B.A. in Sociology

Traditional

The Traditional/General pathway in the Sociology major helps students develop the knowledge and skills that are essential to work in a wide range of fields such as human services, social work, government, education, and public policy. The curriculum for this pathway includes core coursework in sociological theory, research methodologies, and diverse populations. Students also choose a series of elective coursework from a range of topical areas such race, gender, culture, family, deviance, the environment, education, health, and immigration. The key objective of this pathway is to foster a broad understanding of structures and institutions that provide the framework for social life.

Human Services

The Human Services concentration in the Sociology major provides a dynamic program of study that prepares students for a wide range of careers in the helping professions such as social work, educational counseling, and community organizing. Students in this pathway complete the same core curriculum as the traditional/general pathway in addition to a series of coursework designed to introduce students to the knowledge and skills that are relevant to the field of human services. Coursework in the concentration focuses on developing theoretical knowledge in addition to building and practicing helping skills through a hands-on internship experience. Students also complete coursework in the areas of family and life course, diverse populations and social life in U.S. society. The key objective of this pathway is to provide students with opportunities to gain experience by applying classroom knowledge and skills in community organizations.

Racial and Ethnic Dynamics

The Racial and Ethnic Dynamics concentration in the Sociology major aims to draw sociology students interested in the ever-changing sociohistorical and contemporary contexts of race and ethnicity in the United States. The learning objective for students in the Racial and Ethnic Dynamics concentration is to equip students with the theoretical and substantive knowledge regarding race and ethnicity. Majors in the concentration complete the required core curriculum as outlined in the traditional/general pathway, as well as take specialized coursework to build analytical skills through application of racial-ethnic theoretical frameworks at the macro and micro levels of social life. Additionally, students take courses that focus not only on the experiences of specific racial-ethnic populations, but also learn how these populations navigate their lives through analysis of topical areas such as immigration, urbanization, culture, and education. The concentration prepares students who plan to attend graduate/professional school, or for those who plan to work in community organizations, government, social science research, or public policy-related fields.