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Overview

The Bachelor of Arts with a major in sociology provides a liberal arts and sciences education. Sociology provides a broad foundation for a number of careers that require a deep understanding of human interactions and behaviors. The department has an active undergraduate organization, the Sociology and Criminology Club, which is open to all interested students.

Requirements

The Bachelor of Arts with a major in sociology requires a minimum of 120 s.h., including at least 36 s.h. of work for the major. Students must maintain a grade-point average of at least 2.00 in all courses for the major and in all UI courses for the major. They must also complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences GE CLAS Core.

Introductory Sociology

• SOC:1010 Introduction to Sociology (3-4 s.h.)

Theory, Statistics, and Methods

• SOC:2130 Sociological Theory (3 s.h.)
• SOC:2170 Research Methods (3 s.h.)
• One of the following statistics courses:
  • SOC:2160 Applied Statistics for Social Scientists (3 s.h.)
  • STAT:1020/PSQF:1020 Elementary Statistics and Inference (3 s.h.)
  • STAT:1030 Statistics for Business (4 s.h.)
  • STAT:2010 Statistical Methods and Computing (3 s.h.)
  • STAT:3510/IGPI:3510 Biostatistics (3 s.h.)
  • STAT:4143/PSQF:4143 Introduction to Statistical Methods (3 s.h.)

Electives

Students complete 21 s.h. of elective coursework in sociology (prefix SOC). Four of the required electives must be advanced, chosen from sociology courses numbered 3000–4903, SOC:4920 Social Services Organization Internship, or SOC:4998 Honors Research.

Capstone Course

All students complete a capstone course, which illustrates their accomplishments and includes assembling a portfolio. Students may take it as early as spring of their junior year, as long as they have completed SOC:2130 Sociological Theory, SOC:2170 Research Methods, and an additional approved course from the "Theory, Statistics, and Methods" list.

Graduation Portfolio

During their last semester, all students enroll in SOC:4909 Graduation Portfolio, in which they submit the portfolio they assembled in the capstone course.

Optional Tracks

The major offers two optional tracks for students with an interest in one of the following concentrations: family and health services, or human relations and business.

Family and Health Services Track

The family and health services track requires a minimum of 15 s.h. of credit, including 12 s.h. of coursework taken at the University of Iowa. It is open to sociology majors who are interested in understanding family structures and practices, differences between and within families, and those social institutions and forces that shape families or are shaped by them.

Human Relations and Business Track

The human relations and business track requires a minimum of 15 s.h. of credit, including 12 s.h. of coursework taken at the University of Iowa. It is open to sociology majors who are interested in understanding the macro- and micro-level processes that affect the ability to understand and manage organizations, as well as the groups and individuals that compose them.

Emphasis Areas

The following elective courses are grouped by emphasis for students who may want to cluster their electives according to one of the following areas of interest. The emphasis area courses are not tracks.

Social Psychology

• SOC:1220 Principles of Social Psychology (3-4 s.h.)
• SOC:3220 Sociology of Mental Health (3 s.h.)
• SOC:3530 Social Psychology of Small Groups (3 s.h.)
• SOC:4225 The Social Psychology of Leadership (3 s.h.)
• SOC:4230 Sociology of Self-Improvement (3 s.h.)

Social and Political Organization

• SOC:2810 Social Inequality (3 s.h.)
• SOC:2830 Race and Ethnicity (3 s.h.)
• SOC:3610 Organizations and Modern Society (3 s.h.)
• SOC:3650 Education, Schools, and Society (3 s.h.)
• SOC:3880 The Sociology of Networks (3 s.h.)
• SOC:4820 Sociology of Sexuality (3 s.h.)

Teacher Licensure

Students interested in teaching in elementary and/or secondary schools should seek admission to the Teacher Education Program (TEP) in the College of Education.

Honors in the Major

Students have the opportunity to graduate with honors in the major. Departmental honors students must maintain a grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.33 in all University of Iowa courses and in all sociology courses.

National Honor Society

The department sponsors a chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society. Students who have a cumulative GPA of 3.30, a sociology GPA of at least 3.00 (with four sociology courses), and have attained junior or higher standing are considered for membership.

University of Iowa Honors Program

In addition to honors in the major, students have opportunities for honors study and activities through membership in the University of Iowa Honors Program.

GE CLAS Core

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences GE CLAS Core requirements provide students with a broad foundation of knowledge and a focused practice of transferable skills necessary for a lifetime of learning.

Communication and Literacy

• Understanding Cultural Perspectives: a minimum of 3 s.h.
• Interpretation of Literature: a minimum of 3 s.h.
• Rhetoric: a minimum of 4 s.h.
• World Languages Pathways: required credit varies

Sustainability

Students complete this requirement by choosing an approved GE CLAS Core course that integrates Sustainability (with no additional semester hours) with a course from the Natural, Quantitative, and Social Sciences category or the Culture, Society, and the Arts category.

Natural, Quantitative, and Social Sciences

• Natural Sciences: a minimum of 7 s.h.; must include one lab
• Quantitative or Formal Reasoning: a minimum of 3 s.h.
• Social Sciences: a minimum of 3 s.h.

Culture, Society, and the Arts

• Historical Perspectives: a minimum of 3 s.h.
• International and Global Issues: a minimum of 3 s.h.
• Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts: a minimum of 3 s.h.
• Values and Society: a minimum of 3 s.h.

Career Advancement

The major provides background for employment in fields such as human services, criminal justice, corrections, sales, public relations, advertising, personnel, applied social research, community organization, and teaching social science in secondary schools. It also offers an integrated package of courses, research training, writing enhancement, international perspectives, and internships to provide graduates with impressive credentials.

Four-Year Graduation Plan

The following checkpoints list the minimum requirements students must complete by certain semesters in order to stay on the university's Four-Year Graduation Plan.

Before the fifth semester begins

• SOC:1010 Introduction to Sociology or equivalent
• One sociology elective

Before the seventh semester begins

• SOC:2130 Sociological Theory
• A required statistics course
• One more sociology elective
• At least 90 s.h. earned toward the degree

Before the eighth semester begins

• SOC:2170 Research Methods
• One more sociology elective

During the eighth semester

• Enrollment in all remaining coursework in the major, including a capstone course, SOC:4909 Graduation Portfolio, and the last two sociology electives
• All remaining GE CLAS Core courses
• A sufficient number of semester hours to graduate

Sample Plan of Study

Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor.

Sociology, BA

• First Year:
  • Fall: SOC:1010 Introduction to Sociology, RHET:1030 Rhetoric: Writing and Communication, GE CLAS Core: World Languages First Level Proficiency or elective course, CSI:1600 Success at Iowa, Elective course
  • Spring: Major: sociology elective/track course, ENGL:1200 The Interpretation of Literature, GE CLAS Core: Understanding Cultural Perspectives, GE CLAS Core: World Languages Second Level Proficiency or elective course, Elective course
• Second Year:
  • Fall: SOC:2130 Sociological Theory, Major: sociology elective/track course, GE CLAS Core: Natural Sciences with Lab, GE CLAS Core: World Languages Third Level Proficiency or elective course, Elective course
  • Spring: Major: introductory statistics course, Major: sociology elective/track course, GE CLAS Core: World Languages Fourth Level Proficiency or elective course, Elective course, Elective course
• Third Year:
  • Fall: SOC:2170 Research Methods, Major: upper-level sociology elective/track course, GE CLAS Core: Values and Society, Elective course, Elective course
  • Spring: Major: capstone course, Major: upper-level sociology elective/track course, GE CLAS Core: Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts, Elective course, Elective course
• Fourth Year:
  • Fall: Major: upper-level sociology elective/track course, GE CLAS Core: Natural Sciences without Lab, GE CLAS Core: Historical Perspectives, Elective course, Elective course
  • Spring: SOC:4909 Graduation Portfolio, Major: upper-level sociology elective/track course, GE CLAS Core: International and Global Issues, Elective course, Elective course, Elective course