INFORMATION

Sociology is the study of social life: the nature and structure of groups, institutions and societies. Sociology attempts to identify and understand the social functions and processes of human behavior. Sociology's subject matter ranges from the intimate family to the hostile mob, from crime to religion, from divisions of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, from the sociology of work to the sociology of sport, from the study of conformity to the study of deviance, from childhood to old age and death.

The sociology major is designed to provide undergraduate preparation leading to careers in social work, politics, law, public administration, urban and environmental planning, public relations, personnel, criminal justice, counseling and other service professions. The Bachelor of Arts in Sociology will also prepare a student for advanced studies in several areas including sociology, social welfare, environmental studies, education, public health and urban planning.

Field Experience

The major in sociology offers an internship to provide supervised field experience. This permits students to apply relevant sociological knowledge in practical settings. The course may earn from one to three units. An independent study is also offered for this purpose. It allows students to expand upon individual interests within the field of sociology. This study may be in the form of an individual research project, either library or field. Conferences are scheduled with the supervising faculty member as necessary to provide for maximum benefits. No more than nine units of any combination of internships and independent studies may be applied toward the thirty-six units required for the major. Senior seminars will be offered each semester on topics of current sociological relevance . The seminar is open to students of all disciplines with senior classification who have had upper-division course work in the area. The topics will vary from semester to semester depending upon the specialty and training of the instructor. This course may be repeated for credit.

NOTE: A maximum of six units only of internship may be applied toward the major. A maximum of nine units only of independent study may be applied toward the major. However, no more than nine units of a combination of internship (six units maximum) and independent study may be applied for credit toward the major.