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Sociology BA

Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Minimum Required Credits: 120.0
Co-op Option(s): Three Co-op, Two Co-op, One Co-op, No Co-op
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 45.1101
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 19-3041

About the Program

Sociology is the systematic study of societies. Society is the sum total of individual and group interactions and relations from small groups and families to global networks and complex social organizations. Sociologists examine how these structural relations within communities are formed and maintained, how people resist social conventions and inequalities. The Sociology major at Drexel University has three components: theory, methods, and substantive coursework. It also features specialized coursework relating to social justice issues. Thus, the Sociology major stresses theory, research methods, and quantitative and qualitative data analysis. These are then applied to a wide variety of substantive areas including, but not limited to, social inequality, political power, gender, sexuality, class, race, ethnicity, family, health, cities and neighborhoods, technology and environmental change, as well as social and political movements connected with social change.

The stress on critical understanding means that Sociology majors will strive not only to develop strong analytic abilities but an intellectual and ethical engagement reflected in sociologically informed thinking and action. The research and analytical skills developed in our program are sought after by a wide variety of professions. Graduates from the Sociology program have pursued careers across government, public and private sectors, community and local organizations, applying their critical thinking, data analysis and writting skills in research, policy analysis, education, social services, human resources, and related professional fields.]

Specialized social justice coursework is typically carried out in connection with community groups and organizations. It is a way the Sociology Program and Drexel University as a whole seek to become practically engaged with the wider community while promoting social justice. As part of Drexel's Co-oP, Sociology majors embark on six-month periods of employment — exploring their career options, strengthening their résumés, gaining practical skills, and building a professional network, making them competitive applicants when entering the job market.

Additional Information

For more information about this program, please contact the College of Arts and Sciences

Admission Requirements

Same as University requirements.

Degree Requirements

University Requirements
EXP 1001	Introduction to Experiential Learning	3.0
WRIT 1100	Composition and Rhetoric I	3.0
or WRIT 1110	English Composition I
WRIT 1200	Composition and Rhetoric II	3.0
or WRIT 1210	English Composition II
Introductory Core Competencies ¹
Select one course from each of the three (3) categories of Introductory Core Competency Courses:		9.0
Introductory: Inquire and Analyze
Introductory: Collaborate and Integrate
Introductory: Apply and Engage
Free Electives		15.0
College Requirements
AS-I 1007	Journeys in Arts and Sciences	3.0
AS-I 1008	Data Fluency	3.0
AS-I 1009	Interdisciplinary Ethics	3.0
Program Requirements
Sociology Required Courses
SOC 1001	Introduction to Sociology	3.0
SOC 1040	Introduction to Research Methods	3.0
SOC 2041	Research Design - Qualitative Methods	3.0
SOC 2042	Research Design - Quantitative Methods	3.0
SOC 3055	Classical Sociological Theory	3.0
SOC 3056	Contemporary Sociological Theory	3.0
SOC 4999	Senior Capstone in Sociology	3.0
Sociology Electives
Select at least twelve (12) of the following courses (at least four must be at the 3000 or 4000 level, and at least one must be at the 4000 level):		36.0
SOC 1015	Social Problems
SOC 1800	Special Topics in Sociology
SOC 2007	Medicine, Technology and Society
SOC 2010	Race, Ethnicity, and Social Inequality
SOC 2015	Sociology of Work
SOC 2020	Wealth and Power
SOC 2021	Sociology of the Family
SOC 2022	Intimacies: Sex, Love and Intersectional Lives
SOC 2030	Gender and Society
SOC 2035	Sociology of Health and Illness
SOC 2038	Sociology of Health Professions
SOC 2040	Urban Sociology
SOC 2044	Sociology of the Environment
SOC 2071	Sociology of Aging
SOC 2078	Global Climate Change and Society
SOC 2800	Special Topics in Sociology
SOC 3013	Sociology of Global Health
SOC 3018	Social Networks and Health
SOC 3020	Sociology of Deviance
SOC 3030	Development and Underdevelopment in the Global South
SOC 3039	Sociology of the Countryside
SOC 3040	Globalization
SOC 3042	Global Environmental Movements
SOC 3046	Environmental Justice
SOC 3048	Plastics Crisis
SOC 3049	Disasters in an Unequal World
SOC 3059	Topics in Sociology: Current Issues, Problems, and Policies
SOC 3070	Practicum in Applied and Community Sociology
SOC 3080	Displaced: Gentrification and the Unhoused
SOC 3800	Special Topics in Sociology
SOC 3900	Independent Study in Sociology
SOC 4010	Imagining Multiple Democracies
SOC 4020	Love, Rage and Debt: The Debt Society
SOC 4030	Politics of Life
SOC 4044	Social Movements
SOC 4059	Advanced Topics in Sociology: Emerging Issues and Debates
SOC 4800	Special Topics in Sociology
SOC 4900	Independent Study in Sociology
Free Electives
Select any 7 courses from any program outside of Sociology.		21.0
Optional Co-op Experience
Co-op is an option for this degree for full-time on-campus students. Co-op cycles may vary. Students choosing this option will be required to complete COOP 1001 as preparation for their co-op experience. COOP 1001 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned.		0.0
Total Credits		120.0

¹: A complete list of eligible Introductory Core Competency courses can be found here.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion, students will learn to:

Demonstrate a basic knowledge of sociological theory.
Apply a basic knowledge of sociological research methods to sociological investigations.
Articulate a basic knowledge of substantive fields of study within sociology.
Critically read sociological research and scholarship.
Critically analyze real world social issues and problems.
Design and carry out sociological research and data collection.
Analyze and communicate research findings.

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