Sociology Program Requirements

The Major in Sociology

The major in sociology requires the successful completion of 39 semester hours in the discipline, 18 of which must be at the 300 or 400 level. The curriculum consists of five categories of courses. Students majoring in sociology are required to complete all courses in Category 1 (core courses) and at least one course from each of the remaining categories. Together, these comprise 24 semester hours; the remaining 15 semester hours are to be chosen as sociology electives. A grade of C must be earned in the core courses, and a grade-point average of at least 2.00 must be earned in all courses that comprise the major.

Core courses (12 semester hours)

SOC 100 Introductory Sociology

SOC 320 Social Research

SOC 330 Sociological Theory

SOC 494 Sociology Senior Seminar

Social Institutions (minimum of 3 semester hours)

SOC 203 Sociology of Corrections

SOC 208 Police and Society

SOC 308 Social Organizations

SOC 315 Marriage and the Family

SOC 355 Sociology of the Environment

SOC 430 Sociology of Religion

SOC 450 Medical Sociology

SOC 490 Sociology of Law

SOC 520 Sociology of Education

Power and Inequality (minimum of 3 semester hours)

SOC 300 Race and Ethnic Relations

SOC 301 World Patterns of Race and Ethnicity

SOC 307 Social Stratification

SOC 335 Popular Culture

SOC 364 Women and Men in Society

SOC 425 Political Sociology

People, Places, and the Life Cycle (minimum of 3 semester hours)

SOC 202 Juvenile Delinquency

SOC 213 Sociology of Aging

SOC 245 Latin American Studies

SOC 303 Social Psychology

SOC 318 Sociology of Work and Occupations

SOC 340 Population

SOC 400 Urban Society

Social Issues and Social Change (minimum of 3 semester hours)

SOC 205 Current Social Issues

SOC 305 Criminology

SOC 332 Collective Behavior

SOC 350 Women and Crime

SOC 357 Sociology of Firearms

SOC 360 Technology and Society

SOC 380 Elite Deviance

SOC 381 Deviance and Social Control

SOC 420 Community Corrections

The Minor in Sociology

The sociology minor is 22 semester hours in the discipline. The core sequence (SOC 100, 320, and 330) is required with minimum grades of C. The remaining 12 semester hours may be taken from any sociology courses. An overall grade-point average of at least 2.00 is required in courses comprising the minor.

The Area of Concentration

Students may complete a concentration in sociology in order to complement a major in another area. At least 12 semester hours of sociology courses are required at the 300 level of higher.

General Studies Requirements

Courses in sociology that may be used to satisfy the general studies requirement in behavioral sciences are Introductory Sociology (SOC 100), Introduction to Race and Gender (SOC 110), Current Social Issues (SOC 205), Analysis of Racism and Sexism in the United States (SOC 210), and Latin American Societies (SOC 245).
Latin American Societies (SOC 245) also satisfies the general studies requirement in non-western perspective. Introduction to Race and Gender (SOC 110) and Analysis of Racism and Sexism in the United States (SOC 210) may be used to satisfy the general studies requirement in race gender perspective.

Criminology Emphasis in Sociology

Criminology combines the sociological and psychological aspects of social relations to study the causes and correlatives of crime and deviant behavior. It is one of the fastest growing disciplines at American universities, and for good reason. Sociology majors with course work in criminology are prepared to apply for employment with both government and corporations. Over 1.6 million persons are employed in criminal justice, including nearly 800,000 as police officers, over 300,000 by courts, and 500,000 working in corrections. In fact, corrections, with employment in prisons and probation and parole, is the most rapidly expanding section of the criminal justice system. Corporations employ another million private police and security personnel. There are millions of additional populations, including children and juveniles, persons dependent on drugs and alcohol, mental health clients, and welfare clients.
The Department of Sociology through its criminology emphasis offers a unique opportunity for students interested in careers as court administrators, criminal justice administrators, criminal justice research administrators, social services professionals, police officers, corrections officers, probation and parole officers, juvenile caseworkers, or substance abuse counselors. You can major in sociology by taking as many as ten (10) different courses (30 credits) which award criminology credit.

The Department of Sociology offers the following courses in criminology, corrections, police, and law:

SOC 202 Juvenile Delinquency

SOC 203 Sociology of Corrections

SOC 208 Police and Society

SOC 305 Criminology

SOC 350 Women and Crime
SOC 357 Sociology of Firearms

SOC 380 Elite Deviance

SOC 381 Deviance and Social Control

SOC 420 Community Corrections: Probation and Parole

SOC 455 Comparative Criminal Justice

SOC 490 Sociology of Law

Sociology Program at NKU
Contact Sociology Program at NKU