These are some of the questions that are most often asked of our office staff and faculty. If you have additional questions, please contact the main office in 175 PLC. For more detailed information, please check out our Undergraduate Handbook.

FAQs: Classes

I received less than a C- in a sociology class. Will it still count?

If you passed the class, it will count toward your overall degree requirement of 180 credits. But it will not count toward the total number of credits you need for the sociology major if your grade was less than a C-.

I see some classes are Topic or Issues classes. What does this mean? Can I take them more than once?

These are courses that have rotating topics. While they might always have the same general theme, such as the environment or gender, the actual issues covered can be quite different from term to term. You may take a class with the same course number more than once for credit IF the topic/title has changed. This includes 410 - Experimental Course and 399 - Special Studies courses.

The class that I want to take has prerequisites that I haven’t completed. What do I do?

You will be unable to register if you do not have the prerequisite(s) for a course. If you want to take the course, you will need to obtain instructor approval for the course. Contact the course instructor to ask for permission: explain your reason for wanting to take the class, include your ID number.

Example: “Dear Professor _____,My name is _____ and I would like to register for your SOC ___ class because…”

Can I take a course pass/no pass in sociology?

Courses must be taken graded in order to count toward the sociology major requirements. An exception to this is any course that is only offered P/N, such as SOC 408 or most Independent Study options.

Will classes from other departments or universities count toward my sociology degree?

For a range of reasons, students occasionally ask whether coursework from outside the UO Sociology Department may be counted toward their UO sociology major requirements. Such courses will be considered if one or more of the following conditions apply:

1. Is the course already cross-published with the UO Sociology Department? If it is, it will count toward the major and should do so automatically – check with the sociology academic advisor for assistance.
2. Does the instructor have a PhD in Sociology? If yes, the student should present the following to the sociology academic advisor:
   1. Evidence that the instructor holds a PhD in sociology (from UO faculty page, CV, LinkedIn, email from professor, etc.)
   2. A copy of the course syllabus
3. Is the student requesting lower-division credit for the course? If so, the student should present the following to the sociology academic advisor:
   1. A copy of the course syllabus
   2. A written rationale explaining how the course builds on content that the student learned in SOC 204 or SOC 207.
   3. Evidence that the course requires either 20+ pages of writing over the term or 40+ pages of reading per week.
4. Is the student requesting upper-division credit for the course? If so, the student should present the following to the sociology academic advisor:
   1. A copy of the course syllabus
   2. A written rationale explaining how the course complements a UO Sociology course that the student has already taken
   3. Evidence that the course requires either 20+ pages of writing over the term or 40+ pages of reading per week.

If none of the above conditions can apply to the course, it cannot be counted toward the sociology major requirements at the University of Oregon. Any questions on this policy should be directed to the Sociology Department office.

Where can I find course syllabi?

The Sociology Department office has records of past syllabi. Please contact Dan O'Neil or Katie Robison with the following information: Class name and number, instructor (if known), and the term that the class was offered.

FAQs: Sociology Department

How can I add or change a sociology major or minor?

You can declare in person, by phone, by email or by completing an online form. See this page for declaring instructions.

Who is my advisor?

Students can seek academic advising from our Undergraduate Advisors or through the Tykeson College and Careers Center located in Tykeson Hall. Drop-in appointments are often available, and interested students should visit the front desk of Tykeson Hall to inquire. Appointments can be made up to two (2) weeks in advance through the Navigate portal. Sociology is a part of the Public Policy, Society, and Identity Flight Path.

FAQs: Internships/After Graduation

Do internships or readings count toward required hours of 400-level coursework?

No. Calling it “400-level” work is a bit of a misnomer. These credits must be in courses numbered 407 or 410-499. Credits for internships, research and readings will count as sociology credits but do not count towards the required hours of 400 level work.

I’m a junior/senior. I need to prepare for post-graduation job searching but I don’t know what to do. How do I learn the skills that I need?

Consider taking our two-credit (2-credit) workshop SOC 408 Careers in Sociology* or speaking with a Career Advisor.

FAQs: Transfers

I am a transfer student, and my classes did not transfer correctly to the University of Oregon. How can I get the appropriate transfer?

Please email the syllabus or course description of the class in question to your academic advisor or undergraduate coordinator to determine the appropriate transfer equivalency. Please note that your advisor will not track this information down for you due to the large volume of student requests.

I am planning to attend another school in the US or to study abroad. How can I learn how classes abroad will transfer to the University of Oregon?

First, please see if the school and class already have a transfer equivalency at the Office of the Registrar website.

If the class is not listed, then email the syllabus or course description of the class in question to your academic advisor to determine the appropriate transfer equivalency. Please note that your advisor will not track this information down for you due to the large volume of student requests.

Remember, it is your responsibility to make sure that classes from other institutions transfer to the University of Oregon in a timely manner.