Sociology Major

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences – Department of Sociology & Criminology

 

The General Education Requirement

All students must satisfy a general education requirement consisting of ten (10) courses outside of the major department. The General Education Domain II-A (Analysis, Modeling, and Problem Solving) requirement is satisfied through the completion of the Sociology major.

 

Course Prerequisites                   

Courses may have specified conditions for enrollment, such as prior completion of less advanced courses, permission of the instructor, or appropriate placement test scores. Students should refer to course descriptions in the department listings for prerequisite requirements.

 

Program Requirements for Major in Sociology

Six (6) core Sociology courses:

  • SOCI 101 Introduction to Sociology or
    • SOCI 130 Social Problems
  • SOCI 301 Sociological Theory
  • SOCI 302 Quantitative Methods I – Research Design
  • SOCI 303 Quantitative Methods II – Data Collection & Analysis
  • SOCI 320 Uncovering Meaning in the Social World
  • SOCI 480 Sociology Senior Thesis Seminar or
    • SOCI 495 Internship in Sociology or
    • ANTH 495 Internship in Anthropology

 

Recommended Course:

  • STAT 117 Introduction to Statistics

Sociology majors must choose one (1) of the following two (2) concentrations:

CONCENTRATION IN General anthropology (USOA)

     Five (5) Courses: All Sociology majors fulfilling the Concentration in Anthropology are required to complete five (5) in Anthropology, one (1) of which must be at the 300-level or above.

Recommended courses:

  • ANTH 161 Cultural Anthropology
  • ANTH 172 Interpreting the Past: Archaeological Perspectives
  • ANTH 206 Forensic Anthropology
  • ANTH 207 Global Issues in Anthropology
  • ANTH 243 Indigenous Cultures of North America
  • ANTH 253 Gender Across Cultures
  • ANTH 258 Critical Approaches to Men and Masculinities
  • ANTH 290 Non-Western Cultural Studies Tour
  • ANTH 313 South American Archaeology
  • ANTH 360 Language and Culture

Concentration in General Sociology (USOG)

Five (5) Courses:

  • All Sociology majors are required to complete 5 department electives (can be Anthropology, Criminology, or Sociology), two (2) of which must be at the 300-level or above.

  

Areas of Focus

Students majoring in Sociology may elect to follow an area of focus within the major. An area of focus is not the same as a concentration and will not be noted on a student's transcript or audit. A cohesive sequence of courses in a subfield of the discipline enables students to strengthen their knowledge for employment opportunities upon graduation and/or advanced post-graduate training. Students interested in pursuing an area of focus are encouraged to choose their major electives from the courses listed below:

 

Area of Focus: Anthropology

Anthropology provides an understanding of culture, the various adaptive styles human beings have devised, and the ways in which they have become diversified. It is designed to prepare students for careers involving interaction and cooperation with people from diverse cultural, religious, and ethnic groups. Some examples are government; international development; foundation administration; business enterprises, especially those with overseas interests; non-profit organizations, especially non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) with global interests; human ecology; and environmental consulting. In addition, this area of focus prepares students for graduate study in anthropology, sociology, and international relations.

Recommended courses:

  • ANTH 161 Cultural Anthropology
  • ANTH 172 Interpreting the Past: Archaeological Perspectives
  • ANTH 206 Forensic Anthropology
  • ANTH 207 Global Issues in Anthropology
  • ANTH 243 Native American Cultures
  • ANTH 253 Gender Across Cultures
  • ANTH 258 Critical Approaches to Men and Masculinities
  • ANTH 290 Non-Western Cultural Studies Tour
  • ANTH 313 South American Archaeology
  • ANTH 360 Language and Culture
  • SOCI 226 Sociology of Rap and Hip Hop
  • SOCI 264 Black Communities and Institutions

 

Area of Focus: Business and Society

This subfield is for students interested in professional and business careers. The focus is on various models of work systems in American enterprise, social regulation of business, the character of the global economy, and markets as systems of social exchange relating to families, work organizations, and the state. Fieldwork is encouraged for students through our field experience course.

Recommended courses:

  • ANTH 161 Cultural Anthropology
  • CRIM 201 White Collar Crime
  • SOCI 203 Introduction to Critical Race Theory
  • SOCI 205 Geographic Information Systems Mapping for the Social Sciences
  • SOCI 210 Latinxs in the United States
  • SOCI 213 Social Class
  • SOCI 218 Women in Society
  • SOCI 230 Law and Society
  • SOCI 245 Race and Ethnic Relations
  • SOCI 264 Black Communities and Institutions
  • SOCI 282 Society, Technology, and the Future
  • SOCI 308 Political Sociology
  • SOCI 321 Social Policy in Our Lives
  • SOCI 340 Sociology of Work
  • SOCI 342 People and Organizations
  • SOCI 357 Sociological Perspectives on Globalization

 

Area of Focus: Deviance and Social Control

A focus on deviance and social control implies taking a careful look at how forms of social and personal behavior which violate mainstream norms arise, and at how mainstreamers and mainstream social institutions regard and respond to such behavior. We will be looking at behavioral styles called “crime”, “delinquency”, “immorality”, “non-conformity”, and so forth. How do such modes of behavior arise and how do they become labeled as deviant styles by the society and its mainstream enforcers? How do deviants assess their own behavior and how is it viewed by others? How does it affect their relationships with others? What do “insider- outsider” relations consist of? What does society as a whole define as order? How do various social institutions and groupings (the legal and medical establishments, and the upholders of public morality) respond to what they view to be disorder? How does society punish transgressors and enforce rules and impose sanctions? This subfield is particularly suitable for those interested in the practice of law and law enforcement, politics, public administration, mental health, and social work.

Recommended courses:

  • CRIM 121 Sociological Perspectives on Criminology
  • CRIM 201 White Collar Crime
  • CRIM 211 Crime and Inequality
  • CRIM 224 Juvenile Delinquency
  • CRIM 240 Drugs, Social Control, and the Law
  • CRIM 270 Social Deviance
  • CRIM 313 The Culture of Punishment
  • SOCI 203 Introduction to Critical Race Theory
  • SOCI 205 Geographic Information Systems Mapping for the Social Sciences
  • SOCI 230 Law and Society
  • SOCI 264 Black Communities and Institutions
  • SOCI 312 Sociology of Childhood and Adolescence
  • SOCI 333 Society and the Mentally Ill

 

Area of Focus: Gender Studies

Students who focus on gender studies closely examine the way in which gender systems are embedded into social institutions, culture, and everyday interactions. Courses teach students to develop methods of inquiry regarding gender that they can continue to apply in multiple realms—ranging from family and intimate relationships to public policies related to crime and justice. As such, departmental areas of sociology, anthropology, and criminology can incorporate a productive focus on gender.

Recommended courses:

  • ANTH 253 Gender Across Cultures
  • ANTH 258 Critical Approaches to Men and Masculinities
  • CRIM 321 Intimate Partner Violence
  • SOCI 205 Geographic Information Systems Mapping for the Social Sciences
  • SOCI 212 Sociology of Families
  • SOCI 218 Women in Society
  • SOCI 233 Reproductive Rights and Reproductive Justice
  • SOCI 264 Black Communities and Institutions
  • SOCI 312 Sociology of Childhood and Adolescence
  • SOCI 369 Sex/Sexualities in Society

 

 

Area of Focus: Human Services

This subfield is appropriate for students interested in careers in human services, such as non-profit agency administration, social work, counseling, community organizing, health care policy analysis, and health care administration. Additionally, this area of focus offers preparation for graduate study in social work, health care administration, law, sociology, psychology, education, and human resource management. The Human Services subfield provides an in-depth examination of the impact of social forces on human behavior.

Recommended courses:

  • CRIM 224 Juvenile Delinquency
  • EDUC 350 Education and Social Change
  • SOCI 203 Introduction to Critical Race Theory
  • SOCI 205 Geographic Information Systems Mapping for the Social Sciences
  • SOCI 210 Latinxs in the United States
  • SOCI 212 Sociology of Families
  • SOCI 213 Social Class
  • SOCI 233 Reproductive Rights and Reproductive Justice
  • SOCI 245 Race and Ethnic Relations
  • SOCI 248 Social Structure and the Self
  • SOCI 263 Social Inequality
  • SOCI 264 Black Communities and Institutions
  • SOCI 280 Aging in Society
  • SOCI 288 Immigration in the United States
  • SOCI 306 Nonprofit Giving
  • SOCI 312 Sociology of Childhood and Adolescence
  • SOCI 325 Health and Illness
  • SOCI 333 Society and the Mentally Ill
  • SOCI 350 Education and Social Change
  • SOCI 366 Death and Dying

 

Area of Focus: Social Justice

A focus on the study of social inequalities and the struggle to achieve a more equitable society and world. The area of focus examines class, race, ethnic, national, and gender divisions and their connections to major social and political problems. It also considers possible solutions and related strategies of social change. This subfield is suitable for students interested in political activism, government service, social work, teaching, law, and graduate work in the social sciences.

Recommended courses:

  • ANTH 207 Global Issues in Anthropology
  • ANTH 253 Gender Across Cultures
  • ANTH 258 Critical Approaches to Men and Masculinities
  • CRIM 120 The Fight for Social Justice: Institutional Battlegrounds
  • SOCI 203 Introduction to Critical Race Theory
  • SOCI 205 Geographic Information Systems Mapping for the Social Sciences
  • SOCI 210 Latinxs in the United States
  • SOCI 213 Social Class
  • SOCI 218 Women in Society
  • SOCI 233 Reproductive Rights and Reproductive Justice
  • SOCI 245 Race and Ethnic Relations
  • SOCI 263 Social Inequality
  • SOCI 264 Black Communities and Institutions
  • SOCI 288 Immigration in the United States
  • SOCI 308 Political Sociology
  • SOCI 321 Social Policy in Our Lives
  • SOCI 356 Social Movements
  • SOCI 357 Sociological Perspectives on Globalization

 

Effective as of the 2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog