Major Advising Page – Sociology – Study Abroad

The Department of Sociology strongly encourages our majors to consider studying abroad! There are few better ways to hone and apply your sociological imagination than by stepping outside your comfort zone and immersing yourself in an unfamiliar place and culture. The study abroad experience provides a chance to challenge yourself and enhance your work in the major with the global perspective that comes with experiencing another culture firsthand.

When sociology majors study abroad, they:

develop a comparative perspective on the issues sociology explores, such as demography, the organization of institutions like schools, criminal justice systems, political bodies and religions, and various axes of social inequality
learn to navigate novel situations, improve their ability to listen, learn and see the world from other perspectives
increase their ability to contextualize what they take for granted as “normal” in a global context
complement their on-campus study with the perspectives of faculty abroad
meet and exchange ideas with students from around the world who are motivated by the same issues and questions they are

Mapping Your Study Abroad Experience as a Sociology Major

Because the Sociology major is quite flexible you have many study abroad options open to you, and you can integrate a study abroad experience into your undergrad career at almost any time.

Freshman Year

During the first year, many Sociology majors take general education and breadth credit courses. This is actually a great time to study abroad, though it is also understandable that many students want to use this year to integrate themselves into campus life.

Sophomore & Junior Years

During these two years, most students complete the four foundational courses in Sociology: an Intro to Sociology course, Sociological Research Methods, an Intro to Statistics course, and Classical Sociological Theory. We recommend taking most of these courses on campus, particularly the methods course. (And do you really want to spend your study abroad experience taking statistics?) However, we offer these courses every semester during the academic year, and all but Classical Theory are offered every summer, which allows you plenty of opportunity to complete them, no matter the timing or duration of your study abroad experience.

Junior & Senior Years

Beyond the four foundational courses in the major, Sociology majors complete at least four distribution courses from at least two of the seven distribution groups listed in the Guide. The great news for students considering study abroad is that many intermediate and advanced courses offered abroad can be approved for distribution credit, even if they are not precise matches for courses offered at UW-Madison. For example, a course on the juvenile justice system of France (or wherever you might be studying) might not be a direct equivalent for UW-Madison’s U.S.-focused juvenile delinquency course. However, it would certainly count toward credit in the Deviant Behavior & Criminology distribution group. Your transcript would say “Sociology 463: Study Abroad- Deviant Behavior.”

Questions to Ask

Your Academic Advisor

What classes must I complete for my degree (breadth/depth, major requirements, etc.)?
Do I need to be on UW-Madison’s campus for any courses in my major?
How many electives do I have outside of my major?

Your Study Abroad Advisor

What classes can I take abroad?
How and when do I select courses for my program?
When will I know course equivalents for my program?
What is the class structure like abroad?

Identifying Programs That are Right for You

The following is a list of programs that have course offerings in academic themes that may be of interest to Sociology majors. However, courses offered as part of these programs may not be guaranteed to be the best fit for you depending on where you are in the major.

Search all IAP programs
Research all programs using the IAP Program Search page. The above is not an exhaustive list of all programs that offer Sociology courses. There may be other programs that are a better fit for your individual needs or interests.