Mar 29, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog

Sociology, B.A.


Program Description


The sociology program develops the student’s ability to analyze the social world by using diverse sociological theories and research methods. It stresses the importance of social, cultural, and historical contexts for understanding relationships between and among individuals and the social structures that make up societies. Students will gain the ability to think broadly and critically about the diversity of social organization and practice locally and globally. Students will also develop the ability to take a disciplined and scholarly approach to understanding the world in which we live.

The major in sociology strongly develops skills in critical thinking, research, analysis, writing and communication. Sociology students frequently go on to post-graduate education and/or careers in both public and private employment sectors.

Degree and Major Requirements


Degree Requirements Credit Hours
General Education 1 41
Foreign Language classes (intermediate level required) 2 0-14
Philosophy course (in addition to General Education courses) 3
University electives 23-37
Major requirements (listed below) and electives

Total

39

120

Footnotes


1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
2 The foreign language requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of the second semester of the intermediate level of the student’s chosen language (typically 232) or by placing out of that language through the Department of Foreign Language’s placement test.

Major Requirements


To earn the B.A. degree with a sociology major, students must complete a minimum of 39 credit hours in sociology. Of these credit hours, 18 are required courses; the remaining 21 credit hours are electives chosen from over 30 sociology courses.

Minimum Grades

Students must earn at least a “C-” in all sociology classes or any course that is substituted for a sociology core course. If a student earns below a “C-” in a course, they can re-take the course once in order to meet the “C-” standard.

Total: 39 Credit Hours


Footnotes


1 Prerequisite for SOCI 200 SOCI 110 SOCI 140  or SOCI 101 .
2 Students may substitute SOCI 231  with MATH 220 PSYC 210  or COB 191 , but must take an additional sociology course to complete the required 39 hours of sociology.
3 Prerequisite for SOCI 300 : SOCI 200  and SOCI 231  (or equivalent), sociology majors only.
4 Prerequisite for SOCI 480 SOCI 300 .
5 This course fulfills the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement for the major.
6 Students may fulfill the senior seminar requirement by completing a supervised internship with a substantial writing expectation. Students must secure their own internship placement before enrolling in the internship course and should consult an adviser or the sociology program coordinator for details. Students may also fulfill the senior seminar requirement by successfully completing the SOCI 499A /SOCI 499B /SOCI 499C  sequence.​
7 If a course other than SOCI 231  is used to meet the statistics requirement, 24 elective credits will be required to reach the 39 credit hour total.

Sociology Concentrations


The sociology program encourages majors to select electives that create a coherent program of study suited to their special needs and interests. Such a focus would involve four or more courses from the following concentration groupings: 1

Communities, Inequalities and Public Policy Concentration


Footnote


1 Within any of the defined concentrations students may gain credits toward completing the concentration through certain special topics or other courses. On occasion, courses taken outside the major or university may qualify. For special topics courses in sociology, see the instructor of record for that course. For other questions or possibilities see an adviser or the sociology program coordinator.

Recommended Schedule for Majors


Transfer students on a two-year course of study should change “Year” in this sequence to “Semester.”

The following is an example of a four-year course of study for a student seeking a degree in sociology:

Total: 9 Credit Hours


Second Year


Total: 9 Credit Hours


Third Year


Total: 9-12 Credit Hours


Fourth Year


Total: 9-12 Credit Hours


Total: 120 Credit Hours