Sociology (BA)

The Sociology major offers our students both structure and flexibility. In addition to providing students with a strong foundation in the core of the discipline, sociology at Notre Dame also encourages our students to explore and study in depth several areas of specialization, including race and ethnicity, immigration, gender, education, religion, family, crime, law, culture, social networks, and inequality.

The requirements of the major are as follows:

  1. Students must take a minimum of 31 credit hours (usually 10 courses and the proseminar which is one credit) offered by the department. Students are urged to start their major as early as possible but may declare a major or change majors at any time as long as they are able to fulfill the requirements.
  2. Central to the requirements for the major are the following four courses:
    SOC 30900 Foundations of Sociological Theory
    SOC 30902 Methods Sociological Research OR SOC 30952 International Research Design
    SOC 30903 Statistics for Sociological Research
    SOC 33090 Proseminar (1 credit)
    The above required courses should be taken as soon as possible, especially before taking any 4xxxx-level courses.
  3. Each major must take a minimum of three 4xxxx-level lecture, seminar or research courses. Internships (SOC 45000) and Directed Readings in Sociology (SOC 46000) do NOT fulfill this requirement.
  4. Each major must also acquire at least 12 credits of sociology elective courses, usually consisting of four 3-credit courses. These courses may be at any level, 10xxx–4xxxx.

Writing in Sociology

Sociology at Notre Dame emphasizes the importance of good writing skills. Most of our classes require students produce some written work and typically, our 40000 seminars require students produce a term paper. The Department’s required course, Foundations of Sociological Theory (SOC 30900) also fulfills the University’s Writing Intensive Core Requirement. All students are encouraged to write a senior thesis, which in addition to fulfilling the University’s Writing Intensive Core Requirement, allows students to develop their own research projects over the course of two semesters.

Sociology Undergraduate Honors Track

The Department of Sociology offers academically gifted and highly motivated students the opportunity to graduate with departmental honors. In order to participate in the honors track, students must be at least a first semester junior with a minimum major GPA of 3.5.

The requirements for pursuing the sociology honors track are as follows:

  • Students must maintain a 3.5 major GPA.
  • Students are required to take a 3-credit standard graded graduate level sociology course. While any graduate sociology class is open to students on the honors track, students are required to get permission from the class instructor, prior to requesting departmental approval from the DUS.
  • Including the required graduate class, students on the honors track are required to earn at least 34 credits in sociology.
  • Students are required to complete a senior thesis.