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Welcome to the UC San Diego Sociology Department

Sociology

We hope the information provided on our web site will be a useful complement to the general catalog. Although most information for your first year will come from the academic advisors in your college, we encourage you to feel free to come by the sociology department for further counseling on your major. The department of sociology provides a challenging curriculum, which offers you a superior liberal arts education and a bright future.

Navigate through the following pages for more information on the UC San Diego Undergraduate Sociology Program. If there is still a question you wish to be answered, please visit our FAQ Page, or contact Sociology department Advisors.

 

       

       

       

 

Quick Frequently Asked Questions

Have a question that hasn't’t been addressed?  Check out these quick FAQs!

Please note that this is not our comprehensive FAQ page. For full FAQ facts, please visit our FAQ page.

Courses & Grades

Why can’t I enroll in a Sociology Course?

There are circumstances in which a student will be unable to enroll in courses that they are eligible for.  Examples include:

  • Freshmen with sophomore standing
  • Student who will obtain junior standing at the end of a quarter, but unable to enroll in upper division courses during their enrollment period mid-quarter.

If the class you wish to enroll in has prerequisites or restrictions, submit your preauthorization request via the Enrollment Authorization System (EASy).

I think my grade may be incorrect, what should I do?

Problems with grades should be discussed first with the instructor of the class or TA of the section. If you are having a serious conflict with an instructor, please bring your situation to the attention of the undergraduate coordinator. You must speak with the undergraduate coordinator before you make an appointment with the department chair.


How do I petition a course from an outside university?

To petition to apply course work completed from an outside university (summer school, study abroad, etc.) toward your upper division electives in a major or minor in sociology, students must submit a General Petition to the department once the coursework has appeared on their degree audit.

The petition should include: name of the study center or university where course work was completed, department course number and course title, and number and level (upper- or lower-division) of credits granted through UC San Diego Admissions Office. Students should attach a copy of the syllabus and copies of exams or papers, especially if there is any doubt about the difficulty of the course or its sociological content.

Students are strongly advised to retain the syllabi, course papers, examinations, and all other paperwork from courses taken outside of UC San Diego. These materials may be useful after you return to facilitate the admissions officer's decision about credit transfers, as well as departmental approval of courses toward the major/minor requirement. The same materials may help resolve any debates that might arise in the department over possible duplication in course content.

Submission of Petition

Petitions must be submitted online. Questions? Please contact Sociology Undergraduate Advising

Petitions cannot be submitted through VAC, as the web portal does not allow students to upload any documents.

Faculty & Staff

When is my instructor’s office hours?

The Department of Sociology maintains a list of Quarterly Office Hours.  If your instructor does not have office hours listed, you will need to contact them directly.

 

What do I need to send to a professor who has agreed to write me a letter of recommendation?

 At the time of your a letter of recommendation request to an instructor in our Department, please e-mail the following statement:

“I consent to the release of personal and educational information about me in the letter of recommendation that I have requested from you. This authorization allows you to release all information about me, within the university’s possession, to /[fill in details (e.g., any other educational institution, any centralized application processing services (list by name if possible), etc.]/. This authorization shall remain valid unless and until it is rescinded in writing.”

Letters of recommendation contain detailed information about the student who is the subject of the letter. This information may include such information as scores on specific exams, grades and in other class performances, grades earned from other faculty in the department, upper division GPA in the major, grades in related departments, and standardized test scores, among other things. As your personal information is protected information please grant your instructor consent to give our your information.

 

When is the main Sociology office open?

Our office hours can be found under Contact Us.

To find a specific staff member’s available hours, visit their staff profile, but please understand that times may fluctuate.

Exam Drop-off & Pick-up

My coursework is due at the Sociology Department, where do I drop it off?

There is an exam drop box located on the 4th floor of the Social Sciences Building just outside room 460. Be sure to include the name of your Instructor.

There is also a date/time stamp available for students to indicate when their materials were submitted.

This is a locked box which only the Sociology Administration can access. Materials in the drop box will be delivered to the mail box of your instructor by a staff member.

 

Where can I pick up my final exam from the previous quarter?

If you've signed the Buckley Waiver, your exam will be placed in the sociology final exam cabinet, located on the 4th floor of the Social Sciences Building just outside room 460. Exams from the previous quarter may be retrieved 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, beginning the Friday after finals week and continuing until the end of the following quarter.

Exams without a Buckley Waiver will be available for pick up from the instructor.

Special Accommodations

I am an OSD Student, who is the departmental liaison?

**Effective SP20, please our note about updated processes for OSD Accommodations**

Our Instructional Support Assistant is the departmental OSD liaison.  When you receive your AFA letter, a copy must be submitted to the front desk to establish accommodation arrangements. Please see our OSD page for detailed instruction.

Students must contact faculty and the OSD Liaison at least one week in advance, (excluding holidays and weekends) to confirm accommodation arrangements (i.e., where you will take the exam/quiz, how you will obtain accommodations, etc.) Please email socadvising@ucsd.edu to schedule accommodation times. 

Students are responsible for starting the exam/quiz ON TIME. If students are eligible for extended time for exams/quizzes and students show up late, the exam/quiz time will not be extended to excuse tardiness.

 

It’s finals week and I’m in a situation where I can’t take my exams. What should I do?

Students who are experiencing circumstances beyond their control may be eligible to take their course as an Incomplete. 

Undergraduate student whose work is of nonfailing quality but incomplete for good cause, such as illness, may file a Request to Receive Grade “Incomplete” with the instructor.

The form is required by the department, students should complete their portion of the request form, including the reason they are requesting the Incomplete, and provide appropriate documentation to support their request (e.g., doctor’s note).

The instructor has the option to approve or disapprove the request and should state clearly how and when the I is to be completed. If approved, the instructor assigns the I grade to the student.

Students must complete the work to remove the Incomplete on or before the date agreed upon with the instructor and in time for the instructor to assign a grade before the end of finals week the following quarterr

If you feel that you may require an Incomplete please view the General Catalog for more information and get in touch with your instructor and/or our Undergraduate Advisors (Ray Reyes and Selaina Mansheim)

Honors

How can I get honors?

To receive Departmental Honors in your Sociology major, students must participate in the Honor's Program.  Information about the Honor's Program and eligibility requirements can be found on our Special Academic Programs page.

To receive College Honors, also known as Latin Honors, students must be within the top 14% of graduating seniors. More information can be found on the General Catalog.

There is also an International Sociology Honor Society called Alpha Kappa Delta. Students may apply for membership to this program through the UCSD Department of Sociology.  For more information, view our Opportunities & Involvement page.

Concurrent Enrollment (UCSD Extension Students)

Questions regarding Concurrent Enrollment? Please see our Policies on Concurrent Enrollment for Sociology courses.