Sociology
Major: Sociology
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Total Credit Hours: 180.0
Co-op Options: Three Co-op (Five years); One Co-op (Four years); No Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 45.1101
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 19-3041
About the Program
The sociology major at Drexel University has three components: theory, methods, and substantive coursework. It also features specialized coursework relating to social justice issues.
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. The discipline covers a wide variety of fields of inquiry. Sociologists examine structural relations and are committed to developing a critical understanding of these relationships. 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.
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.
For more information about the sociology major, visit the Department of Sociology web page.
Degree Requirements
General Requirements | ||
CIVC 101 | Introduction to Civic Engagement | 1.0 |
COOP 101 | Career Management and Professional Development | 1.0 |
ENGL 101 | Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research | 3.0 |
or ENGL 111 | English Composition I | |
ENGL 102 | Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing | 3.0 |
or ENGL 112 | English Composition II | |
ENGL 103 | Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres | 3.0 |
or ENGL 113 | English Composition III | |
UNIV H101 | The Drexel Experience | 1.0 |
UNIV H201 | Looking Forward: Academics and Careers | 1.0 |
Four Humanities/Fine Arts Courses | 12.0 | |
Two Mathematics Courses | 6.0 | |
Two Science Courses | 6.0 | |
Two Consecutive Foreign Language Courses * | 8.0 | |
Social and Behavioral Sciences | 12.0 | |
Introduction to Sociology | ||
Social and Behavioral Sciences Electives (9.0 credits) | ||
International Studies | 6.0 | |
Two International Studies Courses | ||
Studies in Diversity | 6.0 | |
Two Studies in Diversity Courses | ||
Sociology Core Requirements | ||
Required Major Capstone | 4.0 | |
Capstone in Sociology | ||
Theory Sequence | 8.0 | |
Classical Social Theory | ||
Contemporary Social Theory | ||
Methods Sequence | 8.0 | |
Research Design: Qualitative Methods | ||
Research Design: Quantitative Methods | ||
Required Sociology Electives | 40.0 | |
Select at least 10 of the following: (At least four must be at the 300 or 400 level; and at least one must be at the 400-level.) | ||
Social Problems | ||
Race, Ethnicity and Social Inequality | ||
Sociology of Work | ||
Wealth and Power | ||
Sociology of the Family | ||
Sex and Society | ||
Gender and Society | ||
Sociology of Health and Illness | ||
Sociology of Health Professions | ||
Urban Sociology | ||
Sociology of the Environment | ||
Sociology of Sport | ||
Sociology of Aging | ||
Global Climate Change | ||
Sociology of Global Health | ||
HIV/AIDS and Africa | ||
Social Networks and Health | ||
Sociology of Deviance | ||
Development and Underdevelopment in the Global South | ||
Globalization | ||
Global Environmental Movements | ||
Environmental Justice | ||
Sociology of Disasters | ||
Practicum in Applied and Community Sociology | ||
Medicine, Technology and Science | ||
Housing and Homelessness | ||
Imagining Multiple Democracies | ||
Love, Rage & Debt: The Debt Society | ||
Politics of Life | ||
Social Movements | ||
Sociology Research Seminar I: Research Design | ||
Sociology Research Seminar II: Data Acquisition and Analysis | ||
Sociology Research Seminar III: Practicum in Sociological Research | ||
Special Topics in SOC | ||
Free Electives ** | 51.0 | |
Total Credits | 180.0 |
* | At least one foreign language course must be at the 200-level. In addition, the department recommends students take 2 additional foreign language courses as free electives. |
** | Students not participating in co-op (NCOP) will not take COOP 101 and will need 52.0 free elective credits. |
Writing-Intensive Course Requirements
In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.
A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.
Sample Plan of Study
4 year, no co-op
First Year | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | VACATION | |
SOC 101 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | Diversity Studies elective | 3.0 | ||
UNIV H101 | 1.0 | Foreign Language course | 4.0 | Free electives | 7.0 | ||
Foreign Language course | 4.0 | Social and Behavioral Science elective | 3.0 | ||||
Mathematics course | 3.0 | Sociology required elective | 4.0 | ||||
14 | 15 | 13 | 0 | ||||
Second Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
SOC 241 | 4.0 | SOC 242 | 4.0 | SOC 355 | 4.0 | VACATION | |
Mathematics course | 3.0 | Humanities/Fine Arts elective | 3.0 | Diversity Studies elective | 3.0 | ||
Sociology required electives | 8.0 | Science course* | 3.0 | Free electives | 6.0 | ||
Sociology required elective | 4.0 | Social and Behavioral Sciences elective | 3.0 | ||||
15 | 14 | 16 | 0 | ||||
Third Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
SOC 356 | 4.0 | UNIV H201 | 1.0 | Free electives | 6.0 | VACATION | |
Free electives | 6.0 | Free electives | 6.0 | Humanities/Fine Arts elective | 3.0 | ||
Social and Behavioral Sciences elective | 3.0 | Sociology required elective | 4.0 | International Studies elective | 3.0 | ||
Sociology required elective (300-level) | 4.0 | Sociology required elective (300-level) | 4.0 | Sociology required elective (300-level) | 4.0 | ||
17 | 15 | 16 | 0 | ||||
Fourth Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
Free electives | 6.0 | Free electives | 6.0 | SOC 450 | 4.0 | ||
Humanities/Fine Arts elective | 3.0 | Humanities/Fine Arts elective | 3.0 | Free elective | 3.0 | ||
Science course* | 3.0 | Sociology required elective (400-level) | 4.0 | Humanities/Fine Arts electives | 6.0 | ||
Sociology required elective | 4.0 | International Studies elective | 3.0 | ||||
16 | 13 | 16 | |||||
Total Credits 180 |
* | See degree requirements. |
4 year, 1 co-op
First Year | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | COOP 101* | 1.0 | VACATION | |
SOC 101 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | ||
UNIV H101 | 1.0 | Foreign Language course | 4.0 | Diversity Studies elective | 3.0 | ||
Mathematics course | 3.0 | Social and Behavioral Science elective | 3.0 | Free electives | 6.0 | ||
Foreign Language course | 4.0 | Sociology required elective | 4.0 | ||||
14 | 15 | 13 | 0 | ||||
Second Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
SOC 341 | 4.0 | SOC 242 | 4.0 | SOC 355 | 4.0 | SOC 356 | 4.0 |
Mathematics course | 3.0 | Humanities/Fine Arts elective | 3.0 | Free electives | 6.0 | Free electives | 6.0 |
Sociology required electives | 8.0 | Science course** | 3.0 | Diversity Studies elective | 3.0 | Social and Behavioral Sciences elective | 3.0 |
Sociology required elective | 4.0 | Social and Behavioral Sciences elective | 3.0 | Sociology required elective (300-level) | 4.0 | ||
15 | 14 | 16 | 17 | ||||
Third Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
UNIV H201 | 1.0 | Free electives | 6.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
Free electives | 6.0 | Humanities/Fine Arts elective | 3.0 | ||||
Sociology required elective | 4.0 | International Studies elective | 3.0 | ||||
Sociology required elective (300-level) | 4.0 | Sociology required elective (300-level) | 4.0 | ||||
15 | 16 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Fourth Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
Free electives | 6.0 | Free electives | 6.0 | SOC 450 | 4.0 | ||
Humanities/Fine Arts elective | 3.0 | Humanities/Fine Arts elective | 3.0 | Free elective | 3.0 | ||
Science course** | 3.0 | Sociology Required elective (400-level) | 4.0 | Humanities/Fine Arts electives | 6.0 | ||
Sociology required elective | 4.0 | International Studied elective | 3.0 | ||||
16 | 13 | 16 | |||||
Total Credits 180 |
* | Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101. |
** | See degree requirements. |
5 year, 3 co-ops
First Year | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | COOP 101* | 1.0 | VACATION | |
SOC 101 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | ||
UNIV H101 | 1.0 | Foreign Language course | 4.0 | Free electives | 6.0 | ||
Mathematics course | 3.0 | Social and Behavioral Science elective | 3.0 | Diversity Studies elective | 3.0 | ||
Foreign Language course | 4.0 | Sociology required elective | 4.0 | ||||
14 | 15 | 13 | 0 | ||||
Second Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
SOC 241 | 4.0 | SOC 242 | 4.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
Mathematics course | 3.0 | Humanities/Fine Arts elective | 3.0 | ||||
Sociology required electives | 8.0 | Science course** | 3.0 | ||||
Sociology required elective | 4.0 | ||||||
15 | 14 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Third Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
SOC 355 | 4.0 | SOC 356 | 4.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
Diversity Studies elective | 3.0 | Free electives | 6.0 | ||||
Free electives | 6.0 | Social and Behavioral Sciences elective | 3.0 | ||||
Social and Behavioral Sciences elective | 3.0 | Sociology required elective (300-level) | 4.0 | ||||
16 | 17 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Fourth Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
UNIV H201 | 1.0 | Free electives | 6.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
Free electives | 6.0 | Humanities/Fine Arts elective | 3.0 | ||||
Sociology required elective | 4.0 | International Studies elective | 3.0 | ||||
Sociology required elective (300-level) | 4.0 | Sociology required elective (300-level) | 4.0 | ||||
15 | 16 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Fifth Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
Free electives | 6.0 | Free electives | 6.0 | SOC 450 | 4.0 | ||
Humanites/Fine Arts elective | 3.0 | Humanities/Fine Arts elective | 3.0 | Free elective | 3.0 | ||
Science course** | 3.0 | Sociology required elective (400-level) | 4.0 | Humanities/Fine Arts electives | 6.0 | ||
Sociology required elective | 4.0 | International Studies elective | 3.0 | ||||
16 | 13 | 16 | |||||
Total Credits 180 |
* | Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 101 in place of COOP 101. |
** | See degree requirements. |
Co-op/Career Opportunities
An undergraduate degree in sociology is excellent preparation for law school, medical school, or for graduate work in such fields as sociology, history, gerontology, or political science.
Outside of academics, sociologists work in a wide variety of settings. Some serve as statistical analysts for market research firms, health care agencies, and government. Others are involved in urban planning, survey research, public relations, agency management, trend analysis, or criminal justice. There are sociologists of religion working for national church organizations, and sociologists specializing in gerontology who are engaged in research or administration for agencies concerned with the aged.
Co-op Experiences
Some recent co-op positions held by sociology students include the following:
- Human Resources Assistant, National Board of Medical Examiners
- Giving Corps Intern, Cradles to Crayons
- Organizing Internship, Food & Water Watch
- Marketing Intern, Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young LLP
- Small Business Outreach Co-op, The Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians
Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center page for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.