Department of Sociology
Program Leader: Anthony I. Igiede
Professors: Ollie Christian, Riad Yehya
Assistant Professor: Kristie Perry
Professor Emerita: Alma Thornton
Instructors: Anthony Lawrence, Mary Joseph
The Department of Sociology provides programs of study leading to the Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology. The Department prepares students for employment in research and/or policy analysis positions in government, social service organizations, business and industry, and for graduate study in Sociology. Additionally, Sociology offers courses and programs to students in other instructional areas of the University and the larger community. The Department has a chapter of Alpha Delta International Sociology Honor Society and La Epsilon Chapter of Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in the Social Sciences. A student led Sociology Club is an integral part of majors’ experiences. Membership in the Sociology club provides students with a variety of experiences and activities that foster a broad understanding of the field of sociology and its applications in society.
Degree Requirements
A student majoring in Sociology must complete a total of 120 semester hours of which 36 semester hours must be in Sociology, including the following required courses: Introduction to Sociology (SOCL-210), Contemporary Social Problems (SOCL-220), Social Statistics (SOCL-350), Sociology Internship (SOCL-445), Social Research (SOCL-450), Sociological Theory (SOCL-455) and Senior Seminar in General Sociology (SOCL-499), and fifteen (15) hours of electives in Sociology. Sociology majors must take the 18 hours of the required Sociology courses plus an additional eighteen (18) credit hours for a concentration in one of the following areas: (1) Forensic Science, Urban Studies and Human Ecology, (3) Race and Gender Studies, (4) Health and Illness Studies, and (5) Globalization and Diversity Studies.
A minor in Sociology consists of at least eighteen (18) semester hours that shall include Introduction to Sociology (SOCL-210), Contemporary Social Problems (SOCL-220), Social Statistics (SOCL-350), Social Research (SOCL-450), Sociological Theory (SOCL-455) and Senior Seminar in General Sociology (SOCL-499).
Students may concentrate in any of the following areas: (1) Forensic Science Criminology, (2) Urban Studies and Human Ecology, (3) Race and Gender Studies, (4) Health and Illness, and (5) Globalization and Diversity. All students wishing to concentrate in any of the identified areas must also complete SOCL-210 as a pre-requisite.
Sociology students may concentrate in Forensic Science by completing eighteen (18) hours from the following courses: Introduction to Anthropology (SOCL-314) or Cultural Anthropology (SOCL-328), Social Psychology (SOCL-320), Sociology of Deviant Behavior (SOCL-382) or, Juvenile Delinquency and its Treatment (SOCL-485), Forensic Science (SOCL-400), Criminology (SOCL-424), and Penology (SOCL-425), or Sociology Internship (SOCL-445).
Students may concentrate in Urban Studies and Human Ecology by completing the following courses: Introduction to Population and Human Ecology (SOCL-324), Environment and Society (SOCL-340), Community Organization (SOCL-386), The Urban Community (SOCL-428), Industrial Sociology (SOCL-448) and Sociology of Black Americans (SOCL-435).
Students may concentrate in Race and Gender Studies by completing the following courses: Contemporary Social Problems (SOCL-220), Gender and Society (SOCL-390), Minority Group (SOCL-434), Sociology of Black Americans (SOCL-435), African American Sociological Thought (SOCL-436), and Sociology Internship (SOCL-445).
Students may concentrate in Health and Illness by completing the following courses: Contemporary Social Problems (SOCL-220); Sociology of Health and Illness (SOCL-280), Problems of Marriage and Family (SOCL-335), Introduction to Population and Human Ecology (SOCL-324), Globalization and Diversity (SOCL-394), and Sociology Internship (SOCL-445).
Students may concentrate in Globalization and Diversity by completing the following courses: Introduction to Population and Human Ecology (SOCL-324), Terrorism in Contemporary Society (SOCL-370), Minority Group Relations (SOCL-434), Globalization and Diversity (SOCL-394), Political Sociology (SOCL-431), and The Sociology of African Culture (SOCL-442).
Sociology courses that may be used to satisfy the African American Experience requirement include: Minority Group Relations (SOCL-434), Sociology of Black Americans (SOCL-435), African-American Sociological Thought (SOCL-436), and The Sociology of African American Culture (SOCL-442).