Because study abroad is highly relevant to the major, the department tries to work with\u00a0students to make sure they can combine the sociology major with study off-campus,\u00a0including Bates Fall Semester programs, JSA, and JYA.<\/p>\n
Many students are able to complete\u00a0one or two courses that count toward the major, if they happen to select an off-campus\u00a0program that offers courses in sociology or closely-related disciplines. In order to be sure\u00a0that you will receive credit toward the major for particular courses you take off-campus,\u00a0you should consult in advance with the Department Chair. But even students wishing to\u00a0pursue a program emphasizing other kinds of study, in which they are not able to count a\u00a0course toward the major, usually have little difficulty combining a major in sociology with\u00a0off-campus study.<\/p>\n
As noted above, it is important for students planning to study off-campus to think ahead\u00a0about how they will complete the core courses- methods and theory- plus their first\u00a0junior\/senior seminar, since all three of these must be completed prior to the beginning of\u00a0the senior thesis. The Department Chair or any other faculty member will be happy to help\u00a0you with this kind of planning.<\/p>\n
There are a wide variety of off-campus programs previous sociology students have found\u00a0particularly beneficial. We encourage you to review the various programs available in terms\u00a0of your own interests and educational goals, and so you should feel free to begin by\u00a0reviewing the wealth of information on off-campus study available in the Office of the Dean\u00a0of Students. Department faculty will be glad to consult with you regarding the programs of\u00a0interest to you, and help you determine whether they include any courses that might count\u00a0toward the major. And if you have particular interests within sociology that are not fully\u00a0covered within the Department, we can help you find a program in which you can explore\u00a0those interests more fully. But especially for students planning to study off-campus for\u00a0just one semester, we encourage you to select an off-campus study opportunity that you\u00a0want, without feeling constrained by the requirements of the major.<\/p>\n