Sociology is the scientific study of human social behavior. It considers how society influences individuals and how individuals influence society. Sociologists describe and explain the actions of persons, groups, organizations, classes and entire societies. They also design and evaluate social programs and public policy.
The study of sociology includes social theory, research methods, social stratification, race relations, social change, criminology, demography, gender roles, religion, social psychology and the environment.
Requirements
General Requirements
Students must complete the graduation requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below. A minimum of 36 credit hours (but not more than 45) in sociology is required for the degree. Of the 36 credit hours, 21 must be upper division with a minimum of 15 upper-division credit hours of coursework in the major taken on the Boulder campus.
All required major courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better. The cumulative GPA required in sociology courses is 2.00.
In addition to formal coursework, the degree offers opportunities for internships with various organizations, including social service agencies, the criminal justice system and nonprofit organizations. There is also the opportunity to design and complete an honors thesis based on the student's original research, as well as to work closely with a faculty member through the UROP program.
Required Courses and Credits
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SOCY 1001 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SOCY 2061 | Introduction to Social Statistics 1 | 3 |
| SOCY 3001 | Classical Theory | 3 |
| SOCY 3201 | Sociological Research Methods | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| SOCY Lower or Upper-division electives | 9 | |
| SOCY Upper-division electives 2 | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
| 1 | A non-SOCY statistics course (C- grade or higher) can be used to substitute for SOCY 2061, but then an additional 3 credit SOCY elective would need to be taken to reach the 36 required SOCY credits. |
| 2 | SOCY 4932 cannot be applied to the SOCY major or minor requirements. |
Graduating in Four Years
Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for information on eligibility. The concept of "adequate progress" as it is used here only refers to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. To maintain adequate progress in sociology, students should meet the following requirements:
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By the beginning of the second semester, declare the major.
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By the end of the fourth semester, complete SOCY 1001 and SOCY 3001 and 6 credit hours of sociology electives.
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By the end of the sixth semester, complete SOCY 2061 and SOCY 3201 and 15 credit hours of sociology electives (with a minimum of 9 of the 15 being upper-division credit hours).
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By the end of the eighth semester, complete 36 credit hours (but not more than 45), in sociology with at least 21 of those credit hours in upper-division courses.
Recommended Four-Year Plan of Study
Through the required coursework for the major, students will fulfill all 12 credits of the Social Sciences area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement and one, or potentially, both categories of the Gen Ed Diversity Requirement, as well as the QRMS component of the Gen Ed Skills Requirement.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credit Hours | |
| SOCY 1001 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Arts & Humanities/US Perspective) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Lower-division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences with Lab) | 4 | |
| Elective/MAPS | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SOCY Elective Lower or Upper-division | 3 | |
| SOCY Elective Lower or Upper-division | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution (example: Arts and Humanities) | 3 | |
| Elective/MAPS | 3 | |
| Elective/MAPS | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SOCY 2061 | Introduction to Social Statistics | 3 |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Arts & Humanities/Global Perspective) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SOCY 3001 | Classical Theory | 3 |
| SOCY Elective Lower or Upper-division | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SOCY Elective Upper-Division | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Upper-division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SOCY 3201 | Sociological Research Methods | 3 |
| SOCY Elective Upper-Division | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Upper-division Arts & Humanities) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SOCY Elective Upper-Division | 3 | |
| SOCY Elective Upper-Division | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SOCY Elective Upper-Division | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Divisoin Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 121 | |
Learning Outcomes
After completing a BA in sociology, students will be able to:
- Use sociological theories and evidence to understand, analyze and explain the causes and consequences of social stratification; ethnic, racial, religious, gender and other forms of differentiation and inequality; and variations in the composition and form of basic social institutions.
- Learn to use a variety of research methods to help describe and explain social phenomena.
- Employ critical thinking skills to evaluate data, sociological writings and other work.
- Locate and consult works relevant to a sociological investigation and write a sociological paper that makes an argument that is coherent, cogent and grounded in a review of relevant scholarship.
- Understand processes of social change and the opportunities for and barriers to them.