HSOC Requirements

HSOC is a 14 c.u. major:

1 Core Course (HSOC 10)
1 Social Science Methodology Courses
2 Core Discipline Courses
3 Department Electives
6 Concentration Courses
1 Capstone Course

You need a minimum of 34 cu to graduate from Penn with an HSOC major,  14 cu in the major plus 20 other cu (of which 16 cu must be College courses, some of which will be courses taken to fulfill the General Requirement.)  You may take a maximum of 4 c.u. outside the College.  However, a course taken outside the College for the HSOC major doesn't count toward this maximum. 

1. HSOC 010 (Health & Societies: Global Perspectives) (1 cu)

This course is a pre-requisite to becoming an HSOC major. In order to declare the major a student must have already taken or be currently taking HSOC 10.  There are no exceptions to this rule.*  Since this course fills up quickly and stays full, any student not preregistered who wishes to take the class must: (a) contact Dr. Barnes in advance and (b) attend the first lectures and recitations. 
*LPS students and transfer students should contact Dr. Greene or Dr. Barnes.

2. Social Science Methodology Course ( 1 cu) - One of these courses is required:
HSOC 100 (Introduction to Sociological Methods)
HSOC 111 (The Health of Populations)

3-4. Core Disciplines (2 cu) - TWO of these courses are required:
HSOC 002 (Medicine in History)
HSOC 275 (Medical Sociology)
HSOC 238 (Medical Anthropology)

5-7. Department Electives (3 cu)
THREE courses which are designated as HSOC or STSC either from those programs or crosslisted from other departments.  Any HSOC or STSC course fulfills this requirement; however, no courses at Penn not so designated or courses from study abroad can fulfill or substitute for this requirement.

8-13. FIELD OF CONCENTRATION (6 cu):
SIX approved courses in ONE of these fields (follow links to see the list of pre-approved courses for each concentration--other courses may be approved by Petition to Dr. Barnes or Dr. Greene) HSOC major may include up to three courses from outside the College in their concentrations (including transfer credits from other colleges and universities).

Bioethics and Society
Disease and Society
Environment and Health
Gender and Health
Health Care Markets and Finance
Health Policy and Law
Global Health
Public Health

14. CAPSTONE RESEARCH REQUIREMENT
Successful completion of any 400-level HSOC or STSC course in spring term of junior year or in the fall or spring term of senior year.  Independent studies (HSOC 499) and the first semester of the Senior Thesis (HSOC 420 HSOC Research Seminar) also fulfill this requirement.

What courses and grades count for the HSOC major:

• Minimum grade required for credit in the HSOC major is a C-
• Pre-approved courses count automatically, all others must be petitioned (for the concentration only, not for core requirements)
• Transfer courses count if approved through XCat
• Study Abroad courses count if approved through XCat with a maximum of two courses approved for the concentration only
• AP courses do not count
• There is no double-counting of courses within the major itself
• Seniors may not petition courses after the add period in their last semester