Requirements for Degree in Sociology

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS WORKSHEET

Use the Major Worksheet to track the courses you have completed towards a major in sociology.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SOCIOLOGY MAJOR

There are no special admissions requirements or procedures for students interested in majoring in sociology. Upon declaring the major, students are assigned a major advisor. Prior to the declaration, students are encouraged to consult with any member of the department regarding their choice and sequence of courses.

 

Special note: Courses taken Pass/D/Fail cannot count toward the sociology major requirements. Students may elect sociology courses as P/D/F for course credit only. There are no departmental exceptions to this policy.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

The Sociology major is comprised of 10 courses, including:

Foundations (3 courses):

SOCI UN1000 The Social World (recommended no later than the sophomore year)

SOCI UN3000 Social Theory

SOCI UN3010 Methods for Social Research (no later than the junior year)

Electives (5 courses in sociology):

Of the five electives required for the major, no more than one can be at the 2000 level and at least one must be a seminar at the 3900 (or 4000) level.

With the exception of the senior thesis or designated research seminar (see below), the Foundations and Electives courses may be taken at either Barnard or Columbia.

Senior Requirement (2 courses):

There are two ways to satisfy the senior requirement.

Research Paper Option: Complete two upper-level seminars (SOCI BC or UN3900 or above), in addition to the 3900+ level seminar that is part of the electives requirement. For the research paper requirement, one of the seminars must be a Designated Research Seminar taught by a Barnard faculty member that requires a 25-30 page research paper based on some type of primary research. The other course should be an upper-level seminar offered by the Barnard or Columbia sociology department.

Thesis Option: Complete a two-semester senior thesis based on original sociological research and analysis on a topic of the student’s choice. The thesis is designed and carried out in consultation with an advisor and requires enrollment in SOCI BC3087-3088.

Additional Information about the Senior Requirement

Research Paper Option: This option is intended for majors who are interested in graduating with a broader exposure to the discipline of sociology, with more limited experience in conducting original research.

Each semester the department offers several Designated Research Seminars, which are listed on the sociology website prior to the Spring program planning period. These seminars vary in content and format and are usually open to all students, with priority given to senior sociology majors taking the course to meet their senior requirement.

Prerequisites for students taking the Designated Research Seminar to meet the senior requirement include successful completion of: (1) SOCI UN1000 (The Social World); (2) SOCI UN3010 (Methods for Social Research); and (3) at least one elective course related to the focus of the seminar. Instructors may waive some aspect of the prerequisites.

Students may also enroll in these seminars prior to their senior year for elective credit.

Note: Majors only need to take one Designated Research Seminar to meet the senior requirement; the second course can be any upper-level seminar (BC or UN3900 or above).

Thesis Option: The two-semester senior thesis involves the production of original sociological research and analysis on a topic of the student’s choice, under the consultation and supervision of an advisor. This option is intended for majors who want the opportunity to explore a sociological subfield in depth and conduct independent primary research as their senior capstone experience.

Students interested in writing a senior thesis must submit to the Department Chair a short (1-2 paragraph) proposal, along with a brief letter of endorsement from a faculty member in the department who has agreed to serve as their thesis advisor, no later than April 15th of the junior year (by e-mail). Decisions will be made in consultation with the student’s program and thesis advisors prior to the final program planning deadline for that semester. In exceptional cases, students may apply for and receive permission to enroll in the two-semester option before the deadline for final registration in the first semester of their senior year.

Prerequisites: To be eligible for the two-semester thesis, (1) SOCI UN1000 (The Social World); (2) SOCI UN3010 (Methods for Social Research); and (3) at least one elective course related to the proposed thesis topic must be completed before the first semester of the senior year.

Students approved for the senior thesis will enroll in SOCI BC3087 (Individual Projects for Seniors) and BC3088 (Individual Projects for Seniors) with their selected advisor.

In order to keep our archive of senior projects current, all seniors should submit a final, spiral-bound copy and an electronic file (PDF or Word) of the research paper or senior thesis to the Department no later than the last day of exams of the second semester of their senior year.

Barnard Institutional Review Board. Students wishing to publish research that includes human subjects must complete the Student as PI Worksheet with their research mentor. A copy of this completed form should be retained by the student and the mentor until the research project is complete. Questions should be directed to the Barnard Institutional Review Board at irb@barnard.edu.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SINGLE, DOUBLE, COMBINED, OR SPECIAL MAJOR

SINGLE MAJOR
Students complete the number of required courses of one major, one that is already approved and listed in the Barnard course catalogue.

DOUBLE MAJOR
Students complete all the coursework for both majors with no overlapping courses, including writing two senior projects (one for each major).

DOUBLE MAJOR WITH ONE INTEGRATING SENIOR PROJECT
Students complete the coursework for both majors with no overlapping courses, then write one integrating senior project with a project sponsor in each of the majors. Both departments must agree on the senior project grade and any distinction or honors.

COMBINED MAJOR
Students create their own major from course offerings in two or more departments. The course of study culminates with one integrated senior project requiring a project sponsor from each of the departments. Unless that particular course combination is listed in the Barnard course catalogue (e.g., a combined major with Human Rights, Jewish Studies or Women's Studies), students must petition the Committee on Programs and Academic Standing (CPAS) and receive the approval of the Chairs of the sponsoring departments. Obtain instructions and forms from your Class Dean in the Dean of Studies Office. The departments must agree on the senior project grade, including distinction and honors.

SPECIAL MAJOR
A special major is a major designed by the student and not listed in the Barnard course catalogue. The Committee on Programs and Academic Standing (CPAS) must approve the list of courses that satisfy the special major. It does not necessarily involve more than one department. If it does, the departments must agree on the senior project grade, including distinction and honors.

Students may pursue any one of these types of majors in Sociology and another department or program in consultation with the Chairs and/or faculty advisors in both departments.

For more information about declaring majors and links to appropriate forms to submit, please go to the Registrar’s website.

Here is the link for the Major Declaration Form.

To change or add a Major, use this Changes to Major/Advisor Form.
Note: Students are assigned a major advisor. Requests to change advisor must first be approved by the department chair before this form is submitted to Slate. To request a different major advisor, make an appointment with Debra Minkoff.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SOCIOLOGY MINOR

Five courses are required for the minor in Sociology, including SOCI UN1000 (The Social World), SOCI UN3000 (Social Theory) and three elective courses (no more than one at the 2000-level), to be selected in consultation with the Department Chair.

For more information about declaring a minor and a link to the appropriate form to submit, please go to the Registrar’s website.

DEGREE AUDIT

Here is the link to the Degree Audit Change Request Form.