UNDERGRADUATE
major
Sociology Major
All courses taken to fulfill sociology requirements must be taken within CAS (unless transfer-of-credit courses, pending department approval; for other exceptions, see sections on "Metropolitan College" and "College of General Studies" below). For students entering Boston University in September 1995 and thereafter, the new concentration requirements comprise ten sociology courses and a statistics course, as described below. Those choosing the former requirements must meet with the director of undergraduate studies to declare that choice and to verify the requirements. All courses for the major must be completed with grades of C or higher.
The sociology concentration is as follows:
- Required Courses: One introductory sociology course from CAS SO 100-115
- Required Courses in Theory and Methods: SO 201, SO 203, and SO 303.
- Principal Courses: Six additional sociology courses at the 200 level or above; at least four of the six must be at the 300 level or above.
- Of these six courses, at least two must be seminars. A seminar typically enrolls no more than 20 students, who participate in the instruction by presenting original research in class. It is recommended that students take at least one seminar in which sociological inquiry is carried out through field research (e.g. CAS SO 410, 418, 420, 444). Seminars must be taken within the department.
- CAS AA 505 and CAS EC 326 may be substituted as principal courses equivalent to sociology courses.
- Statistics Requirement: Students must take at least one course in statistical analysis from CAS MA 113, 115, and 213.
- Course Selection: Students may wish to take a number of their courses in one or more areas of specialization, such as law, criminology, and deviance (e.g., CAS SO 115, 209, 330, 415, 559); sociology of the family (e.g., CAS SO 205, 404); urban, race, and ethnic relations (CAS SO 207, 244, 417, CAS AA 510, CAS EC 326); work and organization (e.g., CAS SO 277, 304, 333, 410); sociology of culture (e.g., CAS SO 437, 444); and comparative-historical sociology (e.g., CAS SO 242, 420).
- Students planning to pursue graduate or honors work are advised to take an advanced theory course (e.g. CAS SO 414, 415, 534)
Courses Taken Through Metropolitan College
Metropolitan College courses are treated as transfer-of-credit courses in sociology. A junior or senior may use just one MET course towards the major or minor concentration. The MET course can be counted at no higher than the 200 level in sociology regardless of the MET course number. MET courses cannot be used to satisfy the required SO201 or SO203 courses.
MET courses cannot be used to satisfy 300-level courses or seminars for the major or minor in sociology and must be approved by the student’s adviser.
Course Credits for Students Admitted from the College of General Studies
CGS students should avoid enrolling in the following CAS courses to avoid duplication of course work. CAS will grant NO CREDIT for these courses: SO 100, 104, 108, 115
Sociology concentrators from CGS will receive pre-requisite course credit for SS101, 102 at grade C or better as equivalent to the required introductory course (SO100, 104, 108, or 115).
Concentration and Minor Concentration Credits for Core Curriculum Courses
Students who have completed the two social science courses (CC203 AND CC204) in the core curriculum (with grades of C or higher) will receive concentration credit (for either the major or minor) for the introductory sociology course.
Transfer Credit
Students planning to either study abroad or take courses at other institutions are required to obtain advance approval that such work fits into their program of study. In the case of transfer courses, past or future, the student should obtain the approval of the Department's Director of Undergraduate Studies by taking the course syllabus and the green transfer approval form (available at CAS 105) to the director.
