Sociology Courses

SOCIOLOGY UNDERGRADUATE COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Major: * Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Sociology

The major requires a minimum of 39 hours with a grade of “C” or better in the following:

• MAT 117 – Elementary Statistics
• S/A 201 – Introduction to Sociology
• SOC 301 – The Family
• SOC 303 – Social Problems
• SOC 302 - Minority Relations or SOC 304 Sociology of Gender
• SOC 306 – Sociology of Black Americans
• SOC 453 – Contempory Sociological Theory
• SS451 – Data Collections Methods
• SS 452 – Data Analysis Methods
• 6 hours of upper-division (300-499) anthropology and 6 hours of upper division (300-499) electives in sociology

*BA DEGREE - For the Bachelor of Arts degree an additional 12 hours of foreign language is required.

ETS Exam Info:  This test consists of 140 multiple-choice questions, some of which are grouped in sets and based on such materials as diagrams, graphs and statistical data. Most of the questions require knowledge of specific sociological information, but the test also draws on the student's ability to interpret data, to apply concepts and ideas, and to analyze sociological data, theories and relationships, deductively and inductively.

The test will cover: Numbers in parentheses are the approximate number of questions in each category.

• Methodology and Statistics (~15%): General Theory (~15%):
• Criminology and Deviance (~11%)
• Demography and Urban Sociology (~5%)
• Organizations (~5%)
• Race, Ethnicity, Gender (~11%)
• Social Psychology (~8%)
• Social Stratification (~11%)
• Social Institutions (~11%)
• Social Change (~8%)
• Gender (11%
• Global (9%)
• Critical Thinking (~25%

Click below to learn more about the ETS® Major Field Tests:

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

The Sociology Undergraduate program offers a variety of interesting and relevant courses. From the family to social stratification the program offers a variety of courses designed to give you insight into the world you live in. Listed courses may not be taught every semester or every year. The department head and advisors have information about projected course offerings for each semester/year.

GROUP I: BASIC

Prerequisites are not required.

S/A 151H HONORS INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY. (3, Fall). This course is designed to introduce honor students to the fundamental theories, methodological approaches and basic principles used in sociology. Detailed study of socialization, social structures, institutions, inequality, and social control, as well as discussion of classic studies in sociology will be engaged. For Honors majors this course serves as a prerequisite to all sociology courses requiring S/A 201.

S/A 175 SPECIAL TOPICS. (1-5). Topic to be listed in course schedule. Special topics S/A175 courses will cover a variety of diverse or unique topics. This course may be taken multiple times for credit as the topic changes. This course counts as a lower division sociology elective however special topics S/A175 courses may not be used to fulfill a general education requirement.

S/A 200 AMERICAN CULTURAL DIVERSITY. (3, Fall). This course takes both a sociological and an historical approach to understanding cultural variations and constructs, social interaction and change in the United States. This course will expand one’s knowledge of the effect of race, gender, sexual orientation, class, age, family structure, religion and geographic location on the public discourse and various policies used to maintain and strengthen society, culture, diversity and inclusion. The unpacking of historical events, policies and legislation as to how they have impacted our current culture will also be discussed. Central to this course will be the application of the structural-functional theory.

S/A 201 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY. (3). This course is designed to introduce students to the fundamental concepts, theories, methodological approaches and basic principles used in sociology. The course provides the systematic study of social relationships and interactions. Concepts like socialization, social structures, institutions, inequality, social control, gender, ethnicity, the economy and globalization will be examined during this class. This course serves as a prerequisite to all sociology courses and is required for all sociology majors and minors. This course must be completed with a C or better to count for credit.

S/A 202 INTRODUCTION TO ANTHROPOLOGY. (3). This course will introduce four major subfields of anthropology: physical anthropology,  archaeology, cultural anthropology and anthropological linguistics. The course will explore human origins, habitats, artifacts, and cultural traditions.

GROUP II: SOCIOLOGY SERVICE

Prerequisites are not required.

SOC 301 THE FAMILY. (3). This course provides an introduction to Marriage and Family studies. The course will explore the structure and formation of contemporary families and look at theories of family development, social problems in the family and the changing gender and social roles in modern

families. The course will also explore relationship choices and contemporary issues, including the effect of technology on family life. Theoretical viewpoints, social policies, up-to-date research and self-assessment relationship scales will be included.

SOC 302 MINORITY RELATIONS. (3). This course provides an analysis of contemporary minority relations, including ethnic, racial, and gender relations. This course also explores the systems of structured inequality inherent in minority relations in American society. Students will also explore issues such as the social construction of race, discrimination & racism, gender inequality, and the importance of ethnic identities, diversity and multiculturalism.

SOC 304 SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER. (3, Spring). Course focuses on gender as a social construct, gender socialization and inequality. Analysis of race, class, age and sexuality in the shaping of gender and gender roles will be explored.

SOC 303 SOCIAL PROBLEMS. (3, Fall). This course provides an in-depth overview of social problems in American Society. The course explores the institutional and structural sources of contemporary social problems as well as the ideological construction of social problems and the strategies and solutions posed to resolve them. Issues like drug use, crime, poverty, environmental destruction and differential resource distribution will also be addressed in the course. This course is designated as writing intensive.

SOC 306 SOCIOLOGY OF BLACK AMERICANS. (3, Spring). This course examines the experiences of the Black American community in the United States from a Sociological perspective. The course will explore the emergence and evolution of the Afrocentric paradigm, early Black Sociologist, and the methodological approaches to the study of the Black community. Some of the other topics covered in the course are the myths and realities of Black American life, the origins of the concept of race, issues in  Black male/female relationships, and deficit sociological research on Blacks as a social group. This is not a comparative community or race relations class; this course focuses specifically on the Black  community.

GROUP III: ADVANCED SOCIOLOGY

Prerequisite: S/A 201, or S/A 151H, or S/A 202 or SOC 301

SOC 401 SOCIAL INEQUALITY (3, Even Spring). This course examines the social divisions and hierarchal structure of contemporary American society. This course examines the patterns of inequality based on race, ethnicity, gender, and class, status. The role of power and institutions and the theoretical explanations for stratification will also be discussed.

SOC 402 MODERN SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS. (3, Odd Spring). This course focuses on the analysis of some of the major types of social organization, including groups, networks, and formal organization. Specifically, the course focuses on organizational forms and change, organizational cultures, organization theory and various types of organizational designs.

SOC 403 COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL CHANGE. (3). This class will examine the concept of community and survey different types of communities from online societies to rural neighborhoods. The class will also explore the changing nature of the concept of “community” and the sources of social changes in society. Urban, rural and virtual communities, organizational patterns, and sources of change will be examined.

SOC 404 POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENT. (3). This course examines population theories; population growth patterns; and the changing composition, distribution and movement of populations globally. The course also analyzes the significance of population changes on the society and its impact on the larger environment.

SOC 405 CRIMINOLOGY. (3, Even Fall). Survey of classical and contemporary theories of criminal behavior, sources of crime, and crime typology, including property crime, violent crime, and white-collar crime. Students will also become familiar with making interpretations and inferences from crime data sources.

SOC 406 JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. (3, Odd Spring). This course is a survey of classical and contemporary theory of delinquent behavior with special emphasis on youth. This course traces historical development of the juvenile justice system, including public and private institutions created to control juvenile offenders. In this course special emphasis is placed on adjudication, the demographic characteristics of  offenders and how youth are processed by the juvenile justice system.

SOC 408 SOCIOLOGY OF AGING. (3, Odd Fall). This course provides a systematic presentation of the field of gerontology related to the demographic, health and cultural factors in aging. The class examines social adjustments of individuals in later stages of the life cycle, including family and friendship relationships, social adjustment to the process of aging, and societal reactions to and provisions for persons in later life.

SOC 409 SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH AND DISEASE (3, Even Spring). This course will look at health and disease along the spectrums of age, race and socioeconomic status along with the social construction of health and illness. An emphasis on public health and behavioral health theories for preventive strategies will be utilized in this course.

SOC 412 SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION. (3). Analysis of the institutionalization of the learning process, the school and community, the social structure of educational institutions, factors and processes of social change, and contemporary problems in education.

SOC 413 DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL. (3, Even Spring). Overview of theories of deviant behavior and the social classification of deviance as a means of social control. Includes the study of a wide range of deviant behavior, including elite deviance and mental illness.

GROUP IV: THEORY, METHODS, AND APPLICATION

Prerequisite: S/A 201 and junior status

SOC 415 CLASSICAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY. (3). Survey of major sociological theorists. This course examines the history of social thought, and the emergence and development of sociology as a mode of inquiry for social sciences. This course will compare and contrast major classical theories and focus on the early processes of theory construction. The course will explore classical and contemporary social theorists and examine their contributions to the discipline and the study of society.

SOC 453 CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY. (3, Spring). Survey of 20th century developments in social theory, world systems theory, feminist standpoint theories and critical theory. The course will examine European and American theorists, as well as recent developments in sociological theory construction.

SOC 454 SEMINAR IN SOCIOLOGY. (3, Fall). This is a capstone course that reviews the basic theoretical paradigms, theorists, and practices used in sociology. This course will also provide professional development and career information for future sociological employment. Students who take this class will conduct in-depth analysis of major social issues and they will be challenged to apply sociological theories to current issues in our society.

Prerequisite: Junior and senior sociology majors only. This is a writing intensive course.

SOC 490-492 DIRECTED STUDY. (1-3). Independent research. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor required. This course can be taken for 1 to 3 hours credit. See instructor for specific course information.

SOC 495-498 SPECIAL SUBJECTS. (1-3). Special topics courses will cover a variety of diverse or unique topics. This course may be taken multiple times for credit as the topic changes and can count as an upper division sociology elective.

SOC 499 INTERNSHIP. (3, Spring). Opportunity to gain work experience in community agencies and private businesses. Students will complete a 10- 13 week internship under the supervision of sociology/anthropology faculty. Consent of instructor required.

SS 451 DATA COLLECTION METHODS. (3, Fall). This course introduces students to the research process (design, methodology), and other techniques of data collection. In this class, students learn coding, survey creation and focus on qualitative and quantitative data collection methods.

Prerequisite: 9 hours of Social Science.

SS 452 DATA ANALYSIS METHODS. (3, Odd Spring). This course focuses on the organization and analysis of data using statistical techniques such as measures of central tendencies; t-test, and regression analysis. Upon completion of this course, students will have gained proficiencies in various data analysis software programs, including SPSS, the most widely used statistical software program in the social  sciences. Students will be able to access and manage data sets for analysis and integrate data output into presentations and reports. Prerequisite: 9 hours of Social Science; MAT 117.

GROUP V: ANTHROPOLOGY SERVICE

Prerequisites are not required.

ANT 310 INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ARCHAEOLOGY. (3, Odd Spring). This course will explore the biological and evolutionary origins of humans, genetics, heredity, living primates, human adaptation, human diversity, archaeological  methods, and important Old and New Worlds archaeological sites.

ANT 311 WORLD ETHNOGRAPHY. (3, Even Spring). Comparative ethnography of Western and non-Western societies using a socio-cultural anthropological approach, including an examination of the societies’ worldviews, subsistence patterns, ethno-medicine, mating systems, and sustainability.

ANT 315 CULTURE AND LAW. (3, Odd Spring). Exploration of the experiences of law through various agents (police, lawyers, judges, and the public); focusing their perspectives on law and how cultural shifts affect law and law enforcement. 

Group VI: Anthropology Advanced

Prerequisite: Three hours in any S/A or ANT course or consent of instructor.

ANT 407 SOCIOCULTURAL CHANGE. (3, Odd Fall). An analysis of the social and cultural changes that have occurred in relation to modernization, intergenerational value shifts, changing religious views, and the emergence of postmodernism in Westernized societies after World War II.

ANT 411 CULTURE AREAS OF THE WORLD. (3, Even Spring). This multimedia course will provide an in-depth analysis of different selected culture areas around the world, which will be explored through ethnographic films. Students will understand the mechanics of ethnographic films and diverse cultural groups.

ANT 451 GENERAL ARCHAEOLOGY. (3, Odd Spring). A study of prehistoric and historic cultural remains that includes fieldwork, laboratory experiences, and dating methods (relative and absolute), using current archaeological methodology.

GROUP VII: ANTHROPOLOGY: OTHER

ANT 490-492 DIRECTED STUDY. (1-3). Independent research. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor and department.

ANT 495/498SPECIAL SUBJECTS. (1-3). Topic to be listed in course schedule. May enroll again as topic changes. Prerequisite. See course schedule.

ANT 407 SOCIOCULTURAL CHANGE (3, fa, odd). An analysis of the social and cultural changes that have occurred in relation to modernization, intergenerational value shifts, changing religious views, and the  emergence of postmodernism in Westernized societies after World War II.

ANT 411 CULTURE AREAS OF THE WORLD (3, sp, even). This multimedia course will provide an in-depth analysis of different selected culture areas each semester: Mesoamerica, Oceania, Western Asia, Aboriginal North America, West Africa or other cultures of choice.

ANT 451 GENERAL ARCHAEOLOGY (3, sp,odd). A study of prehistoric and historic cultural remains that includes fieldwork, laboratory experiences and dating methods (relative and absolute), using current archaeological methodology.

GROUP VII: ANTHROPOLOGY: OTHER

ANT 490/ DIRECTED STUDY (1-3). Independent research. Prerequisite: 492 Consent of instructor and department.

ANT 495/ SPECIAL SUBJECTS (1-3). Topic to be listed in course schedule. 498 May enroll again as topic changes. Prerequisite. See course schedule