Academic Requirements
The sociology major is designed to give students an opportunity to develop a broad understanding of the field of sociology, and also to enable them to design their coursework according to their personal academic and career interests. All majors take a set of eight required core courses, plus three advanced sociology courses. Explore the links here for more details about courses.-
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY COURSES
SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology | Learn about the nature of sociological inquiry, including concepts and principles of sociology; institutional features of modern society; and structure and dynamics of social organizations.
SOC 214 Social Inequality | Theories of structural social inequality. Formation and change of inequalities among social classes and class structures, gender, and race. Inequalities and their interactions in modern societies. Consequences of inequalities. Current inequality trends.
SOC 215 Race and Ethnicity | Learn about racial and ethnic problems in contemporary society, and prejudice, discrimination, conflict, and racial and ethnic identity and segregation in western and non-western societies.
SOC 216 Sex and Gender | Learn about social, structural, and social psychological perspectives on gender, and issues related to gender inequality in selected institutions such as the economy, family, education, and politics.
SOC 281 Methods of Social Research I | Design and execution of research on social behavior and institutions. Data collection, structure, and quality. Descriptive analysis. Presentation of conclusions.
SOC 282 Methods of Social Research II | Selected quantitative techniques of data analysis.
SOC 488 Sociological Theory (W) | Development of sociological theory. Problems of theory construction. Current theoretical perspectives.
SOC 499 Social Issues and Change in Contemporary Society (W) | Selected major social problems in contemporary societies. Sources and consequences of social change. Application of sociological theory to selected cases.
Student must also complete a minimum of three additional Sociology courses at the 300 level or higher. One of which must be at the 400-level. The following is a comprehensive list of all 300 and 400 courses offered.
SOC 310 Global Migration | Theory and research on the causes and consequences of human migration. Sociological, social psychological, historical, and demographic perspectives.
SOC 315 Family and Society | Family development. Diversity of family form and organization in relation to personality, class, race, and gender.
SOC 316 Youth and Society | Behavioral analysis of youth. Youth subcultures. Youth at risk. Social change and youth behavior.
SOC 331 Political Sociology | Social power theories, dynamics, and structures. The economy and the polity. Power elites and democracy. Social bases of political behavior and participation. Sociopolitical movements.
SOC 350 Society and Mental Health | Social determinants of mental health and mental illness. International and cross-cultural comparison of mental health and mental illness
SOC 351 Gendered Violence and Intersections of Power | Gendered violence from an intersectional perspective. Ways intersecting social statuses such as race, class, and sexuality shape gendered experiences.
SOC 360 Migration and Social Change | Survey of contemporary theory and research on migration and social change.
SOC 361 Contemporary Communities | Approaches to the study of contemporary communities. Differential levels of community complexity. Social problems and dynamics of community change and development in local settings and their relation to external institutions.
SOC 362 Developing Societies | Dynamics of agricultural and industrial transformations in developing nations. Structural problems, behavioral patterns, and institutional changes at local and societal levels. Socioeconomic interdependencies in the world system.
SOC 368 Science, Technology & Society | Role of science and technology in social change. Values and ethics in contemporary perspectives, controversies, and cases. Science and technology as forms of knowledge.
SOC 375 Urban Sociology | Social theories and research on urban development, organization, and change. Urban social life. Sociological aspects of urban planning and redevelopment.
SOC 412 Animals, People and Nature | Sociological overview of the intersecting roles of animals, culture and nature in contemporary society.
SOC 427 Environmental Toxicology & Society | Impact of environmental chemicals on health and modern society. Cellular and organ functions and their interface with the environment. Limitations of scientific investigation and environmental regulations.
SOC 451 Dynamics of Population | Size, distribution, and composition of population by age and sex. Theories of the effect of fertility, mortality, and migration on population structures Successful and unsuccessful population policies.
SOC 452 Advanced Seminar in Environmental Sociology | Environmental conditions and social organization. Social relations and connect to resource use, pollution, energy, and risks. Growth and limits to growth. Environmental attitudes, actions, movements and regulation.
SOC 460 Advanced Seminar in Human Migration | Advanced study in a specialized topic related to the sociological study of human migration.
SOC 475 Health and Society | Social causes of Health and disease. Health disparities related to race-ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender and family. Organizations, professions and institutions of health care. Medical standards and evidence. Global public health.
SOC 478 Climate Change and Society | Climate change as a societal challenge. The nature of climate change, its role in human history, and vulnerabilities of coupled human and natural systems to climate change.
SOC 480 Advanced Research Methods | Advanced training in methodologies commonly used in specific sub-fields of sociology.
SOC 481 Social Movements and Collective Identities | How social movements emerge, change, and are challenged by others. Identity issues within social movements.
SOC 496 Individual Readings | Supervised individual readings and study in sociology.
SOC 497 Individual Research | Supervised individual research in sociology.
SOC 498 Sociology Internship | Practical experience with a public, private, or nonprofit organization.
Electives available in Sociology:
SOC 161 International Development and Change |Global issues of development and change. Population growth, poverty, structural inequalities, environmental degradation, social conflicts, social movements. Alternative development strategies and future perspectives.
SOC 241 Social Psychology | Relationship of individuals to their social environment. Social influences on personality, attitudes and behavior.
SOC 252 Introduction to Environmental Sociology | Key concepts, theories, methods, and findings in environmental sociology.SOC260 Introduction to Human Migration | Introduction to sociological study of human migration. Historical contexts, foundational concepts, and contemporary issues and policies related to migration.
SOC 490 Special Topics in Sociology: Experimental courses and courses taught by visiting scholars.
- SOCIOLOGY MINORS
Four Year Graduation Plan for the B.A./B.S. Primary major in Sociology
College of Social Science Requirements
Advising Checklist for the B.A. and B.S. primary major in Sociology