Lead Faculty: Dr. Margaret J. Greer
The Bachelor of Arts in Sociology program engages students in the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Students will investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact within these contexts. Since all human behavior is social, the subject matter of sociology ranges from the intimate family to global warfare; from organized crime to religious cults; from the divisions of social class, race, and gender to the shared beliefs of a common culture; and from the sociology of work to the sociology of beauty. In fact, few fields have such broad scope and relevance for research, theory, and application of knowledge.
Sociology majors develop analytical skills and the ability to understand issues within many distinctive perspectives. Sociology offers a range of research techniques that can be applied to virtually any aspect of social life: street crime and delinquency, corporate growth or downsizing, how people express emotions, welfare or education reform, health/HIV AIDS, how families differ and flourish, or problems of peace, war, and terrorism. Because sociology addresses the most challenging issues of our time, it is a rapidly expanding field whose potential is increasingly tapped by those who craft policies and create programs. Sociologists understand social inequality, patterns of behavior, forces for social change and resistance, and how social systems work.
The program's stimulating curriculum in social theory, research methods, and key sociological concepts provides a solid base for students to learn to think abstractly, formulate problems, ask appropriate questions, search for answers, analyze situations and data, organize material, write well, and make oral presentations. Sociological training helps students bring breadth and depth of understanding to the global workplace and graduates frequently enter a variety of jobs in business, the health professions, criminal justice, social services, and government. Sociology provides training for professions such as law enforcement, education, medicine, social work, and counseling. Furthermore, sociology offers valuable preparation for careers in journalism, politics and policy analysis, public relations, business, or public administration, and program evaluation—fields that involve investigative skills and working with diverse groups.
Program Outcomes
Many occupations today require a college educated individual who can write and speak well, solve problems, learn new information quickly, and work well with others on a team. This means that graduates use their education in a wide variety of fields, and their future career may relate more to their personal career interests, work values, and transferable skills than any specific academic major. The program in Sociology seeks to provide students with a comprehensive background for graduate level study and for careers in social service, probation/parole, mental health, and related areas.
Sociology provides important background knowledge as well as:
To be awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, students must complete at least 180 quarter units as articulated below, 45 of which must be completed in residence at National University and 76.5 of which must be completed at the upper-division level. In the absence of transfer credit, students may need to take additional general electives to satisfy the total units for the degree. All courses required in the major and required upper-division electives for the degree must be completed with a C- or better. Students are required to complete a capstone project as part of the degree program. It is strongly suggested that students save all graded work. Students should refer to the section on undergraduate admission procedures for specific information regarding admission and evaluation.
Prerequisites for the Major (2 courses; 9 quarter units):
SOC 100 - Principles of Sociology* (+)
(Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
MTH 210 - Introduction to Probability and Statistics*
(Prerequisite: Placement Evaluation)
* May be used to satisfy general education requirements.
Requirements for the Major (9 courses 40.5 quarter units):
SOC 344 - Marriage, Sex and Family
(Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
SOC 443 - Sociology of Deviance
(Prerequisites: SOC 100 and ENG 100/101)
SOC 385 - Methods of Social Inquiry
(Prerequisites: SOC 100, MTH 210, and ENG 100/101)
SOC 455 - Organizational Sociology
(Prerequisites: SOC 100 and ENG 100/101)
SOC 365 - Classical Social Theory
(Prerequisites: SOC 100 and ENG 100/101)
SOC 500 - Understanding Cultural Pluralism in American Society
(Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
SOC 375 - Contemporary Social Theory
(Prerequisites: SOC 100 and ENG 100/101)
SOC 540 - Power and Social Change (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
SOC 499 - Sociological Research Seminar (Capstone Seminar)
(Prerequisite: SOC 100 and ENG 240 or equivalent)
The Capstone Seminar is taken toward the end of the program after completion of the 40.5 units of required courses for the major, and after completion of six or more electives.
Required Upper-Division Electives* (7 courses; 31.5 quarter units):
Students must complete a minimum of seven courses (31.5 quarter units) of electives from the list below. *Students wishing to complete a minor in any field may substitute the minor-required courses to fulfill the elective requirements in Sociology. Suggested areas of minor are: Criminal Justice, Counseling, Global Studies, History, and Video Gaming.
SOC 449 - Sociology of Law (Prerequisites: SOC 100 and ENG 100/101)
SOC 460 - The Individual and Society
(Prerequisites: SOC 100 and ENG 100/101)
SOC 331 - Sociology of Health and Illness
(Prerequisites: SOC 100 and ENG 100/101)
SOC 325 - Contemporary Popular Culture (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
SOC 328 - Intercultural Thinking/Creativity (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
SOC 336 - American Film and Society (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
SOC 430 - Culture, Technology and Society (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
SOC 445 - Contemporary Social Problems (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
SOC 490 - Guided Study
CJA 448 - Violence and Society
GLS 410 - Gender Identity in a Global Context (Prerequisite: ENG 240)
GLS 430 - The Global Economy (Prerequisite: ENG 240)
HIS 350 - Cultural Diversity (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
HUM 501 - Civic Culture and Global Awareness
(Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
MTH 412 - History of Mathematics
(Prerequisites: MTH 215, MTH 216A/B, or MTH 301)
MUL 325 - Psychology of Video Games (Prerequisite: PSY 100)
PHL 320 - Comparative Religion (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
PHL 375 - Environmental Ethics (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
POL 320 - Politics of Social Movements (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
SCI 300 - Geography: Mapping the World
This program is available online.
National University is an affiliate of the National University System.