Sociology, BA
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology (385000BA)
Department of Sociology Mission and Vision Statement: The Department of Sociology provides all students with the tools to engage, and the skills to solve, real-world problems including issues of health and well-being, social justice, and inequalities. We collaborate across campus and with community members and organizations to develop students with strong analytic and communication skills who can think critically and act creatively to address social problems. By ensuring that all students apply their learning through hands-on research projects and a range of experiential learning opportunities, we graduate informed students who are prepared to work in areas designed to address systemic problems facing our local, regional, and global communities and organizations.
Requirements for Admission
For students enrolled at the University of Akron and for students wishing to transfer directly to Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences from their institutions, the following criteria must be satisfied for admission to the Department of Sociology:
- The student must be admissible to Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences
- A minimum grade point average of 2.0 must be met in all university work, including transfer credits. Only credits earned at an accredited institution of postsecondary education, as recognized by The University of Akron, will be considered for transfer credit, and only those grades will be considered in the grade point average.
Graduation
A Sociology major must earn a cumulative 2.0 grade point average in Sociology and overall to graduate with such a declared major.
The following information has official approval of The Department of Sociology and The Buchtel College of Arts & Sciences, but is intended only as a supplemental guide. Official degree requirements are established at the time of transfer and admission to the degree-granting college. Students should refer to the Degree Progress Report (Stellic) which is definitive for graduation requirements. Completion of this degree within the identified time frame below is contingent upon many factors, including but not limited to: class availability, total number of required credits, work schedule, finances, family, course drops/withdrawals, successfully passing courses, prerequisites, among others. The transfer process is completed through an appointment with your academic advisor.
Three year accelerated option: for first time students who have earned credits for at least the first year of courses. Credits can be earned through qualifying scores on appropriate Advanced Placement (AP) exams or through College Credit Plus Program (CCP) courses. Credits for qualifying AP scores or CCP courses are determined by the appropriate academic department. Departments may assign varied course credit, depending on the student’s score on an AP exam or grade in a CCP course. Students may also receive credit by examination or via placement tests, where appropriate.
Requirements
Summary
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 36 | |
| College of Arts & Sciences Requirements | 14 | |
| Sociology Core | 18 | |
| Sociology Electives | 12 | |
| Additional Credits for Graduation * | 40 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
- *
Bachelor's degrees require a minimum of 120 credit hours for graduation.
Note: A 2.2 cumulative GPA is required for graduation in this major.
Recommended General Education Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree must complete the following General Education coursework. Diversity courses may also fulfill major or Breadth of Knowledge requirements. Integrated and Applied Learning courses may also fulfill requirements in the major. | ||
| Students are not required to enroll in the specific courses listed below. However, to facilitate successful degree completion, the academic department strongly encourages completion of the following recommendations. | ||
| Academic Foundations | 12 | |
Mathematics, Statistics and Logic: 3 credit hours | ||
Speaking: 3 credit hours | ||
Writing: 6 credit hours | ||
| Breadth of Knowledge | 22 | |
Arts/Humanities: 9 credit hours | ||
Natural Sciences: 7 credit hours | ||
Social Sciences: 6 credit hours | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Diversity | ||
Domestic Diversity | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Social Justice | ||
Global Diversity | ||
| Population, Environment, and Health | ||
| Integrated and Applied Learning | 2 | |
Select one class from one of the following subcategories: | ||
Complex Issues Facing Society | ||
| Social Inequalities | ||
or SOCIO 433 | Sociology of Deviant Behavior | |
or SOCIO 342 | Sociology of Health & Illness | |
or CHFD 401 | American Families in Poverty | |
or PHIL 365 | Environmental Ethics | |
or ANTH 320 | The Anthropology of Food | |
or PSYC 425 | Psychology of Hate | |
or ECON 430 | Labor Market and Social Policy | |
or ANTH 457 | Medical Anthropology | |
or PHIL 361 | Biomedical Ethics | |
Capstone | ||
Review the General Education Requirements page for detailed course listings. | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
College of Arts & Sciences Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Degree requirements in Arts & Sciences include the demonstration of ability to use another language by completion of the second year of a foreign language. | ||
| 2 Year Language Proficiency | 14 | |
101 Beginning I | ||
102 Beginning II | ||
201 Intermediate I | ||
202 Intermediate II | ||
| Survey of Deaf Culture in America (American Sign Language option only) | ||
| Students must also complete a minimum of 40 credits (excluding workshops) consisting of either: | ||
Upper-level (300/400) courses both in and outside of the student’s major; | ||
or other courses outside the major department approved by the student’s major department chair (permission should be obtained prior to enrollment); these may not include workshops | ||
Sociology Core
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOCIO 100 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SOCIO 301 | Social Research Design | 3 |
| SOCIO 302 | Data Analysis | 3 |
| SOCIO 320 | Social Inequalities | 3 |
| SOCIO 460 | Sociological Theory | 3 |
| Select at least 1 of the following (3 credit minimum by program's completion): 1 | 3 | |
| SOCIO 401 | Applied Research Methods | |
| or SOCIO 495 | Field Internship | |
| or SOCIO 496 | Senior Honors Project | |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Elective Concentrations
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 12 elective credit hours through one of the following pathways: | 12 | |
| (1) General Concentration (12 credit hours): 2 | ||
| SOCIO:3xx | ||
| SOCIO:4xx | ||
| (2) Social Justice Concentration (select 9-12 credit hours from the following): 3 | ||
| SOCIO 200 | Social Justice | |
| SOCIO 310 | Social Problems | |
| SOCIO 324 | Social Movements | |
| SOCIO 325 | Sociology of Women in Global Society | |
| SOCIO 421 | Race & Ethnic Relations | |
| SOCIO 428 | Victim in Society | |
| SOCIO 433 | Sociology of Deviant Behavior | |
| SOCIO 441 | Sociology of Law | |
| SOCIO 447 | Sociology of Gender, Sex, and Sexualities | |
| SOCIO 490 | Organizations, Community, and Social Action | |
| (3) Health & Society Concentration (select 9-12 credit hours from the following): 4 | ||
| SOCIO 321 | Population, Environment, and Health | |
| SOCIO 342 | Sociology of Health & Illness | |
| SOCIO 343 | Sociology of Aging | |
| SOCIO 350 | Drugs in Society | |
| SOCIO 450 | Sociology of Mental Illness | |
| SOCIO 455 | Family Violence | |
| APPROVED INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSE LIST | ||
| Social Justice and Health & Society 5 | ||
| CHFD 401 | American Families in Poverty | |
| PHIL 365 | Environmental Ethics | |
| ANTH 320 | The Anthropology of Food | |
| Social Justice 6 | ||
| PSYC 425 | Psychology of Hate | |
| PHIL 324 | Social & Political Philosophy | |
| PHIL 327 | Law and Morality | |
| HIST 457 | The United States since 1945 | |
| HIST 469 | African-American Women's History | |
| ECON 350 | Women and the Economy | |
| ECON 430 | Labor Market and Social Policy | |
| THEA 476 | Theatre and Community Action | |
| WMST 480 | Feminist Theory | |
| Health & Society 7 | ||
| ANTH 309 | Medicine & the Humanities | |
| ANTH 457 | Medical Anthropology | |
| COMM 438 | Health Communication | |
| PSYC 320 | Biopsychology | |
| PSYC 415 | Cognitive Neuroscience | |
| PSYC 420 | Abnormal Psychology | |
| PSYC 430 | Psychological Disorders of Children | |
| PHIL 361 | Biomedical Ethics | |
| STAT 470 | Biostatistics and Epidemiology | |
| NUTR 480 | Community Nutrition I | |
| ECON 436 | Health Economics | |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
- 1
If 495/496 is completed, students have the option to complete 401 as an elective for any concentration.
- 2
Students can complete their choice of any combination of 300-400 level courses within Sociology to fulfill the General concentration.
- 3
Students have the option to complete one (3-4 credit hours) course from the department-approved, interdisciplinary list to complement 9 hours of sociology coursework from this list for Social Justice.
- 4
Students have the option to complete one (3-4 credit hours) course from the department-approved, interdisciplinary list to complement 9 hours of sociology coursework from this list for Health & Society.
- 5
One course on this list may be used to complete either the Social Justice or Health & Society concentration.
- 6
One course on this list may be used to complete the social justice concentration.
- 7
One course on this list may be used to complete the Health & Society concentration.
Recommended Sequence
| 1st Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| SOCIO 100 | Introduction to Sociology (Fulfills Domestic Diversity) | 3 |
| ENGL 111 or ENGL 110 | English Composition I or English Composition I + Workshop | 3 |
| STAT 250 or STAT 260 | Statistics for Everyday Life or Basic Statistics | 4 |
| Arts/Humanities Requirement | 3 | |
| Modern Language Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| COMM 105 or COMM 106 | Introduction to Public Speaking or Effective Oral Communication | 3 |
| SOCIO 320 | Social Inequalities (Fulfills Complex Issues) | 3 |
| ENGL 112 | English Composition II | 3 |
| Natural Science with Lab Requirement | 4 | |
| Modern Language Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| 2nd Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SOCIO 301 | Social Research Design | 3 |
| Natural Science Requirement | 3 | |
| Modern Language Requirement | 3 | |
| Social Science Requirement | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SOCIO 302 | Data Analysis | 3 |
| SOCIO 460 | Sociological Theory | 3 |
| Arts/Humanities Requirement (if needed or elective) | 3 | |
| Global Diversity Requirement (or elective) | 3 | |
| Modern Language Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| 3rd Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Sociology Concentration Elective (300/400 level) | 3 | |
| Sociology Concentration elective (300/400 level) | 3 | |
| Elective (check with advisor about unfulfilled requirements) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SOCIO 401 or SOCIO 495 | Applied Research Methods or Field Internship | 3 |
| Sociology Concentration elective (300/400 level) | 3 | |
| Arts/Humanities Requirement | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| 4th Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Sociology Concentration Elective (300/400 level) | 3 | |
| Elective (check with advisor about unfulfilled requirements) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Sociology Elective (300/400 level) | 3 | |
| Sociology elective (300/400 level) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 122 | |