The Major

Requirements

These requirements apply to students entering the University of Massachusetts in Fall 2026 or later. For requirements for earlier entry years see archived Guides to Undergraduate Programs.

The Basics

Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of C (2.0) across their Sociology classes.
Students must take at least 20 credits within the UMASS Amherst Sociology Department.
Students must take at least 13 courses toward the Sociology major.
To count toward major requirements, all courses in Sociology must be graded (not Pass/Fail).
Only one 100 level course may count toward major requirements.
Sociology majors must choose one of the following concentrations wtihin the major: Social Work and Social Welfare; Criminology, Law, and Deviance; Social Demography and Data Analytics; Labor and Community Advocacy; or General Sociology.

Required Core Courses for All Concentrations

Sociology majors should begin the major with an Introductory level course.

The following 100-level courses are regularly offered:

SOC 103 Social Problems
SOC 105 Self, Society, and Interpersonal Relations
SOC 106 Race, Gender, Class, and Ethnicity
SOC 107 Contemporary American Society
SOC 110 Introduction to Sociology

All students, regardless of their concentration in the major, must take the following six (6) courses, in addition to one (1) 100-level Sociology course:

SOC 212 Statistics (or an equivalent statistics course)
SOC 213 Data Collection and Analysis
SOC 301 Writing in Sociology (fulfills the Junior Year Writing requirement)
SOC 302 Sociological Theories and Perspectives (fulfills the Integrative Experience requirement)
4 credits of sociology electives at the 200+ level (can be replaced with a 4-credit Sociology related research assistantship, teaching assistantship, or internship, with pre-approval)
International / Intercultural Requirement - this requirement can be fulfilled by:

Taking one of our international/intercultural course offerings within the Sociology department
One semester of a foreign language at the college level
Completing a UMass approved study abroad program

Ideally, SOC 212 and 213 should be taken during the sophomore year and SOC 301 and 302 during the junior year.