Program: Society, Medicine, and Health Minor - University at Buffalo

Jun 15, 2025

2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

Visit the Sociology and Crimonology academic program page for more information about the academic experience, who you will learn from, opportunities outside of class and what you can do with this degree.

Visit the Sociology and Crimonology department page for contact information, a brief overview of the department and the curricular options.

Admission Criteria

Current UB students seeking admission to the Society, Medicine, and Health minor should complete the College of Arts and Sciences Major/Minor Change Request Form.

Course Requirements

Society, Medicine, and Health Core (6 credits)

SOC 229LEC - Population Problems Credits: 3
SOC 322LEC - Medical Sociology Credits: 3 OR
SOC 477SEM - Sociology of Health Care Credits: 3

Four SOC Electives (12 credits)

At least 3 courses must be at the 300/400 level.

SOC 239LEC - Sociology of Happiness Credits: 3
SOC 304LEC - Sociology of Aging Credits: 3
SOC 308LEC - Sociology of the Life Course Credits: 3
SOC 311LEC - Drugs and Society Credits: 3
SOC 314LEC - Sociology of Gender Credits: 3
SOC 322LEC - Medical Sociology Credits: 3
SOC 328LEC - Social Inequality Credits: 3
SOC 331LEC - Wealth and Poverty Credits: 3
SOC 341LEC - Environment & Society Credits: 3
SOC 358LEC - Sociology of Food Credits: 3
SOC 362LEC - Families & Inequality Credits: 3
SOC 378LEC - Social Inequalities & Health Credits: 3
SOC 385LEC - Neighborhoods and Health Credits: 3
SOC 457LEC - Social Policies for Aging Societies Credits: 3
SOC 467LEC - Sociology and Social Policy Credits: 3
SOC 477SEM - Sociology of Health Care Credits: 3

One of the Four Electives may come from this List:

SSC 103SEM - Introduction to Health and Human Services Credits: 3
SSC 318SEM - Issues in Mental Health Credits: 3
SSC 407SEM - Health Care and the Elderly Credits: 3
SSC 420SEM - Child Mental Health Credits: 3
END 308SEM - Health and Urban Environments Credits: 3

Total Credits Required for Major: 18

Total Credit Hours Required represents the minimum credits needed to complete this program, and may vary based on a number of circumstances. This chart should not be used for financial aid purposes.

Academic Requirements

Minimum GPA of 2.000 overall.

Minimum grade of C required in SOC 229 , SOC 322 /SOC 477 , or approved substitutes.

Sociology Department course overlap policy: For Sociology/Criminology double majors, no shared classes are allowed other than the 3 shared required classes (101, 293, 294). For Sociology and/or Criminology majors also minoring in a departmental minor, and/or for double minors, a minimum of 4 of the classes required for the minor must be unique, i.e., not shared across other departmental majors or minors.

Transfer Credit Policy

The department accepts up to 9 credit hours of appropriate sociology/criminology courses toward the minor requirements. Course descriptions and syllabi may need to be provided.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of all requirements, the student will:

Think critically and sociologically about complex social issues that impact health, healthcare, and health policy
Apply sociological theories and methods to understand the structure of modern health care and its contribution to health disparities
Define health and illness, understand sociological ways of thinking about the sick role, patients/families and health care providers, and their roles in health, and differentiate the contributions of agency and structure
Think sociologically about ethical principles in health behavior, care, technology
Use a sociological framework to elaborate the practices of health and wellbeing, the treatment of illness, and/or the social and organizational structures of health care
Compare/contrast health care systems and experiences in other societies