Sociology
Sociology is the scientific study of social structure, social inequality, social change, and social interaction that comprise societies. The sociological perspective examines the broad social context in which people live. This context shapes our beliefs and attitudes and sets guidelines for what we do.
The curriculum is structured to introduce majors to the sociology discipline and provide them with conceptual and practical tools to understand social behavior and societies. Areas of study include small groups, populations, inequality, diversity, gender, social change, families, community development, organizations, medical sociology, aging, and the environment.
Major Requirements
Major: Sociology
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Required Degree Credits to Graduate: 122
General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degree
- A dynamic list of approved general education courses offered by term is available on the NDSU General Education Requirements website.
- General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review the major, minor, and program emphases requirements for minimum grade restrictions, if applicable.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Experience (F) | 1 | |
| Skills For Academic Success (Also offered with the following prefixes: ABEN, AGRI, BUSN, HD&E, ME, NURS, PHRM) | ||
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 40 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | May be satisfied with courses required in the major. Review major requirements to determine if a specific upper division writing course is required. |
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Degree Requirements
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree – The completion of a minor program of study, a second major, or a second degree is required.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree – Second year language proficiency at college level required.
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences College Requirements
An additional 9 credits are required by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for all Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degree programs of study, except the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, the Bachelor of Music degree, Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree, and the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AH&SS College Requirements | ||
Courses used to satisfy any general education requirement cannot be used to also count toward the AH&SS College Requirements. A minimum of three credits is required in each of the 3 following areas for a total of 9 credits. Choose only those courses with the prefixes listed for each area. A course with the WGS prefix can only be used in one area. | ||
| Area One: Humanities | 3 | |
ARB, ENGL, FREN, GERM, HIST, HUM, PHIL, RELS, SPAN, or WGS | ||
| Area Two: Social Sciences | 3 | |
ANTH, CJ, COMM, EMGT, POLS, SOC, or WGS | ||
| Area Three: Fine Arts | 3 | |
ARCH, ART, ENVD, LA, MUSC, or THEA | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Sociology Core Requirements | ||
| ANTH 111 | Introduction to Anthropology (May satisfy general education category B and D) | 3 |
| SOC 110 | Introduction to Sociology (May satisfy general education category B) | 3 |
| SOC 340 | Social Research Methods | 3 |
| SOC 341 | Social Research Methods Laboratory | 1 |
| SOC 422 | Development Of Social Theory | 3 |
| SOC 489 | Senior Capstone In Sociology | 1 |
| STAT 330 | Introductory Statistics (May satisfy general education category R) | 3 |
| Core Perspecitve Courses | See areas listed below | 21 |
Students are REQUIRED to complete the anchor course from each area plus an additional 9 credits from any of the four areas. | ||
| Total Credits | 38 | |
Core Perspective Courses
Completion of the anchor course from each area plus an additional 9 credits from any of the four areas is required to complete the core perspectives requirement.
Area One: Social Structure
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SOC 233 | Sociology of Organizations and Work (ANCHOR ) | 3 |
| SOC 401 | Sociology of Religion | 3 |
| SOC 404 | Community Assessment | 3 |
| SOC 417 | Sociology of the Family | 3 |
| SOC 426 | Sociology of Medicine | 3 |
| SOC 427 | Public Health Law and Policy for Non-urban, Rural and Frontier Areas | 3 |
| SOC 443 | International Disasters | 3 |
| SOC 465 | Applied Demographics | 3 |
Area Two: Social Inequality
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SOC 235 | Cultural Diversity (ANCHOR) | 3 |
| SOC 410 | Social Inequality | 3 |
| SOC 412 | Sociology of Gender | 3 |
| SOC 424 | Feminist Theory and Discourse | 3 |
| SOC 445 | Special Populations in Disasters | 3 |
Area Three: Social Change
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SOC 115 | Social Problems (ANCHOR) Either course serves as the anchor | 3 |
| or SOC 116 | Global Social Problems | |
| SOC 403 | Sociology of The Great Plains | 3 |
| SOC 405 | Community Development | 3 |
| SOC 407 | Deviant Behavior | 3 |
| SOC 431 | Environmental Sociology | 3 |
| SOC 439 | Social Change | 3 |
| SOC 440 | Sociology of Aging | 3 |
Area Four: Social Interaction
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SOC 214 | Social Interaction (ANCHOR) | 3 |
| SOC 416 | Sociology Through Literature | 3 |
| SOC 418 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 441 | Death and Dying | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Minor Requirements
Sociology Minor
Minor Requirements
Required Credits: 18
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| ANTH 111 | Introduction to Anthropology | 3 |
| SOC 110 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Required Courses: Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Social Problems | ||
or SOC 116 | Global Social Problems | |
| Social Interaction | ||
| Sociology of Organizations and Work | ||
| Cultural Diversity | ||
| Major Electives: Select any two sociology courses at the 300-400 level | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Minor Requirements and Notes
- A minimum of 8 credits must be taken at NDSU.
- Emergency Management majors who wish to complete this minor must complete 9 unique Sociology credits (i.e. courses that were not completed for the major of EM).
