Sociology Major

Program Requirements

  • Total Units Required: 31-36 (credits may vary based on capstone option)
  • Grade Requirement: Courses that satisfy major requirements must be completed with a letter grade of C- or better. Courses taken on a Pass/No Pass basis do not satisfy program requirements, save for internships used for capstone credit.

Required Courses

The major requires the successful completion of 10 courses:

  1. Introductory requirement (6 credits): Any two 1000- or 2000-level Sociology courses. Students may substitute an upper-level Sociology elective for one of their two introductory courses with the written approval of their major advisor.
  2. Theory requirement (3 credits): Either SOC 3000 Social Theory or SOC 3003 Black Feminist Theory
  3. Methods requirement (6 credits): SOC 3030 Introduction to Research Methods and SOC 3040 Statistics for Sociology 
    We strongly encourage students to enroll in Sociology's statistics course. However, students may substitute SDS 2020 Elementary Probability and Statistics, SDS 3020 Elementary to Intermediate Statistics and Data Analysis, or a social science statistics course for SOC 3040 Statistics for Sociology with the written approval of their major advisor. Courses used to fulfill other programs' major or minor requirements cannot be used in this substitution. Majors who receive approval to fulfill this requirement with a course from another department or university are required to take an additional upper-level Sociology elective in lieu of SOC 3040 Statistics for Sociology for a total of six upper-level Sociology electives rather the standard five. 
  4. Upper-level Sociology electives (15 credits): Any five 3000- or 4000-level Sociology courses. An independent learning course (i.e., independent research, a teaching assistantship, or an internship) can fulfill one of these five elective course requirements. Courses taken to fulfill Theory and Methods requirements cannot count toward upper-level elective program credit.
  5. Capstone: Majors need to complete one of the following options:

(1) Capstone project (1 to 3 credits): A capstone project in Sociology usually resembles a paper like an extended literature review. It can also be a more creative project, such as a podcast, art installation, or community lecture. Regardless of the final product the student submits, capstone projects need to align with a course taken during or prior to the semester in which they intend to complete the capstone — usually in one's junior or senior years. Typically, the faculty instructor of the selected class will serve as the capstone project advisor; however, Sociology faculty (and in some cases, faculty affiliates) may oversee capstone projects. The capstone project should demonstrate the student's ability to synthesize research and integrate new ideas with the selected course's content. The capstone project option is not appropriate for students who wish to conduct independent empirical research; instead, students should consider undertaking a Sociology Honors Thesis. 

To begin the capstone project, students should meet with the instructor before the start of the semester to discuss goals, expectations, product(s) to be graded, and timelines, and fill out the Capstone Project Learning Agreement. Capstone Project Learning Agreements must be completed and filed with their faculty advisor and the Sociology Academic Coordinator no later than two weeks after the start of the semester (before the semester's Add/Drop deadline). Students who do not submit the Capstone Project Learning Agreement will not be authorized to enroll in their advisor's section of SOC 4900 Capstone Project for Sociology Majors. Credit cannot be awarded retroactively for previous work or unapproved projects. 

To complete the capstone requirement, students must enroll in at least 1 letter-graded credit of SOC 4900 Capstone Project for Sociology Majors but can register for up to 3 credits. Students should expect to invest three hours per week for each credit in which they enroll. Students who successfully complete an approved capstone project with a C- or better will satisfy the capstone requirement. 

(2) Internship (2 or 3 credits): Capstone internships are intended to integrate and apply the knowledge gained in the classroom to community and organizational settings. Students should aim to secure and complete the capstone internship before the final semester of their senior year, usually during one's junior year or over the summer leading into one's senior year. Students are responsible for finding and securing internship positions. For help identifying options in St. Louis, students may reference the Gephardt Institute's internship opportunities listings and the Center for Career Engagement's resources. 

After securing a capstone-eligible internship, students should meet with both their faculty internship advisor and internship site supervisor before the work begins to discuss goals, expectations, product(s) to be graded, and timelines, and fill out the Internship Learning Agreement. The finalized Internship Learning Agreement should be filed with the Sociology Academic Coordinator, faculty internship advisor, and internship site supervisor no later than two weeks from the start of the internship (prior to the semester's Add/Drop deadline). Students who do not submit the Internship Learning Agreement will not be authorized to enroll in their advisor's section of SOC 4910 Internship in Sociology. Credit cannot be awarded retroactively for previous or unapproved internships. 

To fulfill the capstone requirement, students need to enroll in at least 2 credits of SOC 4910 Internship in Sociology. If the internship takes place over the summer, the student should register for SOC 4910 Internship in Sociology to receive credit in the following fall semester. Per Arts & Sciences policy, all internships must be taken for Pass/No Pass credit; the student must earn a Pass to successfully complete the program's capstone requirement. 

Students need to complete at least 90 internship hours to fulfill the 2-credit capstone requirement or 135 hours for a 3-credit internship. 1-credit internships cannot be combined to count toward capstone requirements. Students interested in 1-credit internship opportunities are encouraged to consider seeking general Arts & Sciences elective credit for this work. 

(3) Honors thesis (6 credits): The Sociology Honors Thesis program is a two-semester sequence undertaken in one's senior year, during which students conduct independent empirical research. The program is only open to Sociology majors. There is no non-honors thesis option.

Students interested in the program need to submit an application by May 1 of their junior year. Students accepted into the program will be notified by late May. 

In the fall of their senior year, students admitted to the program will enroll in SOC 4902 Sociology Honors Thesis Seminar for 3 credits. In this once-weekly course, students will develop and complete a thesis proposal. In the spring semester, students will undertake independent research under faculty mentor supervision through a 3-credit independent study, SOC 4900 Capstone Project for Sociology Majors. Students who choose the thesis capstone option can apply their 3 thesis credits toward the major's elective requirement (part d above). In other words, students who complete the year-long thesis program only need to compete four (rather than five) 3000- or 4000-level courses. Students must complete both the fall Honors Thesis Seminar and the spring independent study components to be eligible for these modified program requirements and consideration for Latin Honors. 

By midway through the fall semester, students should identify a faculty member who will serve as their thesis committee chair. Students and faculty will work together to establish expectations and timelines for the thesis, and to complete the Honors Thesis Learning Agreement. This document should be filed with the Sociology Academic Coordinator no later than two weeks from the start of the spring semester (prior to the Add/Drop deadline). Students who do not submit the Honors Thesis Learning Agreement will not be authorized to enroll in their advisor's section of SOC 4900 Capstone Project for Sociology Majors, forfeiting their program membership and eligibility for Latin Honors. 

In addition to completing required coursework, students should expect to conduct independent research and data analysis, culminating in a written work that resembles an empirical journal article (roughly 35 pages, though many theses are longer). Sociology Honors Thesis Program students must also successfully defend their thesis at a one-hour meeting near the end of the spring semester with their thesis committee (a chair and a reader). Additionally, students are expected to share their work at a departmental honors thesis colloquium in late April or early May. 

For more information, please visit Sociology's Honors Thesis Program page.

(4) The department occasionally offers special 4000-level courses that fulfill the capstone requirement (for example, collaborative and community-based research opportunities like SOC 4930 In\Visible St. Louis: People, Place, and Power in the Divided City). Only juniors and seniors may enroll and earn capstone credit for their work. Please contact the Sociology Academic Coordinator to inquire about the upcoming availability of such courses. 

Additional Information

Professional Development Opportunities

Students interested in undergraduate research, teaching assistantships, or leadership development opportunities within the Department of Sociology should contact the Academic Coordinator. 

Transfer Credits and Study Abroad

Majors may apply up to 6 credits of Study Abroad coursework approved through Washington University or approved transfer credits from another U.S. institution. This may include one lower-level and one upper-level elective, or two upper-level electives. The Department of Sociology has many preapproved Sociology Study Abroad programs. Students who plan to study abroad should first consult Overseas Programs. Students will then complete a study plan and submit this form to the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  Students who want to apply Study Abroad credits or transfer credits to their program requirements should contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies, who serves as the department's Study Abroad advisor. Upon completion of their Study Abroad program, students will complete a credit evaluation form and a brief departmental survey about their experiences. 

In exceptional cases, students may request a course outside of Sociology to count toward their program requirements if it has sufficient sociological content. Please contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies for more information about course substitutions.

Latin Honors

To be eligible for Latin honors in Sociology, students must complete an honors thesis. For more information, please review the Requirements entry above or visit Sociology's Honors Thesis Program page. Juniors interested in the Sociology Honors Thesis Program should submit their applications by May 1. Students accepted into the program will be notified by late May with more details about the process. 

Visit the Sociology page
for additional information about this program.

Contact Info

Contact:Kaitlyne A. Motl
Phone:314-935-5790
Email:kaitlyne.motl@wustl.edu
Website:http://sociology.wustl.edu