Sociology, B.A.

Objectives

The Sociology Department aims to foster the intellectual development of students and to promote lifelong learning experiences. Through coursework, we expect our students to develop what C. Wright Mills called the “sociological imagination” or the ability to recognize and assess how social forces shape the lives of individuals in a changing and complex world.

Our curriculum is designed to help students to explore relationships in society, the social and cultural dimensions of human behavior, the dynamics of interaction, social institutions and groups, and social change in a global context. Upon completing the major, students are equipped with the necessary analytical and methodological skills to help solve contemporary and real-world problems and are prepared for graduate study and careers in a range of fields. 

Sociology Student Learning Outcomes

1. To enable students to develop a sociological imagination.
   1. Demonstrate an understanding of the unique perspective of sociology.
   2. Describe how social structure affects groups and individuals.
2. To enable rigorous analysis of social phenomena using sociological concepts, frameworks, and methodologies.
   1. Apply theoretical frameworks used in sociology.
   2. Transform a problem of interest into a researchable question.
   3. Evaluate methodologies used in sociological research.
3. To encourage the development of engaged, thoughtful individuals capable of applying a sociological perspective to address social problems.
   1. Use sociological information to critically analyze contemporary social issues and/or problems.

Major Requirements

• 37-40 total semester hours in sociology
• An average grade of C (2.0) in major courses must be obtained in order to graduate.

Course List

Code	Title	Semester Hours
Lower Division Requirements 1
SOCL 1000	Principles of Sociology	4
SOCL 2000	Qualitative Research Methods	4
SOCL 2100	Statistics	4
Subtotal		12
Upper Division Requirements
SOCL 3000	Sociological Theory	4
SOCL 4900	Sociology Seminar (should be taken in the senior year)	4
Select five courses from the following theme areas: 2		20
I. Social Institutions, Organizations, and Groups
II. Power and Inequality
III. Social Processes and Change
SOCL 4000	Research Experience in Sociology	1-4
Subtotal		29-32
Total Semester Hours		41-44

¹

A grade of at least C (2.0) will be required in all lower division courses.

²

Students must take at least one course from each of the three theme areas. The remaining courses may be taken from any of the upper division offerings.

At least two 3000- or 4000-level sociology courses must be taken in the senior year.

An average grade of C (2.0) is required in upper division courses included in the major.

30 of the last 36 units must be completed at LMU

A maximum of 40 upper division units in any one department (including SOCL) will be accepted toward overall degree requirements.

Area I: Social Organizations, Institutions, and Groups

Course List

Code	Title	Semester Hours
SOCL 3100	Metropolitan Los Angeles	4
SOCL 3110	Sociology of Sport	4
SOCL 3120	Social Organization	4
SOCL 3130	Sociology of Law	4
SOCL 3140	Sociology of Popular Culture	4
SOCL 3141	Media: The Empire of Illusion	4
SOCL 3150	Sociology of Health and Illness	4
SOCL 3160	Sociology of Marriage and Families	4
SOCL 3180	Introduction to Social Work	4
SOCL 3181	Social Welfare in the U.S.	4
SOCL 3190	Sociology of Education	4
SOCL 4100	Criminal Justice	4
SOCL 4101	Criminal Law	4
SOCL 4103	Social Psychology and the Law	4
SOCL 4110	Religion, Culture, and Society	4
SOCL 4120	Science, Technology, and Society	4

Area II: Power and Inequality

Course List

Code	Title	Semester Hours
SOCL 3200	Deviant Behavior	4
SOCL 3201	Drugs and Society	4
SOCL 3210	Gender and Society	4
SOCL 3211	Men and Masculinities	4
SOCL 3221	Race and Ethnic Relations	4
SOCL 3222		4
SOCL 3223	Blackness in Latin America: Identity, Politics, & Resistance	4
SOCL 3224	Latinos in the U.S.	4
SOCL 3230	Applied Community Internship	4
SOCL 3233	Political Sociology	4
SOCL 3240	Sociology of Aging	4
SOCL 3250	Health and Social Justice	4
SOCL 3260	Human Trafficking	4
SOCL 3270	Poverty and Place	4
SOCL 3290	Social Inequalities	4
SOCL 4202	Crime and Delinquency	4

Area III: Social Processes and Change

Course List

Code	Title	Semester Hours
SOCL 3300	Urban Sociology	4
SOCL 3310	Demography and Population Analysis	4
SOCL 3320	Social Psychology	4
SOCL 3321	Sociology of Emotions	4
SOCL 3340	Social Movements	4
SOCL 3341	Politics, Faith, and Civic Engagement	4
SOCL 3350	The Life Course	4
SOCL 3351	Sociology of Adolescents	4
SOCL 3360	Environment and Society	4
SOCL 3361	Environments, Bodies and the Climate Crisis	4
SOCL 3370	Sociology of Globalization	4
SOCL 3371	Gender and Global Migration	4
SOCL 3372	Sociology of U.S. Immigration	4
SOCL 3373	Immigration and Los Angeles	4
SOCL 3390	Work and Economic Justice	4
SOCL 3391	Work and Labor in the Global Economy	4

Sociology Model Four-Year Plan

The normal course load is 16 semester hours (4 classes). By following the model below, a student will complete all lower division core requirements by the end of the sophomore year as well as most major prerequisites. Note that core areas are suggested to provide a distribution of various disciplines every semester. Please be flexible implementing these suggestions, given your own interests and course availability. In four years, this plan meets all common graduation requirements.

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall		Semester Hours
SOCL 1000	Principles of Sociology	4
FFYS 1000	First Year Seminar	4
PHIL 1800	Philosophical Inquiry	4
Studies in American Diversity		3-4
	Semester Hours	15-16
Spring
RHET 1000	Rhetorical Arts	3-4
THST 1XXX	Theological Inquiry	4
Historical Analysis and Perspectives		4
Lower-Division Elective		4
	Semester Hours	15-16
Sophomore Year
Fall
SOCL 2000	Qualitative Research Methods	4
Creative Experience		3-4
Lower-Division Elective		4
Lower-Division Elective		4
	Semester Hours	15-16
Spring
SOCL 2100	Statistics	4
Nature of Science, Technology, and Math		3
Lower-Division Elective		4
Lower-Division Elective		4
	Semester Hours	15
Junior Year
Fall
SOCL 3000	Sociological Theory	4
SOCL Upper Division (Theme Area)		4
SOCL Upper Division (Theme Area)		4
Upper Division Elective		4
	Semester Hours	16
Spring
SOCL Upper Division (Theme Area)		4
SOCL Upper Division Elective		4
Ethics and Justice		3-4
Upper Division Elective		4
	Semester Hours	15-16
Senior Year
Fall
SOCL Upper Division Elective		4
Faith and Reason		4
Upper Division Elective		4
Upper Division Elective		4
	Semester Hours	16
Spring
SOCL 4900	Sociology Seminar	4
Interdisciplinary Connections		3-4
Upper Division Elective		4
Upper Division Elective		4
	Semester Hours	15-16
	Minimum Semester Hours	122-127