Undergraduate Degree Programs and Minors

In obtaining a Bachelors of Arts degree in Sociology you will be exposed to the study of group life and its consequences. As a social science, it combines scientific and humanistic perspectives in the study of urban and rural life, family patterns and relationships, social class, technology and communications, health care and illness, community responses to disasters, social movements, and contemporary social problems.

What can I do with a Bachelors of Arts degree?
The undergraduate degree in sociology prepares individuals to be competitive in a wide variety of occupations, including those in business, the public sector, and the helping professions. Because students learn how to systematically collect and manage data, they are sought by employers interested in those skills. Employers are also impressed with the sociological understanding of group dynamics that comes from the discipline. Not only is the sociology degree excellent preparation for graduate work in the social sciences and applied fields, but it also combines the classic liberal arts education with practical skills.

The core of the Bachelor of Science in Applied Sociology major is its Internship Program, which has a prestigious reputation within the business and educational communities of central Texas. In addition to a challenging classroom experience, the program provides the opportunity to intern at professional organizations in the Austin - San Antonio corridor; or, if an appropriate internship is found elsewhere, it is possible to intern at other locations in the state, the nation, or even internationally.

What can I do with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Sociology?
Our site supervisors tell us we have the most thorough, well-planned and successful internship program in the area. Rigorous and demanding in its course requirements, the program requires students to create a professional portfolio of work performed, design a web page, keep a sociological journal, make formal Power Point presentations, and work a minimum of 300 hours during the semester. We take pride in our program's ability to help our majors make the transition from the classroom to the work world; each year approximately half of our interns receive job offers as a direct result of their internships.

To enroll in the Applied Sociology Internship course (SOCI 4690), students must successfully complete the following courses (or their equivalent), with a 2.25 GPA:

• Introduction to Sociology
• Statistics for Behavioral Sciences
• Applied Data Analysis
• Sociological Theory
• Quantitative Research Methods
• Qualitative Research Methods
• and 12 hours of advanced Sociology electives

Total of 18 hours required.  SOCI 1310 (Intro to Sociology) or SOCI 3300 (Principles of Sociology) required.  For the remainder of the hours comprising the minor, students must choose 15 hours from the list below; and at least 12 of the hours chosen must be advanced classes (3000/4000):
SOCI 2320, SOCI 3300, SOCI 3304, SOCI 3307, SOCI 3308, SOCI 3309, SOCI 3317, SOCI 3318, SOCI 3319, SOCI 3320, SOCI 3321, SOCI 3324, SOCI 3325, SOCI 3327, SOCI 3328, SOCI 3333, SOCI 3337, SOCI 3338, SOCI 3340, SOCI 3343, SOCI 3344, SOCI 3345, SOCI 3347, SOCI 3348, SOCI 3349, SOCI 3350, SOCI 3353, SOCI 3363, SOCI 3366, SOCI 3370, SOCI 3375, SOCI 3383, SOCI 3384, SOCI 4332.

SOCI 3317 (Popular Culture and Society) is the required core course.  Fifteen additional hours (five courses) must then be selected from the following:
ANTH 3309, ARTH 3303, ARTH 4301, COMM 4307, COMM 4321, COMM 4322, ENG 3309, ENG 3326, ENG 3329, ENG 3331, HIST 3343, HIST 3369I, HIST 4361, MC 3355, MC 4382C, MC 4382I, POSI 4301, SOCI 3324, SOCI 3333, SOCI 3340, SOCI 3366

Students who want a minor that may lead to a career studying gerontology or working with people in their various life stages, including their final stage, should select Aging and the Life Course as a minor.
 
A minor in Aging and the Life Course requires 18 semester hours including 9 hours from the following core courses: SOCI 3329, 3383, SOWK 4320 and PSY 3313.

The remaining nine hours shall be selected from the following courses: SOCI 3327, 3329, 3337, 3338, 3358, 3383, 3384, 3395; SOWK 4320, PSY 3330, 3313, 3361; REC 1320.