Sociology (2022 - 2024)
Major in Sociology
The sociology major consists of nine 4-point courses (36 points) completed with a grade of C or better, as follows:
- Introduction to Sociology (SOC-UA 1)
- Sociological Theory (SOC-UA 111)
- Research Methods (SOC-UA 301)
- Statistics for Social Research (SOC-UA 302)
- Senior capstone. One of the following:
- Research Capstone (SOC-UA 940 or 941); or
- Senior Honors Research Seminars (SOC-UA 950 and 951). Please see honors program (below).
- Note that the prerequisite for the senior capstone is Research Methods (SOC-UA 301).
- Four SOC-UA electives. Students may substitute up to two social science courses taken in other departments with the approval of the director of undergraduate studies. The second semester of Senior Honors Research Seminar (SOC-UA 951) counts as an elective for the major.
Policies Applying to the Major
Advanced Placement or other advanced standing credit in statistics does not satisfy the required course Statistics for Social Research (SOC-UA 302). This policy applies to students who matriculate in CAS in and after fall, 2020.
Of the nine courses required for the major, transfer students must take at least five (20 points) in the College of Arts and Science.
Major in Global Public Health/Sociology
This major draws on the Department of Sociology's strength in theoretical creativity and substantive empirical research on important social issues. Global public health/sociology graduates may go on to a diverse array of careers in law, health, public administration, and social service, as well as further graduate study in sociology, public health, or related disciplines.
Students in this combined major must consult with the DUS or other departmental adviser to work out a course plan, especially as this major requires students to study away for one semester. The following are the fifteen courses (60 points) that must be completed with a grade of C or higher [please note that the post-intermediate language requirement for the major applies only to students who matriculated before fall 2021; if they are granted a waiver or exemption from the requirement, they must take an additional (third) 4-point elective in the major. Students who matriculate in and after fall 2021 have no post-intermediate language requirement for this major, and are all required to take three major electives]:
Global public health requirements (six courses/24 points):
- Health and Society in a Global Context (UGPH-GU 10; no prerequisites)
- Biostatistics for Public Health (UGPH-GU 20). This satisfies the College Core Curriculum requirement in Quantitative Reasoning.
- Epidemiology for Global Health (UGPH-GU 30)
- Health Policy in a Global World (UGPH-GU 40)
- Environmental Health in a Global World (UGPH-GU 50)
- Undergraduate Experiential Learning in Global Public Health (UGPH-GU 60)
Note well: UGPH-GU 10 is the prerequisite or corequisite for UGPH-GU 20, 30, 40, and 50. UGPH-GU 30 is an additional (recommended) prerequisite or corequisite for UGPH-GU 40. In addition, UGPH-GU 10, 20, and 30 are firm prerequisites for UGPH-GU 60.
One foreign language course above the intermediate two level (one course/4 points):
- This requirement applies only to students who matriculated before fall 2021; students who matriculate in and after fall 2021 do not take this additional course.
- Students in the former category may petition for a waiver from the requirement, or may use an NYU language placement or language exemption exam to meet this requirement. If they successfully waive or exempt out of the requirement, they must take an additional (third) 4-point major elective (see below) to satisfy the total number of credits required for the major. For more details, consult the archived PDF of the 2020-2022 CAS Bulletin at bulletin.cas.nyu.edu, or discuss with a major adviser.
- Students in the latter category are all required to take a third elective in the major (see below) to replace the discontinued (for them) 4-point post-intermediate language requirement and satisfy the total number of credits required for the major.
Sociology requirements (four courses/16 points):
- Introduction to Sociology (SOC-UA 1)
- Sociological Theory (SOC-UA 111)
- Research Methods (SOC-UA 301)
- Advanced Seminar in Sociology (SOC-UA 934 through 939)
Sociology electives (two courses/8 points), to be chosen from the list below. Electives not listed require the approval of the director of undergraduate studies:
- Sex and Gender (SOC-UA 21)
- Race and Ethnicity (SOC-UA 135)
- Wealth, Power, Status: Inequality in Society (SOC-UA 137)
- Social Policy in Modern Societies (SOC-UA 313)
- Sociology of Medicine (SOC-UA 414)
- The Family (SOC-UA 451)
- Immigration (SOC-UA 452)
- Cities, Communities, and Urban Life (SOC-UA 460)
Major electives (three courses/12 points):
- Three additional electives must be completed in the GPH program or sociology, by advisement. For students who matriculate in and after fall 2021, the third elective replaces the discontinued (for them) post-intermediate language requirement in this major.
- Students who matriculated before fall 2021 technically have a major elective requirement of only two courses/8 points; however, if they waive or exempt out of the major's post-intermediate language requirement, they must take a third major elective for 4 points.
All majors must also study away for one semester.
For the sociology portion of the major, students may substitute up to two social science courses taken in other departments with the approval of the director of undergraduate studies.
For descriptions of GPH (UGPH-GU) courses and for all policies applying to the GPH portion of the major (including those for transfer students), please see the global public health section of this Bulletin.
Minor
The sociology minor consists of four 4-point courses (16 points): Introduction to Sociology (SOC-UA 1), plus three other courses in sociology. Students must earn grades of C or better in their minor courses. Of the four courses required for the minor, all students (including transfer students) must take at least three 4-point courses (12 points) in the department.
Honors Program
Students with at least a 3.65 GPA both overall and in the major (or who have permission of the director of undergraduate studies) may elect to participate in our honors program.
In the fall of senior year, honors students register for the first term of Senior Honors Research Seminar (SOC-UA 950) to develop and structure their research projects. The faculty member teaching the course assists students in finding faculty thesis advisers. In the spring of senior year, honors students take the second term of Senior Honors Research Seminar (SOC-UA 951) and work under the supervision of their selected adviser. The second semester of the Senior Honors Research Seminar (SOC-UA 951) counts as one of the required elective courses for the major.