Sociology (SOC)

Major Requirements

All candidates for the B.A. degree in Sociology must complete:

  1. At least thirty (30) semester hours in Sociology including 101, 404, 415, and an approved statistics course.
  2. Fourteen of the minimum 30 hours in Sociology must be from courses numbered 300 or above. At least one of these classes must have a research laboratory.
  3. One semester of Internship (120 hours) in a field setting.
  4. A single foreign language through the elementary level.
  5. All Sociology majors are required to take Senior Seminar.

Majors are encouraged to take biology and economics to fulfill core requirements, especially majors who intend to pursue an advanced degree in social work. Majors are encouraged to take Statistics and Research Methods prior to their senior year.

Minor Requirements

  1. Sociology 101, 404.
  2. Four (4) additional Sociology courses of the student's choice in consultation with the student's advisor.
  3. Internship is not required of a minor but is recommended.

Requirements for Departmental Honors in Sociology

  1. Sociology Major
  2. Senior Standing
  3. 2 Semesters of Study and Research
  4. GPA of 3.5 or better in major and 3.25 overall.

Students participating in the Honors Program will engage in extensive study in original research under the guidance of the Sociology faculty. An oral and written presentation of research findings will be required.

NOTE: Students registering for advanced courses in the department should present proof of adequate background in social science theory and practice appropriate to the level of the course. Students are not permitted to register for Sociology 493 before consulting the department.

101. Introductory Sociology (3)
A general survey of the development of sociology as an explanatory discipline with emphasis on the progressive theoretical foundations of the discipline. Subjects such as the interactions between individuals and society, the nature of social groups, and patterns of organization are discussed in the context of increasing sophistication of theory and method. Annually.

112. Social Problems (3)
Application of sociological theory and research to selected contemporary social problems. Emphasis is placed on the structural and interactional nature of social issues and personal troubles in an effort to define and interpret pertinent social problems. Annually.

202. Sociology of the Family (3)
A sociological analysis of marriage and family behavior within contemporary American society. A study of the interactional aspects of marriage and family with major emphasis upon the American middle-class. Annually.

205. Cultural Geography (3)
A study of the cultural diversity of humanity as a function of geographic distribution. On demand.

231. Introduction to Social Work (3)
A survey of casework, group work, community organization, social analysis, intervention, and priority care. Detailed attention will be given to ethics and decision-making in engineered micro-and macro-social change. On demand.

303. Statistics for Behavioral Science (3)
Prerequisite: MATH 104 or higher. The logic and application of standard statistical tests in the analysis of data. Topics include: descriptive statistics, statistical inference, correlation, T-test, and simple analysis of variance. Yearly. (Same as PSC 303 and PSY 303.)

305. Social Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or 112. A theoretical and non-mathematical experimental approach to interpersonal interaction. Symbolic interaction, interest and exchange theory, group dynamics and process, ethnomethodology, and phenomenology. Annually. (Same as PSY 305)

308. The Sociology of Religion (3)
Prerequisite: SOC 101. An investigation of the contribution of religious symbolism to social organization, socialization, stratification, and change. The course examines the application of social theory, especially organization studies, to understanding religion as a social institution, particularly in the U.S. On demand. (Same as REL 308)

310S. Urban Sociology (3)
Prerequisite: SOC 101. The study of how cities grow and vary in time and in different cultural contexts. An integration of materials from a variety of disciplines will be used to understand the phenomenon of cities.

313. Statistics for Behavioral Science Lab (1)
Corequisite: SOC 303. This course provides students with training in, and practice with computer applications in statistics. Coursework will involve descriptive and inferential data analyses used in typical social research settings.

314S. Criminology (3)
Prerequisites: Introductory Sociology preferred, any introductory social science course acceptable. A study of crime and the criminal justice system. Emphasis is placed on criminology as an academic discipline, a sociological analysis of the criminal justice system, and adult crime. Annually.

315. Juvenile Delinquency (3)
Prerequisites: Introductory Sociology preferred, any introductory social science course acceptable. A study of the phenomenon of delinquency with an emphasis on the historical development of delinquency in the United States, theoretical explanations, social control theories, and the juvenile court system. Annually.

316. Society and Technology (3)
Prerequisites: Any introductory level sociology course. A sociological exploration of the relationships between technology and social life. Among the specific technologies considered are: motor vehicles, clocks, the internet, and television.

317. Race and Ethnicity (3)
Prerequisites: Any introductory level sociology course. An exploration of how race and ethnicity are socially constructed, shaped by culture and social structures. Emphasis is placed on how racial and ethnic categories are consequential for all individuals, regardless of racial or ethnic identity.

333W. Social Change (3)
Addresses the causes and consequences of change in the modern era. The analysis of preconditions begins with the agricultural revolution, proceeds to the Industrial Revolution and concludes with an examination of the post-industrial world. 3 hours. On demand.

334. Collective Behavior and Social Movements (3)
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or 112. An examination of all forms of collective behavior; to be included in the study are crowd behavior, panic behavior, mass movements, fads and fashions, social movements, and other forms of collective social action.

344. Collective Behavior and Social Movements Lab (1)
Prerequisite: concurrent registration in or credit for SOC 334. This lab provides students with first hand experience of the dynamics of a grass roots social movement. Students will also become familiar with the collection and analysis of primary data, as well as with the practice of presenting research findings in oral and written discourse.

354. Sex and Gender in Society (3)
Prerequisite: SOC 101/112 or SOC 202. A sociological exploration of the importance of sex and gender in social life. Topics include the social construction of gender, inequality and discrimination, masculinity and femininity, gendered styles of interaction, and traditional role expectations versus changing roles. On demand.

364. Comparing Cultures (3)
Prerequisites: SOC 101 or SOC 112. Compares cultures around the world, industrialized and non-industrialized, including hunter-gatherer cultures, and the culture of the American South. Comparisons are made to illustrate cultural variation on phenomena such as time, relationships, property, justice, deviance, and individual autonomy.

395-396. Selected Topics in Sociology (3-3)
Prerequisites: At least 6 hours in Sociology. A detailed study of specialized topics in sociology not normally covered in regular sociology, social work, and anthropology courses. On demand.

400. Internship (3)
Students will be placed in a service agency for one semester for a minimum of 3 hours a week. Conferences with faculty will be at least 1 hour every two weeks. Students will be required to write a paper outlining the goals of the agency, an evaluation of how well the goals are being met, and their interpretation of their overall experience. May be repeated for credit.

403S. Work and Occupations (3)
Prerequisites: SOC 101 and two additional courses in Sociology, or permission of the instructor. This course will concentrate on the definition of work and occupations; why people work and works place in society. The occupational structure will be examined by various demographic variables and theories will be studied to understand work and occupations. On demand.

404S. Sociological Theory (3)
Prerequisites: At least 6 hours in sociology, junior or senior standing recommended; or by permission of instructor. A survey of classical and contemporary theory in sociology. Among the perspectives addressed: functionalist, conflict, interactionist, feminist, and postmodernist. Primary sources are used. Annually.

414S. Social Work Methods (3)
This course is designed to teach the methods social workers use to promote or restore a mutually beneficial interaction between individuals and society. Assessment of a client's needs, deciding which system is appropriate for change and an emphasis on knowledge that can be applied to a variety of systems will be emphasized.

415W. Methods in Social Research (4)
Prerequisite: At least 6 hours in Sociology and an approved Statistics course. An examination of the interrelationship of theory, methodology and sociological research techniques. Annually.

416. Methods in Social Research Lab (1)
This course provides students with familiarity, experience and use in data entry and statistical analysis programs important to those in the behavioral sciences.

473. Senior Seminar (3)
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. An in-depth review of the major areas within the discipline of Sociology with emphasis placed on theory and research. Yearly.

474. Senior Seminar Lab (1)
Prerequisite: concurrent registration in or credit for SOC 473. This research lab guides students through the collection of their own qualitative and/or quantitative data sufficient for professional level research. The quality of the data will be reflected in a report of data collection procedures, a report of field notes for qualitative data, and/or a codebook including variable frequencies for quantitative data.

491-496. Independent Study (1-6)
Prerequisites: Permission of the department, submission of acceptable proposal, selection of advisor. Advanced library or original research in a well-defined topic of the students’ choice, forming a logical part of their academic curriculum. On demand.

199. Module Studies (3)
Special topics offered during the Module.

Last updated May 23, 2007.