A Bachelor of Arts in Sociology provides a solid foundation in the knowledge and skills needed to address real-world social issues and problems, while allowing students to explore a wide range of social topics and issues. Some courses include hands-on service-learning opportunities in which students connect service and/or research in the community with course material. For sociology majors seeking to enter applied fields, we have a highly praised internship program that offers practical experience in community nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and businesses. To further complement our courses, students accepted into our honors program have opportunities to work one-on-one with professors engaged in sociological research.

The BA provides an excellent background for students aspiring to attend graduate school or enter a career in nonprofit community services or social work, health care and nursing, law or law enforcement, education, public policy, organizational management and entrepreneurialism, marketing, human resources, and/or journalism.

Marketable Skills Achieved with a BA in Sociology include:

• Being aware of other’s beliefs and behaviors and understanding why they believe and behave as they do
• The ability to address real-world problems and issues by developing realistic and equitable solutions
• Identifying complex problems and ideas and reviewing related information to analyze, develop and evaluate options, and implement solutions
• Communicating effectively in writing and speech as appropriate for the needs of the audience
• Developing and utilizing visual aids, graphs, tables and charts
• Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times
• Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action
• Managing one's own time and the time of others
• Data analysis and interpretation
• Identifying the underlying patterns and principles of qualitative and quantitative information and explaining what that information means and how it can be used
• Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences
• Establishing trust and ensuring input from all members of a group
• Working together to produce a shared product

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall		Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 104	Composition and Rhetoric 1	3
American history		3
Foreign language 2		4
Mathematics		3
Sociology elective 1		3
	Semester Credit Hours	16
Spring
American history		3
Foreign language 2		4
Government/Political science		3
Mathematics		3
Sociology elective 1		3
	Semester Credit Hours	16
Second Year
Fall
SOCI 220	Methods of Social Research	3
Foreign language 2		3
Government/Political science		3
Literature directed elective		3
Sociology elective 1		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Spring
SOCI 230	Classical Sociological Theory 1	3
Select one of the following:		3
COMM 203	Public Speaking
COMM 205	Communication for Technical Professions
COMM 243	Argumentation and Debate
ENGL 203	Writing about Literature
ENGL 210	Technical and Professional Writing
Foreign language 2		3
Life and physical sciences		3
General elective 3		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Third Year
Fall
SOCI 420	Advanced Methods of Social Research 1	3
Language, philosophy and culture		3
Social and behavioral sciences 4		3
Literature directed elective		3
General elective 3		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Spring
SOCI 430	Contemporary Sociological Theory 1	3
Life and physical sciences		3
Social and behavioral sciences 4		3
Sociology elective 1		3
General elective 3		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Fourth Year
Fall
Creative arts		3
Life and physical sciences		3
Sociology elective 1		3
Sociology elective 1		3
General elective 3		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Spring
Language, philosophy and culture or creative arts		3
Sociology elective 1		3
General elective 3		3
General elective 3		3
General elective 3		1
	Semester Credit Hours	13
	Total Semester Credit Hours	120

¹

A grade of C or better is required.

²

Complete 14 hours of a foreign language through the intermediate level. If you choose to enroll in a language you have studied previously without receiving college credit, you must first take a placement test. See academic advisor.

³

Any 100-499 level course may be taken. No more than 6 semester credit hours for SOCI 484 may be applied to the Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. 

⁴

SOCI courses do not count toward fulfilling this requirement.

Graduation requirements include 3 hours of International and Cultural Diversity courses and 3 hours of Cultural Discourse courses. A course satisfying a Core category, a college/department requirement, or a free elective can be used to satisfy this requirement. The required 6 hours may be met by courses satisfying other areas of a degree program. See your academic advisor for further information.

No more than 33 hours in sociology may be applied to the major.

Other courses may qualify. Consult the approved list of courses available in the Undergraduate Student Services Office in the College of Arts and Sciences or from departmental advisors. No more than one course may be counted in more than one category.

Please note that university requirements specify that all students must take at least two courses in their major that are designated as fulfilling a writing requirement (W). See the section on general requirements for baccalaureate degrees for more information.

Minor Field of Study

Sociology majors are not required to select a minor field of study. If chosen, the minor must consist of 15-18 hours, with no more than 9 hours taken at a 100- or 200-level. No more than six hours from the minor may be used to fulfill other requirements. A grade of C or higher is required if a course is to be counted in the minor field.