Sociology Major or Minor

BA Degree - Sociology Major

In addition to the essential education requirements, Sociology majors must complete 39 semester hours as prescribed below. Sociology majors must have a GPA of 2.5 in their major in order to graduate.

Core courses 18 s.h.

Select seven SOCI courses (21 hrs) that are 2000 designation or higher (6 s.h. must be upper- division). Non-sociology courses that would also count towards the major requirements include: PSYC/SOCI3310 Social Psychology, PSYC3320 Research Design and Experimental Methods, or PEAC/POLS2200 Introduction to Peace Studies.

The following courses are recommended for any student planning a career in criminal justice: SOCI2500 Criminology, SOCI2300 Race and Ethnicity in the United States, SOCI2200 Environmental Crime, SOCI3200 Gender and Society, SOCI3210 Conflict Management and Dialogue, SOCI3110 Community Studies, SOCI3120 Sociological Studies of Policing, PEAC/POLS2200 Introduction to Peace Studies, PSYC3280 Psychology and Law, PSYC3440 Psychology of the Workplace, and POLS3430 American Constitutional Law.

The following courses are recommended for any student planning a career in human services: SOCI2320 Marriage and the Family, SOCI2300 Race and Ethnicity in the United States, SOCI3200 Gender and Society, SOCI3220 Sociology of Sexualities, SOCI3130 Social Movements, SOCI3210 Conflict Management and Dialogue, SOCI3110 Community Studies, PSYC2250 Developmental Psychology, and PSYC3440 Psychology of the Workplace.

Criminology Concentration

Sociology majors with an interest in a criminal justice-related career may wish to earn a criminology concentration. In addition to fulfilling the core requirements of the sociology major, the following courses are required as part of their 21 hours of electives:

* Other sociologically-based, criminology-related topics courses may be offered on occasion and such an approved course may be substituted for one of these three. (SOCI2500 Criminology is not available for substitution and a student cannot have more than one substitution.)

Sociology Minor

A minor in Sociology requires 18 or more semester hours in Sociology including SOCI1300 Introduction to Sociology and SOCI3440 Research Methods.

Teacher Certification in Sociology

ONLY FOR NON-SOCIOLOGY MAJORS WHO WANT A SECONDARY SOCIOLOGY ENDORSEMENT (5-12). Non-Sociology majors desiring a secondary Sociology endorsement (5-12) in Iowa must complete the Secondary Education Program (with SOSC3390 Methods of Teaching Social Studies as the appropriate methods course), a major in a secondary teaching field, and 24 s.h. in Sociology or 30 s.h. in the broad area of Social Sciences to include 15 s.h. in Sociology.

 

Courses for Sociology

SOCI1300 Introduction to Sociology 3 s.h.
Introduction to the perspective of sociology, its basic concepts and principles and an overview of the field.Includes study of social classes, sex roles, crime and deviance, socialization, social movements and others. Goal 1C, ELO5 Social Science - Equality

+ SOCI1350 Cultural Anthropology 3 s.h.
Survey and analysis of diverse cultural patterns. Goal 4

SOCI2000 Individual Study 1-3 s.h.

SOCI2100 Sociology of Everyday Life 3 s.h.
A survey of sociological perspectives on the social nature of the self, social interactions, social situations, interpersonal relations, group dynamics, collective behavior, and everyday social life.

SOCI2200 Environmental Crime
Explores various environmental harms from a criminological perspective. Students will learn about the development of and key ideas and debates within the field of green criminology and related crime-and-environment disciplines. ELO5 Social Science - Peace

SOCI2300 Race and Ethnicity in the United States 3 s.h.
Examines the basic sociological concepts and theories of race and ethnicity. Particular focus will be given to the social construction of race, as well as the causes and consequences of racism, immigration, education and residential segregation, environmental inequality, and social justice movements.

+ SOCI2320 Marriage and the Family 3 s.h.
Sociological study of the family institution. Topics include dating, marital roles and interaction patterns, socialization, divorce, and others. Goal 1C

SOCI2440 Victimology 3 s.h.
Explores victimology, or the study of victimization. Topics include the history of victims’ rights, causes of victimization, its consequences, and how other institutions deal with crime victims. Also addresses how social scientists conduct research on victims of crimes and current issues and topics of interests to researchers who study victimization. Prerequisites: SOCI1300 or consent from instructor.

SOCI2500 Criminology 3 s.h.
Study of the nature, extent and causes of crime, and the analysis of various types of crimes. Prerequisite: SOCI1300 (grade of C or better) and Sophomore standing.

SOCI3000 Individual Study  1-3 s.h.

SOCI3100 Environment and Society 3 s.h.
Examines environmental concerns and issues such as environmental justice, wilderness preservation, sustainability, peak oil, environmental security, green consumption, conservation crime, oil spills, and fracking. Ecological hope and despair, that is, the question of emotional sustainability in the face of issues that seem beyond one's individual control, are explored throughout. Goal 1C, ELO4 Global Learning - Sustainability

SOCI3110 Community Studies 3 s.h.
Explores various approaches to and studies of community. Topics include forms of community, community development, community organizing, community assessment, place attachment, community power structure, community trauma, and crime and community. ELO3 Ethical Thinking - Innovation

SOCI3120 Sociological Studies of Policing 3 s.h.
Explores the sociological literature on policing. Examines studies of types of policing, police- citizen encounters, police discretion, use of force, police brutality, police culture, police organizational structure and change, effects of new technologies on police work, police corruption, experiences of female officers, and experiences of minority officers. ELO5 Social Science - Peace

SOCI3130 Social Movements 3 s.h.
Examines the origins, nature, and processes of social change movements. Prerequisite: SOCI1300 Introduction to Sociology or PEAC2200 Introduction to Peace Studies and sophomore standing.

SOCI3200 Gender and Society 3 s.h.
Examines gender as a major organizing principle of contemporary social life and explores the different explanations of gender, gendered interactions, and its effects on identities and social institutions. Prerequisite: SOCI1300 Introduction to Sociology or PSYC1300 Introduction to Psychology and sophomore standing.

+SOCI3210 Conflict Management and Dialogue (Also COMM/PEAC3210) 3 s.h.
An examination of conflict theories and approaches, negotiation process, conflict ethics, and third party mediation. In this class, students will become familiar with the causes of conflict as well as ways strategies and tactics used in conflict management. Further, this class will explore the foundational theoretical concepts and models of dialogue in the context of conflict management. Goal 3B

SOCI3220 Sociology of Sexualities 3 s.h.
Examines human sexuality through a sociological perspective, focusing on how sexuality reflects the society in which we live. We will consider the relationship between individual sexualities, (sub)cultures, institutions, and the nation-state. Prerequisite: SOCI1300 Introduction to Sociology and sophomore standing.

SOCI3310 Social Psychology (Also PSYC3310) 3 s.h.
The study of how people think, feel, and behave in social situations. Attention given to research and application to social perception, interaction, and influence. Prerequisite: SOCI1300 or PSYC1300 (grade of C or better).

+ SOCI3340 Penology (Also CRMJ3340) 3 s.h.
Examines various theories of social control, as well as correctional practices, reforms, and their consequences. Research on various punishment and correctional strategies will be discussed.

SOCI3350 Topics in Anthropology 1-3 s.h.
An in-depth study of topics from one or more fields of anthropology. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Prerequisite: SOCI1350 (grade of C or better).

SOCI3440 Research Methods 3 s.h.
A survey of the principles and practices of social research, including data analysis, research ethics, and the design and implementation of surveys, in-depth interviews, content analysis, participant observation, experiments, and field studies. Prerequisite: MATH1380.

+ SOCI3520 Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Justice (also CRMJ3520) 3 s.h. 
Includes an examination of the nature, extent, and patterns of juvenile delinquency, evaluation of theories and causal explanations of delinquency and investigation of delinquent subcultures, as well as an examination of legal processing and treatment programs for young offenders. PREREQUISITE: SOCI1300 Introduction to Sociology.

SOCI3540 Social Research 3 s.h.
Designed to help the sociology majors professionalize their knowledge and experience through development and implementation of an original sociological research project. Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in SOCI3440 Research Methods, senior standing, and Sociology major.

 

SOCI3900 Advanced Topics in Sociology 1-3 s.h.
Study of topics from one or more fields of sociology, including Collective Behavior, Aging and Society, Social Change, and others. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Prerequisite: SOCI1300 (grade of C or better).

SOCI4000 Individual Study 1-3 s.h.

SOCI4330 Social Inequality 3 s.h.
Examines the intersection of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and other minority statuses and the relationships to personal identity and social structure. Helps to develop an awareness and understanding of diverse values, life-styles, beliefs, and attitudes of various racial, cultural, and ethnic minorities. Focuses on the social, legal, economic, and political aspects of prejudice and discrimination on socially disadvantaged groups. Prerequisite: SOCI1300 (with grade of C or better) and senior standing.

SOCI4540 Sociological Theory 3 s.h.
Examines classical sociological theories and the contemporary theories that follow from them. The major approaches covered are functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interaction, and phenomenology.

SOCI4700 Sociology Internship 3 s.h.
Provides practical application of knowledge, theory, and skills in a professional setting. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing, Sociology major, instructor’s consent.

Support Courses for Sociology Major

PEAC2200 Introduction to Peace Studies (Also POLS2200) 3 s.h.
Introduces the field of peace studies with a survey of the historical and philosophical bases for peacemaking, patterns of conflict resolution, nonviolence, history of peace movements, world order models, alternative futures, positive peace, and career options. Goal 3E, ELO5 Histories - Peace

+ POLS3430 American Constitutional Law 3 s.h.
A study of the courts and the judicial process in the United States, with special emphasis on the development of the constitutional system, the interpretation of the law by the courts and effects on the American system of government, both state and national. Supreme Court cases are extensively studied. Goal 1B

PSYC2250 Developmental Psychology 3 s.h.
The study of human development over the entire lifespan. Focus is on the interaction of physical, intellectual, social, and emotional aspects of development. Prerequisite: PSYC1300. Goal 1C, ELO5 Social Science - Equality

+ PSYC3280 Psychology and Law 3 s.h.
An examination of the legal system - both criminal and civil - through the use of psychological concepts, methods, and research findings. Prerequisite: PSYC1300 or instructor consent. Goal 1C

PSYC3320 Research Methods One 3 s.h.
Scientific rationale applied to behavioral research with emphasis on experimental design. Students design research, analyze and interpret data, and learn to write in scientific journal style. Prerequisites: MATH1380 and PSYC1300. Goal 1C

PSYC3440 Psychology of the Workplace 3 s.h.
Psychological theory applied to problems of work: workplace design; group behavior; labor-management relations; leadership; employee selection and retention; psychological evaluation of workers. Goal 1C

SOSC3390 Methods of Teaching Social Studies 3 s.h.
Discussions of the general and specific objectives of social studies in the secondary school system, the materials and resources available, techniques in teaching the social studies, types of curricula, and methods of evaluation. Prerequisites:  admittance into Teacher Education, unless part of an approved Liberal Studies Program.

+Denotes an alternate year course.