2009-10 Undergraduate Catalog
Majors
Sociology is the study of social life and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists examine the structure of groups, organizations and societies, and how people interact within these contexts. Sociologists use diverse research methods and many unique perspectives to analyze virtually any social issue.
A liberal arts degree in sociology provides students with opportunities to develop skills deemed essential for many different types of careers. These skills include learning how to identify and solve problems, conduct research, relate to others and write effectively. Graduates frequently are employed in business (e.g., advertising staff member, human resource manager), community and social services (e.g., environmental organizer, family planning worker), education (e.g., teacher, public health educator), government (e.g., human rights officer, urban planner), and research (e.g., social research assistant and market researcher). Sociology is also an excellent major for pre-law, pre-health, M.A. and Ph.D. studies.
A sociology major requires 31 semester hours of coursework in sociology. The 31 hours of coursework must be completed with C or better grades, and at least 18 credit hours must be completed at UF.
Required courses include:
All majors should go to the department's Web site for information about the major, the plan of study worksheet and other valuable information about a major in sociology. Majors also can pick up an informational handout outside of Turlington Hall, Room 3206.
Courses: There are no prerequisites for 2000-level courses. Descriptions of current and prospective courses are also available in Turlington Hall, Room 3206.
Critical-tracking courses: SYG 2000 Principles of Sociology, two additional sociology courses (one must be at the 3000-/4000-level), STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1 and STA 3024 Introduction to Statistics 2.
To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college and major requirements.
* In addition to SYG 2000 (GE-S), the remaining six credits of GE-S can be satisfied by sociology or non-sociology GE-S courses.
** Upper-division transfer students should complete STA 3024 no later than semester 5. Then complete SYA 4300 no later than semester 6.
| Sociology |
| College: Liberal Arts and Sciences |
| Degree: Bachelor of Arts |
| Hours for the Degree: 120 |
| Minor: No |
| Combined-Degree Program: Yes |
| Website: web.soc.ufl.edu/undergraduate.htm |
Sociology is the study of social life and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists examine the structure of groups, organizations and societies, and how people interact within these contexts. Sociologists use diverse research methods and many unique perspectives to analyze virtually any social issue.
A liberal arts degree in sociology provides students with opportunities to develop skills deemed essential for many different types of careers. These skills include learning how to identify and solve problems, conduct research, relate to others and write effectively. Graduates frequently are employed in business (e.g., advertising staff member, human resource manager), community and social services (e.g., environmental organizer, family planning worker), education (e.g., teacher, public health educator), government (e.g., human rights officer, urban planner), and research (e.g., social research assistant and market researcher). Sociology is also an excellent major for pre-law, pre-health, M.A. and Ph.D. studies.
Requirements for the Major
A sociology major requires 31 semester hours of coursework in sociology. The 31 hours of coursework must be completed with C or better grades, and at least 18 credit hours must be completed at UF.
Required courses include:
- SYG 2000. Sociology majors are encouraged to take SYG 2000 as their first class. Majors can count only two other 2000-level courses besides SYG 2000 toward the major, for a maximum of nine credits at the 2000 level.
- SYA 4300 (Methods of Social Research) should be completed by the end of the sixth semester.
- SYA 4110 (Development of Social Thought) must be taken after 90 credits.
- Additional sociology courses to complete the 31-hour minimum may be selected by students to match their interests in different substantive areas.
- At least 22 semester hours of sociology credit must be in courses numbered 3000 or higher.
- In addition to the 31 credit hours of sociology coursework, both STA 2023 and STA 3024 are required and each must be completed with a minimum grade of C. STA 2023 must be taken no later than the end of the third semester and is a prerequisite for STA 3024. STA 3024 must be taken no later than the end of the fifth semester. Both STA 2023 and STA 3024 are prerequisites for SYA 4300, Methods of Social Research.
All majors should go to the department's Web site for information about the major, the plan of study worksheet and other valuable information about a major in sociology. Majors also can pick up an informational handout outside of Turlington Hall, Room 3206.
Courses: There are no prerequisites for 2000-level courses. Descriptions of current and prospective courses are also available in Turlington Hall, Room 3206.
Critical-tracking courses: SYG 2000 Principles of Sociology, two additional sociology courses (one must be at the 3000-/4000-level), STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1 and STA 3024 Introduction to Statistics 2.
To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college and major requirements.
Critical Tracking and Recommended Semester Plan
Semester 1:
- 2.0 UF GPA required for semesters 1-5
Semester 2:
- Complete 1 sociology course
Semester 3:
- Complete 1 additional sociology course (1 of the 2 sociology courses must be SYG 2000)
- Complete STA 2023
- 2.75 GPA in all 3 critical-tracking courses
Semester 4:
- 2.75 GPA in all critical-tracking coursework
Semester 5:
- Complete 1 additional sociology course (1 of the 3 sociology courses must be 3000 or 4000 level)
- Complete STA 3024
- 2.75 GPA in all 5 critical-tracking courses
For degree requirements outside of the major, refer to CLAS Degree Requirements —
Structure of a CLAS Degree.
Recommended semester plan
| Semester 1 | Credits |
| Composition (GE-C, WR) | 3 |
| SYG 2000 Principles of Sociology (GE-S) * | 3 |
| Foreign language | 4-5 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Total | 13-14 |
| Semester 2 | Credits |
| Foreign language | 3-5 |
| Mathematics (GE-M) | 3 |
| Biological Science (GE-B) | 3 |
| Science laboratory (GE-P or GE-B) | 1 |
| Humanities (GE-H) | 3 |
| Electives (needed if placed out of language with SAT II) | 3-0 |
| Total | 16-15 |
| Semester 3 | Credits |
| Sociology course (2000 level or above) | 3 |
| STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1 (GE-M) | 3 |
| Physical Science (GE-P) | 3 |
| Elective (or foreign language, if 4-3-3 option) | 3 |
| Humanities (GE-H) | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 4 | Credits |
| STA 3024 Introduction to Statistics 2 (GE-M) ** | 3 |
| Humanities (GE-H) | 3 |
| Biological Science (GE-B) | 3 |
| Electives | 6 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 5 | Credits |
| SYA 4300 Methods of Social Research ** | 4 |
| Physical Science (GE-P) | 3 |
| Sociology course (3000/4000 level) | 3 |
| Electives | 6 |
| Total | 16 |
| Semester 6 | Credits |
| Sociology courses (3000/4000 level) | 6 |
| Composition (GE-C, WR)) | 3 |
| Electives (3000 level or above, not in major) | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 7 | Credits |
| SYA 4110 Development of Sociological Thought | 4 |
| Sociology courses (3000/4000 level) | 6 |
| Electives (3000 level or above, not in major) | 6 |
| Total | 16 |
| Semester 8 | Credits |
| Sociology course (3000/4000 level) | 3 |
| Electives (3000 level or above, not in major) | 6 |
| Electives | 6 |
| Total | 15 |
* In addition to SYG 2000 (GE-S), the remaining six credits of GE-S can be satisfied by sociology or non-sociology GE-S courses.
** Upper-division transfer students should complete STA 3024 no later than semester 5. Then complete SYA 4300 no later than semester 6.