Program Overview

Sociology (BA/MA) Program

The Sociology Department at Loyola University Chicago offers a 5-year BA/MA degree, allowing students to begin graduate school in their senior year and finish the MA degree at the end of their 5th year. This program provides a wonderful opportunity to gain an advanced degree without the time and expense of the longer 2-year MA degree offered by most programs.

Overview

The BA/MA program in Sociology is designed to enhance opportunities for advanced training for Loyola's undergraduates. The program allows students to share limited credits between their undergraduate and graduate degrees, facilitating completion of both degrees.

Curriculum

The BA/MA program generally requires four more sociology courses taken in the student's first four years than the eleven normally required for a BA sociology major. The four extra courses must be graduate-level courses, usually taken in the student's senior year. Consequently, BA/MA students will generally have four fewer non-sociology electives than ordinary BA students.

• BA Requirements:
  • Required Courses:
    • SOCL 101: Society in a Global Age (3 hours)
    • SOCL 205: Sociological Thought 1 (3 hours)
    • SOCL 206: Principles of Social Research (3 hours)
    • SOCL 301: Statistics for Social Research (4 hours)
    • SOCL 365: Social Theory & Social Research 2 (3 hours)
  • Elective Courses: 18 hours (complete six total electives; five must be from SOCL 210-SOCL 380)
• MA Requirements:
  • Required Courses:
    • SOCL 405: History Sociological Thought (3 hours)
    • SOCL 410: Logic of Sociological Inquiry (3 hours)
    • SOCL 412: Qualitative Methods in Social Research (3 hours)
    • SOCL 414: Statistical Methods Analysis I (3 hours)
  • Choose one of the following MA track-specific courses: 3 hours
    • General Track: SOCL 406: Modern Sociological Theory
    • Applied and Public Track: SOCL 494: Internship
  • Elective Courses: 15 hours (select five from the MA Elective List)

MA Elective List

• SOCL 406: Modern Sociological Theory (3 hours)
• SOCL 415: Statistical Methods of Analysis II (3 hours)
• SOCL 418: Demography (3 hours)
• SOCL 421: Theories Social Change (3 hours)
• SOCL 423: Social Movements (3 hours)
• SOCL 425: Inequality and Society (3 hours)
• SOCL 426: Sociology of Gender (3 hours)
• SOCL 427: Political Sociology (3 hours)
• SOCL 428: Poverty and Social Welfare (3 hours)
• SOCL 432: Socialization Thru Life Cycle (3 hours)
• SOCL 438: The Family (3 hours)
• SOCL 439: Community Change (3 hours)
• SOCL 440: Organizations & Organizational Change (3 hours)
• SOCL 441: Sociology of Religion (3 hours)
• SOCL 442: Religious Conflict & Change (3 hours)
• SOCL 446: Knowledge, Power & Expertise (3 hours)
• SOCL 447: Sociology of Culture (3 hours)
• SOCL 448: Technology & Material Culture (3 hours)
• SOCL 452: Complex Organizations (3 hours)
• SOCL 453: Occupations and Professions (3 hours)
• SOCL 461: Race & Ethnicity (3 hours)
• SOCL 462: The Urban Metropolis (3 hours)
• SOCL 463: Sociology & Natural Environment (3 hours)
• SOCL 471: Sociology of Deviance & Control (3 hours)
• SOCL 473: Criminology (3 hours)
• SOCL 481: Medical Sociology (3 hours)
• SOCL 490: Workshop: Applied Sociology (1 hour)
• SOCL 491: Sociological Discourse (3 hours)
• SOCL 494: Internship (3 hours)
• SOCL 497: Independent Research 1 (3 hours)
• SOCL 498: Independent Research 1 (3 hours)
• SOCL 499: Directed Study 1 (3 hours)

Thesis or Portfolio

Students in the BA/MA program must complete either a thesis or a portfolio.

Guidelines for Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Programs

Terms

• Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's programs: These programs allow students to share limited credits between their undergraduate and graduate degrees to facilitate completion of both degrees.
• Shared credits: Graduate-level credit hours taken during the undergraduate program and applied towards graduate program requirements.

Admission Requirements

• Declared appropriate undergraduate major
• Completed approximately 90 credit hours or the credit hours required in a program accredited by a specialty organization
• Minimum cumulative GPA for coursework at Loyola that is at or above the program-specific requirements
• Minimum major GPA that is at or above the program-specific requirements
• Appropriate designated coursework for evaluation of student readiness in their discipline

Curriculum

• Level and progression of courses: Students admitted to Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's programs should be capable of meeting graduate-level learning outcomes.
• Shared credits: Up to 50% of the total graduate-level credit hours required in the graduate program may be counted in meeting both the undergraduate and graduate degree requirements.

Graduation

• Degrees are awarded sequentially.
• Students in these programs must be continuously enrolled from undergraduate to graduate degree program unless given explicit permission by their program for a gap year or approved leave of absence.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify the broad theoretical orientations of the discipline (General Track)
• Frame sociological research questions (General Track)
• Synthesize social scientific literature (General Track)
• Select appropriate data sources (General Track)
• Collect and present data in accordance with ethical and professional standards (General Track)
• Use one or more data collection methods to carry out a research project (General Track)
• Analyze quantitative or qualitative data (General Track)
• Write a sociological research report (General Track)
• Apply sociological knowledge to governmental, non-profit, or for-profit organizational activities (Applied Track)
• Contribute to the work of a governmental, non-profit, or for-profit organization through an internship (Applied Track)
• Frame a research question relevant to an organization (Applied Track)
• Select appropriate data sources (Applied Track)
• Collect and present data in accordance with ethical and professional standards (Applied Track)
• Use one or more data collection methods (Applied Track)
• Analyze quantitative or qualitative data (Applied Track)
• Write a sociologically-informed report that is relevant to an organization (Applied Track)