government, and business. A major in sociology produces a firm liberal arts foundation for entering professional schools in law, education, social work, and other fields. Of course, an undergraduate degree in sociology is excellent preparation for graduate work in sociology to become a researcher, professor, or consultant. 

In 2008, the American Sociological Association prepared a Data Brief on Current Jobs, which you can read here in a pdf file: "What are they Doing with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology."

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The Sociology Major

The Department of Sociology offers two undergraduate degrees. Students may elect to earn a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in Sociology. The sociology requirements are the same for each. Please see the Undergraduate Studies Bulletin and the Guidelines for Advisement for the different requirements in mathematics, humanities, and social sciences for each degree.

The pre-major and the major requirements must be completed with a grade of C or better.

I. Pre-major Requirements

1. SOCY 101 Introductory Sociology--prerequisite for all other sociology courses.
2. SOCY 220 Elementary Statistics for Sociologists--prerequisite for SOCY 300, 310, and 320. It can be met by satisfactorily completing PSYC 227, MGSC 291, STAT 201 or an equivalent course in quantitative methods. The department encourages sociology majors to take SOCY 220.

II. Major Requirements

1. Any TWO of the following three courses are required:

SOCY 300 - Social Structures (also the prerequisite for SOCY 500 to 509)

SOCY 310 - Social Demography (also the prerequisite for SOCY 510 to 519)

SOCY 320 - Individual and Society (also the prerequisite for SOCY 520 to 529 & 557)

2. FIVE sociology courses at the 300-level or above in addition to requirement # 1. The department offers a variety of courses that explore particular areas of social life, such as the family, minority groups, aging, children and youth, collective behavior, sex roles, social problems, inequality, death and dying, education, and more.

3. TWO 500-level courses. These are intended to be small, junior/senior level seminars.

The Sociology Minor

The Sociology minor consists of 6 sociology courses for 18 hours. It begins with SOCY 101, which should be taken before the other courses in the minor. While SOCY 220 need not be the second course taken for the minor, the sociology department advises that this requirement be met early in the minor. 

1. SOCY 101 Introductory Sociology

2. SOCY 220 Elementary Statistics for Sociologists (If an equivalent statistics course, such as PSYC 227, MGSC 291, or STAT 201, or some other statistics course accepted by the sociology department is used to meet this requirement, then another sociology course will need to be taken to have a total of six sociology courses.

3. One SOCY 500-level course

4. Three other sociology courses at the 300, 400, or 500 level. SOCY 399 can be used to meet this requirement.

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Distinction in Sociology

To graduate with Distinction in Sociology, a student must earn at least a 3.5 grade point average in sociology and at least a 3.5 in non-sociology courses. In addition, the student must plan and conduct his/her own research project described and presented in a paper. The student who seeks graduation with Distinction must select one faculty member to chair the committee that guides and evaluates his/her work. The committee will be composed of at least three faculty members including the chair. The student and the chair of the committee will consult with one another to select the other members. To meet the requirements necessary for Distinction, the student must successfully defend his/her proposal and final paper to the committee. Upon the completion and acceptance of the paper, the student will receive three hours credit in Sociology 698 (independent research). Other requirements to attain a degree in sociology will remain the same. Ideally, the project should be finished within two semesters. The consensus of the committee is necessary to pass the two oral defenses. Research projects must conform to the University’s policy on the treatment of human subjects. Proposals must additionally be subjected to the scrutiny of the Sociology Department’s ethics committee.

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Alpha Kappa Delta

The University of South Carolina, Columbia hosts the GAMMA chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, the international sociological honor society. Sociology majors (and other students with a serious interest in sociology) maybe eligible to become members. Look for announcements each year concerning this opportunity.

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Links

USC Undergraduate Studies Bulletin - Includes information about Admissions, Regulations, Student Life, Fees and Refunds, Financial Aid and Scholarships, and Academic Programs. 

Undergraduate Studies - Information from the Office of the Dean of Arts & Sciences. Includes information on undergraduate scholarships.

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Career Resources: Some Useful Documents

USC Career Center - Useful Resources for Career Planning, Career Center, 6th floor, William H. Close Building (Business Administration College building), (803) 777-7280. career@sc.edu

Career and Job Information (including job listings) - Specifically designed for students interested in various areas of application in sociology. 

Graduate School Resources - Options for continued education. 

The Arts and Sciences Career Development Program - Paving the way for students' success following graduation. 

Community Service Programs (for developing service opportunities in the community) - #039 of Russell House Student Union, lower west wing, (803) 777-5780. 

Embarking Upon a Career with an Undergraduate Degree in Sociology - American Sociological Association, 1722 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036-2981, (202) 833-3410.

Career Exploration: Every semester devote some time (perhaps one hour each week) to career exploration.  Use the services of the Career Center; search the web to learn about careers; where possible, tie a course assignment to a potential career; do a phone interview with people in careers that interest you and shadow them for part of a day; go to USC's Career Festivals to learn more about careers and employers even if you're not a senior; consider taking SOCY 399 (Independent Study in Sociology) and tie what you do in it to career interests; use volunteer activities and part-time jobs for learning about careers and developing career skills, and more! Ask supervisors to write letters of recommendation for you when you end a volunteer activity or part-time job.  You'll have those recommendation letters to use for future job applications. Use the Career Center at the start of your senior year to look for your first job upon graduation.

Check the workshops for grants held during Fall 2011!