Lang's General Degree Requirements
In addition to the requirements outlined here, Lang has specific requirements, including a minimum number of credits in liberal arts courses as well as college residency requirements. All students should read Lang’s General Degree Requirements and consult with both their Student Success advisor and the departmental faculty advisor each semester to ensure that they are on track to graduate.
Students in the Adult Bachelor's Program who are interested in studying sociology should consult their core faculty advisor.
Degree Works
To be sure their Degree Works account reflects the information in this worksheet, students should forward any approved exemptions from the following requirements to their Student Success advisor.
Bachelor’s-Master’s Program
Undergraduates in the BA-MA program can earn up to 18 credits (depending on the master's program) in New School master's courses and apply those graduate credits to both their BA and their MA. Submission of the Bachelor’s-Master’s
application is required (members of the direct-entry cohort do not have to submit an application but do have to declare the Bachelor's-Master's combination they wish to pursue). Students should consult the departmental faculty advisor and their
Student Success advisor if they are pursuing a BA/MA.
Requirements for the BA in Sociology for Students Who Began Their Studies at Lang Before the Fall 2026 Semester
As of fall 2020, students declaring the major in Sociology must take 12 courses, outlined as follows. Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all courses to meet the requirements for the major in Sociology. Declare your major by following the process
outlined in Declaring Your Major. Students who have declared the major in Sociology before
fall 2020 but wish to follow the fall 2020 curriculum can consult their Student Success advisor about submitting a Change of Catalog Year request.
Only specific courses satisfy the major requirements, including electives. Courses should be chosen
carefully, in consultation with the departmental faculty advisor and your Student Success advisor. Track your progress using Degree Works and the program worksheet (below) and consult our 4-Year Lang Career Pathways Map (PDF) for helpful steps and resources to link your academic journey to your future plans. See the university course catalog for spring 2026 Sociology courses that fulfill these requirements.
Lang's Sociology major consists of four elements, roughly corresponding to progress through the undergraduate career: Introduction, Exploration and Specialization, Advanced Theory and Method, and Creation. Check back soon for updated Guidelines to the Major
that outline each element, including its timing and sequence.
Introductory courses (9–12 credits):
- LSOC 2001 Sociological Imagination (3–4 credits)
- Choose 1 of the following Classical Theory courses* (3–4 credits):
- LSOC 3019 Classical Sociological Theory
- LSOC Xxxx Another approved Classical Theory course
- Choose 1 of the following Contemporary Theory courses:*
- LSOC 3069 Contemporary Sociological Theory
- LSOC Xxxx Another approved Classical Theory course
Other required courses (24–32 credits):
- Choose 1 of the following Sociological Methods courses (3–4 credits):
- LSOC 2201 Introduction to Qualitative Methods (3–4 credits)
- LMTH 2030 Statistics with SPSS (3–4 credits)
- LMTH 2025 Statistics for Social Scientists (3–4 credits)
- GOSC 5006 Ethnographic Field Methods (3–4 credits)
- Another approved Sociological Methods course (3–4 credits)
- 3 LSOC electives, 2000 or 3000 level (9–12 credits)
- 4 LSOC electives, 3000 level or higher* (12–16 credits)
Senior Capstone:
- Choose one of the following in consultation with your departmental faculty advisor (3–4 credits):
- GSOC 5xxx graduate-level Sociology course (3–4 credits)
- LSOC 4990 Independent Thesis (4 credits)
Total Credits: 36–48
*BA/MA students should take GSOC courses. All students should select graduate-level courses in consultation with the departmental faculty advisor.