Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
Program Areas and Career Opportunities
Sociology is the study of human society and social behavior. A Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology will lead to career opportunities in the criminal justice system, social services, government, or business. It will also serve as preparation for graduate study in sociology, other social sciences or professions, such as social work, counseling, education, or law.
To learn more about sociology in general and what state, regional and national organizations have to offer for students and anyone else interested in sociology, try these links:
www.asanet.org (American Sociological Association)
www.southernsociologicalsociety.org (Southern Sociological Society)
www.ncsociology.org (North Carolina Sociological Association)
What does it mean to say that sociology is the study of human society and social behavior?
- It means we're interested in looking at how people treat other people in their day-to-day relationships and understanding why people live the way they do.
- We want to know about the lyrics in the latest popular music and the influence of religion on people's lives;
- How couples develop relationships and move toward a permanent commitment to one another (or why they don't);
- How sports in high school and college have become training grounds for a major industry;
- How crime and other social problems emerge and the effects they have on all of us;
- How the things that happen in our daily lives are affected by social forces that seem beyond our control;
- How, in fact, we can have an impact on the direction society takes.
Sociology majors are people who like to learn, to think, and to talk about the world we all live in - how things work, why they work the way they do, and how they might be changed for the better. They're curious about different people's perceptions, different cultures, and different ideas about why people do the things they do.
Being a sociology major at Winston-Salem State means reading, writing, working with others in a supportive academic environment, both inside and outside the classroom. It means doing research, developing communication skills, and thinking critically about issues that affect us all. Involvement in research projects with faculty, in service-learning activities, and in the Sociology Club and Alpha Kappa Delta, the international sociology honor society, enhance opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. All of these skills and experiences will serve a graduate well in all types of work, including graduate school.
Major Program in Sociology
To complete a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, students are required to complete a total of 123 semester hours. Thirty-three of those hours consist of sociology courses, and at least 18 hours must be taken in another discipline selected by the student as a minor.
The remaining hours include "core curriculum" classes, required of all students at the university, and other elective or support courses. Included in those courses are six semester hours of one foreign language and three semester hours each in economics, geography, and philosophy.
Sociology majors must complete the following courses with a grade of C or better:
- SOC 2301 General Sociology
- SOC 2326 Elementary Statistics
- SOC 3342 Sociological Theory
- SOC 3352 Methods of Social Research
- SOC 4339 Senior Seminar.
They must also complete another 18 semester hours of courses in Sociology, with a grade of C or better in each course. Sociology majors may choose to take Internship in Sociology in addition to the 33 hours specified above.
Candidates for a sociology degree are required to participate in program assessment activities.
Minor Program in Sociology
A minimum of 18 semester hours in Sociology with a grade of C or better in each course is required for a minor in this field. The following courses are required:
- General Sociology
- Elementary Statistics (*waived for students whose major requires a statistics course)
- Social Theory
- Methods of Social Research (**waived for students whose major requires a social/behavioral science research methods course)
Sociology electives must be completed to bring the total semester hours in Sociology to 18.
Students for whom one or two required courses are waived must complete three hours of Sociology for each course that is waived.
