A major declared by sophomore year
Dartmouth says students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year. The pages read describe no separate admission to Sociology.
Undergraduate · Dartmouth College
Dartmouth Sociology: methods courses and a choice of culminating experience
Dartmouth students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year, and Sociology is one of the majors they can choose once enrolled. The department sets out a standard major with two methods courses, four lower-division and two upper-division courses, and a culminating experience of three types. This guide makes no claim of a separate application to the major.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Dartmouth says about Dartmouth Sociology
Taken from the Department of Sociology's standard and modified major page, Dartmouth Admissions' Majors & Minors and Testing Policy pages, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Dartmouth's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Two methods courses
SOCY 10 and SOCY 11.
Four lower and two upper courses
Plus one culminating experience course.
Three culminating options
A sociological imagination course, a community-engaged practicum or an honors thesis.
The SAT or ACT, or an international alternative
US high school students submit the SAT or ACT. Students outside the US can meet the requirement in one of five ways, including predicted or final A-level or IB results.
Official sources
- Dartmouth Admissions: Majors & Minorsadmissions.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Department of Sociology: standard major and modified majorsociology.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Admissions: Testing Policyadmissions.dartmouth.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on the Department of Sociology's standard and modified major page, Dartmouth Admissions' Majors & Minors and Testing Policy pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Dartmouth's Organization, Regulations and Courses catalogue, the full requirement worksheet, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The major
What the department says the major is
The department's page describes the standard major: two methods courses (SOCY 10 and 11), four lower-division courses numbered 20 to 49, two upper-division courses numbered 50 to 80, and one culminating experience course chosen from The Sociological Imagination, a Community-Engaged Research Practicum or an Honors Thesis. Courses must be passed with a letter grade or an approved credit. The department also offers a modified major. This guide does not describe the modified major's requirements.
Is it the right major?
Sociology beside History and Government
Dartmouth lists these as separate majors, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Sociology fits if
you want research design and quantitative and qualitative methods at the centre.
History fits if
you want historical research. Avandy's Dartmouth History guide covers it.
Government fits if
you want political science. Avandy's Dartmouth Government guide covers it.
Admission and testing
A Dartmouth application, an SAT or ACT and A levels or the IB
Dartmouth requires students who attended high school in the United States to submit the SAT or ACT. Students who attended high school outside the United States may fulfil the requirement in one of five ways, which include predicted or final results from British A-Levels or the IB Diploma. The major is not a separate application. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Dartmouth's.
Which culminating experience would you choose?
Three options exist.
Are both quantitative and qualitative methods appealing?
Both methods courses are required.
Which testing route will you use for Dartmouth?
Outside the US, Dartmouth lists five ways, including A-level and IB results.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Dartmouth's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Dartmouth's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Dartmouth has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Dartmouth for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the department's Sociology page and decide which testing route you will use for Dartmouth.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Dartmouth College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Dartmouth College. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Dartmouth Sociology?
The pages read describe admission to Dartmouth. Students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year.
What methods are required?
SOCY 10 and SOCY 11.
What is the culminating experience?
One of three options: The Sociological Imagination, a Community-Engaged Research Practicum or an Honors Thesis.
Do A levels and the IB count for testing?
Dartmouth lists predicted or final British A-Level and IB Diploma results among five ways to meet the requirement for students who attended high school outside the United States.
Is the SAT or ACT required?
For students who attended high school in the United States, yes: they must submit either test.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Dartmouth's wording with no entry-year label. Check Dartmouth's pages again when Dartmouth publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Dartmouth Sociology
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their social-science and quantitative subjects, their interest in research and their testing route, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.