Minor in Sociology

Program Learning Outcomes for the Minor in Sociology

Upon completing the minor in Sociology, students will be able to: 

  1. Gain a richer understanding of the social world, including class, race, gender, ethnicity, education, family, occupation, deviancy, health and global citizenship as well as how the human social world impacts its environment.
  2. Apply sociological knowledge and methodological training to understand theory and policy oriented around issues of human well-being in the US and globally, including how to understand the relationship between inequality and factors like race, class, gender and education.

Requirements for the Minor in Sociology

Students pursuing the minor in Sociology must complete:

  • A minimum of 6 courses (18 credit hours) to satisfy minor requirements.
  • A minimum of 5 courses (15 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
  • A maximum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab. 

The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this minor. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the minor’s academic advisor, or where applicable, the Program Director. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the minor's Official Certifier). Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Summary

Total Credit Hours Required for the Minor in Sociology18

Minor Requirements

Core Requirements
SOCI 101INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY 13
or SOCI 231 SOCIAL PROBLEMS
SOCI 380SOCIAL THEORY3
or SOCI 381 RESEARCH METHODS
Elective Requirements
Select 4 courses from departmental (SOCI) course offerings at the 300-level or above12
Total Credit Hours18

Footnotes and Additional Information 

Policies for the Minor in Sociology 

Program Restrictions and Exclusions

Students pursuing the minor in Sociology should be aware of the following program restriction:

  • As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, i.) students may declare their intent to pursue a minor only after they have first declared a major, and ii.) students may not major and minor in the same subject.

Transfer Credit 

For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s transfer credit advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities. 

Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines

Students pursuing the minor in Sociology should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guidelines:

  • No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the minor.
  • Requests for transfer credit will be considered by the program director (and/or the program’s official transfer credit advisor) on an individual case-by-case basis. 

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Sociology website: https://sociology.rice.edu/.

Opportunities for the Minor in Sociology

Academic Honors

The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Sociology website: https://sociology.rice.edu/.