For sociology majors who wish to focus their studies, the department offers four areas of specialization. Majors who complete the requirements for any of these specializations will be presented with a certificate upon graduation (the specializations will not appear on diplomas or official transcripts).
To earn the specialization, students must earn a "C" or better in the courses required for the major and in the specialization courses.
This specialization is ideal for majors who intend to work in settings which require strong background knowledge in medicine or health, or who want to go to graduate school in sociology, medicine, the health professions or public health. Majors can complete the Health and Society specialization by successfully completing SOC 322 Medical Sociology or SOC 477 Sociology of Health Care, plus two additional health-related sociology electives from this list:
This specialization is intended for majors who plan to work in settings which require a strong background in crime or law, or who plan to apply to graduate school in sociology, criminology, or law. Majors can complete the requirements for specialization in Crime, Law and Justice by successfully completing SOC 307 Criminology or SOC 373 Law and Society plus two additional law-related sociology electives from this list:
This specialization recognizes the efforts of students to incorporate cross-cultural understanding and diverse approaches to knowledge and social inquiry into their undergraduate sociology degree. Majors can complete the Global Sociology specialization by earning sociology credit in an approved study abroad or study away program, or by incorporating significant international content in a Sociology Honor’s research project.
This specialization is ideal for sociology majors who plan to work in settings which require a strong background in data analysis or social science research methods. Students learn how data are gathered and analyzed using a variety of methods and techniques. The specialization is offered to graduating UB sociology majors in good standing who have completed three research-intensive courses in the Department of Sociology.