Sociology and Anthropology Department

Major Sociology and Anthropology
Minors Sociology, Anthropology

For Course Offerings and Program Requirements see The Hiram College Catalog.

   1. Which courses are for first year students who wish to explore new areas of interest, but have no clear intent to major in this area?

      Introduction to Sociology (Soan 155), and Cultural Anthropology (Soan 202).
   2. What is the desirable course work a prospective major/minor should complete by the end of their first year and the end of their second year?

      Major: In the First Year it would be desirable to complete Introduction to Sociology (Soan 155) and a 200 level course. In the Second Year completion of at least two 200 and 300 level courses in the department and Math 108 would be desirable.

      Minors:
   3. What is the minimum a prospective major/minor must do by the end of their first and second year?

      Majors: Introduction to Sociology and one other course, but we have had students who started the major in their 3rd year and who were able to graduate on time.

      Minors: Introduction to Sociology
   4. How important is it for a student with some interest in majoring in your area to make contact with a member of your department?

      Very important, but it need not be during the first year.
   5. What are the major pitfalls a student should avoid during their first year and how can an adviser help the student avoid them?

      Academic probation; the best way to avoid this is proper course selection, and not “sliding by” in Introduction to Sociology.

      Introduction to Sociology is a difficult course and includes learning about research methods and data analysis using SPSS. Weak students have a poor track record in Introduction to Sociology and are not likely to pass the course.