2015-2016 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Sociology
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Faculty
Chair
J. Kevin Eckert
B.A., Ursinus College, 1969; M.A., Northwestern University, 1973; Ph.D., Northwestern University 1978
Professors
Marina Adler
B.A., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1981; M.A., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1984; Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, 1990
Leslie A. Morgan
B.A., Miami University, 1971; M.A., University of Southern California, 1976; Ph.D., University of Southern California, 1979
Robert L. Rubinstein
B.A., Case Western Reserve University, 1968; M.A., Bryn Mawr College, 1972; Ph.D., Bryn Mawr College, 1978
Mary E. Stuart
B.A., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1971; M.A., University of Maryland, Baltimore, 1974; Sc.D., The Johns Hopkins University, 1989
Associate Professors
Bambi L. Chapin
B.A., University of Virginia, 1988; M.A., University of California, San Diego, 1998; Ph.D., University of California, San Diego, 2003
Andrea L. Kalfoglou
B.A., University of Virginia, 1991; Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University, 1999
John G. Schumacher
B.S., John Carroll University, 1986; M.A., Bowling Green State University, 1994; M.A., Case Western Reserve University, 1997; Ph.D., 2000
Assistant Professors
Loren Henderson
B.A., Northwestern University, 2006; M.A., University of Illinois at Chicago, 2008; Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2014
Christine A. Mair
B.A., University of Florida, 2005; M.S., North Carolina State University, 2007; Ph.D., North Carolina State University, 2011
Dena T. Smith
B.S., University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, 1998; M.A., 2001; M.S., Florida State University, Tallahassee, 2003; Ph.D., Florida State University, Tallahassee, 2006
Jamie L. Trevitt
B.A., Duke University, 2003; M.P.P., Georgetown University, 2006; Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University, 2010
Brandy H. Wallace
B.S., University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, 1998; M.A., 2001; M.S., Florida State University, Tallahassee, 2003; Ph.D., Florida State University, Tallahassee, 2006
Associate Chair
Sarah Chard
B.A., Bryn Mawr College, 1991; M.A., Case Western Reserve University, 1995; Ph.D., 2001
Lecturers
Katie K. Birger
B.A., Virginia Commonwealth University, 1994; M.A., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2013
Nicole M. Cousin-Gossett
B.S., Towson University, 1999; M.A., Temple University, 2001; Ph.D., Temple University, 2010
Courses in this program are listed under SOCY.
The undergraduate major in sociology provides a well established and widely accepted path to careers and professional education in the human services. It is frequently the major of individuals employed in local, state and federal governments and in non-profit organizations. It typically provides appropriate preparation for many professional programs, including law, public health, health services administration, urban and regional planning, social work, human-services administration, human resources management, advertising, public administration and public policy. An undergraduate major in sociology is also appropriate preparation for research and policy-oriented graduate programs in sociology, public policy, health services research, criminology, demography and other disciplines that study social behavior.
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology offers undergraduate majors and minors in sociology and cultural anthropology. Information on the sociology major and minor are presented here. For information on the cultural anthropology major and minor, refer to the section Anthropology, Cultural in this catalog. More detailed information on both majors and minors are provided in the Student’s Guide to Sociology and the Student’s Guide to Anthropology, which are available in the department office, room 252 in the Public Policy Building.
Sociology is the study of social relationships among people and the institutions and organizations they use to organize these relationships. There are many subfields within sociology, including medical sociology, aging, population, religion, gender roles, family, work organizations, occupations, crime and delinquency, urban sociology, political sociology and others described in the course listings below. All majors are required to study sociological methods and statistics using computer software programs and to study sociological theory.
Many sociology majors are transfer students from community colleges and other institutions of higher education. UMBC has articulation agreements with community colleges and public four-year colleges and universities in Maryland that enable students to count most sociology courses taken in those institutions for credit toward the sociology major at UMBC. The department also accepts most sociology courses taken at colleges in other states.
Career and Academic Paths
The undergraduate major is designed to provide a general overview of sociology for students who plan to enter the labor force after graduation and for those planning graduate study. The department has double majors that combine sociology and social work, sociology and anthropology, and sociology and psychology, as well as a combined social work major/sociology minor. These programs enable students to complete both majors with fewer credits than are required for each major separately. The minor in sociology is designed for majors in other disciplines who wish to add a study of social behavior to their other major. Students interested in pursuing the Master of Arts in Applied Sociology offered by the department should consider the combined B.A./M.A. program described below.
Academic Advising
When a student declares a major in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, a copy of the declaration is sent to the department. A staff member then assigns the student a faculty advisor. Students may change advisors if they wish by notifying the department office. The staff will make the necessary changes. Every major must meet with his or her advisor at least once each semester to discuss progress and future plans and to obtain electronic permission to register. Advisors have office hours posted outside their offices or can be contacted by email or by leaving a message in their mailboxes with a telephone number and times for them to return the telephone call. Prior to registration, advising information is posted in the department, next to PUP 256, directing students to sign up with their advisor. Staff do not make appointments for faculty members. A meeting to discuss registration must be held prior to a student’s assigned registration time in order to be able to register. We encourage students to meet with their advisors any time they have questions or problems or want to discuss major or career plans. When students apply for graduation, their advisor makes the final decision as to whether all requirements for the major or minor have been completed. If the advisor has permitted the student to modify the major in any way, such as by substituting courses or waiving requirements, the student should get a written and signed copy of the agreement. The advisor will be glad to discuss the general university requirements for graduation, but advisors have no authority to modify these requirements in any way. The Registrar’s Office monitors completion of general education and university requirements.
Double Majors
The sociology department offers three double majors: Sociology/Anthropology, Sociology/Psychology and Sociology/Social Work. Information about the double majors can be obtained at the department office.
Honors Program
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology offers a major with honors in sociology. Information describing the requirements for the major with honors is available in the Student’s Guide available at the department office (252 PUP). Students considering graduate school in sociology are particularly encouraged to pursue this option.
M.A. and Accelerated B.A./M.A. Programs in Applied Sociology
The Master of Arts degree in Applied Sociology and the accelerated B.A./M.A. in Applied Sociology focus on the sociology of health, aging, and selected aspects of diversity. The accelerated B.A./M.A. permits undergraduates with any major to take up to 9 credits of graduate sociology courses in their senior year with the approval of the Graduate Program Director. These courses count for both the B.A. and the M.A. degrees. The student receives a B.A. degree after completing 120 credits and the graduate courses taken during the senior year reduce the number of courses required for the M.A. degree. The two programs are open to students in all majors and to fulltime and part-time students. All courses are offered at 4:30 or 7:10 pm one evening per week. Admission requirements are a GPA of 3.0 and completion of an undergraduate statistics course in any department in the past five years. A normal course load for full-time students is 9 credits a semester. Students interested in applying to the MA program should email Professor William Rothstein, Graduate Program Director, at rothstei@umbc.edu or Mary Pat Armstrong, Program Management Specialist, at marmstro@umbc.edu.
Evening and Part Time Options
The department offers a variety of advanced courses in the evening every semester but does not offer an evening major. Students who are able to take some courses during the day can complete the degree on a parttime basis.
Student Organizations
Council of Majors
Membership in the Council of Majors is open to all declared majors. The council meets throughout the academic year.
Alpha Kappa Delta
International Sociology Honor Society: Iota of Maryland
To become a member, an undergraduate student must: be an officially declared sociology major, be a junior (60-89 total credits) or senior (90 or more total credits), have an overall UMBC GPA of 3.3 or better, and have a GPA in all UMBC (and UMCP) sociology courses of 3.0 or better. Further details and applications are available from the department office (252 PUP). The induction ceremony is held in May of each year.
Special Opportunities
Internships for all students are available through SOCY 396 , which is offered in cooperation with The Shriver Center. Students wishing to undertake individual research projects can do so in independent study courses with faculty members of their choice (SOCY 299 , SOCY 399 or SOCY 499 ). Sociology majors seeking a more substantial research opportunity may complete the honors program. An international field research experience is offered annually. The International Field Research Program helps undergraduate and graduate students prepare for the requirements of a global economy, develop an international perspective on important policy issues and gain experience using social science field research methods. Program participants earn academic credit while developing independent research projects in connection with linked courses in the United States and an international travel experience. Previously, students have attended workshops and conducted exploratory research in Switzerland, Denmark, France and Portugal on issues ranging from disability, rehabilitation and long-term care to economic development and attitudes toward transportation and pollution control. Contact Cathy McDonnell at cat@umbc.edu for more information.
ProgramsBachelor of ArtsNon-DegreeCoursesSociology
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