Program Description

Sociology as a discipline focuses on the study of group life. Sociologists theorize about, research and critically analyze social institutions such as family, religion, law, the economy, healthcare, and education. Sociologists pay particular attention to social inequalities that may be present in a society. Social characteristics of race, gender, social class, sexual orientation and age are often salient dimensions of inequality and affect how social life is structured and experienced by people inhabiting different placement in a stratified social world. Faculty members in sociology at WNMU emphasize the importance of our students’ development of a “sociological imagination,” a critical and creative way of approaching the study of social life. The completion of a sociology degree will serve our graduates well in any field of employment they decide to pursue. The sociology program offers courses in substantive areas that help students acquire sociological perspectives, develop research skills and engage their sociological imaginations.

Students can pursue a Bachelors of Science or Bachelors of Arts degree in sociology or a minor in the discipline. Currently, there are two full time sociologists and two part-time adjunct faculty who offer twenty-six courses on an established rotational basis (see below) and teach the Capstone Senior Seminar in the Social Sciences on a departmental rotational basis.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Apply Sociological Theories to Understand Social Phenomena. Sociology students should be able to move beyond basic explanations and instead invoke evidence-based theories of sociological phenomena.
• Critically Evaluate Explanations of Human Behavior and Social Phenomena. Sociology students should be able to describe the role of theory in building social knowledge and evaluate the strengths and limitations of different theoretical frameworks.
• Understand and Evaluate Social Scientific Research. Sociology students should be able to understand and critically assess the empirical sociological research of others and identify the assumptions, strengths, and limitations underlying the research methods used by sociologists.
• Apply Scientific Principles to Research the Social World. Sociology students should learn to conduct empirical research by generating research questions or hypotheses based on sociological theory or concepts. Students should meet disciplinary standards for data collection and analysis and be able to identify the strengths and limitations of their research methods.
• Use Sociological Knowledge to Inform Policy Debates and Promote Public Understanding. Sociology students should understand and feel prepared for the kind of work sociologists do, including an awareness of how sociology is used in applied settings, and the value of sociological skills in the workplace.

Abridged and adapted from Ferguson and Carbonaro (2016). Developed through the Measuring College Learning Project of the SSRC. http://highered.ssrc.org/projects/measuring-college-learning-project/sociology/

Sociology Major Requirements

(*may count as General Education)

SOCI 1110* Introduction to Sociology

or

SOCI 2310* Social Problems (3 credits)

SOC 302 Research Methods in Sociology (3 credits)

SOC 313 Social Inequality (3 credits)

SOC 323 Social Statistics (3 credits) also listed as GEOG/PSY

SOC 391 Sociological Theory (3 credits)

SOC 406 Social Psychology (3 credits) cross-listed with PSY

SOC 465 Professional Development in Sociology (1 credit)

SOC 481 Internship in Sociology (2 credits)

SOC 496 Senior Seminar in the Social Sciences (3 credits)

Total credit hours: 24 credits + 12 Guided Elective credits = 36 credits