Major Requirements

Listed below are the requirements for the Sociology major. In addition to the requirements for the major, students must also satisfy all of the university general education requirements and the College of Letters & Science breadth and other degree requirements. Degree requirements will vary depending on when you took your first college class. You are strongly advised to consult your advisor to ensure you stay on track towards a degree. Read more about the degree requirements on the L&S Degree Requirements web pages.

Requirements

Total Sociology Credits

30 credits

Required Courses (12 credits)
  • Sociol 261 - Introduction to Statistical Thinking in Sociology
    (With the approval of the undergraduate advisor, students who have completed an elementary statistics course in another discipline may be exempted from the Sociol 261 requirement.)
  • Sociol 361 - Research Methods in Sociology (satisfies L&S research requirement)
  • Sociol 375 - History of Sociological Theory
  • Sociol 376 - Modern Sociological Theory
Electives (18 credits)

Students must complete at least 15 upper-division (numbered 300 and above) credits in the major in residence at UWM.

GPA Requirements

The College requires that students attain at least a 2.000 GPA on all credits in the major, including any transfer work.

Honors in the Major

Sociology majors who have maintained at least a 3.0 GPA overall and a 3.5 GPA in courses taken for the major are awarded the distinction "Honors in the Major" when they graduate. An "Honors in the Major" notation will appear on the student's transcript. In addition, majors who maintained at least a 3.0 GPA overall and a 3.3 GPA in courses taken for the major are invited to join Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociology Honor Society. Sociology faculty members annually select academically talented majors for both the "Distinguished Scholar Award" as well as the "Joan W. Moore Service Scholar Award." Both awards are presented to an accomplished junior or senior in the major each spring at the department's award ceremony.