B.A. Degree Requirements

Eleven courses are required for the major in sociology (at least 33 semester hours). Ordinarily, these courses will be distributed as follows (any exceptions to these requirements must be approved by the departmental adviser, Bridget Gorman).

A SURVEY OF THE FIELD

SOCI 101 (formerly SOCI 203) Introduction to Sociology

THEORETICAL APPROACHES

Students are required to take at least one course that offers a systematic analysis of alternative theoretical perspectives.

  • SOCI 250 (formerly SOCI 317) Contemporary Sociological Theory
  • SOCI 275 (formerly SOCI 395) Feminist Social Thought

RESEARCH METHODS

A) Both of these courses are highly recommended. One of them must be taken to meet the requirements of the major.

  • SOCI 290 (formerly SOCI 390) Research Methods: This course provides hands-on experience with both the quantitative and qualitative methods of sociological research. Sociology majors who are thinking about doing Honors research are urged to take this course no later than the fall semester of their junior year.
  • SOCI 241 (formerly SOCI 421) The Craft of Sociology: This course provides an overview of the history of sociology, focusing on the empirical studies that have been crucial in its development.

B) Students are required to take this course:

  • SOCI 298 (formerly SOCI 398) Social Statistics:This course provides students with the skills they need to analyze quantitative data in order to answer sociological research questions and to test hypotheses. Students learn sample description, sampling and probability, sampling theory, and how to make inferences from samples to populations. They learn to apply common univariate statistics for description, and bivariate and multi-variate statistics for testing relationships. Because most statistical analysis is done with the aid of computers, this course also focuses on common statistical packages.

AREAS OF SUBSTANTIVE INTEREST

The remaining courses (to reach a minimum total of eleven courses in all) should be chosen from the list of Courses Offered

Sociology Minor Requirements

Six classes are required for a minor in sociology (18 semester hours).

  • Required Classes: Introduction to Sociology; 1 methods OR theory course
  • Elective Classes: 4 electives (12 credits), including at least one 400-level class.