Sociology FAQs
Sociology Department FAQs
Q. If I am a Psych major and have
taken Psych 109 and 110 (their research methods courses), do I still
have to take Soc. 100?
A.
No, the Psych 109/100 sequence can substitute for our Soc. 100 methods
requirement. However, you will have to take another 100-level
sociology course to take its place. Also note that if you are a
Soc. major, you will need to make sure you have at least 34 credits in
Sociology, including the extra 100-level sociology course mentioned
above. Finally, if you are a psych minor and have only taken
Psych 109, this alone does not count for our methods requirement.
Q. Does UVM offer a criminal justice
degree?
A.
No, but the sociology department offers the greatest range of courses
related to criminal justice. For example, we offer courses on deviance
& social control, the Sociology of Punishment, Criminal Justice,
Crime, Juveniles in the court, and Corrections. One can certainly
explore that interest and gain expertise within the sociology major.
Q. What do sociology majors do for
careers?
A.
Many public or nonprofit agencies, governmental bureaus, and community
programs hire applied sociologists, as do organizations that need
people with skills in sociological methodology and social statistics.
Often, sociology serves as a pre-professional background. Sociology is
similar to other liberal arts degrees, such as philosophy
and history, insofar as the skills you acquire are "transferrable" to
many fields. People with bachelors degrees in history do not become
historians, nor do sociology bachelors become sociologists without
graduate training. However, our students go into a variety of fields
because a liberal arts degree equips students to do research, write and
read critically and analytically so they can be trained for any kind of
work. Our students mostly work in human service agencies, but also go
on to Masters in social work programs, law school, etc. One former
student started her own business drawing upon her sociology courses in
gerontology. Another former student became an investment advisor.
Sociology majors generally leave with excellent people skills and
presentation skills, which prepares them for any field of work.
Q. Can I do an internship for
Sociology credit?
A. The internship coordinator for the department is Alice Fothergill.
Presently, the only way for students to get sociology credit for an
internship is
through Professor Fothergill's spring semester course, Soc. 296: Applied
Sociology (designated as a service-learning course). The course allows
students to participate in a service-learning partnership with King
Street Youth Center. This is a group project in which students
volunteer and conduct an evaluation of King Street Youth Center's
programs. Alternatively, students can choose and arrange their own
internships in a local non-profit for the spring semester. Students can
be supervised independently
through enrollment in this course.
Students who want an internship experience but do not need sociology
credit might consider earning course credit through the
Service-Learning office of Career Services. Contact Mary Barritt for
more information (
Mary.Barritt@uvm.edu).
Generally internships require ten hours a week of service in the
agency site for three hours of course credit. Sociology requires a
rigorous scholarly component as well, including bi-weekly meetings, a
sociological literature review, and a final paper.
To find out which non-profit internships are available locally, consult
the Career Services page:
http://www.uvm.edu/~career/?Page=internships.html&SM=otherjobsubmenu.html
For more information on sociology internships, contact Alice Fothergill at
656-2127 or
alice.fothergill@uvm.edu
For more information about the value of careers in sociology,
click here.
Last modified August 18 2009 02:35 PM
