Sociology (BA)

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Offered by the Department of Sociology , College of Arts and Sciences .

Admission to the Program

Formal admission to the major requires department approval.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better
Completion of college writing requirement
Completion of university mathematics requirement

General Education Requirements

A total of ten courses, consisting of two courses from each of the five foundational areas
At least one course from Area Five: The Natural and Mathematical Sciences must include a laboratory science component
No more than two courses may be taken in the same discipline

Major Requirements

42 credit hours with grades of C or better; no more than 9 credit hours may be at the 100 or 200 level

Course Requirements

Required

SOCY-100 U.S. Society FA4 (3)
or
SOCY-110 Views from the Global South FA3 (3)
or
SOCY-150 Global Sociology FA4 (3)
SOCY-315 Classical Social Theory (3)
SOCY-316 Contemporary Social Theory (3)
SOCY-321 Sociological Reasoning with Quantitative Data (3)
SOCY-322 Qualitative Research Methods (3)
SOCY-491 Internship (1-6) (3 credits hours required)
SOCY-492 Major Seminar in Sociology (3)

Sociology Electives

21 credit hours in sociology electives, with no more than 6 credits at the 100 or 200 level, and at least 3 credits at the 500 level.

University Honors Program

To graduate with University Honors in the major through the University Honors Program, students must meet the requirements detailed on the Honors website and have been enrolled as either a first-year student between Fall 1989 and Spring 2014, or as a transfer or self-nominated student through Spring 2015. The University Honors Program should not be confused with the AU Honors Program, which begins in Fall 2014 and has separate requirements, also detailed on the Honors website.

Combined BA and MA in Sociology

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. See Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.

This program enables qualified students to earn, in a continuous plan of study, both the BA and MA in Sociology.

Requirements

Students should apply for this program in the second semester of the junior year. Students must have a minimum overall 3.00 grade point average. Admissions decisions to the combined program follow the same procedures and standards used to evaluate graduate applicants to the MA Students interested in applying to this combined program should consult with their advisor and other faculty members before formal application is begun.
All requirements for the BA in Sociology
- Undergraduate students may apply up to 12 credit hours of approved graduate-level coursework in sociology, including STAT-514 Statistical Methods , to satisfy the requirements of both degrees.
All requirements for the MA in Sociology, including a minimum of 18 credit hours completed in residence in graduate status after the undergraduate degree has been awarded. Students must finish the master’s degree requirements within three years from the date of first enrollment in the master’s program.