The Sociology major provides students with an understanding of the fundamental processes of social interaction that underlie all social organization and change. Beyond book and library study, students are required to develop skills in computer analysis and in survey and field research. Students may

1. Major in sociology,
2. Major in sociology with a concentration in criminology,
3. Complete the social studies licensure for secondary teachers with a major in sociology,
4. Major in both sociology and another field, or
5. Minor in sociology.

Requirements for these six options are described separately below.

Student Learning Goals

Sociology majors at UNC Greensboro will be expected to:

• Define and apply basic sociological concepts used in micro and macro sociological theory
• Explain the difference between personal opinion and theoretical insight based on research and between structural and individualistic explanations of human action
• Know how to formulate research hypotheses, collect, and do basic analysis of data
• Evaluate the appropriateness of various theories and research methods for answering different types of empirical questions
• Explain the differences among and the uses of different types of sociological research methods
• Be able to recognize and respond appropriately to the ethical issues involved in studying human subjects and organizations

Overall Requirements

• 120 credit hours, to include at least 36 credits at or above the 300 course level.
• All sociology majors must complete a minimum of 36 credit hours in sociology with at least a 2.0 GPA in the major.

Degree Program Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
University Requirements
General Education Requirements (MAC)
College of Arts and Sciences Additional Requirements (CIC)

Major Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Requirements		18
SOC 101	Introduction to Sociology
SOC 225	Race, Class, and Gender: Social Inequalities
SOC 290	Social Theory I
SOC 301	Introduction to Methods and Research
SOC 302	Introduction to Data Analysis
SOC 490	Social Theory II
Related Area Requirements		18
Select six additional Sociology courses, four of which must be taken at the 300 level or above

Related Area Requirements

See the Sociology Department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies for related course recommendations.

Optional Concentrations

Any of the optional concentrations as detailed following the major requirements may be added, but a concentration is not required. 

• Criminology and Justice Studies
• Sociology with Social Studies High School Teaching Licensure

Electives

Electives sufficient to complete the 120 credit hours required for degree.

Criminology and Justice Studies Concentration Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Required		18
SOC 222	Sociology of Deviant Behavior
SOC 324	Criminology
Select at least three of the following:
SOC 317	Criminal Justice
SOC 323	Deviance and Social Control
SOC 332	Law and Society
SOC 350	Juvenile Delinquency
SOC 373	Green Criminology
SOC 381	Criminal Justice Controversies
SOC 382	Police and Society
SOC 390	African American Perspectives on Crime
SOC 393	Drugs and Society
SOC 419	Gender, Crime, and Deviance
SOC 420	Family Violence
SOC 422	Crimes of the Powerful
SOC 425	Contemporary Gangs in America
SOC 429	Collective Violence and Nonviolence in Global Perspective
SOC 434	Considering Ourselves as Offenders, Victims and Survivors
Select one additional Sociology course *

*

May be any Sociology (SOC) elective or may be chosen from the previous list.

Sociology with Social Studies High School Teaching Licensure Concentration Requirements

• Minimum of 45 credit hours in social studies beyond the requirements for the Sociology major

Teacher Licensure Requirements

The courses listed below satisfy competencies for the Standard Professional I License in Secondary Social Studies.

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Additional Requirements for Teacher Licensure		45
ECO 201	Principles of Microeconomics
or ECO 202	Principles of Macroeconomics
HIS 308	Navigating World History
HIS 316	Interpreting American History
HIS 430	Historical Methods for Social Studies Teachers
HIS 440	Principles and Practices for Teaching History
Choose one additional 300-level history course
The following courses must be taken in a specified sequence, terminating in student teaching in the spring semester of the senior year. See the online Secondary Education Handbook for more information.
TED 435	Literacy in the Content Area
ERM 405	Measurement and Assessment in Teaching
TED 444	Educational Psychology for the Secondary Grades
TED 445	Human Diversity, Teaching, and Learning
TED 453	Teaching Practices and Curriculum in Social Studies
TED 465	Student Teaching: Secondary School
TED 466	Student Teaching Seminar

Disciplinary Honors in Sociology

Requirements

• A minimum of 12 credit hours as defined below.
• UNC Greensboro cumulative GPA of 3.30 or better or, for transfer students, cumulative GPA of 3.30 or better from all prior institutions.

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Required		3
HSS 490	Senior Honors Project
6 credits of Honors course work in the major		6
3 credits of Honors course work in the major or another area		3

Recognition

Receive a Certificate of Disciplinary Honors in Sociology; have that accomplishment, along with the title of the Senior Honors Project, noted on the official transcript; and be recognized at a banquet held at the end of the spring semester.

Honors Advisor

Contact Tad Skotnicki at tpskotni@uncg.edu for further information and guidance about Honors in Sociology. To apply: https://honorscollege.uncg.edu/disciplinary-honors/disciplinary-honors-admissions