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Program Type: Undergraduate minor related to major
Requirements for this program are current for
Fall 2013
Required credits in this minor: 16
Sociologists study human social behavior. More specifically, sociology examines how we group ourselves (families, social groups, formal organizations, societies); how we behave in groups (collective action, social change, crime and delinquency); and how characteristics like age, race, social class, and gender affect our relationships with each other and with organizations and institutions.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Admission Requirements
Students must complete
4 credits
before admission to the program.
Students are strongly urged to complete two additional sociology courses beyond SOC 1001 or SOC 1011V before declaring the minor.
SOC 1001 - Introduction to Sociology
[SOCS, DSJ]
(4.0 cr)
or
SOC 1011V - Honors: Introduction to Sociology
[SOCS, DSJ, WI]
(4.0 cr)
or
Equivalent Transfer Course
Minor Requirements
Transfer students must meet the requirements either through approved coursework completed at their transfer institution or at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. At least 6 credits (two courses) for the minor must be taken from the Department of Sociology at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities campus. Students may earn no more than one undergraduate degree from the Department of Sociology: a B.A. or B.S. or minor in sociology; or a B.A. or B.S. or minor in sociology of law, criminology, and deviance.
Minor Courses
Criminal Justice
SOC 3101 - Sociological Perspectives on the Criminal Justice System
[CIV]
(3.0 cr)
or
SOC 3102 - Criminal Behavior and Social Control
(3.0 cr)
One Stop for tuition, course registration, financial aid, academic calendars, and more
SOC 1001 - Introduction to Sociology
(SOCS, DSJ)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Soc 1001/Soc 1011V/Soc 1012W
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
This course is designed to introduce you to the study of society and what sociologists call the "sociological imagination:" a way of viewing the events, relationships and social phenomena that shape our individual lives and much of our collective experience. Through the course we will examine some of the central concepts and problems that have preoccupied both classical and contemporary sociologists and gain a sense of how the sociological imagination can illuminate the social forces that have a concrete impact on our everyday lives. Throughout the course you will be asked to consider the ways in which society affects your life, and how you, in turn, affect society.
prereq: Soc Majors/Minors must register A-F
SOC 1011V - Honors: Introduction to Sociology
(SOCS, DSJ, WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Soc 1001/Soc 1011V/Soc 1012W
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
This course is designed to introduce you to the study of society and what sociologists call the "sociological imagination:" a way of viewing the events, relationships, and social phenomena that shape our individual lives and much of our collective experience. Through the course we will examine some of the central concepts and problems that have preoccupied both classical and contemporary sociologists and gain a sense of how the sociological imagination can illuminate the social forces that have a concrete impact on our everyday lives. Throughout the course you will be asked to consider the ways in which society affects your life and how you, in turn, affect society.
SOC 3101 - Sociological Perspectives on the Criminal Justice System
(CIV)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Soc 3101/Soc 3101H
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
This course introduces students to a sociological account of the U.S. criminal justice system. We will critically examine the components, dynamics, and effects of policing, criminal courts, community supervision, jails, and prisons. Throughout the course, we focus on sociological understandings of these processes, with particular attention to ethnic, racial, class, and gender inequalities as well as long-term problems associated with the high rate of criminal justice supervision in the U.S.
prereq: [SOC 1001] recommended, Sociology majors/minors must register A-F
SOC 3102 - Criminal Behavior and Social Control
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
This course will address the social and legal origins of crime and crime control with a focus on general theories of deviance/crime and present an overview of forms of social control. We will critically examine criminological, sociological and legal theories that explain the causes of crime and other misdeeds.
prereq: Soc majors/minors must register A-F
SOC 3701 - Social Theory
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
This course provides an introductory overview of major social theories ranging from the foundational sociological theories of Marx, Weber and Durkheim to contemporary theories of postmodernism and globalization. We will examine a range of theories with particular attention to their treatments of core sociological questions and concerns.
prereq: 1001 recommended; soc majors/minors must register A-F
SOC 3811 - Social Statistics
(MATH)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
This course will introduce majors and non-majors to basic statistical measures and procedures that are used to describe and analyze quantitative data in sociological research. The topics include (1) frequency and percentage distributions, (2) central tendency and dispersion, (3) probability theory and statistical inference, (4) models of bivariate analysis, and (5) basics of multivariate analysis. Lectures on these topics will be given in class, and lab exercises are designed to help students learn statistical skills and software needed to analyze quantitative data provided in the class.
prereq: Undergraduates with strong math background are encouraged to register for 5811 in lieu of 3811 (Soc 5811 offered Fall terms only). Soc Majors/Minors must register A-F.
SOC 3801 - Sociological Research Methods
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
This course provides an introduction to the materials and methods of social science research in a comprehensive and critical way. The course begins by introducing social science research, including philosophical and theoretical foundations. The course then covers the primary components of research design, including conceptualization, operationalization and measurement, primary and secondary data collection and sources, sampling, and the logic of comparison(s).
prereq: 1001 recommended; soc majors must register A-F
