What kind of courses will I be taking in Sociology?

Undergraduate students looking for a sociology course have a wealth of options that can satisfy multiple catalog requirements, such as the UIC General Education requirement categories of the Individual and Society and US Society, and writing-enhanced curriculums. Whether you appreciate the anonymity of a large lecture hall or the intimacy of a smaller, discussion-based classes, the department offers classes in multiple formats to meet your learning style.

Below is a list of several courses offered by the sociology department in recent semesters. For a complete list of courses approved in Sociology for the current semester, consult the Undergraduate Catalog.

Course descriptions for a selection of courses Heading link

Introduction to Sociology (SOC 100)

Analysis of human societies, organizations and groups, and the interrelations among individuals, groups, and societies. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture-Discussion. Individual and Society course, and US Society course.

Sociology of Childhood and Youth (SOC 215)

This is an introductory level course that takes a sociological approach to the study of youth and children. The goals of this course are to understand how life stages are socially constructed and how the lived experiences of youth are influenced by the intersections of varying identities and social locations as well as by social institutions. Finally, the course examines social problems faced by youth at both local and global levels.

Course Information: Prerequisite(s): SOC 100 or SOC 105; or consent of the instructor. Individual and Society course, and US Society course.

SOC 290: Sociology Major Orientation and Success

Introduces sociology majors to issues relevant to academic success and orients them to the UIC sociology department’s intellectual life, resources and opportunities. Emphasis on exploring sociological interests and career paths.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 100 or SOC 105; or consent of the instructor.

Gender and Society (SOC 224)

Sociological perspectives on gender as a factor in social stratification; gender role acquisition; individual and social consequences of changing social definitions of gender roles. Course Information: Same as GWS 224.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 100 or GWS 101 or GWS 102. Individual and Society course, and US Society course.

Racial and Ethnic Groups (SOC 225)

Sociological and social-psychological analysis of racial, religious, and other ethnic groups; consideration of historical and current social problems arising from their relationships in society. Course Information: Same as AAST 225 and LALS 225.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 100; or consent of the instructor. Individual and Society course, and US Society course.

Introduction to Sociological Research Methods (SOC 300)

How does any scientist produce scientific fact? How do we discern between “good” and “bad” science? In this course, we will deal with the general logic of scientific inquiry and develop design, measurement, and analysis techniques through contemporary methods of data collection. We will be exploring how social science is produced through lecture, discussion and hands-on work. We will cover both qualitative and quantitative methods in the social sciences. The University requires that in order to take this course, you must be at least sophomore standing, have taken SOC 201 (statistics), and have taken one other 200-level sociology course. This course is an introduction to research methodology. Its main purpose is to survey the major research designs and techniques that are at the core of social science inquiry.

Course Information: Previously listed as SOC 202. Prerequisite(s): SOC 201; and sophomore standing or above; or SOC 201 and one additional 200-level course in sociology. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture and one Discussion.

Race and Ethnicity (SOC 425)

Critical examination of the conceptual frameworks and empirical findings in the study of race and ethnicity. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): SOC 225 an additional 200- or 300- level elective in Sociology; or consent of the instructor.

Igniting Sociological Futures: Senior Research Experience (SOC 490)

The course integrates theory, methods and analytical skills to a substantive area of sociology. Students will gain hands-on experience by collecting data, analyzing data, writing up their findings and presenting their projects to the class. Visit our Igniting Sociological Futures page to learn more!

Course Information: May be repeated to a maximum of 8 hours, with approval of the deparment. Students may register for more than one section per term. Previously listed at SOC 400.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 300 and SOC 385; and senior standing or above and one 400-level elective in sociology and consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture and one Discussion.

Topics in Medical Sociology

The topic for this upper-division undergraduate seminar is health activism. During this semester, we will examine how patient groups and health movements collectively organize to address issues like access to health-care services; disease, personal illness experience, and contested illness; and health inequalities based on social location, including race, class, gender, and sexuality. We will explore questions such as how health social movements arise; how they develop illness identities; how they use those identities to collectively mobilize; and how their actions change how medicine is practiced and medical technologies developed. We will begin our exploration of health social movements by discussing what they are and how we study them. The remainder (and majority) of the semester will then focus on studying four case studies: Black Panther Party, feminist, AIDS, and breast cancer health activism.

Topics in Race, Class, Gender

This class will provide an interdisciplinary approach to the construction of race and racialized experiences. The course will examine how ideas of culture, myths of origin and concepts of otherness are created and sustained in both the public imagination and in social institutions. Readings and discussions include contemporary border crossings and how economic, political, cultural and psychic factors mediate everyday experiences of race, class and gender. We will also cover dynamics of racialization in the US and UK/Ireland, the construction of women’s bodies as sites of hostility, femininity and masculinity in educational settings, and racialized notions of filth, contagion and horror.

FAQs Heading link

Learn more about registering for courses, course restrictions, transferring course credit, and study abroad course credit:

 

Courses in the Sociology department are filled on a first come, first served basis.  There is no waitlist system used for students who want to get into courses that are filled to capacity. If you are not sure which courses you need to register for, please see the advisor BEFORE your registration.  This will be to your advantage, as many classes will become filled during registration and the sooner that you get the classes you need, the better.

Admissions will handle most of the transfer issues for incoming students. However, sometimes certain courses will not appear correctly in your Degree Audit Report System (DARS) report and thus may not correctly meet major or minor requirements. In this case, the Undergraduate Advisor will review such courses (you may need to provide the descriptions and/or syllabi from your previous institution) and will recommend that the DARS office alter your DARS to distribute your previous credits into more suitable areas.

Students who would like to take Sociology courses as part of a Study Abroad experience should first consult with the Study Abroad Office to set up a plan of courses. Once you have chosen courses with the Study Abroad Office, you will need to see the Undergraduate Advisor with the appropriate documentation so that she can determine if the foreign courses meet the department’s requirements. If so, they can be pre-approved using the study abroad course plan form.

Certain courses in Sociology are restricted to majors only. Students who have completed paper major declaration forms may get permission for an over-ride to enroll in restricted courses. Minors who would like to take major restricted courses for their required electives should also see the Undergraduate Secretary for permission to enroll. Major Restricted courses include: SOC 296, SOC 298, SOC 496, and SOC 499.

 

The Honors College is a community of UIC scholars, comprised of students, staff, and faculty working together to provide an enriching and challenging learning environment for UIC’s most highly motivated undergraduate students.

All UIC Honors College students must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.40 (4.0 scale) and must engage in a scholarly “honors activity” (e.g. research; civic engagement) approved by their faculty mentor each semester.