The Bachelor of Arts in Sociology uses the unique view and perspective of sociology to study all forms of human behavior and interaction from the individual and small groups to institutions and globalization. You will develop a sociological imagination that opens windows into unfamiliar worlds and provides a fresh look at familiar worlds. Research, empirical, and theoretical analysis skills, as well as critical thinking and information literacy skills will be developed. Knowledge gained in this online sociology degree is well suited to a career in politics, civil service, health care, family support services, public or private management, or law.
Degree Program Objectives
In addition to the institutional and degree level learning objectives, graduates of this program are expected to achieve these learning outcomes:
- Differentiate major paradigms, classic and contemporary theories that inform the study of sociology.
- Analyze social behavior using a sociological imagination.
- Identify how social stratification influences social inequality.
- Discuss how the individual self-concept is directly influenced by social processes and social structures.
- Evaluate appropriate ethical considerations, methodological approaches and analysis techniques for sociological research.
Degree at a Glance
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 30 | |
| Major Required | 21 | |
| Select one of the following concentrations: | 15 | |
| Final Program Requirements | 3 | |
| Elective Requirements | 51 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120 | |
Degree Program Requirements
General Education Requirements (30 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Humanities (6 semester hours) 1 | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Art Appreciation | ||
| Film and Literature | ||
| Image Enhancement using Adobe Photoshop | ||
| World Literature through the Renaissance | ||
| World Literature since the Renaissance | ||
| English Literature: Beowulf to18th Century | ||
| English Literature: 18th Century to Present | ||
| American Literature before The Civil War | ||
| American Literature from The Civil War to Present | ||
| Arabic I | ||
| Arabic II | ||
| French I | ||
| French II | ||
| German I | ||
| German II | ||
| Introduction to Japanese | ||
| Music Appreciation | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| Critical Thinking | ||
| Introduction to Ethics | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese | ||
| Introduction to World Religions | ||
| Russian I | ||
| Spanish I | ||
| Spanish II | ||
| Civics, Political and Social Sciences (6 semester hours) | ||
| SOCI111 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SOCI212 | Social Problems | 3 |
| Communication: Writing, Oral, and Multimedia (9 semester hours) | ||
| COMM120 | Information and Digital Literacy | 3 |
| ENGL110 | Making Writing Relevant | 3 |
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| Public Speaking | ||
| Effectiveness in Writing | ||
| Composition and Literature | ||
| Technical Writing | ||
| Scientific Writing | ||
| Business Writing | ||
| Human Relations Communication | ||
| Information Literacy and Global Citizenship | ||
| Introduction to Information Technology Writing | ||
| Human Relations | ||
| History (3 semester hours) | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| American History to 1877 | ||
| American History since 1877 | ||
| World Civilization before 1650 | ||
| World Civilization since 1650 | ||
| Western Civilization before The Thirty Years War | ||
| Western Civilization since The Thirty Years War | ||
| African-American History before 1877 | ||
| African-American History since 1877 | ||
| History of the American Indian | ||
| History of Science | ||
| Mathematics and Applied Reasoning (3 semester hours) | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| Accounting for Non Accounting Majors | ||
| Fundamentals of Programming | ||
| College Algebra | ||
| College Trigonometry | ||
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| Math for Liberal Arts Majors | ||
| Calculus | ||
| Natural Sciences (3 semester hours) | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Biology | ||
| Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology | ||
| Introduction to Chemistry | ||
| Introduction to Meteorology | ||
| Introduction to Geology | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Science | ||
| Introduction to Physics | ||
| Introduction to Astronomy | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 30 | |
| 1 | All literature courses require successful completion of ENGL101 - Proficiency in Writing or ENGL110 - Making Writing Relevant. |
Major Required (21 semester hours)
Complete at least 2 courses in the Major section before taking SOCI331 or SOCI332.
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOCI213 | Society, Interaction, and the Individual | 3 |
| SOCI214 | Stratification and Inequality | 3 |
| SOCI215 | Social Deviance | 3 |
| SOCI303 | Classical Sociological Theory | 3 |
| SOCI305 | Contemporary Sociological Theory | 3 |
| SOCI331 | Research Methods for Sociology | 3 |
| SOCI332 | Statistics for Social Science | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 21 | |
Students must choose a concentration for this degree program and may select from a Concentration in Community Action, Concentration in Education, Concentration in Health, Concentration in Public Policy, or a Concentration in Social Justice.
Concentration in Community Action (15 semester hours)
This interdisciplinary concentration will prepare sociology students for careers that relate to community organization and action. Students will explore organizations, agents of social change, religious organizations, and the role of the family in communities.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
-
Apply the sociological imagination to understanding different types of communities and the motivation of communities to engage in action.
-
Analyze communities using organizational sociology theories.
-
Identify career paths for sociologists with expertise in community organization and action.
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOCI312 | Organizational Sociology | 3 |
| SOCI403 | Social Change | 3 |
| SOCI420 | Sociology of Religion | 3 |
| SOCI421 | Sociology of the Family | 3 |
| CHFD446 | Families and Social Action | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 15 | |
Concentration in Education (15 semester hours)
This interdisciplinary concentration will prepare sociology students for education related career fields. Students will explore organizations, social movements and social change, learning theory, and strategies for measuring and evaluating education programs and institutions.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
-
Compare and contrast education practices and systems using a sociological perspective.
-
Evaluate the historical and current relationships between education, inequality, and socioeconomics.
-
Identify career paths for sociologists in education related fields.
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOCI312 | Organizational Sociology | 3 |
| SOCI403 | Social Change | 3 |
| EDUC340 | Adult Learning Theory | 3 |
| CHFD350 | Family Life Education | 3 |
| EDUC402 | Measurement and Evaluation | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 15 | |
Concentration in Health (15 semester hours)
This interdisciplinary concentration will prepare sociology students for health related career fields. Students will explore sociological factors that play a role in health and illness, the history of healthcare institutions, the process of aging and death. Students will examine public health issues in both national and international contexts using a sociological lens.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
-
Analyze the historical and current relationships between health, inequality, and socioeconomics using sociological theories.
-
Apply a sociological perspective to evaluating different healthcare systems.
-
Identify career paths for medical sociologists in public health and other healthcare related fields.
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOCI307 | Sociology of Aging | 3 |
| SOCI423 | Sociology of Health and Illness | 3 |
| SOCI424 | Sociology of Death and Dying | 3 |
| PBHE209 | Wellness: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention | 3 |
| PBHE211 | Public Health in America | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 15 | |
Concentration in Public Policy (15 semester hours)
This interdisciplinary concentration will prepare sociology students for careers related to understanding the sociological and bureaucratic factors that relate to public policy in local, national, and international settings. Students will apply sociological theory to understand organizations, political institutions, law, and social change.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
-
Analyze social problems and the public policies and programs designed to solve them.
-
Apply a sociological perspective to historical and current issues in public policy such as voting rights, incarceration, and workplace rights.
-
Identify career paths for sociologists in public service, administration, and other organizations.
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOCI311 | Political Sociology | 3 |
| SOCI312 | Organizational Sociology | 3 |
| SOCI422 | Sociology of the Law | 3 |
| SOCI403 | Social Change | 3 |
| POLS410 | Public Policy | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 15 | |
Concentration in Social Justice (15 semester hours)
This interdisciplinary concentration will prepare sociology students for careers in promoting and supporting social justice issues in local, national, and international settings. Students will examine social justice issues related to race and ethnicity as well as gender and sex. Courses will also examine social movements and social change as well as leadership and organizational culture.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
-
Examine causes and consequences of poverty at local, national, and international levels.
-
Evaluate availability and effectiveness of social welfare programs and explore new strategies for increasing social justice.
-
Identify career paths for sociologists in organizations addressing social justice and social welfare issues.
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOCI306 | Race and Ethnicity | 3 |
| SOCI312 | Organizational Sociology | 3 |
| MGMT312 | Leadership & Motivation | 3 |
| SOCI403 | Social Change | 3 |
| SOCI404 | Gender and Society | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 15 | |
Final Program Requirements (3 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOCI498 | Senior Seminar in Sociology (to be taken as the last course before graduation) 1 | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 3 | |
| 1 | Prerequisite: SOCI111 and completion of all major and elective courses prior to enrollment. |
Elective Requirements (51 semester hours)
Select any courses that have not been used to fulfill major requirements. Credits applied toward a minor or certificate in an unrelated field may be used to fulfill elective credit for the major.