OVERVIEW OF DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 120
Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0
Minimum Grade requirements for courses to count toward major: At least a “C” in either ENG 201, or ENG 315, or ENG 317; at least a “C-” in a statistics course; at least a “C” in each of the Core Requirements except for SOC 101.
Other GPA requirements to graduate: 2.0 for the 27 credits of required and elective Sociology courses.
Required Course(s) for fulfilling Capstone Experience: SOC 499 or six credits of SOC 493 or successful completion of an Honors College thesis
Contact Information: Steven E. Barkan, Interim Chair, 201A Fernald Hall, 581-2383, barkan@maine.edu
As a core discipline in the Liberal Arts, Sociology offers courses designed to further the student’s understanding and critical analysis of society. Our curriculum provides students with a sociological understanding of the sources and consequences of social inequality and the impact of race, ethnicity, social class, and gender on social institutions and social behavior. Our courses focus on such questions as-How does our social background influence our attitudes and behavior? What are the chances for full equality between women and men? What can we do to reduce the problems of poverty and crime? What options do people have to change their groups, organizations, and culture? What kind of family forms are emerging in the post-industrial world? Why are rates of physical and mental illness unusually high in some areas of society?
These are just a few of the many questions that Sociology seeks to answer. Sociology explores and challenges common assumptions about the world around us and addresses many of the problems facing us in the present: the growing health care crisis; drug use and abuse; violence and discrimination against women and minorities; divorce; and the growing feminization of poverty.
Sociology faculty seek in all our classes to encourage students to look at society in new ways. We are deeply committed to high-quality undergraduate teaching. We offer a welcoming, student-centered atmosphere, and our students typically tell us how much they appreciate the attention the Sociology faculty and staff show them inside and outside the classroom.
The Department offers an optional concentration within the major: Crime, Law, and Justice. We also offer a minor in Sociology.
The Sociology curriculum provides excellent preparation for a variety of careers. Employers are increasingly interested in hiring individuals who know about social interaction and organizational behavior. Sociology provides this knowledge and helps you develop your skills in written and oral communication, critical thinking and problem solving, and research methods and data analysis. Opportunities exist for employment in fields such as: criminal justice, public relations, human resources management, industrial relations, organizational research, marketing, family counseling, community planning, teaching, and health care.
Requirements
- Satisfy general education requirements.
- Core requirements for a Sociology major (12 credits): SOC 101, SOC 390, SOC 460, SOC 499.
- Sociology Electives (15 Credits): Six of the 15 credits must be 300 or 400- level Sociology courses. SOC 219 may not be taken as an elective.
- One of the following courses must be passed with a grade of “C” or better: ENG 201, or ENG 315, or ENG 317. One of the following statistics courses must be passed with a grade of “C-” or better: ANT 462, STS 215, STS 232, PSY 241, SOC 219.
- All Core Requirements (except SOC 101) must be successfully completed with a grade of “C” or better. The GPA for all courses, required and elective, taken for the Sociology major must be at least 2.0.
- Residency Requirement: All students in Sociology must take at least 15 credits of UM Courses (excluding SOC 101) in order to earn the degree.
- Sociology majors who complete an Honors College thesis are not required to take SOC 499-Senior Seminar. If they choose not to take this course, they instead must take a substitute upper-level Sociology elective to ensure that they graduate with at least 27 Sociology credits. This requirement of a substitute course shall take effect for students entering the university Fall 2017.
The requirements listed on this page are specific to this particular major. Students are also responsible for meeting any graduation requirements set out by their college. Students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) should make sure to review those requirements as stated on the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences page of the catalog.
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