Sociology majors typically take the following courses in the fall semester of their first year:
First-Year Experience Learning Community Courses
We will register you in these courses.
- Philosophy (PHIL 201)
- English Composition (ENG 101) OR Theology (TRS 201)
Why am I taking these classes? Honors students take equivalent honors courses.
Major and Elective Courses
You will need to choose and register for these courses.
- Introduction to Sociology (SOC 101)
- A foreign language (see below)
- A liberal arts foundations course; a course toward a minor, certificate, or other focus area; or a free elective
Language placement
Your major requires you to complete the study of a foreign language through the intermediate level. Catholic University teaches the following languages that satisfy this requirement: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Irish, Italian, Latin, and Spanish. If you are interested in learning a language not listed here, consult with your advisor.
If you have previously studied a foreign language and are interested in continuing with that same language, or if you can demonstrate fluency in a foreign language, you should complete the language placement exam.
About Your First Semester Courses
Our sociology program is designed to enable students to think systematically and critically about society, and to help students develop analytical, research and writing skills relevant to a variety of careers. Our courses cover such topics as crime and terrorism, race, ethnicity and gender, culture and religion, inequality and social change, migration, and international development issues from a liberal arts perspective. Since first year courses are rooted in this liberal arts perspective, courses in Sociology and the First-Year Experience complement each other well.
Although the Sociology major does not follow an explicit course sequence, students are encouraged to take SOC 101, in which they will be exposed to the contemporary intellectual trends and issues in the field. The major objective of this course is to introduce students to sociology – the scientific study of human society and social behavior. Primary concerns of the course will include the ways in which our behavior is influenced by groups, the nature and functions of the social institutions which we have created, and the relationship that exists between the individual and society.
For your fifth course, you can choose what you like. You can take a liberal arts elective or a free elective course in a subject of your interest. Or, you may wish to begin study in a secondary subject area, perhaps for a minor or certificate.
To learn more about the Sociology major, consult the Sociology Department’s website.
Know which courses you want? Get registered.