Bachelor of Arts - Sociology Major

Degree Guide

Provides a general overview of majoring in Sociology and can be used to assist you in thinking about your academic and career pathways.

Pathways

We have organized our courses into twelve pathways to assist students in identifying areas of interest within the Sociology program.  

Course Requirements

A major in Sociology requires a minimum of ★33 as follows:

• SOC 100 - Introductory Sociology
• SOC 210 - Introduction to Social Statistics
• SOC 212 - Classical Social Theory
• SOC 315 - Introduction to Social Methodology
• SOC 335 - Themes in Contemporary Social Theory
• ★6 in SOC at the 300- or 400-level
• ★6 in SOC at the 400-level
  
  Two (★6) from:

• SOC 241 - Social Psychology (see Note 2 below)
• SOC 251 - Population and Society
• SOC 260 - Inequality and Social Stratification
• SOC 269 - Introductory Sociology of Globalization

 

Note 1: Sociology majors may take additional Sociology courses, up to a maximum of *48 senior level Sociology courses (above requirements, plus ★18 optional senior level Sociology courses). Senior level coursework is considered 200-level, 300-level and 400-level.

Note 2: Students who have taken PSYCO 241 cannot also take SOC 241 for credit. PSYCO 241 may be used to meet this requirement, however, ★3 from SOC 251, SOC 260, and SOC 269 must be completed. An additional ★3 optional Senior SOC course is also required, to meet the ★30 Senior-level SOC required for the major. 

Note 3: Faculty of Arts students who have already taken Stat 141 or 151 must still take SOC 210, since it is a requirement for the SOC major. 

Note 4: R SOC 355 and R SOC 450 have been approved for cross-listing as applicable to a major or minor in Sociology.

Declaring or Changing your Major

If you are currently in the Bachelor of Arts (BA) program, and would like to officially declare or change your major to Sociology, submit an on-line Google Form titled Declaration or Change of Major/Minor. The Arts Undergraduate Student Services office will process your request. Please allow 10 business days for your record to be updated.

Design your Degree! In addition to your major area of study, students have opportunities (e.g., Certificate in Applied Social Science Research) to develop research based skills and potentially apply them in the community setting. Research projects through courses and faculty mentorship can provide hands-on learning. Students also have the opportunity for experiential learning through Community Service-Learning (CSL) courses and certificates in Arts (e.g., Certificate in Community Engagement and Service-Learning). Additionally, paid work experience through Arts Work Experience (AWE) is available to students. Students are encouraged to attend information sessions offered by CSL and AWE to learn more about these unique opportunities, qualifications, application process, deadlines, and how to fulfill the requirements while completing their undergraduate studies.

It is recommended that Sociology majors:

• Register in SOC 100 in the first year
• Register in the required statistics/methods (SOC 210/SOC 315) and theory courses (SOC 212/SOC 335) earlier in your program, rather than later. These are important foundational courses!
• Check ahead to see what 200-, 300-, and 400-level courses most interest you to build in appropriate prerequisite courses into your program.
• Refer to your Academic Requirements report on Bear Tracks to track the progress of degree completion.
• Refer to the FAQ's and Tip Sheets and Video Tutorials, such as the BA Tip Sheet, provided by the Faculty of Arts, for additional information and support. 
• View a detailed overview of the BA degree program requirements in the Calendar.
• Consider adding one or more minors, and/or one or more Certificates to your degree.  Double majors (up to 2) are also permitted.
  
  NEW: BA students can now apply for a Business Minor.  See the application form for eligibility requirements.

Department Contact

Pamela Minty
Sociology Undergraduate Advisor
5-27 HM Tory Building
socundergrad@ualberta.ca
780.492.0468

Program Questions?

SAMPLE Year 1 Class Schedule
(based on *30)