2011 - 2012 Sociology Program (SOC)

Objectives | Requirements | Academic Major | Academic Minor | Course Descriptions

Faculty: Kristjane Nordmeyer, Mark Rubinfeld

Program Goals

To enhance critical, analytical, and integrative thinking skills
To improve writing and other communication skills
To be able to understand, evaluate, and conduct different types of social research
To develop global consciousness, social responsibility, and ethical awareness
To gain an understanding of the discipline's concepts, foundations, and perspectives

Objectives

Sociology offers an academic major leading to a Bachelor of Science degree, as well as an academic minor. The primary focus of sociology is on the structure of human society. Students study the social causes and consequences of human behavior and learn to apply sociological principles and concepts to their own lives. Sociology explains those events that lead to the strengths or weaknesses of groups and provides an understanding of the circumstances that lead to social change. As a science, sociology strives to train students to evaluate and analyze social phenomena as they occur in society. Students are encouraged to use their learning and experience in applied settings such as internships, seminars, and directed studies. Students must consult with the appropriate faculty in designing programs to meet specific needs and interests.

Program Requirements

Students must maintain a cumulative 2.5 GPA or better in courses required for the sociology major and minor. Students choosing a double major or minor within the Social Science Program may not apply electives to more than one major or minor. Only classes listed as "required classes" for both majors/minors may be applied to both. Students may apply courses from related fields (anthropology, justice studies, political science, psychology) with the consent of the instructor. Students have the opportunity to take an internship and may apply a maximum of 4 credit hours of internship coursework to the major. Majors must have completed SOC 390 before they can take SOC 470. The prerequisite for SOC 390 is MATH 150.

For course prerequisites, please refer to the course description.

Academic Major

Liberal Education Courses	Credit Hours
The following courses, which fulfill LE requirements, are required for the Sociology major. SOC 105 Introduction to Sociology, LE MATH 150 Elementary Statistics, LE	4 4

Requirement Description		Credit Hours
I.	Foreign Language Requirement	8
	Sociology majors must complete eight credit hours in a single foreign language.	8
II.	Lower Division Courses	8
	SOC 105 Introduction to Sociology, LE MATH 150 Elementary Statistics, LE	4 4
III.	Upper Division Sociology & Related Courses	16
	SOC 305 Contemporary Issues SOC 313 Introduction to Social Theory SOC 390 Quantitative Research Methods SOC 470 Senior Thesis	4 4 4 4
IV.	Electives	24
	Twenty-four credits of sociology or sociology-related electives (see above) with 14 of those credits at the 300 or above level	24
TOTAL HOURS FOR THE ACADEMIC MAJOR		56

Recommended Plan of Study for Sociology

	Fall Semester	Spring Semester
Freshman Year	SOC 105* (freshman or sophomore year)	SOC Elective
Sophomore Year	SOC Elective MATH 150 (anytime prior to SOC 390)	SOC Elective
Junior Year	SOC 305 SOC Elective	SOC 313 SOC Elective
Senior Year	SOC 390 SOC Elective	SOC 470

* SOC 105 ideally should be taken as early as possible, either freshman or sophomore year. MATH 150 may be taken at any time prior to taking SOC 390. (Both SOC 105 and MATH 150 are offered every semester.) SOC 390 must be completed prior to SOC 470 (Senior Thesis). The 24 hours of sociology or sociology-related electives (see above) can be distributed in any way that best meet students' needs.

Academic Minor in Sociology

Requirement Description		Credit Hours
I.	Required Courses	8
	SOC 105 Introduction to Sociology, LE SOC 313 Social Theory	4 4
II.	Electives	12
	Eight hours of Sociology or related coursework (see above) numbered 300 or above Four hours of Sociology or sociology-related 200-, 300-, or 400-level coursework (see above)	8 4
TOTAL HOURS FOR THE ACADEMIC MINOR		20