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Department of Sociology

Bachelor of Arts in Sociology

Students on Summer 2019, Fall 2019, or Spring 2020 requirements SOCBA
The Bachelor of Arts in Sociology acquaints students with basic principles, methods, and findings in sociology—the scientific study of society and human social interaction as organized in systems of social relationships, organizations, and institutions. It seeks to explain the order, disorder, and change that characterize social life as well as their implications for individuals. Major subfields offered by the Department of Sociology include social psychology; deviance; social inequality; medical sociology; and the study of the family, schools, gender roles, ethnic and racial groups, and social classes. Provision is made for students who wish to acquire a general background as well as for those who wish to develop particular interests in a subfield of sociology. The major provides a foundation for careers in many professional fields, such as law, social service administration, and business, as well as for graduate training as professional sociologists in government, business, community agencies, research organizations, or universities.

Requirements

The major requires at least 30 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
  1. Introductory course. One (1) course:
    • SOC-S 100 Introduction to Sociology
  2. Introductory Elective. One (1) course:
    • SOC-S 101 Social Problems and Policies
    • SOC-S 105 Sociology Laboratory
    • SOC-S 110 Charts, Graphs, and Tables
    • SOC-S 122 Envisioning the City
    • SOC-S 201 Social Problems
    • SOC-S 210 Economic Sociology
    • SOC-S 215 Social Change
    • SOC-S 217 Social Inequality
    • SOC-S 220 Culture and Society
    • SOC-S 230 Society and the Individual
  3. Social Theory. One (1) course:
    • SOC-S 340 Social Theory
  4. Research Methods in Sociology. One (1) course:
    • SOC-S 370 Research Methods in Sociology
  5. Statistics in Sociology. One (1) course:
    • SOC-S 371 Statistics in Sociology
  6. Capstone. One (1) course:
    • Any SOC-S 400–499 except SOC-S 413; SOC-S 419; SOC-S 422; SOC-S 450; SOC-S 493
  7. Advanced Electives. Nine (9) additional credit hours from the Advanced Electives list.
    • Any SOC-S 300–399 except SOC-S 340; SOC-S 370; SOC-S 371
    • Any SOC-S 400–499
    • Any SOC-X 300–399
    • Any SOC-X 400–499
  8. Additional Elective(s). Additional courses, as needed, to fulfill remaining requirements.
  9. Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
    2. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    3. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
    4. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the major—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    5. Exceptions to major requirements may be made with the approval of the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.