Graduate
Graduate Course Descriptions
SOC501 Sociological Theory
3 credits Offered Fall and Spring Semester
Classical sociological concepts and theory from the eighteenth century to the present.
Prerequisite: Nine credits in Sociology and senior standing.
SOC502 Sociology of Science
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Culture of science, sociology of knowledge, various positions on the nature of
knowledge, causality, and the relationship between theory and social research.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
SOC511 Sociological Statistics
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Probability theory, descriptive statistics and tests of independence. Prerequisite:
Graduate status or permission of instructor.
SOC530 Advanced Social Psychology: Sociological Perspective
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Major theoretical perspectives in sociological social psychology including symbolic
interaction and role theory, social structure and personality, psychoanalytic, and
ethnomethodology. Selected research is reviewed. Prerequisite: Nine credits in
Sociology or graduate standing.
SOC550 Theories of Family Structure
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Prerequisite: Nine credits in Sociology.
SOC570 Theories of Criminology
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Review and critique of central criminological theories. Evaluation of these theories in
view of recent criminological research.
SOC591 Special Topics
3 credits Offered By Announcement
The content of this course will vary by semester. In any given semester its content will
be expressed in parentheses following the title “Special Topics” in the printed class
schedule. Prerequisite: Senior standing.
SOC592 Special Topics
3 credits Offered By Announcement
The content of this course will vary by semester. In any given semester its content will
be expressed in parentheses following the title “Special Topics” in the printed class
schedule. Prerequisite: Senior standing.
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Major orientations of modern sociology with emphasis upon structural and functional
theories.
SOC602 Contemporary Sociological Theory
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Recent developments in sociological theory. Exchange theory, structuralfunctionalism,
symbolic interactionism, neopositivism phenomenological sociology,
ethnomethodology, sociobiology, neo-Marxism and conflict theory. Current issues
relevant to the development of future sociological theory.
SOC603 Selected Topics in Social Theory
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Prerequisite: SOC 601, 602.
SOC604 Proseminar in Sociology (New course)
Introduction to the discipline of Sociology, the research process, and departmental resources and graduate program at UM.
SOC610 Research Methods
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Quantitative techniques for the measurement of theoretical constructs, the
consequences of technique selection, and the relationships between method and
underlying theory. Prerequisite: Graduate status or consent of instructor.
SOC611 Sociological Statistics I (New course)
Probability Theory, descriptive statistics and test of independence.
SOC612 Advanced Sociological Statistics II
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Review of bivariate correlation. Multiple regression. Comparisons to discriminant
analysis and logistic regression. Applied regression analysis- interaction terms,
model-fitting, multicollinearity, non-linearity. Introduction to path analysis and
LISREL. Prerequisite: SOC 611 or equivalent.
SOC613 Qualitative Research Methods
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Selected data analysis models and methodological issues. Potential topics may include
categorical data analysis, analysis of complex sample data, classification analysis,
covariance structure analysis, demographic methods, measurement models for
survey research, observational methods, secondary data analysis, experimental field
research, evaluation research, longitudinal design and analysis. Prerequisite: SOC
610, 611, PSY 631, or permission of instructor.
SOC614 Evaluation Research
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Conceptualizing, designing, conducting, and interpreting the results of evaluation
research programs in health and human service agencies. Prerequisite: SOC 610, 611
or equivalents.
SOC615 Class Structure and Social Stratification
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Theoretical and research approaches to class structure and social stratification, with a
focus on the U.S. Examines the conflict perspective(s) and major alternative views
including economic class, status and power, gender and race. Prerequisite: Graduate
standing or permission of instructor.
SOC616 Social Psychology: Sociological Perspectives
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Sociological theories and research explaining the influence of human groups and
social processes on personality and human social behavior. Prerequisite: Graduate
status or permission of instructor.
SOC617 Social Organization
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Effects of industrial downsizing on occupational structure, family income, and social
mobility are examined and related to changes in class, ethnic, and racial identity.
Prerequisite: Graduate status or permission of instructor.
SOC620 Social Epidemiology
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Theories, issues and methods of study pertinent to health and illness in society. Social
factors implicated in patterns of disease occurrence.
SOC622 Teaching Seminar in Sociology (New course)
Teaching and pedagogical techniques for teaching Sociology at the College/University level.
SOC632 Social Psychology of Health and Illness
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Social and psychological factors affecting susceptibility to illness, health related
beliefs and behaviors: the doctor-patient relationship: evaluation of health care
systems and patient compliance. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and permission of
instructor.
SOC635 Special Topics in Health and Society
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Topics will vary according to interests of faculty and students and may include health
promotion and disease prevention, cross-cultural patterns of health and illness,
psychiatric sociology.
SOC642 Contemporary Health Care Systems
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Components of the health care systems in the US compared with those in other
countries.
SOC650 Social Analysis of Race Relations
3 credits Offered By Announcement
The impact of race relations research on the discipline of sociology.
SOC651 Race Relations: Social Psychological Perspectives
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Social psychological perspectives on the nature, causes, and consequences of racial
inequality in American society.
SOC652 Theories of Race and Ethnic Relations
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Micro- and macro-level theories of race and ethnic relations. Prerequisite: Graduate
standing or permission of instructor.
SOC660 Social Gerontology
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Personal issues, problems and crises of middle-age and aging, and the interrelation of
those personal crises with the larger societal structures and processes. Prerequisite:
Nine credits in Sociology.
SOC670 The Criminal Justice System: Theory and Practice
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Historical and philosophical assessment of the criminal justice system in the United
States. Analysis and critique of current developments in crime control.
SOC671 Seminar on Criminology
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Selected issues, topics, theories, and recent research in criminology.
SOC672 Research in Crime and Delinquency
3 credits Offered By Announcement
Measurement issues; effects of race, gender, age, and socio-economic status on
criminality; extra-legal factors affecting criminal justice decision making.
SOC690 Directed Studies
1- 3 credits Offered By Announcement
Individually supervised readings or research on special topics. Offered by
arrangement with the instructor. Prerequisite: By arrangement with individual
instructor. Graduate standing.
SOC691 Special Topics and Current Issues in Medical Sociology
1- 3 credits Offered By Announcement
Seminar topics will be announced in schedule of classes. Prerequisite: Graduate status
or permission of instructor.
SOC692 Special Topics and Current Issues in Criminology
1- 3 credits Offered By Announcement
Seminar topics will be announced in schedule of classes. Prerequisite: Graduate status
or permission of instructor.
SOC693 Special Topics and Current Issues in Race/Ethnic Relations
1- 3 credits Offered By Announcement
Seminar topics will be announced in schedule of classes. Prerequisite: Graduate status
or permission of instructor.
SOC710 Master’s Thesis
1- 6 credits Offered Fall and Spring Semester
The student working on his/her master’s thesis enrolls for credit, in most departments
not to exceed six, as determined by his/her advisor. Credit is not awarded until the
thesis has been accepted.
SOC720 Research in Residence
0 credits Offered Fall and Spring Semester
Used to establish research in residence for the thesis for the master’s degree after the
student has enrolled for the permissible cumulative total in SOC 710 (usually six
credits). Credit not granted. May be regarded as full time residence.
SOC725 Continuous Registration—Master’s Study
0 credits Offered Fall and Spring Semester
To establish residence for non-thesis master’s students who are preparing for major
examinations. Credit not granted. Regarded as full time residence.
SOC730 Doctoral Dissertation
1-12 credits Offered Fall and Spring Semester
Required of all candidates for the Ph.D. The student will enroll for credit as determined
by his/her advisor, but for not less than a total of 12 hours. Up to12 hours may be
taken in a regular semester, but not more than six in a summer session.
SOC750 Research in Residence
0 credits Offered Fall and Spring Semester
Used to establish research in residence for the Ph.D. and D.A., after the student has
been enrolled for the permissible cumulative total in appropriate doctoral research.
Credit not granted. May be regarded as full-time residence as determined by the Dean of the Graduate School.
