Sociology (BS)

This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2022–Spring 2023 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.

Bachelor of Science in Sociology
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (AS)
Department: Sociology
Academic Plan Code(s): SOC_BS, SOC_BS_HMW

Program Information

Sociology students learn how to address these issues through scientific research and application, and, as our world continuously evolves. Sociology majors are well prepared to offer insight into these changes and how best to accommodate them. Sociology majors are offered a rich environment within which to develop skills in critical thinking, analytic problem-solving, and communication that are required by employers and/or that prepare them for a range of graduate programs.

Given the training in research methods, statistics, and topical areas, employment opportunities for sociology majors are plentiful in social service agencies; federal, state, and local governments; nonprofit organizations; and private enterprises. The emerging global economic order and the increased complexity of corporate cultures promise to open even more opportunities for our graduates. Some sociology majors help companies develop global marketing strategies, and others work to enhance the culture and organization of corporations.

Sociology students pursue careers in a variety of fields: business, child welfare, computer industry, criminal justice, education (teaching, evaluation research, consultation, research), gerontology, health care, international relations, law, law enforcement, leisure/recreation/sport, military/military intelligence, social work, and urban planning or management, and more.

Completion of this degree requires work to be submitted for the department’s Learning Outcomes Measurement. For details, contact the department.

Degree Summary

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
General Education Requirements ¹		31
College/School Requirements		13-15
Program/Major Requirements		18
Track Requirements ²		60
Minimum Total Hours		122-124

¹: Some credit hours from the General Education Requirements may be satisfied by courses defined by the program, in which case additional electives will be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree. See the Degree Requirements tab for specific coursework.
²: Sociology offers two BS options, one track and one non-track. For both options, please refer to the Track Requirements tab.

Specific coursework information can be found on the Degree Requirements tab.

Accelerated BA-BS/MA in Sociology

The Department of Sociology offers a an accelerated master's degree program, which is designed to allow motivated undergraduates the opportunity to earn graduate credit hours in sociology during their senior year. As undergraduates, accelerated students may earn between 6-9 credit hours (taking 2-3 graduate level courses), which are applied toward both the undergraduate degree as well as the graduate degree, allowing students to begin the graduate program in sociology with credits already applied toward their MA degree.

The graduate courses taken during the student's senior year will depend on the courses the student has remaining to complete his/her undergraduate degree in sociology. The undergraduate advisor works individually with accelerated students regarding their course schedules.

NOTE: Students in the accelerated program in sociology may only apply their graduate credits earned as an undergraduate toward the graduate degree in sociology at UofL.

To be admitted to the program, a student must have: an undergraduate GPA of 3.35 or better at the time of application and satisfactory GRE scores (see Admissions tab for more information).

Departmental Admission Requirements

Admission to the BS in Sociology requires:

Completion of SOC 301 with a grade of C or better
Minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0
Minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in Sociology, if any courses have been taken.

The Application for Major form can be found on the Arts & Sciences Advising Center website.

Accelerated BA-BS/MA in Sociology Application Procedure

Students must apply during the first or second semester of Junior year (i.e., when they have earned between 70-80 hours) by submitting the following to the Graduate Admissions Office:

Graduate application
Two references (preferably from sociology instructors) in the form of a discursive letter of recommendation and completion of the Letter of Evaluation form
Curriculum vitae (CV) or resume
GRE scores.

Applicants must also submit to the Department of Sociology responses to the Sociology Graduate Admissions Questionnaire (below). Responses should be of sufficient length to give the Graduate Admissions Committee a basis for evaluating the student’s interest in and ability to complete the program, and provide a sample of the student’s writing. Responses can be submitted in four separate essays or combined in one longer essay.

Admissions Questionnaire

Please explain your reasons for applying to the accelerated master's program in sociology. What are your professional or occupational objectives (including any study beyond the master of arts in sociology)? How does this department’s program fit into those objectives?
What areas of sociology do you find especially interesting for study and/or research?
What positions of responsibility, if any, have you had, and what, specifically, do you believe you have gained from such experience? Positions may include not only employment, but offices held in organizations, volunteer work, etc.
Please summarize what you believe to be your most important accomplishments to date, including those in the academic or occupational areas.

General Education Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
General Education Requirements ^*		31
The following courses are required by the program and can satisfy the respective General Education Requirement:
SOC 202	Social Problems
or SOC 210	Race in the United States

*All degrees require the completion of the University-wide General Education Program (link provided above). Some General Education requirements may be met in the requirements for the major or supporting coursework, in which case additional electives may be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree.

College/School Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Arts & Sciences Requirements
GEN 100	Student Success Center First Year Experience	1
or GEN 101	Arts & Sciences First Year Experience
Foreign Language ¹		6-8
Electives in Humanities or Natural Sciences at 300-level or above ²		6
WR—two approved courses at the 300 level or above ³
Minimum Total Hours		13-15

Program/Major Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Department of Sociology
SOC 201	Introduction to Sociology	3
SOC 202	Social Problems ⁴	3
or SOC 210	Race in the United States
SOC 301	Introduction to Social Statistics	3
SOC 303	Introduction to Research Methods	3
SOC 320	Social Theory	3
SOC 323	Diversity and Inequality	3
Minimum Total Hours		18

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Track Requirements (see Track Requirements tab)		60

Sociology majors may take no more than six hours of “Special Topics” courses in sociology to meet degree requirements.

At least 50 of the total minimum hours required must be at the 300 level or above.

Completion of this degree requires completion of SOC 303 and SOC 320 with a grade of C or better.

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Culminating Undergraduate Experience (For students admitted Summer 2014 or later)
Requirement fulfilled by completing one of the following:
SOC 400	Independent Study
SOC 405	Voluntarism
SOC 406	Applied Sociology
SOC 410	Sociology of Aging
SOC 415	Sociology of Death & Dying
SOC 425	Sociology of Leisure
SOC 435	Sociology of Health and Illness
SOC 440	The Health Care System
SOC 450	Special Topics in Sociology
SOC 454	Social Inequality & Stratification
SOC 455	Sociology of Work
SOC 464	Race and Ethnicity
SOC 470	Political Sociology
SOC 472	Sociology of Education
SOC 480	Juvenile Delinquency
SOC 499	Senior Honors Thesis

¹: Completion of the second semester of a single foreign language; hours will vary depending on the language taken
²: In addition to courses counted toward General Education
³: May be incorporated into other degree requirements
⁴: May be used to satisfy a General Education requirement.
⁵: SOC 350 may be used to satisfy this degree requirement depending on the appropriateness of its topic and with the department undergraduate advisor's approval. Other sociology electives may be substituted upon approval from the department undergraduate advisor.
⁶: In addition to courses counted toward general education
⁷: Students who satisfy General Education Requirements by courses defined by the program will require additional electives to complete the minimum hours for the degree.

No-track, Sociology BS

Academic Plan Code(s): SOC_BS

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Environment, Health, and Population Studies
Select one of the following courses:		3
SOC 305	Urban Sociology
SOC 306	Demography
SOC 307	Rural Sociology
SOC 315	Environmental Sociology
SOC 329	Sociology of Families
SOC 340	Mental Health and Illness
SOC 342	Medical Sociology
SOC 343	Sociology of Women's Health
SOC 350	Special Topics in Sociology
SOC 392	Faces of Global Poverty
SOC 394	Globalization, Culture and Third-World Development
Social Inequalities, Behavioral, and Structural Studies
Select two of the following courses:		6
SOC 325	Sociology of Human Sexuality
SOC 327	Sociology of Gender
SOC 334	Sociology of Deviant Behavior
SOC 336	Criminology
SOC 344	Sociology of Music in Contemporary America
SOC 346	Sociology of Religion
SOC 374	Money, Economics and Society
SOC 380	Animals and Society
Four 400-level Sociology electives		12
One 200+ level Sociology elective		3
SOC 400	Independent Study	3
or SOC 405	Voluntarism
Social Science Supporting Courses
Select one of the following courses:		3
ANTH 201	Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
LALS 310	Introduction to Latin American Studies
PAS 200	Introduction to Pan-African Studies
WGST 201	Women In American Culture
WGST 301	Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies
Electives in Social Sciences other than Sociology, of which 6 hours must be at 300 level or above		21
Minimum Electives		9
Minimum Total Hours		60

BS in Sociology with a Track in Health, Medicine, and Well-Being

Academic Plan Code: SOC_BS_HMW

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following courses:		3
SOC 305	Urban Sociology
SOC 306	Demography
SOC 315	Environmental Sociology
SOC 325	Sociology of Human Sexuality
SOC 327	Sociology of Gender
SOC 329	Sociology of Families
SOC 334	Sociology of Deviant Behavior
Select two of the following courses:		6
SOC 340	Mental Health and Illness
SOC 342	Medical Sociology
SOC 343	Sociology of Women's Health
SOC 350	Special Topics in Sociology
Select four of the following courses:		12
SOC 410	Sociology of Aging
SOC 415	Sociology of Death & Dying
SOC 425	Sociology of Leisure
SOC 435	Sociology of Health and Illness
SOC 440	The Health Care System
SOC 442	Sociology of Disabilities
SOC 450	Special Topics in Sociology
SOC 454	Social Inequality & Stratification
One 200+ Sociology elective		3
SOC 400	Independent Study	3
or SOC 405	Voluntarism
Social Science Supporting Courses
Select one of the following courses:		3
ANTH 201	Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
LALS 310	Introduction to Latin American Studies
PAS 200	Introduction to Pan-African Studies
WGST 201	Women In American Culture
WGST 301	Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies
Electives in Social Sciences other than Sociology, of which 18 hours must come from the course list indicated below; 6 hours must be at the 300+ level, and 3 hours must be an ethics course ¹		21
Minimum Electives		9
Minimum Total Hours		60

¹: Eighteen hours must be taken from the following courses:

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
ANTH 207	Principles of Biological Anthropology	4
ANTH 303	Human Origins	3
ANTH 307	Darwin	3
ANTH 308	Primates	3
ANTH 309	Sex, Gender and Culture	3
ANTH 327	The Human Skeleton	3
ANTH 328	Environmental Archaeology	3
ANTH 353	Evolutionary Anthropology	3
ANTH 354	Anthropology of Infectious Disease	3
ANTH 410	Skeletal Forensics	3
COMM 430	Health Communication	3
CJ 352	Sex Crimes	3
CJ 415	Substance Abuse, Crime and Criminal Justice	3
ECON 355	Health Economics	3
HSS 293	Social and Psychological Dimensions of Physical Activity	3
HSS 310	Healthy Lifestyles II	3
HSS 364	Women's Health Issues	3
HSS 380	Medicinals: Their Use and Misuses	3
HSS 383	Public Health Principles and Practices	3
HSS 392	Principles of Sport and Exercise Psychology	3
HSS 430	Epidemiology of Health, Physical Activity and Nutrition	3
HSS 431	Leadership in Health Promotion	3
HSS 434	Public Health Education Methods	3
HSS 455	Current Trends and Issues in Health Education	3
HSS 460	Human Body in Health and Disease	3
HSS 462	Alcohol and Drug Education	3
HSS 469	Administering Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Programs	3
HIST 359	History of Modern Science	3
PSYC 305	Brain and Behavior	3
PSYC 325	Health Psychology	3
PHPB 301	Health Equity	3
PHEH 301	Public Health and Our Environment	3
PHEH 325	Public Health Nutrition	3
PHEH 330	Childhood Nutrition from a Public Health Perspective	3
PHEH 331	Food Composition and Public Health	3
PHEH 332	Nurtition Assessment Tools	3
PHEP 301	Global Public Health	3
WGST 312	Sociology of Women's Health	3
WGST 364	Women's Health Issues	3
WGST 415	Sociology of Disabilities	3
WGST 509	Women and Medicine	3

No-Track Sociology BS

Plan of Study Grid
Year 1
Fall		Hours
GEN 100 or GEN 101	Student Success Center First Year Experience or Arts & Sciences First Year Experience	1
ENGL 101	Introduction to College Writing	3
SOC 201	Introduction to Sociology	3
General Education: Cardinal Core Quantitative Reasoning - QR		3
Foreign Language 1		3-4
Select one of the following:		3
ANTH 201	Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
LALS 310	Introduction to Latin American Studies
PAS 200	Introduction to Pan-African Studies
WGST 201	Women In American Culture
WGST 301	Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies
	Hours	16-17
Spring
ENGL 102	Intermediate College Writing	3
Foreign Language 2		3-4
General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities - AH		3
General Education: Cardinal Core Natural Sciences - S		3
General Education: Cardinal Core Natural Sciences Lab - L		1
SOC 202 or SOC 210	Social Problems or Race in the United States	3
	Hours	16-17
Year 2
Fall
SOC 301	Introduction to Social Statistics	3
General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities Global Diversity - AHD2		3
General Education: Cardinal Core Oral Communication - OC		3
General Education: Cardinal Core Natural Sciences - S		3
Sociology elective (200 level or above)		3
	Hours	15
Spring
SOC 303	Introduction to Research Methods	3
SOC 323	Diversity and Inequality	3
General Education: Cardinal Core Social & Behavioral Sciences Historical Perspective - SBH		3
Social Science elective		3
Humanities or Natural Science elective (300 level or above)		3
	Hours	15
Year 3
Fall
SOC 320	Social Theory	3
Humanities or Natural Science elective (300 level or above)		3
Environment, Health and Population Studies elective (300 level)		3
SOC 305 or SOC 306 or SOC 307 or SOC 315 or SOC 329 or SOC 340 or SOC 342 or SOC 343 or SOC 350 or SOC 392 or SOC 394	Urban Sociology or Demography or Rural Sociology or Environmental Sociology or Sociology of Families or Mental Health and Illness or Medical Sociology or Sociology of Women's Health or Special Topics in Sociology or Faces of Global Poverty or Globalization, Culture and Third-World Development
Social Inequalities, Behavioral, and Structural Studies elective (300 level)		3
SOC 325 or SOC 327 or SOC 334 or SOC 336 or SOC 344 or SOC 346 or SOC 374 or SOC 380	Sociology of Human Sexuality or Sociology of Gender or Sociology of Deviant Behavior or Criminology or Sociology of Music in Contemporary America or Sociology of Religion or Money, Economics and Society or Animals and Society
Social Science elective		3
	Hours	15
Spring
Sociology elective from Social Inequalities, Behavioral, and Structural Studies		3
SOC 325 or SOC 327 or SOC 334 or SOC 336 or SOC 344 or SOC 346 or SOC 374 or SOC 380	Sociology of Human Sexuality or Sociology of Gender or Sociology of Deviant Behavior or Criminology or Sociology of Music in Contemporary America or Sociology of Religion or Money, Economics and Society or Animals and Society
Sociology elective (400 level)		3
Social Science elective		3
Social Science elective (300 level or above)		3
Social Science elective		3
	Hours	15
Year 4
Fall
Sociology elective (400 level)		3
Sociology elective (400 level)		3
Social Science elective		3
Social Science elective (300 level or above)		3
General elective		3
	Hours	15
Spring
SOC 400 or SOC 405	Independent Study or Voluntarism	3
Sociology elective (400 level)		3
Social Science elective (300 level)		3
General elective		3
General elective		3
	Hours	15
	Minimum Total Hours	122-124

Track in Health, Medicine, and Well-Being

Plan of Study Grid
Year 1
Fall		Hours
GEN 100 or GEN 101	Student Success Center First Year Experience or Arts & Sciences First Year Experience	1
ENGL 101	Introduction to College Writing	3
SOC 201	Introduction to Sociology	3
General Education: Cardinal Core Quantitative Reasoning-QR		3
Foreign Language 1		3-4
Select one of the following:		3
ANTH 201 or LALS 310 or PAS 200 or WGST 201 or WGST 301	Introduction to Cultural Anthropology or Introduction to Latin American Studies or Introduction to Pan-African Studies or Women In American Culture or Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies
	Hours	16-17
Spring
ENGL 102	Intermediate College Writing	3
Foreign Language 2		3-4
General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities-AH		3
General Education: Cardinal Core Natural Sciences-S		3
General Education: Cardinal Core Natural Sciences Lab-SL		1
SOC 202 or SOC 210	Social Problems or Race in the United States	3
	Hours	16-17
Year 2
Fall
SOC 301	Introduction to Social Statistics	3
General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities Global Diversity-AHD2		3
General Education: Cardinal Core Oral Communication-OC		3
General Education: Cardinal Core Natural Sciences-S		3
Sociology elective (200 level or above)		3
	Hours	15
Spring
SOC 303	Introduction to Research Methods	3
SOC 323	Diversity and Inequality	3
General Education: Cardinal Core Social and Behavioral Sciences Historical Perspective-SBH		3
Social Science elective		3
Humanities or Natural Science elective (300 level or above)		3
	Hours	15
Year 3
Fall
SOC 320	Social Theory	3
Humanities or Natural Sciences elective (300 level or above)		3
One of the following Sociology electives:		3
SOC 305 or SOC 306 or SOC 315 or SOC 325 or SOC 327 or SOC 329 or SOC 334	Urban Sociology or Demography or Environmental Sociology or Sociology of Human Sexuality or Sociology of Gender or Sociology of Families or Sociology of Deviant Behavior
One of the following track electives: ²		3
SOC 340 or SOC 342 or SOC 343 or SOC 350	Mental Health and Illness or Medical Sociology or Sociology of Women's Health or Special Topics in Sociology
Social science elective ¹		3
	Hours	15
Spring
One of the following track electives: ²		3
SOC 340 or SOC 342 or SOC 343 or SOC 350	Mental Health and Illness or Medical Sociology or Sociology of Women's Health or Special Topics in Sociology
One of the following 400 level Sociology courses: ³		3
SOC 410 or SOC 415 or SOC 425 or SOC 435 or SOC 440 or SOC 442 or SOC 450 or SOC 454	Sociology of Aging or Sociology of Death & Dying or Sociology of Leisure or Sociology of Health and Illness or The Health Care System or Sociology of Disabilities or Special Topics in Sociology or Social Inequality & Stratification
General elective		3
Social Science elective ¹		3
Social science elective ¹		3
	Hours	15
Year 4
Fall
One of the following 400 level Sociology electives: ³		3
SOC 410 or SOC 415 or SOC 425 or SOC 435 or SOC 440 or SOC 442 or SOC 450 or SOC 454	Sociology of Aging or Sociology of Death & Dying or Sociology of Leisure or Sociology of Health and Illness or The Health Care System or Sociology of Disabilities or Special Topics in Sociology or Social Inequality & Stratification
One of the following 400 level Sociology electives: ³		3
SOC 410 or SOC 415 or SOC 425 or SOC 435 or SOC 440 or SOC 442 or SOC 450 or SOC 454	Sociology of Aging or Sociology of Death & Dying or Sociology of Leisure or Sociology of Health and Illness or The Health Care System or Sociology of Disabilities or Special Topics in Sociology or Social Inequality & Stratification
Social science elective ¹		3
Ethics course related to health, medicine and well-being ⁴		3
General elective		3
	Hours	15
Spring
SOC 400 or SOC 405	Independent Study or Voluntarism	3
One of the following 400 level Sociology electives: ³		3
SOC 410 or SOC 415 or SOC 425 or SOC 435 or SOC 440 or SOC 442 or SOC 450 or SOC 454	Sociology of Aging or Sociology of Death & Dying or Sociology of Leisure or Sociology of Health and Illness or The Health Care System or Sociology of Disabilities or Special Topics in Sociology or Social Inequality & Stratification
Social science elective (300 level or above) ¹		3
General elective		3
General elective		3
	Hours	15
	Minimum Total Hours	122-124

¹: Social science electives must be selected from the following: ANTH 207, ANTH 303, ANTH 307, ANTH 308, ANTH 309, ANTH 327, ANTH 328, ANTH 353, ANTH 354, ANTH 410, COMM 430, CJ 352, CJ 415, ECON 355, HSS 293, HSS 310, HSS 364, HSS 380, HSS 383, HSS 392, HSS 430, HSS 431, HSS 434, HSS 455, HSS 460, HSS 462, HSS 469, HIST 359, PSYC 305, PSYC 325, PHPB 301, PHEH 301, PHEH 325, PHEH 330, PHEH 331, PHEH 332, PHEP 301, WGST 312, WGST 364, WGST 415, or WGST 509.
²: SOC 350 may only satisfy this requirement if the topic is related to health, medicine, and well-being. Other electives may be substituted with approval from the undergraduate advisor.
³: SOC 450 may only satisfy this requirement if the topic is related to health, medicine, and well-being. Other electives may be substituted with approval from the undergraduate advisor.
⁴: PHIL 323 is an example of an appropriate ethics course. Other possible courses that may be used to satisfy this requirement should be discussed with the undergraduate advisor.

Degree Audit Report
Degree Audit reports illustrate how your completed courses fulfill the requirements of your academic plan. What-if reports allow you to compare the courses you have completed in your current academic plan to the courses required in another academic plan. Should you have questions about either report, please consult with your academic advisor.

To create either report:

Log into your ULink account.
Click on the Academic Progress tile.
Next, click on "View my Degree Audit" to run a Degree Audit report in the Undergraduate Advising area.
To create a What-if report, click on "Create a What-if Advisement Report."

Click here to run a Degree Audit report, or create a What-if report.

Flight Planner
Based on your major, the Flight Planner tool may be available for you to create a personalized Flight Plan. The Flight Planner can be found in the ULink Student Center. Consult with your advisor for assistance with the Flight Planner.