Academic Programs Catalog

College of Social Science

Department of Sociology

Carla Pfeffer, Chairperson

The world is rapidly changing.  Global processes are transforming societies, changing cities and forms of economic production, creating new ways of communicating, facilitating new migration patterns, impacting human health and life chances, reshaping the biophysical environment, increasing social inequalities, and posing new risks and opportunities.  New forms of labor, social movements, family life, health care delivery, military conflicts, and ways to distribute food and services are emerging.  These global forces are even changing the character of sociology itself.

Members of the MSU Department of Sociology investigate these changing social, political, economic, and cultural dynamics through domestic and international scholarship (and—increasingly—with comparative, cross-national research).  To accomplish this, MSU sociologists develop and apply leading theoretical frameworks, rigorously employ a diversity of methodological approaches, and use foundational and cutting-edge analytical techniques.  In the process, MSU sociologists not only contribute significantly to the disciplinary core, but they also extend disciplinary influence by advancing its frontiers.

 


Undergraduate Program

Sociology, the core of the social sciences, is the scientific study of the human world—which includes not only humans but all that we value.  Sociologists examine some of the most challenging questions that humans raise and address many of societies’ most vexing problems.  Sociologists investigate a wide array of social, political, economic, and cultural phenomena at all levels of analysis, from individual people to groups (e.g., high school cliques, music bands) to communities (e.g., neighborhoods, online support networks) to organizations (e.g., corporations, voluntary associations) to institutions (e.g., the family, religion) to societies (e.g., France, Navajo).

The department’s undergraduate program is designed to help students gain critical sociological knowledge and strengthen key methodological, analytical, and communication skills.  With such important knowledge and skills, graduates with a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology effectively participate in democratic decision-making, perform meaningful and impactful work over their career, and promote human well-being more broadly.  While the department offers courses on a range of topics, we regularly teach several in each of our three signature areas in which our faculty has considerable expertise: environment, health and medicine, and migration.  The department also offers opportunities for undergraduate students to take part in an Education Abroad/Away program, complete an internship, and participate in faculty-supervised research—all different ways for students to apply their course-based knowledge and skills to real-world situations.

Sociology bachelor degree recipients choose a range of lucrative paths.  Some succeed in graduate school in sociology or related disciplines, while others succeed in professional school in law, medicine, public health, or public administration.  Still others accept exciting positions in social services, teaching, public service, research, public relations, and administration.

A Minor in Sociology is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University other than the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology.  With the approval of the department and college that administer the student’s degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree. A total of 19 credits in the Department of Sociology are required for the minor.  For further information about the minor in Sociology, visit https://sociology.msu.edu.


Sociology - Bachelor of Arts

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology

  1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of this catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.

    The University's Tier II writing requirement for the Sociology major is met by completing Sociology 488 or 499. Those courses are referenced in item 3. a. below.
  2. The requirements of the College of Social Science Bachelor of Arts degree.
  3. The following required major courses (36 credits):
    a. All of the following courses:
    SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology 4
    SOC 214 Social Inequality 3
    SOC 215 Race and Ethnicity 3
    SOC 216 Sex, Gender, and Sexuality 3
    SOC 281 Social Research Methods 4
    SOC 282 Quantitative Analysis for Social Research 4
    SOC 488 Sociological Theory (W) 3
    SOC 499 Social Issues and Change in Contemporary Society (W) 3
    b. A minimum of 9 additional credits in Sociology courses at the 300-level or higher, at least 3 credits of which must be at the 400-level.

Sociology - Bachelor of Science

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology

1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of this catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology.
The University's Tier II writing requirement for the Sociology major is met by completing Sociology 488 or 499. Those courses are referenced in item 3. a. below.
2. The requirements of the College of Social Science for the Bachelor of Science degree.
3. The following required major courses (36 credits):
a. All of the following courses:
SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology 4
SOC 214 Social Inequality 3
SOC 215 Race and Ethnicity 3
SOC 216 Sex, Gender, and Sexuality 3
SOC 281 Methods of Social Research I 4
SOC 282 Methods of Social Research II 4
SOC 488 Sociological Theory (W) 3
SOC 499 Social Issues and Change in Contemporary Society (W) 3
b. A minimum of 9 credits of additional Sociology courses at the 300 level or higher, at least 3 credits of which must be at the 400 level
4. Complete at least 12 additional credits in STEM:
a. One of the following courses:
STT 200 Statistical Methods 3
STT 201 Statistical Methods 4
STT 421 Statistics I 3
The course used to fulfill this requirement may also be used to fulfill the College of Social Science STEM requirement.
b. Three of the following courses:
CSS 101 Introduction to Crop Science 3
CSS 210 Fundamentals of Soil Science 3
ENT 205 Pests, Society, and Environment 3
FOR 202 Introduction to Forestry 3
FOR 212 Introduction to Sustainable Bioproducts 3
FOR 414 Renewable Wood Products 3
IBIO 150 Integrating Biology: From DNA to Populations 3
IBIO 355 Ecology 3
MMG 141 Introductory Human Genetics 3
MMG 201 Fundamentals of Microbiology 3
PSL 250 Introductory Physiology 4
PSL 310 Physiology for Pre-Health Professionals 4
PSL 431 Human Physiology I 4
PSL 432 Human Physiology II 4
The courses used to fulfill this requirement may also be used to fulfill the College of Social Science STEM requirement.
 


Minor in Environmental Social Science

The Minor in Environmental Social Science, which is administered by the Department of Sociology, enhances the education of students who are interested in issues relating to the environment, including those who wish to prepare themselves for advanced degree programs in environmental social science or careers in related fields.

The minor is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University.  With the approval of the department and college that administer the student’s degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the requirements for the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.

Students who plan to complete the requirements of the minor should consult an undergraduate advisor in the College of Social Science.

Requirements for the Minor in Environmental Social Science
Complete a minimum of 15 credits from the following:

1. The following course (3 credits):
SOC 252 Introduction to Environmental Sociology 3
2. One of the following courses (3 credits):
ANP 443 Human Adaptability 3
ANP 486 Environmental Archaeology 3
EC 450 Economics of Environmental Policy (W) 3
GEO 201 Introduction to Plant Geography 3
GEO 203 Introduction to Meteorology 3
GEO 204 World Regional Geography 3
GEO 206 Physical Geography 3
GEO 211 Environmental Policy and Practice 3
HST 391 Environmental History of North America 3
UP 488 The Sustainable and Climate Resilient City 3
3. Two of the following courses (6 credits):
AFRE 206 World Food, Population, and Poverty 3
AFRE 265 Ecological Economics 3
CSUS 310 History of Environmental Though and Sustainability 3
CSUS 463 Food Fight: Politics of Food 3
ENT 205 Pest, Society, and Environment 3
FOR 330 Human Dimensions of Forests 3
FW 434 Human Dimensions of Fisheries and Wildlife Management 3
FW 439 Conservation Ethics 3
IBIO 446 Environmental Issues and Public Policy 3
PHL 342 Environmental Ethics 3
REL 210 Religion and the Environment 3
4. The following capstone course (3 credits):
SOC 452 Advanced Seminar in Environmental Sociology 3

Minor in Migration Studies

The Minor in Migration Studies, which is administered by the Department of Sociology, enhances the education of students who are interested in issues relating to human migration, including those who wish to prepare themselves for advanced degree programs in human migration or careers in related fields.
The minor is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University.  With the approval of the department and college that administer the student’s degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.

Students who plan to complete the requirements of the minor should consult an undergraduate advisor in the College of Social Science.

Requirements for the Minor in Migration Studies

Students must complete 15 credits from the following courses: 
1. The following course (3 credits):
SOC 260 Introduction to Human Migration 3
2. One of the following courses (3 credits): 3
ANP 310 Archaeology of Human Migrations 3
ANP 417 Introduction to Islam in Africa 3
ANP 419 Anthropology of the Middle East 3
ANP 437 Asian Emigrant Communities: A Global Perspective 3
ANP 461 Method and Theory in Historical Archaeology 3
GEO 413 Urban Geography 3
GEO 440 Critical Geopolitics 3
HST 260 Navigations and Encounters in an Age of Discovery 3
HST 301 Indigenous-European Encounters inNorth America 3
HST 363 East Africa in the Twentieth Century 3
HST 366 Modern Southeast Asia 3
HST 383 The Caribbean 3
HST 390 History of International Relations
3. Two of the following courses (6 credits):
ENG 351 Readings in Chicano and Latino Literatures 3
ENG 360 Studies in Postcolonial and Diaspora Literature (W) 3
ENG 460 Seminar in Global and Postcolonial Literature 3
FLM 451 Studies in Postcolonial Cinema 3
GSAH 201 Introduction to Global Studies in the Arts and Humanities 3
GSAH 310 Questions of Justice in Global Contexts 3
GSAH 311 Global Perspectives on Borders and Migration 3
4. The following capstone course (3 credits):
SOC 460 Advanced Seminar in Human Migration 3


 

Minor in Sociology

The Minor in Sociology, which is administered by the Department of Sociology, provides a fundamental understanding of the linkages between agency and structure in society. Students obtain knowledge of the principles of sociology, sociological inquiry, diversity in society, and the ways in which global forces are transforming modern society.

The minor is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University other than the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology.  With the approval of the department and college that administers the student’s degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree. 

Students who plan to complete the requirements for the minor should consult an undergraduate advisor in the Department of Sociology.

Requirements for the Minor in Sociology

Complete a minimum of 19 credits in the Department of Sociology from the following:

1. Both of the following courses (7 credits):
SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology 4
SOC 214 Social Inequality 3
2. One of the following courses (3 credits):
SOC 215 Race and Ethnicity 3
SOC 216 Sex, Gender, and Sexuality 3
3. Complete three elective courses in Sociology at the 300-400 level. At least one course must be at the 400-level. Students may use SOC 281 Social Research Methods to fulfill this requirement. The courses must be approved by the student’s academic advisor.


Graduate Study

The MSU sociology graduate program seeks to develop professionals who will be creative and ethical researchers, teachers, and practitioners in knowledge production.  The department has three signature areas of excellence:

  1. Health and Medicine.  Faculty and students investigate the social context of health, illness, and health care within the USA and cross-nationally.  MSU health and medicine scholars analyze health disparities by race/ethnicity, social class, gender, and sexuality; the influence of family and social relationships on mental, physical, and cognitive health over the life course; political, economic, and environmental factors that threaten health; and societal forces that impact the health care system.  Several scholars are affiliated with MSU’s Consortium for Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Health.  In recent years, MSU health and medicine scholars have secured research funding from the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Justice, and Department of Agriculture.
  2. Environment. Faculty and students examine human-environment interactions, analyzing how humans affect the biophysical environment and how the biophysical environment influences social phenomena.  MSU environmental sociologists investigate a range of topics including climate change, environmental inequality, energy justice, water rights, and agricultural and food systems.  Using an array of methods, these scholars analyze the environmental decision-making of individuals, the environmental mobilization and activism of communities, the power of organizations as environmental actors, and the structural and institutional drivers of nations’ ecological impacts.  In recent years, MSU environmental sociologists have secured research funding from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Agriculture, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
  3. Migration. Faculty and students analyze the social, political, economic, and ecological forces that drive human movement; the diversity of the populations involved; and the impact they have on sending and receiving communities. MSU migration scholars apply the full range of sociological methods to examine such topics as refugees, statelessness, human trafficking, immigrant entrepreneurialism, assimilation processes, and the African Diaspora.  MSU’s Department of Sociology is a recognized center of expertise and excellence in research, teaching, and engagement on migration, transnationalism, and diasporic processes.  In recent years, MSU migration scholars have secured research funding from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Social Science Research Council, and Henry Luce Foundation.
Students who are enrolled in Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs in the Department of Sociology may elect specializations in Infancy and Early Childhood. For additional information, refer to the statement on Interdepartmental Graduate Specializations in Infancy and Early Childhood.

For further information about graduate study in sociology, consult the department's Graduate Manual or visit www.sociology.msu.edu.

Sociology - Master of Arts

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Social Science, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Sociology 

The program is available only under Plan A (with thesis).  The student must meet the requirements specified below:

1. Complete 30 credits including:
a. All of the following courses (9 credits):
SOC 815 Classical Sociological Theory 3
SOC 881 Analysis of Social Data I 3
SOC 885 Methods of Sociological Inquiry 3
b. One of the following courses (3 credits):
SOC 883 Multi-Equation Quantitative Models 3
SOC 884 Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis 3
SOC 954 Techniques of Population Analysis 3
SOC 985 Qualitative Field Research 3
SOC 986 Survey Research Principles 3
c. At least 12 credits in four courses as approved by the student's guidance committee.
d. Complete 6 credits of SOC 899 Master's Thesis Research.
2. Successful completion of the departmental Graduate Teaching Assistant workshop
3. Successful completion of the departmental Professional Development Workshop Series.
4. Successful completion of the departmental Responsible Conduct of Research Requirements.
5. Successful completion and presentation of a qualifying paper.
6. Successfully pass an oral examination in defense of the thesis.

Sociology - Doctor of Philosophy

The doctoral degree program in sociology is designed to give the student a general background in sociological theory and methodology, as well as training in a major substantive area of the discipline.

While there is no language requirement, where acquaintance with a foreign language is necessary for advancing the special interest of the student, the student, in consultation with the guidance committee, may decide upon the study of a foreign language appropriate to their research and career development.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Social Science, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Sociology

Students must complete 60 credits from the following:
1. All of the following courses (15 credits):
SOC 815 Classical Sociological Theory 3
SOC 816 Contemporary Sociological Theory 3
SOC 881 Analysis of Social Data I 3
SOC 882 Analysis of Social Data II 3
SOC 885 Methods of Sociological Inquiry 3
2. Two of the following courses (6 credits):
SOC 883 Multi-Equation Quantitative Models 3
SOC 884 Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis 3
SOC 985 Qualitative Field Research 3
SOC 986 Survey Research Principles 3
SOC 989 Topics in Sociological Methodology 3
3. Complete 15 credits from 5 additional courses approved by the student’s guidance committee.
4. Complete 24 credits of Sociology 999 Doctoral Dissertation Research.
5. Successful completion of the departmental Graduate Teaching Assistant workshop.
6. Successful completion of the departmental Professional Development Workshop series.
7. Successful completion and presentation of a qualifying paper.
8. Successful completion of the comprehensive examination.
9. Successful defense of the dissertation proposal.
10. Successful defense of the dissertation.

Animal Studies: Social Science and Humanities Perspectives - Graduate Certificate

The Graduate Certificate in Animal Studies: Social Science and Humanities Perspectives, which is administered by the Department of Sociology, is an online program available to any individual with a bachelor’s degree. The certificate addresses society’s changing needs in providing individuals with a basic understanding of human relationships with other animals, including domestic and companion animals, liminal animals, and wildlife. The certificate is valuable as a complementary learning opportunity for individuals with, or who are planning careers in animal-related fields, including animal-assisted therapy, marine ecosystems, conservation criminology, animal shelters, sanctuaries, refuges, rehabilitation centers, and zoo management and education.
 
Requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Animal Studies: Social Science and Humanities Perspectives

Students must complete 9 credits from the following:
SOC 830 Animals and Environmental Sustainability 3
SOC 840 Animals and Social Transformations 3
SOC 850 Special Topics in Animal Studies 3