College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences > Academics > Sociology > Undergraduate > Sociology (BA) > Major Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements

Sociology majors must complete required core sociology courses, sociology electives, and open electives. The core courses (24 credit hours) give students a foundation in theory, methods, and career development; sociology electives are selected in consultation with student's academic advisor to identify an area of specialization; and open electives are selected in consultation with student's academic advisor to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours. 

Core Requirements

Course Title Quarter Hours
SOC 101INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY4
or SOC 105 SOCIAL PROBLEMS
SOC 115ORIENTATION TO CAREERS IN SOCIOLOGY2
SOC 215WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENTS AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN SOCIOLOGY2
SOC 279INTRO STATS FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES 14
SOC 331SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY4
SOC 380RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY I4
SOC 381RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY II4
1

The statistics requirement may also be fulfilled by PSY 240, MAT 137, or MAT 242.

Sociology Elective Requirements

Students must complete eight additional courses from sociology 200-level and 300-level courses (32 credit hours). The courses are to be selected in consultation with the student's academic advisor and the courses can be used to make up the student's area of specialization. Students develop a self-defined area of specialization, which reflects the common themes connecting their academic coursework, research and career interests. Previous areas of specializations have included: Health and Human Services; Law, Crime, and Criminology; Urban - Cities, Action, Power, Practice; and Sociology of Culture.  

NOTE: A minimum of three courses or twelve credits can be counted toward a student's area of specialization. A maximum of eight credits of SOC 398 INTERNSHIP can be counted toward major field credit. Additional SOC 398 credit may be earned but it will count for open elective credit or Experiential Learning (EL) credit, if applicable.​​​​

Course Listings by Category

Theory and Methodology

Course Title Quarter Hours
SOC 202
PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIAL THOUGHT
SOC 346
URBAN ETHNOGRAPHY
SOC 383
VISUAL SOCIOLOGY
SOC 384
ETHNOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTARY FILM PRODUCTION

Health and Human Services 

Course Title Quarter Hours
SOC 200
SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL WELFARE
SOC 201
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
SOC 221
INTRODUCTION TO THE U.S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
SOC 307
SOCIOLOGY OF DRUGS
SOC 321
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS
SOC 322
HOW SCHOOLS ARE FAILING AND CRIMINALIZING YOUTH
SOC 351
HEALTH DISPARITIES
SOC 353
SOCIOLOGY OF MENTAL ILLNESS
SOC 370
SOCIOLOGY OF FOOD
SOC 373
PUBLIC HEALTH AND HIGH RISK BEHAVIOR

Law, Crime and Criminology

Course Title Quarter Hours
SOC 214
POLICING THE MARGINS
SOC 220
THEORIES OF CRIME AND DELINQUENCY
SOC 248
RESISTING WHITE SUPREMACY
SOC 305
POWER, DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL
SOC 310
CRIMINALIZATION, PUNISHMENT, & RESISTANCE
SOC 312
CRIMMIGRATION: IMMIGRATION AND CRIME, AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
SOC 317
GENDER, CRIME AND JUSTICE

Urban - Cities, Action, Power, Practice

Course Title Quarter Hours
SOC 212
COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY
SOC 214
POLICING THE MARGINS
SOC 217
WORK IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD
SOC 220
THEORIES OF CRIME AND DELINQUENCY
SOC 231
RACE AND ETHNICITY IN THE CITY
SOC 232
GLOBAL CITIES
SOC 243
THE SUBURBS
SOC 245
URBAN SOCIOLOGY
SOC 246
HOMELESS IN THE CITY
SOC 307
SOCIOLOGY OF DRUGS
SOC 313
SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION
SOC 340
SOCIAL INEQUALITY
SOC 346
URBAN ETHNOGRAPHY
SOC 347
CLASS, POWER AND DECISION MAKING IN THE CITY
SOC 348
THE CITY IN THE FUTURE
SOC 370
SOCIOLOGY OF FOOD
SOC 383
VISUAL SOCIOLOGY
SOC 384
ETHNOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTARY FILM PRODUCTION

Social Inequality: Class, Gender, and Race

Course Title Quarter Hours
SOC 207
YOUTH AND SOCIETY
SOC 209
SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER
SOC 248
RESISTING WHITE SUPREMACY
SOC 306
SOCIOLOGY OF FAMILIES
SOC 313
SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION
SOC 340
SOCIAL INEQUALITY

Sociology of Culture

Course Title Quarter Hours
SOC 207
YOUTH AND SOCIETY
SOC 209
SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER
SOC 233
SOCIOLOGY OF SPORT
SOC 280
MASS MEDIA AND CULTURE
SOC 281
SOCIOLOGY OF ROCK MUSIC
SOC 383
VISUAL SOCIOLOGY
SOC 384
ETHNOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTARY FILM PRODUCTION
SOC 386
POPULAR CULTURE AND THE ARTS
SOC 283
ART & SOCIETY

Political and Economic Sociology

Course Title Quarter Hours
SOC 217
WORK IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD
SOC 256
SOCIAL CHANGE
SOC 275
LIVED POLITICS: INDIVIDUALISM AND COMMUNITY
SOC 292
COLLECTIVE ACTION
SOC 344
POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY
SOC 345
POWER, POLITICS, AND CLIMATE CHANGE
SOC 349
CULTURE AND POLITICS
SOC 358
REVOLUTIONS AND PEASANT REBELLIONS
SOC 366
CAPITALISM AND GLOBALIZATION
SOC 388
SOCIOLOGY OF CONSUMPTION

Advanced Study

Course Title Quarter Hours
SOC 290
SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIOLOGY
SOC 291
SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIOLOGY
SOC 390
SEMINAR IN SOCIOLOGY
SOC 395
CAPSTONE IN SOCIOLOGY
SOC 397
TRAVEL/STUDY
SOC 398
INTERNSHIP
SOC 399
INDEPENDENT STUDY

Open Electives Requirement

Open elective credits are required in order to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours. These courses are to be selected in consultation with the student's academic advisor and may include courses in fields such as psychology, criminology, marketing, health sciences, or other areas of student interest. Students may choose to use their open electives as part of a minor or to complete a double major.

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