Welcome aboard.
Sociology is an extremely rich and diverse field, overlapping in significant ways with Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, and Psychology. Sociologists study topics as different as race relations, the political organization of Communist societies, the nature of work in industrial societies, peasant movements in Latin America, African religion, alcoholism, the changing role of literature in modern society, the role of ideology in social life, and social aspects of modern education. Thus, Sociology is a general liberal arts major appropriate as preparation for many jobs in industry, education, and government, as well as for graduate work in law, the social sciences, or related fields. It is even perfectly suitable for pre-med majors, since many medical schools are interested in students who have considered the ethical and social implications of modern medicine and who have a broad understanding of contemporary social and political issues. For example, one of my own best students several years ago informed me that medical school interviewers had been especially interested in his independent work with me on the Soviet Union; he was the recipient of a special scholarship to Baylor's Medical School.
The Sociology Department at UCSD offers a distinctive program centering on the study of social interaction at the interpersonal level, the analysis of culture, and the comparative study of other societies. Compared with other Sociology Departments in the country, ours tends to be more "qualitative" -- that is, less concerned with quantitative methods for hypothesis-testing and more oriented towards linguistic, cultural, and historical interpretations of social life. Although we are now recruiting more faculty members in the quantitative field, as well as many others, we expect our present emphases to continue to be the strength of the Department.
Students with an interest in the Sociology major should feel free to come by our offices on the seventh floor of the Humanities and Social Sciences Building. Carol Sveilich is our undergraduate staff advisor, who can give you good advice on courses, requirements, and student activities. I would also be pleased to speak with any of you who have questions about the major or simply want to know what Sociology involves. A final remark: the Department fully supports the President of the University of California's plan to expand the number of UC students studying in foreign universities. We will do whatever we can to facilitate students' plans for study abroad, and we would also like to emphasize that Sociology is an ideal major for those with interests in other cultures and societies.
Sincerely,
Tim McDaniel
This page will help you "track" your own progress in the major. We recommend that you also meet with the staff undergraduate coordinator in the main office on a regular basis to make sure you are staying on track with your tracking.
Lower-division requirements
Soc/L 1A______ Soc/L 1B ______
Soc/L 20 ______ (If you've already taken Soc. 7, 10, 30, or 40 prior to
Fall 1990, you may use one of these courses to satisfy this area of the program.) Social Science 60 ______
Upper-division requirements List course taken
Cluster A (major requirement) Soc/A 100 ______
Cluster A (method) 103M, 104-109S ______
Cluster B 111-119,120S,131,142,143,
160-164J,166,167,170-178
______
Cluster C 121-130,132, 135-136B,140,141,
144,148,148C,148E,148I,148L,150L,151M,
152-157,159,165A/B,
168E,168J,168S,168T,180 ______
Cluster D 120W,133,151,158,158J,169,179,181-189 ______
Elective ______ Elective ______
Elective ______ Elective ______
Elective ______ Elective ______
Elective ______
REVIEW OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR
Seven upper-division electives are needed in addition to fulfilling
Cluster A (2 courses), Cluster B (1 course), Cluster C (1 course), and
Cluster D (1 course). This will give you a total of 12 upper-division courses for the major. At the lower-division level you will need Soc/L 1A,
Soc/L 1B, Soc/L 20, and the Social Science 60 requirement.
CONGRATULATIONS! You've picked a __________major department.
a.) fascinating
b.) practical
c.) enlightening
d.) all of the above
THE MAJOR
We offer a comprehensive and unique program in sociology. The subject matter in our courses is very diverse, yet our courses are interrelated. Courses are offered in such areas as family patterns and relations, religion, education and socialization, social inequality, law and politics, protest movements, health and illness popular culture, race and ethnic relations, work, science and technology, business and more. In addition, we teach courses found in few other sociology departments across the country, such as sociolinguistics, minorities in the schooling process, mental illness, American Indians, ethnographic film, women in world development, and Nationalism. Fasten your seat belts! Our faculty also teach courses specializing in different contemporary societies and world regions, including Africa, China, India, Latin America, Israel, South Africa, and Russia. Welcome aboard!
In the past few years, we have had a large number of new and exceptional faculty come on board. This expansion makes it possible for us to revise and enrich our undergraduate program, adding to our dynamism and diversity. Our research and teaching program's emphasis is increasingly international. We have recently hired faculty who conduct research on Japan, Iran, Israel, and Western and Eastern Europe, complementing an already strong group of comparative sociologists. Our department may have the most extensive and comprehensive program of comparative and historical sociology in the country. This international emphasis is also expressed in the faculty's teaching commitment. We play a vital role in the Graduate School of International Relations/Pacific Studies, the Science Studies Program, as well Eleanor Roosevelt College which is oriented around international studies. These new emphases make the department an exciting place for incoming students.
Sociology is the study of human groups: their composition, organization, culture, and development. It combines scientific and humanistic perspectives and methods to investigate a broad and relevant subject matter. At UCSD, the Department of Sociology has developed an innovative curriculum which offers courses covering the full breadth of the discipline, as well as opportunities for you to specialize in the areas of your choice within the major. You may also wish to participate in research projects or the Honors Program offered by the Department.
Sociology is a valuable major for students who want to enter law, medicine, architecture, business or politics. It also provides a solid liberal arts education for students who plan careers in such fields as education, criminal justice, public health, urban planning, social welfare, counseling, public administration, international relations, or market research. More on specific job titles later in "What can I do with a B.A. in Sociology?" For those of you who wish to pursue graduate study in the social sciences for careers in teaching or scholarly research, an undergraduate degree from the Department of Sociology will provide a thorough grounding in recent theoretical and methodological advances in the discipline. Whatever your career choice, the study of sociology can help you cultivate a critical awareness of society.
It's easy. Simply pick up a Change of Data form from the Undergraduate coordinator in the Sociology Department or in the Registrar's Office. It is a painless, 20-second form that will allow our department to receive your transcript each quarter and track your progress in the major. Anytime you have a question about program requirements, we will have this information at our fingertips, along with copies of petitions you have on file.
You do! Lower-division sociology courses give you an excellent background and a strong foundation on which to build your studies. You will need three lower-division courses to satisfy the sociology major.
Soc/L 1A and 1B form a sequence introducing students to the organizing themes and ideas, empirical concerns, and analytical approaches of the discipline of sociology. These courses require that you attend both the lecture and a smaller 'group discussion' or 'section.' These sections are usually made up of twenty to thirty students and give you and your TA (Teaching Assistant) a chance to get to the heart of what is discussed in class. We strongly recommend that you take Soc/L 1A and 1B before jumping into upper-division coursework. You'll be glad that you did.
You are also required to take Soc/L 20, Social Change in the Modern World. This course also requires a section in addition to the lecture, and you enroll for the course by officially enrolling in the "section" you will be attending. Make sure you take this and all of your other courses for the major for a letter grade. Do not take your sociology courses on a Pass/Not Pass basis.
NOTE: If you took Soc. 7, 10, 30, or 40 prior to Fall 1990, you may use it to satisfy your third lower-division course requirement.
An additional requirement of the major is Social Science 60, Elementary Statistics for the Social Sciences. This is a very basic statistics course. If you are terrified of statistics, do not dismay. Instead, do yourself a favor and sign up for this course. It will take you from 'square one' and walk you through the basic steps to clear up that cloud of mystery surrounding statistics. Social Science 60 is usually offered every quarter. This course, like all courses taken for the major, must be taken for a letter grade.
The sociology program is divided into four categories or CLUSTERS of sociology. Think of these breakdowns as a smorgasbord, where you will be sampling courses from a wide array of tasty topics! You are required to take at least one course from each of the four clusters, with the exception of Cluster A. Cluster A contains courses numbered 100-109S. All sociology majors must take Soc/A 100 (Classical Sociological Theory) as well as one other course that fall between Soc/A 103M, 104-109S. This is the "method" area of study. (Note: Soc/A 102T and 103F are "theory" courses, and will not satisfy your method requirement.)
You are required to take at least one course in the remaining Clusters
B-D. To give you a clear picture, let's take a look at these clusters by subject matter:
CLUSTER A Theory and Method
CLUSTER B Culture, Language and Social Interaction
CLUSTER C Organizations and Institutions
CLUSTER D Comparative and Historical
Once you have satisfied all the clusters listed above, you'll have five courses fulfilled and seven to go. These remaining seven upper-division courses are "electives." Any upper-division sociology course will do; however, most students find that by the time they reach their electives, many of their remaining courses fall into one or two of these clusters. Amazing but true.
It is not a requirement to specialize in only one cluster or area of sociology. You may find that your remaining courses end up falling naturally into one area. Basically, you should take courses that are of interest to you, and also take courses that will assist you after graduation. Method courses will assist you in acquiring marketable skills, social psychology courses will be helpful if you are planning to go into social services, etc. Once you've had a taste of the courses from all four clusters, you will probably feel as if you are moving in one specific direction or perhaps two directions that are close cousins. This occurs as a natural process, like the weather or falling in love. Go with the flow.
Soc/A 100, Classical Sociological Theory, is a required course for all sociology majors. This is an important course that will provide you with the theoretical foundation to better prepare you for your other upper-division coursework. Take it early in your program and you'll be glad you did. We strongly suggest that you take it the fall quarter of your junior year, after you've completed your lower-division studies.