The information listed below is a direct excerpt from the 2013-14 Course Catalog.
Published annually, the Course Catalog sets out the requirements of the academic programs--the majors, minors, and concentrations. Each Bryn Mawr student must declare her major before the end of her sophomore year. Students may also declare a minor or a concentration, but neither is required for the A.B. degree. Students must comply with the requirements published in the Course Catalog at the time when they declare the major, minor and/or concentration.
The Course Catalog also sets out the College requirements. Students must comply with the College requirements published at the time they enter Bryn Mawr College.
2012-13 Catalog
2011-12 Catalog
2010-11 Catalog
2009-10 Catalog
Students may complete a major or minor in Sociology.
The major in Sociology aims to provide understanding of the organization and functioning of modern society by analyzing its major institutions, social groups, and values, and their interrelations with culture and personality. To facilitate these analytical objectives, the department offers rigorous preparation in social theory and problem focused training in quantitative as well as qualitative methodologies.
Requirements for the major are SOCL 102, 265, 302, 303, Senior Seminar (398), five additional courses in sociology (one of which may be at the 100 level and at least one of which must be at the 300 level), and two courses in an allied subject. Allied courses can be chosen from a list provided by the department. Some courses offered by the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research (GSSWSR) may be eligible for major or minor credit in Sociology. However, no more than two courses from GSSWSR can count for the major or minor in Sociology.
After completing SOCL 303, in which she will write a research proposal during her junior year, the student may submit that proposal to the department for permission to write a senior thesis. If her proposal is accepted, she will enroll in the thesis-oriented senior seminar where she will focus on researching and writing her thesis.
Students who choose not to write a thesis will enroll in the non-thesis senior seminar, which will explore selected issues in a major substantive area of sociology--such as culture, social class, social conflict, power, or contemporary social theory. This seminar will require each of the enrolled students to write a term paper.
The Department of Sociology offers concentrations in gender and society, Asian American studies and African American studies. In pursuing these concentrations, majors should inquire about the possibility of coursework at Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges and the University of Pennsylvania.
Requirements for the minor are SOCL 102, 265, 302, and three additional courses within the department. Students may choose electives from courses offered at Haverford College. Bryn Mawr majors should consult their department about major credit for courses taken at other institutions.
Honors in Sociology are available to those students who have a grade point average in the major of 3.5 or higher and who write a senior thesis that is judged outstanding by the department. The thesis would be written under the direction of a Sociology faculty member. Students are required to submit a thesis proposal which must be approved by the department in the semester prior to writing the thesis. Students should have prior course work in the subject area in which they plan to write a thesis.
Three courses are required for this concentration--at least two of these courses must be in sociology. The remaining course can be in sociology or an allied social science field. Students who pursue this concentration are required to take at least one of the core courses in this area offered by the department: The Study of Gender in Society (SOCL 201) or Women in Contemporary Society: The Southern Hemisphere (SOCL 225). The department encourages students in this concentration to take courses that focus on the study of gender in both the Global North and the Global South. In addition to taking courses in this field at Bryn Mawr, students may also take courses towards this concentration in their study abroad programs or at Haverford, Swarthmore, and the University of Pennsylvania. Any course taken outside of the Bryn Mawr Department of Sociology must be approved by the department for concentration credit. Majors are urged to consult Mary Osirim about this concentration.
Students pursuing this concentration are required to take Asian American Communities (SOCL 249), in addition to two other courses. One of them must be either Challenges and Dilemmas of Diversity (SOCL 215) or Immigrant Experiences (SOCL 246). The other course can be in anthropology, East Asian studies, or any other relevant field, and must be approved by the department for concentration credit. Please contact Ayumi Takenaka for further information.
Three courses are required for this concentration--at least two of these courses must be in sociology. The remaining course can be in either sociology or an allied field. Students who pursue this concentration are required to take the core course offered by the Bryn Mawr Department of Sociology: Black America In Sociological Perspective (SOCL 229). Students are encouraged to take courses on Black America listed under the Bryn Mawr and Haverford Africana Studies Programs. Courses taken outside the Bryn Mawr Department of Sociology must be approved by the department for concentration credit. Majors interested in this concentration should consult Robert Washington for further information.
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