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Sociology

Undergraduate Program

3551 Cullen Boulevard, Room 450
Houston, TX 77204-3012
Phone: 713.743.3940

Link to Sociology Facebook page

Majors: Requirements and Concentrations

The department of sociology offers the Bachelor of Arts in sociology and the Bachelor of Science in sociology.

Any incoming freshman, college transfer student, international student or current UH student with an overall GPA of 2.0 interested in majoring in sociology must apply first as a sociology pre-major.

After completion of SOCI 1301 and SOC 3300 or SOC 3400 with a minimum grade of C in each course, a student may petition the department of sociology to declare a major in sociology. Students must earn a minimum 2.0 grade point average in all courses in the major (required or elective) attempted at this university.

Students who choose to major in sociology must also meet the University core requirements and the college core requirements for a liberal arts and social sciences Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.

Requirements for Sociology Majors

  • SOCI 1301 Introduction to Sociology (3 hours)
  • SOC 3300 Introduction to Sociological Theory (3 hours)
  • SOC 3400 Introduction to Social Statistics (4 hours)
  • SOC 3301 Introduction to Sociological Research (3 hours)
  • 12 hours of advanced SOC electives (3000/4000 level)
  • 9 hours of SOC electives (any level)

Academic maps should be used to plan courses with the Academic Advisor.

Concentrations for Sociology Majors

Please note that students are not required to declare a concentration but may choose to do so.

To declare a concentration, please contact Mr. Landis Odoms, Undergraduate Studies Advisor, Department of Sociology (email: lodoms@uh.edu, phone: 713-743-3947, office: Room 467, Philip G. Hoffman Hall).

Students may elect to complete a concentration in one of the following areas:

  • Health and Medicine
  • Workplace Diversity
  • Criminology, Law, and Deviance

Students who elect to pursue a concentration must declare this at any time during matriculation, but after they have become a SOC major (they cannot be in Pre-SOC standing) and before the semester they anticipate to graduate. However, they are encouraged to declare this early on in their academic careers.

Students who complete all requirements of the concentration will graduate with a degree in sociology with a concentration in that specific area (e.g., BA/BS in Sociology with a concentration in Health and Medicine).

Requirements for each concentration in Sociology include four courses from the approved list of concentration courses: one of the two required courses plus three additional courses from the relevant list (see below).

Health and Medicine Concentration

The Health and Medicine concentration is specifically designed for students who wish to:

  • Learn about sociological aspects of health, illness and health care in the United States and globally;
  • Develop a critical perspective on the implications of different factors, with a central focus on social ones, for health outcomes; and
  • Expand their knowledge of social determinants of health disparities and behaviors, advantages and disadvantages of various health care systems, and different types of health care professions, occupations and settings.

A bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in health and medicine will serve as an indicator of students’ solid understanding of health inequalities and health care challenges to future or current employers.

The requirements for the Health and Medicine concentration include one of the two required courses plus three additional courses (i.e., elective courses) from the approved list:

Required Courses (3 credit hours)

One of the following two courses:
  • SOC3380 Introduction to the Sociology of Health Care
    OR
  • SOC3353 Health Disparities in Society
Elective Courses (9 credit hours)

Three of the following courses
  • SOC3315 Sexuality and Society
  • SOC3316 Sociology of Sport
  • SOC3319 Gender, Sexuality, and Health
  • SOC3322 Black (Im)migrants, Refugees, and Health
  • SOC3323 Comparative Health Care: Africa and the USA
  • SOC3339 Aging and Health in Africa and the USA
  • SOC3344 Sociology of Aging
  • SOC3350 Sociology of the Body
  • SOC3352 Social Demography
  • SOC3354 Social Justice & Health Equity
  • SOC3358 Gender and Health Care in Africa
  • SOC3360 Sociology of Food
  • SOC3382 Sociology of Drug Use and Recovery

Academic maps should be used to plan courses with the Academic Advisor.

Please note that students who declared a major in sociology before Fall 2020 and who would like to declare a concentration must switch over to a Fall 2020 degree plan or later.

Workplace Diversity Concentration

The Workplace Diversity concentration is intended to offer students the opportunity to:

  • Gain a deeper understanding of ever-increasing diversity in contemporary society and particularly in the workplace;
  • Become aware of various aspects of workplace diversity and its importance, benefits and challenges; and
  • Acquire necessary knowledge and skills in order to successfully interact and work with people from different backgrounds shaped by their gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, social class, etc.

A bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in workplace diversity will serve as an indicator of students’ cultural competence and commitment to a diverse workforce to future or current employers.

The requirements for the Workplace Diversity concentration include one of the two required courses plus three additional courses (i.e., elective courses) from the approved list:

Required Courses (3 credit hours)

One of the following two courses:
  • SOC3342 Sociology of Work
    OR
  • SOC3341 Organizations
Elective Courses (9 credit hours)

Three of the following courses:

  • SOC3315 Sexuality and Society
  • SOC3327 Race and Ethnic Relations in the United States
  • SOC3328 Race and Ethnicity in World Perspective
  • SOC3330 Introduction to Social Psychology
  • SOC3347 Nonprofit Organization & Management
  • SOC3351 Social Class and Mobility
  • SOC3363 Sociology of Poverty
  • SOC3390 Sociology of Gender
  • SOC3395 Careers in Sociology
  • SOC4394 Internship in Sociology

Academic maps should be used to plan courses with the Academic Advisor.

Please note that students who declared a major in sociology before Fall 2020 and who would like to declare a concentration must switch over to a Fall 2020 degree plan or later.
 

Criminology, Law, and Deviance Concentration

Students pursuing the Criminology, Law, and Deviance concentration will:

  • Cultivate a critical perspective on a variety of current challenges related to criminal, delinquent, and deviant behaviors, aggression and violence, forms of punishment, systems of social control, workings of the criminal legal system, and the process and consequences of victimization;
  • Become knowledgeable about the types, origins, causes, and explanations for these issues, their impact on society and individuals, as well as solutions to these problems from a sociological perspective; and
  • Gain a strong foundation for graduate studies in various fields (e.g., sociology, law, criminology, criminal justice, public policy, and social work) and for relevant careers and occupations.

The Criminology, Law, and Deviance concentration provides undergraduate students with a unique opportunity to gain specialized knowledge as well as relevant skills which they can develop further in graduate studies and/or which can make them more competitive to future or current employers.

The requirements for the Criminology, Law, and Deviance concentration include one of the two required courses plus three additional courses (i.e., elective courses) from the approved list:

Required Courses (3 credit hours)

One of the following two courses:

  • SOC 3313 Criminology
    OR
  • SOC 3311 Sociology of Law

Note: If students take both required courses, they need to take only two elective courses from the approved list below.

Elective Courses (9 credit hours)

Three of the following courses:

  • SOC 3312 Sociology of Deviance
  • SOC 3314 Juvenile Delinquency
  • SOC 3335 Sociology of Punishment
  • SOC 3336 Aggression & Violence in Society
  • SOC 3337 Women and Crime
  • SOC 3338 Punishment in the U.S.
  • SOC 3382 Sociology of Drug Use & Recovery

Academic maps should be used to plan courses with the Academic Advisor.

Please note that students who declared a major in sociology before Fall 2023 and who would like to declare a concentration must switch over to a Fall 2023 degree plan or later.