Bachelor of Arts - Sociology

Sociology examines the social aspects and dimensions of most everything human beings do in the realm of politics, economics, culture, technology, relationships, and identity. Studying sociology provides students critical and reflexive perspectives with which to understand the world. It pushes students to develop the analytical, research, and compositional skills necessary to investigate, understand, analyze, explain, and improve the world around them. Courses cover a broad range of topics including: the study of individuals as social actors; the analysis of social processes such as social interaction and deviance and conformity; the study of institutions such as law, family, media, popular culture, medicine, education, and religion; and the investigation of the social organization of entire societies in the global context. The department offers a variety of courses of interest to non-majors as well as to majors. Upon completion of a B.A. in Sociology, students can continue their education with graduate work in either sociology or some related field such as social work, public administration, or law. For students who choose to pursue employment with their bachelor's degree, sociology provides an excellent liberal arts foundation for a range of career paths that utilize their sociological insights as well as the conceptual and methodological skills they have acquired. Training in sociology can open a variety of doors in human services and business. Those who enter human services may work with youths at risk, the elderly, or people experiencing problems related to poverty, substance abuse, or the justice system. Some find employment in agencies that work for social change including various organizations concerned with human rights issues or the environment. Sociology majors who enter the business world work in sales, marketing, customer relations, or human resources. In addition, the Sociology major has a competitive advantage in today's information society. The solid base received in research design, data analysis, statistics, and sociological concepts enables them to compete for support positions in research, social planning, policy analysis, program evaluation, and other social science endeavors