Program Overview

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Community and Environmental Sociology, BS

Community and environmental sociology explores the communities in which people live and the relationships between people and their natural environments. Using an integrative approach, the major provides students a broad view of the societal factors involved in issues of environment, food systems, health, and community development, as well as strategies for promoting a more just and sustainable world.

Program Description

Through core courses, students receive foundational knowledge in sociology and select from a wide range of electives covering environmental stewardship, resource conflicts, public health, social change, social justice, agroecology, rural development, labor, science and technology, colonialism, and globalization.

Career Opportunities

Graduates go on to a wide variety of careers in environmental conservation, community and international development, food systems, law, public policy, sociology, and public health in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. A Community and Environmental Sociology major also provides excellent preparation for graduate school. Alumni hold positions as directors, managers, administrators, policymakers, data analysts, planners, consultants, researchers, teachers, health care workers, and civil servants.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand how social science arguments are constructed and evaluated.
2. Develop ability to assess data quality and understand whether particular data is appropriate to answer specific questions.
3. Learn general theories on basic social processes, especially those related to the relationships between society and the environment and the social organization of communities.
4. Learn communication skills in the social sciences.

Admission Requirements

• No application required.
• All students who meet the requirements listed below are eligible to declare.
• Courses required to get in: None
• GPA requirements to get in: None
• Credits required to get in: Must have fewer than 86 credits.
• Other: Students who do not meet the requirements above or are not in good academic standing should schedule a meeting with CALS Dean on Call to discuss exceptions.

University General Education Requirements

All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world.

• BreadthHumanities/Literature/Arts: 6 credits
• BreadthNatural Science: 4 to 6 credits
• BreadthSocial Studies: 3 credits
• Communication Part A & Part B
• Ethnic Studies
• Quantitative Reasoning Part A & Part B

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Requirements

In addition to the University General Education Requirements, all undergraduate students in CALS must satisfy a set of college and major requirements.

• Quality of Work: Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.000 to remain in good standing and be eligible for graduation.
• Residency: Students must complete 30 degree credits in residence at UWMadison after earning 86 credits toward their undergraduate degree.
• First year seminar: 1 credit
• International studies: 3 credits
• Physical science fundamentals: 4-5 credits
• Biological science: 5 credits
• Additional science (biological, physical, or natural): 3 credits
• Science breadth (biological, physical, natural, or social): 3 credits
• CALS Capstone Learning Experience: included in the requirements for each CALS major

Major Requirements

• Core:
  • C&E SOC/SOC 140: Introduction to Community and Environmental Sociology (4 credits)
  • C&E SOC/SOC 475: Classical Sociological Theory (3 credits)
  • C&E SOC/SOC 357: Methods of Sociological Inquiry (3-4 credits)
  • C&E SOC/SOC 360: Statistics for Sociologists I (4 credits)
• Electives within the Major: 15 credits
  • Select 6-9 credits from the Community course set
  • Select 6-9 credits from the Environment course set
• Capstone:
  • C&E SOC 500: Capstone Experience (3 credits)
• Total Credits: 32-33

Community Course Set

• C&E SOC/SOC 210: Survey of Sociology (3-4 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC 211: The Sociological Enterprise (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC 245: Technology and Society (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/AFROAMER/ANTHRO/GEOG/HISTORY/LACIS/POLI SCI/SOC/SPANISH 260: Latin America: An Introduction (3-4 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC 341: Labor in Global Food Systems (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/GEN&WS/SOC 347: Gender and Sexuality in Rural Places (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC 365: Data Management for Social Science Research (3-4 credits)
• C&E SOC/POP HLTH 370: Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)
• C&E SOC 375: Special Topics (1-4 credits)
• C&E SOC/CURRIC/ENVIR ST 405: Education for Sustainable Communities (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC 532: Health Care Issues for Individuals, Families and Society (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC 533: Public Health in Rural & Urban Communities (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/ENVIR ST/SOC 540: Sociology of International Development, Environment, and Sustainability (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/MED HIST/PHILOS 565: The Ethics of Modern Biotechnology (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC 573: Community Organization and Change (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/AMER IND/SOC 578: Poverty and Place (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC/URB R PL 617: Community Development (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC 630: Sociology of Developing Societies/Third World (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC/URB R PL 645: Modern American Communities (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC 652: Sociology of Economic Institutions (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC 693: Practicum in Analysis and Research (3 credits)

Environment Course Set

• AGROECOL/C&E SOC/ENTOM/ENVIR ST 103: Agroecology: An Introduction to the Ecology of Food and Agriculture (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC 222: Food, Culture, and Society (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/F&W ECOL/SOC 248: Environment, Natural Resources, and Society (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/A A E/SOC 340: Issues in Food Systems (3-4 credits)
• C&E SOC 375: Special Topics (1-4 credits)
• C&E SOC/CURRIC/ENVIR ST 405: Education for Sustainable Communities (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/ENVIR ST/GEOG 434: People, Wildlife and Landscapes (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/ENVIR ST/SOC 540: Sociology of International Development, Environment, and Sustainability (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC 541: Environmental Stewardship and Social Justice (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/MED HIST/PHILOS 565: The Ethics of Modern Biotechnology (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC 650: Sociology of Agriculture (3 credits)
• C&E SOC/SOC 693: Practicum in Analysis and Research (3 credits)

Credit Requirement

Must complete a total of 30 credits of C&E SOC courses. Students may count up to 4 credits of Independent Study, Internship, or Thesis here, with permission of their advisor.

University Degree Requirements

• Total Degree: To receive a bachelor's degree from UWMadison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits.
• Residency: Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UWMadison.
• Quality of Work: Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing.

Four-Year Plan

Sample Community and Environmental Sociology Four-Year Plan

Students must complete at least 120 total credits to be eligible for graduation.

• Freshman:
  • Fall: COMM A or COMM B Course (2-3 credits), C&E SOC/SOC 140 (4 credits), First Year Seminar (1 credit), Electives (8 credits)
  • Spring: COMM A or COMM B Course (2-3 credits), CHEM 103, 108, or 109 (4-5 credits), C&E SOC Elective (3 credits), Electives (4-6 credits)
• Sophomore:
  • Fall: C&E SOC/SOC 357 (3 credits), C&E SOC Elective (3 credits), Ethnic Studies (3 credits), Electives (6 credits)
  • Spring: C&E SOC/SOC 360 (4 credits), C&E SOC Elective (3 credits), Biological Science Course (2 credits), Humanities Elective (3 credits), Additional Electives (3 credits)
• Junior:
  • Fall: C&E SOC/SOC 475 (3 credits), C&E SOC Elective (3 credits), Biological Science (3 credits), Additional Electives (6 credits)
  • Spring: C&E SOC Elective (3 credits), International Studies (3 credits), Additional Science Course (3 credits), Electives (6 credits)
• Senior:
  • Fall: C&E SOC 500 (3 credits), Electives (12 credits)
  • Spring: Humanities (3 credits), Electives (12 credits)

Advising and Careers

Advising

Students have an academic advisor who helps them with course planning and mapping out their degree plans. They also have a faculty mentor, with whom they can discuss internship opportunities and career goals.

Career Opportunities

Graduates go on to a wide variety of careers that help support environmental sustainability, sustainable agricultural systems, community development, and public health in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. The major also provides excellent preparation for graduate school. Alumni hold professional positions as directors, managers, administrators, policymakers, data analysts, planners, consultants, researchers, teachers, health care workers, and civil servants.

Wisconsin Experience

Internships

Many students complete internships, including with campus clubs, community groups, and national and international non-profit organizations.

Research Experience

Community and Environmental Sociology majors can gain research experience by participating in a faculty-led research project or conducting their own project supervised by a faculty member.

Global Engagement

Majors are encouraged to participate in study abroad experiences across all continents.

Community Engagement and Volunteering

There are many opportunities to engage in volunteer activities. The Morgridge Center for Public Service provides resources to help students connect with volunteer opportunities based on their interests and goals.

Student Organizations

There are numerous campus student organizations of interest to majors, including F.H. King Students for Sustainable Agriculture, Campus Food Shed, and REthink Wisconsin.

Resources and Scholarships

Students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences receive more than $1.25 million in scholarships annually. The Department of Community and Environmental Sociology awards an average of $15,000 in scholarships each year to undergraduate students in the department.