Courses - Spring 2026
SOCY100
Introduction to Sociology
Introduces fundamental concepts and theories of sociology. Guided by C. Wright Mills' "sociological imagination," the course promotes critical thinking; challenges conventional assumptions about culture politics, history, and psychology; and equips students with theoretical approaches and research methods to analyze various sociological topics, including family, work, education, religion, social movements, and issues related to class, gender, race, and ethnic inequalities.
SOCY105
Understanding Contemporary Social Problems - Frameworks for Critical Thinking and Strategies for Solutions
Embark on an exploration of contemporary social issues and unravel the intricate ways in which these challenges are woven into the fabric of society. Develop a comprehensive understanding of societal organization and partake in a detailed study of selected social problems, with a specific emphasis on issues like social conflict and inequality. This course provides an insightful journey into the nuanced interplay between societal structure and prevalent challenges, fostering a heightened awareness of the dynamics shaping our social landscape.
SOCY200
Innovation, Exploration and the Evolution of Human Societies
We will explore the nature of human societies through comparative, historical, and interdisciplinary perspectives. Students will delve into the core of social structures, unravel the defining components of society, and examine their organization, evolution, and impact on collective existence. Students will also explore the socio-historical forces and geopolitical dynamics that drive social change to analyze the complex connections that illuminate our shared social experience across time.
SOCY201
Introductory Statistics for Sociology
Prerequisite: SOCY100; and (MATH107 or MATH111).
Restriction: Must not have completed STAT400, BMGT231, or ENEE324.
Students will explore descriptive and inferential statistics. You will hone your quantitative analytical skills to construct impactful bivariate tables, craft frequency distributions, and decipher measures of central tendency and dispersion. Additionally, you will master the techniques of hypothesis testing, chi-square, ANOVA, and ordinary least squares regression, equipping you to seamlessly translate data into meaningful research insights.
SOCY202
Introduction to Research Methods in Sociology
Prerequisite: SOCY100.
We will examine why social research is needed, explore some of the main quantitative and qualitative techniques to conduct sociological research, and discover how to understand and critically evaluate sociological research on pressing social problems. Students will also learn to use specialized software to analyze and interpret quantitative data in the computer lab.
SOCY203
Sociological Theory
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: SOCY100.
Examines major trends in the history and development of sociological thought, including theories of inequality, the self, institutions, and more. With each theorist students will learn what sociologists assume and focus on when studying societies.
Required for all SOCY majors.
SOCY223
Down the Rabbit Hole: Conspiracy Theories, Paranormal Beliefs, and How to Know What's Real
It is becoming increasingly difficult to know what's real. We live in a world replete with deception, biases, fake images that seem indecipherable from real ones, and widespread and coordinated efforts to misinform us. Not unrelated to this, belief in conspiracy theories and the paranormal are flourishing. This course will explore the reasons why we so often believe claims that scientists reject and accept contentions that powerful and sinister conspirators are secretly controlling major events. We will investigate who believes, why we believe, and how normal human thinking processes contribute to the holding of questionable beliefs. The course will equip students with tools to evaluate claims and to understand why people believe what they do.
SOCY224
Explore and discuss the major debates and assumptions that construct perceptions of race and how they matter. Sociological and social science theories will give students a historical and present day frame with which to view race and ethnic relations in the twenty-first century.
SOCY225
Women's Jobs, Men's Jobs: How and Why Do They Differ?
An exploration of critical issues pertaining to gender differences in the workplace. Overview of theories explaining why some people do better than others in the world of work, and discussions of more specific questions relating to women's and men's job opportunities and experiences.
SOCY227
Introduction to the Study of Deviance
An introduction to the sociological study of deviant behavior, covering such topics as mental illness, sexual deviance, and the use of drugs.
SOCY230
Sociological Social Psychology
Why do people do that? Sitting at the nexus of sociology and psychology, this course surveys the various ways in which sociologists have answered this question. We investigate individuals-for example, how they develop and understand themselves in relation to others, how they choose to present themselves to the world, and how they form thoughts and opinions. And we study larger units of analyses, from small groups to the broader society. Topics covered include socialization, identity formation, social influence, group processes, how social processes shape individual behavior, and how human behavior shapes society.
SOCY241
Credit only granted for: SOCY241 or SOCY441.
A broad-based overview of inequality in contemporary U.S. society, focusing on measuring patterns and trends over time. A series of learning modules familiarizes students with how inequality unfolds in relation to social stratification processes along the lines of race, gender, education and social class, income and wealth, and health.
Credit granted for SOCY241 or SOCY441.
SOCY322
Cross-listed with: AAST322.
Credit only granted for: AAST322, SOCY222, HIST322 or SOCY322.
Formerly: AAST222, SOCY222.
Explores historical and contemporary Asian immigration to the US in comparison to and in the context of other immigrant groups. From low-skilled laborers to highly-skilled professionals, Asian and other immigrants have been an integral part of the shifting US economy and society since its inception. The course includes theories on why immigration occurs, determinants of its continuation, the uses of migrant labor, and immigrant adaptation and settlement. The second part of the course focuses on theories of ethnicity and racial formation and how immigrants develop and challenge the definitions of race, ethnicity, the "other", and ultimately, who is American. Students will also have the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of the immigrant experience through a life history interview project.
SOCY325
The Sociology of Gender
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: 3 credits in SOCY courses.
Cross-listed with: WGSS325.
Credit only granted for: SOCY325, WMST325 or WGSS325.
Formerly: WMST325.
Institutional bases of gender roles and gender inequality, cultural perspectives on gender, gender socialization, feminism, and gender-role change. Emphasis on contemporary American society.
SOCY335
Sociology of Health and Illness
An exploration of the social model to studying health and illness: how meanings and experiences of health and illness are socially produced. How experiences are shaped by the interaction of external social environments (culture, community) and the internal environment (human body), and by socio-demographic variables (race, class, gender, etc.). Disparities in health and healthcare delivery, medicalization of society, determinants of health, social construction of illness, and the social organization of health care.
SOCY340
What is the relationship between globalization and inequality? This course examines the factors shaping both between-nation and within-nation household income inequality for the past century. It is divided into four parts, each considering a different factor. First we seek to understand global trade historically. Second, we examine the more recent phenomenon of outsourcing. Third, we examine welfare and taxation policy and its role in shaping domestic inequality. Finally, we analyze the mechanisms for the accumulation of capital within global finance. By the end of the course, students will be able to discuss globalization beyond the "is it good or bad" binary and understand the complex interaction between domestic politics and international trade.
SOCY343
Rise of China
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Today, few questions pose more significance to scholars and policymakers than the "rise of China." As scholars grapple with explaining China's rise, they also provide tantalizing previews of the future of Chinese growth, and by extension, the future of the global economy. This course explores the character, conditions, and consequences of the rapid Chinese economic growth that many have termed "capitalism with Chinese characteristics." It summarizes three paradigms for explaining this growth: a state-centered, a market-centered, and a society-centered explanation. The course is divided in three parts, each examining a separate paradigm of development, and providing case studies of how this paradigm explains growth in specific industries and sectors of the Chinese economy.
SOCY370
Career Exploration and Professional Development for Sociology Majors
Credits:
1
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Restriction: Must be in the Sociology major.
Prepares Sociology majors to make the transition from undergraduate to entering graduate school and/or the professional work world. Topics include career options in Sociology, skills for conducting a job search, resume writing and interview preparation, and the graduate application process.
Restricted to Sociology Majors.
SOCY378
Undergraduate Teaching Assistantship
Credits:
1 - 3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
SOCY380
Honors Independent Reading in Sociology
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Restriction: Permission of BSOS-Sociology department.
This course permits sociology honor students to undertake a program or reading on a particular problem in sociology or a subfield therein. The reading will be done under the supervision of a member of the sociology faculty. Required of sociology honor students.
SOCY381
Honors Independent Research in Sociology
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: SOCY380.
This course permits sociology students to define a particular problem in sociology or a subfield therein and to develop a research plan for use as a thesis topic. The work will be done under the supervision of a member of the sociology faculty.
SOCY383
Honors Thesis Research
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: SOCY381.
Student research under the direction of a member of the sociology faculty, culminating in the presentation and defense of a thesis reporting the research.
SOCY386
Experiential Learning
Credits:
3 - 6
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F
Restriction: Permission of BSOS-Sociology department; and junior standing or higher.
To register, students must have departmental permission form signed by instructor and by Coordinator of Sociology Undergraduate Program.
SOCY399
Independent Study in Sociology
Credits:
1 - 6
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
No more than 6 hours of 399 is allowed for credit.
SOCY407
Explaining Social Change: Fact and Fiction in Understanding Why Our World Looks the Way it Does
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses or permission of Sociology Department.
Credit only granted for: SOCY498Y or SOCY407.
Formerly: SOCY498Y.
Examines large-scale processes of social change that have produced durable and defining aspects of our contemporary world and asks, How did we get here? It focuses on four key issues: how markets and the pursuit of profit came to organize virtually all aspects of material life and restructured societies around social classes; how democratic forms of governance emerged to direct states and the persistent challenges presented by authoritarian rule; how social revolution erupts and what kinds of changes it yields; and how warfare between states can produce varieties of change not necessarily comprehended in the foregoing domains.
SOCY433
Social Movements and Race
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses; or permission of BSOS-Sociology department.
This course aims to broaden our understanding of racial and ethnic minority social movements in the United States. We will often reference protests by African Americans and Latinos, such as by focusing on slave resistance, the modern civil rights movement, and Chicano movements. We will discuss various topics, including movement emergence, why people join and pick their tactics, government repression, movement outcomes, and movement decline. We will interrogate ways that movement processes and theoretical tools may be racially variant and strive to uncover how approaches used by scholars who study race (e.g., intersectionality, critical race theory, racialization) can be applied, and perhaps challenge, traditional social movement scholarship.
SOCY435
Society, Biology, and Health
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: Must have completed 6 credits in SOCY courses or permission of BSOS Sociology Department.
It is not too far-fetched to speak of the pancreas under capitalism or the proletarian lung. Humans are social beings in physical bodies. In this course, we draw on research studies, podcasts, news articles, and best-selling non-fiction to inform conversation and writing on how various dimensions of human biology influence, and are influenced by, our social and cultural environment. We focus on conceptualizing human behavior as an interplay between both nature and nurture, and consider how this approach changes our understanding of modern social problems. This course is appropriate for students with a range of backgrounds in the social and natural sciences; introductory-level supplemental readings on all necessary biological concepts will be provided.
This is a seminar-style, discussion-based course.
SOCY451
Sociology of Culture
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses; or permission of the department.
Credit only granted for: SOCY498C or SOCY451.
Formerly: SOCY498C.
Analyzes the relationship between society and culture. How do social forces affect cultural objects and products? How do values and meanings shape individual behavior? How can culture be both a source of domination and resistance? These and other topics will be analyzed to show the role of culture in our lives.
SOCY460
Researching Race, Gender, Class, and Sport
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: SOCY201 and SOCY202; or permission of the Sociology department.
Credit only granted for: SOCY310 OR SOCY460.
Historically, sports have been exclusionary by race, class and gender. Black athletes, women, and poor populations were excluded. Current discussions centered on sports, athletes, and social justice, leads to important sociological questions to consider and problems to investigate. In this research course, students will critically analyze assumptions, historical relationships, and contemporary issues in sports using an Intersectional conceptual framework. Students will analyze and synthesize original and empirical data for research-based poster presentations; and articulate how interrogating sports allows for innovative and revolutionary thinking as global citizens in various communities.
SOCY470
Pregnancy and Parenthood in an Unequal Society
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses; or permission of Sociology Department.
Analysis of patterns in sexual activity, contraceptive use, and unintended pregnancy, and how they reinforce or alleviate socioeconomic, gender, and racial inequalities. Emphasis on the role of healthcare providers and contraceptive access, attitudes about motherhood and contraception, policy interventions, and institutional designs. Social and economic consequences of increasing women's ability to control their fertility.
SOCY602
Statistics for Sociological Research II
Credits:
4
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
This course introduces regression analysis using matrix algebra. Topics include bivariate regression, multivariate regression, tests of significance, regression diagnostics, indicator variables, interaction terms, extra sum of squares, and the general linear model. Other topics may be addressed such as logistic regression and path analysis. Statistical programming software may be used.
SOCY630
Population and Society
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud, S-F
Selected problems in the field of population; quantitative and qualitative aspects; American and world problems.
SOCY660
Theories of Social Psychology
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud, S-F
Prerequisite: Must have completed an undergraduate training in sociological research methods, statistics, and theory; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
An introduction to some of the theories in social psychology that are particularly useful to sociologists. Topics to be covered include theories of cognitive consistency, social exchange, symbolic interaction, role theory, group processes, and collective behavior.
SOCY674
QuantCrit: Critical Approaches to Quantitative Methods in Sociology
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
Restriction: Must be enrolled in a Sociology (SOCY) graduate program; or permission of instructor.
This seminar explores Quantitative Critical Race Theory (QuantCrit) as a framework for interrogating how quantitative methods can both perpetuate and challenge racial inequalities in social research. QuantCrit applies insights from Critical Race Theory to the understanding and interpretation of quantitative data, encouraging researchers to critically examine how racial categories, statistical techniques, and data interpretation are shaped by power dynamics and historical contexts. Through engagement with historical and contemporary scholarship, students will develop methodological critique and constructive approaches to using quantitative methods. This course will prepare students to conduct quantitative research that centers marginalized experiences while challenging dominant narratives about objectivity and neutrality in social science.
SOCY699
Special Social Problems
Credits:
1 - 16
Grad Meth:
Reg
SOCY799
Master's Thesis Research
Credits:
1 - 6
Grad Meth:
S-F
SOCY898
Pre-Candidacy Research
Credits:
1 - 8
Grad Meth:
Reg
SOCY899
Doctoral Dissertation Research
Credits:
6
Grad Meth:
S-F
Flagship Institution of the University System of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
/
Phone:
301.405.1000
Copyright
© 2025 University of Maryland
/
Privacy /
Web Accessibility
Contact us
with comments, questions and feedback
/