Browse all Sociology courses →
Red: department · Gray: UW–Madison
GPA and percentages are weighted by recorded letter grades. UW comparisons use the same terms. Cross-listed courses count once within this department and once across UW; department totals should not be added together. Grade counts are not unique students. Offering counts reflect captured records, not a complete historical schedule.
Grades have not been recorded for this term. Historical results remain in the overview above.
Historical grades cover up to five years through the selected term. Grade sorting prioritizes courses with at least 100 letter grades.
Examines ethnicity, race, and justice with a specific emphasis on US Latinx/e peoples.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Assignments and exams are straightforward, but grading relies heavily on article evaluations with unclear criteria, and the fast lecture pace complicates note-taking.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2024EDPOL/SOC 955 is a graduate seminar focused on the intensive practice and analysis of specific qualitative research methods like ethnography or interviewing.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Alice Goffman: The course is rated as difficult, requiring students to push themselves beyond their current limits.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2024–Fall 2024 · limited sampleExamines the legal and social development and implications of laws governing sexual behavior and gender.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Students must prepare for potentially very harsh grading by her graders, despite the instructor's engaging lectures.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2025–Spring 2026Explores the intersection of gender, crime, and justice, examining female experiences and theoretical implications within the criminal justice system.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Students describe the course as extremely difficult with tough grading, though one reviewer found exams manageable if they read and took notes.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Fall 2025INTRODUCTION TO LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER AND QUEER+ STUDIES provides a multidisciplinary introduction to LGBTQ+ studies, covering identity theories, history, and contemporary issues.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Cabell Gathman, Joseph Elder: Workload consists primarily of take-home exams, essays, and reading response papers, with some reviewers noting that quizzes require memorizing specific details from lengthy readings.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Explores historical connections between capitalism and religion, examining religious roles in social inequality and capitalism critique.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Weekly assignments determine most of the grade, and Stern is considered a tough grader. However, he provides final exam questions in advance, and the course is generally easy to score well in.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2024–Fall 2025 · limited sampleSOCIOLOGY OF LAW examines the social origins, processes, and effects of law and legal institutions.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Alfonso Morales: Reviewers reported excessive reading and writing requirements initially, though the actual workload was reduced by reading only three books.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Fall 2025Examines the functioning, organization, and roles within the U.S. criminal justice system.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Alyssa Mugavero: Reviewers report that the TA leads discussions poorly, goes in circles, and fails to stay on track, making the learning process difficult.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026A field observation course combining placements in criminal justice agencies with seminars to apply sociological theories to real-world processes.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to Epidemiology covers the design, implementation, and interpretation of epidemiologic studies with a focus on methodologic issues in measuring disease frequency, natural history, and risk factors.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025Explores the sociology of the family through demographic, social-psychological, economic, and historical lenses.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Students report conflicting difficulty levels, ranging from easy to very hard. Workload includes significant reading, two major exams, and two short papers, with exams often described as brutal or ambiguous.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Fall 2025SOC 125 explains US performance in realizing freedom, fairness, and democracy through topics like capitalism, inequality, and politics.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Erik Wright, Joel Rogers: Workload includes significant reading, a midterm, a final, and a paper. Some reviewers found the class easy if they read the book, while others reported hard tests with little curve and confusing lectures.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Fall 2025SOC 134 examines inter-group relations, racism, discrimination, and white privilege, covering historical backgrounds and contemporary challenges of racial and ethnic minorities in the US.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course typically involves three to four papers and three to four non-cumulative exams with no final. Readings can be lengthy, and success requires attending lectures and completing assigned readings to prepare for tests.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026SOC 170 examines social, economic, and political problems related to population dynamics, migration, and world ecology.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Jenna Nobles, Michal Engelman: Students report heavy reading loads, with some noting materials are long and dull. Exams are described as difficult or complex, while writing assignments are criticized for having vague criteria or being unmentioned in these specific reviews.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026An honors introductory seminar providing an introduction to the paradigms, methods, and substance of sociology.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Mustafa Emirbayer is knowledgeable and makes the class interactive and engaging, though not every reading is considered great.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026SOC 196 is an elementary special topics course introducing sociology concepts and methods.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Fabien Accominotti: The workload involves a significant volume of reading that must be completed to participate in class discussions, plus additional time for learning R programming if inexperienced.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2024–Spring 2026A directed study program devised by a student in collaboration with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
SOC 199 is a directed study program where students devise a program of study in collaboration with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
SOC 320 is a research practicum providing practical experience in social research techniques through a semester-long project.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sampleSOC 441 covers theoretical explanations of criminal behavior, crime measurement, and evaluation of criminological research and policy.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Tests cover lecture content rather than the textbook, making readings optional for exam preparation, though they may aid understanding.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026SOC 444 explores social psychology from a sociological perspective, examining individual behavior, attitudes, and interactions within small group contexts.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Assignments are described as manageable, and exams are considered fair with sufficient preparation resources provided.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Covers concepts, measurement, theoretical applications, and program evaluation regarding the juvenile system.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Michael Massoglia: The course requires reading over 100 pages weekly and involves blue-book exams, with some students finding the exams tough.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Fall 2025SOC 496 offers intensive study of selected topics in sociology.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course involves a lot of work, particularly when taken during the summer term.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026SOC 624 explores political sociology through theories of democracy, voting behavior, social movements, and regime breakdowns.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Reviewers report an intense reading load, sometimes exceeding 300 pages weekly, and long lectures. Exams constitute a large portion of the grade, though one student notes they are graded leniently.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sampleSOC 631 teaches applied qualitative research methods for social science practitioners.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2025–Spring 2026 · limited sampleSOC 633 covers classical and contemporary theories of social inequality, analyzing US trends and the impact of class, race, gender, globalization, immigration, and politics.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of John Logan: Students report high stress and unclear expectations, noting that required knowledge is only revealed days before exams.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2024–Fall 2024 · limited sampleSOC 640 examines family life from a sociological perspective, drawing on insights from demography, economics, history and anthropology.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews for Christine Schwartz describe her as easy to understand, approachable, and clear, with lively discussions that students recommend.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2024 · limited sampleSOC 681 is a mentored individual research and study course for students completing Honors in the Major.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
SOC 682 is a mentored individual research and study course for students completing Honors in the Major, culminating in a senior honors thesis.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sampleSOC 691 is a mentored individual research course for students completing a senior thesis.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
No released grades for this term.
Offering snapshots currently cover Fall 2026. Earlier grade records do not provide a complete offering history.