About
Our undergraduate curriculum provides students with meaningful sociological experience. The theory and methods courses are designed to build competence in core areas, while advanced classes help students develop expertise in major fields of contemporary sociology, including race and ethnic relations, work and leisure, aging studies, gender research, crime and juvenile delinquency, urban ethnography, sociology of medicine, health, and mental illness.
Accreditation
For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please head over to Academic Program Accreditations.
Learning Outcomes
The sociology graduate will have knowledge of:
- Key concepts, debates, and trends in sociology —Demonstrate an understanding of the discipline of sociology, key concepts, debates and trends and how these contribute to our understanding of social reality.
- Students can demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of basic concepts in sociology: culture, social change, socialization, stratification, social structure, institutions, and differentiations by race/ethnicity, gender, age, and class.
- Students can articulate an understanding of how culture and social structure operate
- Students can articulate the reciprocal relationships between individuals and society
- Students can articulate the macro/micro distinction
- Students can articulate the internal diversity of the United States and its place in the international context
- Major sociological paradigms and theories —Demonstrate the role of theory in sociology
- Define theory and describe its role in building sociological knowledge;
- Compare and contrast basic theoretical orientations and paradigms;
- Demonstrate the historical/cultural context in which these theories were developed;
- Methods used in sociological research — Demonstrate understanding of the role of evidence and qualitative and quantitative methods in sociology:
- identify basic methodological approaches and describe the general role of methods in building sociological knowledge;
- compare and contrast the basic methodological approaches for gathering data;
- design a research study in an area of choice and explain why various decisions were made; and
- critically assess a published research report and explain how the study could have been improved
Sociology students will be able to:
- Show evidence of the development of a sociological imagination — Apply sociological knowledge, principles, concepts and the sociological imagination to their own projects, whether intellectual, personal and/or political.
- Exhibit confidence in expressing ideas orally and in writing —
- Students can demonstrate critical thinking
- Demonstrate skills in recall, analysis and application, and synthesis and evaluation.
- Identify underlying assumptions in theoretical orientations or arguments.
- Identify underlying assumptions in particular methodological approaches to an issue.
- Show how patterns of thought and knowledge are directly influenced by political and economic social structures.
- Present opposing viewpoints and alternative hypotheses. Engage in teamwork where many different points of view are presented
- Students will develop values:
- Articulate the utility of the sociological perspective as one of several perspectives on social reality;
- Explain the importance of reducing the negative effects of social inequality.
- Students can demonstrate critical thinking
Requirements
Sociology (BA)
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Sociology curriculum provides students with meaningful sociological experience. The theory and methods courses are designed to build competence in core areas, while advanced classes help students develop expertise in major fields of contemporary sociology, including race and ethnic relations, work and leisure, aging studies, gender research, crime and juvenile delinquency, urban ethnography, sociology of medicine, health, and mental illness.
Please see the UNLV College of Liberal Arts, Department of Sociology web page for information about department programs, faculty, and facilities. Degree worksheets and 4/5 year plan for the major are available on the UNLV Degrees Directory.
Learning Outcomes
The sociology graduate will have knowledge of:
- the key concepts, debates, and trends in sociology;
- the major sociological paradigms and theories;
- the variety of methods used in sociological research.
Sociology students will be able to:
- Show evidence of the development of a sociological imagination by applying sociological knowledge in their own projects—whether intellectual, personal, and/or political.
- Exhibit confidence in expressing ideas orally and in writing.
Admission
To be admitted as a sociology major, you need to have a GPA of 2.0. You can declare sociology as a major at any time. If you would like to switch your major to sociology, The Wilson Advising Center can assist you with this.
Advising
Please see advising information at the UNLV College of Liberal Arts Wilson Advising Center.
Accreditation
For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please head over to Academic Program Accreditations.
University Graduation Requirements
Please see
for complete information.Sociology (BA) Degree Requirements - Total: 120 Credits
General Education Requirements - Subtotal: 36-38 Credits
First-Year Seminar - Credits: 2-3
English Composition - Credits: 6
Second-Year Seminar - Credits: 3
Constitutions - Credits: 4
Mathematics - Credits: 3
Distribution Requirement: Credits: 18-19
Please see
for more information.- Humanities and Fine Arts: 9 credits
- Two 3-credit courses in the humanities
- One 3-credit course in fine arts.
- Social Science
- Automatically satisfied by Major requirement
- Life and Physical Sciences and Analytical Thinking - 9-10 credits
- Two courses from life and physical sciences category; at least one must have a lab.
- Analytical Thinking - 3 credits
Multicultural and International
Multicultural, one 3 credit course required
International, one 3 credit course required
These courses may overlap with general education and major requirements. A single course may not meet the multicultural and international requirements simultaneously. Visit the Provost webpage for the list of approved Multicultural and International courses.
Major Requirements - BA in Sociology - Subtotal: 82-84 Credits
(see note 1 and 2 below)
Degree Requirements: 18
Social Science - Credits: 9
Fine Arts - Credits: 3
Foreign Language/Foreign Culture - Credits: 6
- Sociology students are required to complete 6 courses:
- Sociology Major Requirements - Total Credits: 20
- SOC 101 - Principles of Sociology
- or
- SOC 102 - Contemporary Social Issues
- and
- SOC 403 - Techniques of Social Research
- SOC 404 - Statistical Methods in the Social Sciences
- SOC 421 - Classical Social Theory
- SOC 422 - Modern Sociological Theory
- SOC 489 - Capstone in Sociology
Sociology Electives - Credits: 18
18 additional credits of SOC electives selected in consultation with an advisor.
Related Areas - Credits: 26-28
Additional credits related to the student's academic or vocational career interests, as approved by the Department of Sociology.
Total Credits: 120
Notes
- Unless otherwise specified, either SOC 101orLoading from UNLV Catalog…SOC 102serves as a prerequisite for all other sociology courses at the 200-, 300-, or 400- level.Loading from UNLV Catalog…
- See the department or the Wilson Advising Center for a list of courses that meet the College of Liberal Arts and the University curriculum requirements.
- SOC 403is a Milestone Experience course for Sociology B.A.Loading from UNLV Catalog…
- SOC 489is a Culminating Experience course for Sociology B.A.Loading from UNLV Catalog…
Documents/Downloads
Contacts
Department of Sociology
The Department of Sociology offers courses that inspect concerns about human behavior, social life, and social change. Students examine topics such as crime; economic inequalities; gender; leisure and sports; marriage and family; occupations; race and ethnic relations; and religion.
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College of Liberal Arts
The College of Liberal Arts offers students a well-rounded education in the humanities and social sciences. Students develop strong analytical and communication skills for a lifetime of learning and discovery that can be applied to a wide variety of careers.